Habakkuk writes between the years 609-606 before the first Babylonian captivity in 605 when Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon. God has just revealed to Habakkuk that the violent society
of Judah will be overrun by the even more violent Babylonians. (Jeremiah began saying these things 20 years before in 627). Habakkuk cannot turn the tide of judgment, which means his only option
is to “wait patiently” for Babylon's collapse which will be followed by the restoration of Judah
under the Persian leadership of Cyrus in 538.

But, between Habakkuk’s days (609-606) and the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 the land of Judah would be ravaged by a famine while the Jews continued to oppress the poor and pervert justice.
Then, from 586 when the Babylonians burnt Jerusalem and the Temple until seventy years later
in 516 when the returning Jews rebuilt the Temple there would be little or no production in the
land of Judah. This meant that beginning around the year 609 and continuing until the Jews
returned to the land there would basically be no productive or organized farming. During the
next 70-90 years while Judah was being punished by the Lord there would be:

• No harvesting fig trees
• No grapes on the vines
• No olive crop
• No production of food
• No sheep in the pen
• No cattle in the stalls

Since Habakkuk understood the Lord he could trust God and rejoice even if there were no figs, no grapes, no olives, no food, no sheep and no cattle. Because Habakkuk knew the Lord he could say:

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Habakkuk understood that the Lord was working his plan and that he would ultimately bring
history to a glorious conclusion. Habakkuk concludes his writing with the above confession of faith.

"The body of Benjamin Franklin, Printer, lies here, food for worms; but the
work shall not be lost, for
it will appear once more
in a new and more elegant edition, revised and
corrected by the Author."
– Benjamin Franklin