Hearing the Message of Habakkuk

“Discussions about the problem of evil run the risk of being solely intellectual endeavors, detached from human suffering and disconnected from the resources of the gospel. By contrast, in this powerful and moving book Chris Wright wisely and insightfully engages the problem of evil in its ancient setting. He illuminates the message of the prophet Habakkuk, who himself was wrestling with the existential threat of the coming Babylonian invasion. Wright offers this apt summary: ‘We may not understand the world we are in, but we do know the story we are in. And we need to strengthen our faith by continually bringing this story to mind’—which is precisely what the prophet Habakkuk himself was doing.”

Paul Copan

“Chris has done it once more! One of our generation’s most careful and thoughtful biblical scholars and church leaders applies theological insight, biblical understanding, and pastoral concern to the book of Habakkuk, opening it up for our day. His attentiveness offers a fresh word from an indispensable prophetic book. As I preach and teach Habakkuk, I will return to this gift again and again.”

Heath A. Thomas

“Chris Wright has become a trustworthy and reliable interpreter of Scripture for many in our day. He is a fine scholar fully in command of the tools of biblical scholarship. Additionally, he is also pastorally sensitive, able to hear God’s address to our present context as it shapes a faithful faithful missional people for the sake of the world. I am always delighted when Chris takes on another canonical book; this brief commentary will apply the Word of God to our day, whether it guides the preacher or a group Bible study or one’s personal reading.”

Michael Goheen

“Here is a book for such a time as this. With customary clarity, Chris Wright unpacks the extraordinary relevance of Habakkuk to the unsettling realities of our world, pointing us to the certainties of God’s sovereign control and compassionate care. Each chapter draws illuminating applications from across Scripture and Christian experience, pastorally encouraging us in the midst of troubling times, strengthening our faith, and inserting vertebra in our elastic spines.”

Jonathan Lamb

“Chris Wright, a biblical theologian and steward of words, navigates us through the dark days of Habakkuk, comparing them to the turbulent geopolitical history of our own times. We learn context and history, and even ‘feel’ with Habakkuk. Thankfully, although we are challenged and slightly provoked as we journey through Habakkuk’s book, Chris adeptly brings us through to its gloriously hopeful last chapter. There, he unfolds the sagely kind of wisdom I’ve come to expect from him—‘we live every day in renewed trust in the sovereign good governance of God in God’s world.’ I could discern that word of faith on every page.”

Kim Thomas