1:2–4 Habakkuk’s first complaint: The prophet was grieved and shocked by how God’s people continually departed from covenant life. They no longer lived like a chosen and saved people (Ex. 19:4–6). But Habakkuk is even more concerned about the Lord’s apparent inactivity. Breach of the covenant was to bring curses and judgment (Deut. 28:15–68). He therefore appealed to the Lord in language reminiscent of the psalms of individual complaint to redress a seemingly hopeless situation. Habakkuk’s passionate dialogue and anguished wrestling with the Lord dominate the first part of the book (1:2–2:20).