Will the warnings be heeded?

Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Any Complaints? Blame God’ by Martin Goldsmith (Authentic Media, 2008).

This is a concise and readable commentary on the Book of Habakkuk whose message is often overlooked but which ‘still speaks today’, especially in our ‘blame society’ where “Whatever happens to us, we feel we have the right to blame someone else and perhaps look for compensation” (p.vii).

Goldsmith, author of Storytelling, makes the valid point that whereas Habakkuk is small book with only three short chapters, this makes it all the easier to place it in its context and relate it to our day. Consequently, “it can then form a peg on which to hang the longer and more difficult prophets” (p.ix).

Well Set Out

The book is well set out with an introduction that covers the usual background (who Habakkuk was, the likely date of the book and its structure). At only a few pages it is concise, but more than enough for the general reader who wants to get to the text as quickly as possible.

The rest of the book consists of seven chapters – three on each of Chapters 1 and 2 of Habakkuk, and one on Chapter 3, the prophet’s final ‘praise song’, perhaps the most famous part of the book. This is not an academic commentary but it does explain the key words well and also applies the message to the Christian faith.

The book ends with a good bibliography and endnotes for those who want to pursue the studies further.

A Good Companion

Habakkuk is one of those biblical books where certain verses are better known than the book as a whole. Goldsmith’s commentary is best thought of as a companion to the text which helps us to get to know God better via Habakkuk and then to be able tackle life with greater faith.

One good approach would be to read Habakkuk all through, then to read Goldsmith’s book, then Habakkuk all through again. Most beneficial would be to do this all on the same day, perhaps as part of a retreat.

Any Complaints? Blame God (paperback, 231pp) is available from the publisher for £8.99.