Feet for Danger

Hinds are known for being highly agile and sure-footed, capable of navigating steep, craggy and dangerous mountain terrain. I recently watched videos of how they cross steep slopes, where there seems to be no secure footholds for anything to be able to jump or stand on – and yet they do! They can jump great distances over treacherous chasms and land on the other side on some ridiculously thin piece of rock – amazing to see!

They have a unique hoof structure to help them do this – two-toed hooves that can spread to provide a better grip on uneven and slippery surfaces. Also, when climbing, a hind places its back feet exactly where its front feet have just stepped, ensuring that the back feet land on stable footing already tested by the front feet.

This is the picture the prophet Habakkuk had in mind when he had to make the choice of how to react to the dire circumstances surrounding him then, and also facing him in the future. He lived in a society that was full of wickedness and injustice. Faced with this ever-increasing corruption, he started doubting that God was hearing his pleas for help. God answered the prophet and said that He was not passive in this situation, He was going to use the Chaldeans to judge Judah.

Habakkuk than presumed to question God on His decision to use such a wicked nation as an instrument of discipline. God reminded him that He controls the destiny of nations, and that He would in the future greatly punish the Babylonians for their arrogance and greed against Judah.

The prophet knew that the coming invasion of the Chaldeans would lead to utter desolation and famine, and this was the moment when he made his choice on how to react. He modelled for us how we are to manage the three things that we can control when circumstances around us turn hostile:

1. Who we trust – Habakkuk chose to trust God unconditionally, and this choice initially caused him great anxiety.
2. Our perspective – He chose to believe that God knows best, and his subsequent decision to wait patiently for things to develop, filled him with great peace.
3. What we do – Habakkuk chose to write a psalm, which is recorded in chapter 3. It is set to wild, enthusiastic and triumphal music – he is rejoicing in Who his God is, in what He has done in the past, and in the fact that the future will lead to redemption!

Which brought him to the image of a hind, and the feet that it has. We cannot control our circumstances which are ever-changing and give us no stability, just as the deer cannot control the terrain that it has to speed over when running from its enemies. But when we joyfully put our complete trust in the Lord our Master and Covenant God (the meaning of the names Adonai and Yahwe which Habakkuk used) – we develop hinds’ feet, specialized to keep us safe from slipping or falling on high places.

Pearls to ponder:

The song that Habakkuk wrote was a way for him to remind himself that he had decided to put his unwavering trust in the Lord his God. Sing his song every time you feel uncertain or fearful of the future, to remind yourself also!