What does it mean that God makes our feet like the feet of a deer (Habakkuk 3:19)?

The whole of Leviticus 11 is occupied with regulations as to the food of the people, whether in relation to beasts, fishes, birds or creeping things. Through the priest the people were to be instructed in what was to be regarded as clean, and what unclean. Among animals those only were clean that possessed the two marks: chewing the cud and the cloven hoof. Animals that chew the cud are classified as "ruminants," and to "ruminate" has acquired "meditate" as a secondary meaning. The animals with cloven hoof are sure-footed and also in many cases light-footed. When Habakkuk wrote, "The Lord God … will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places," he seemed to indicate both these ideas. If the word of God is hid in our hearts by meditation, and if it affects our outward walk in this fashion, our way will be clean in the sight of God.

But the Lord was not only his joy, He was also the prophet's strength (v. 19) when he was powerless. “Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee” (Ps. 84:5). Thanks to Him our feet are made as hind's feet during a time of utmost weakness, when as yet not a single promise for the future has been fulfilled. We may rise up to our high places and walk through them with light, joyful, quick, and free steps. The heavenlies are for us, believers of today, the terrain where we find ourselves in Christ. What does scarcity mean to those who enjoy all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies?

He concludes his prophecy with the blessed result of all these precious lessons, namely, the expression of perfect confidence in Jehovah. He would rejoice and be glad in Him, if all the blessing should fail. Jehovah Himself was his strength, his trust, and his support, and He would set him on the high places of His blessing, giving him, as it were, hinds' feet to ascend there by His favour.

"He makes my feet like hinds' feet," able to scale precipitous heights with ease and agility. This is the energy of faith that rises above the level of earthly circumstances, no matter how difficult they seem. The high places for Him now are the courts of the Father's house, and believers are identified with Him, "seated in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph.2:6). True warfare also is connected with heavenly places (Eph.6:10-12). On this level our hands are taught to make war, with strength to bend a bow of bronze. The shield of God's salvation is also given Him. Against this nothing can prevail. Man chooses proud, arrogant aggression to force his way to greatness, but God reduces all of this kind of thing to nothing, and showing Himself gentle in the lowly history of the Lord Jesus, has made this to issue in the greatness of His present exaltation above all heavens. Though the way has before seemed narrow and confined, each step He takes finds the way enlarged and He does not slip.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

This was enough for Habakkuk. His soul had dropped its anchor in the calm haven of God's unalterable purpose, and he could rejoice in the Lord. Everything around might seem to wax worse and worse. The fig tree might not blossom, nor the vines bear fruit; the olive trees might be barren, and the fields yield no crops; flocks and herds might be cut off; outward prosperity might all be a thing of the past; the power of evil might be in the ascendant, and those who fear the Lord a small and weak remnant. But the prophet's eye was not upon things of this sort. From all the failure and discouragement he looked away to the day of God's triumph, and his heart beat with gladness. He could joy in the God of his salvation. His portion was in "high places"' and he could walk there by faith already. His feet were like those of the hind, able to spring forward from this age of darkness and gloom into the age of glory and joy!

True Christianity involves a heavenly calling, but that has its bearing on earthly relationships, so that we should be walking in all lowliness (as to ourselves) and meekness (as to others), with long suffering, forbearing one another in love, using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph. 4:2-3). But we need not be cast down, because God is about to intervene and the enemy will be utterly defeated. Faith connects us with a brighter day, in spite of all around which would seem to cast a blight upon our hope. The conclusion of the prophecy of Habakkuk is a magnificent hymn of praise, consequent on the prayer "O! Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years." He could rejoice in the Lord, in the God of His salvation. His feet were like those of the hind springing forward to the age of glory and joy, although there was complete failure of crops and flocks and everything on which the heart could naturally rest. The prophecy ends on the top note of praise with reference to the chief singer on his stringed instruments (Neginoth) as a contrast to the prayer in the beginning of the chapter upon Shigionoth which was a wind instrument of variable tunes implying a good deal of blowing with little music.

(Vv. 17-19). The outcome of the experiences of the prophet are summed up in the sublime burst of praise with which his prophecy closes. He had learned the ways of God in government, set forth in chastening His people, and in judging their enemies. He had seen a vision that told him all God's works in chastening and judgment, would lead to the everlasting salvation of His people, and, above all, to the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. He may have to wait for the fulfilment of the vision, but, living by faith, in this glorious future and the One Who will bring it to pass, he is prepared to face all the trials by the way. Want may stare him in the face; for the fruits of the earth may fail, the fields may yield no bread, and the flocks no meat. Nevertheless the LORD is in His holy temple, and in the LORD he will rejoice, and joy in the God of his salvation. Weak in himself, he would find in the LORD God his strength, Who would enable him to walk in high places far above the distractions and sorrows of earth.

How encouraging to trace the way in which this God-fearing man is led from being on his face in anguish of soul before God because of the failure of God's people, to take his stand on the watch-tower, to hear the words of the LORD. Then, having learned the mind of the LORD, to see him on his knees in prayer with the result that finally he walks on high places with joy in his heart and praise on his lips.

When the foundations of pure testimony seem destroyed, and it is difficult to stand against the crowd of deserters from the faith, we can sing, like Habakkuk, “The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet; and He will make me to walk upon my high places” (Hab. 3:19). The prophet's goings were established, though the Chaldeans overran Judah and Jerusalem.

Although however there is such a magnificent description of the sure judgment of the enemy in all its extent (not merely the Chaldeans now, but all their enemies), and although there is the assured salvation of the people of God, even the Jews, the prophet meantime answers to the faith of which he had himself been the preacher by one of the finest expressions of that faith which the Old Testament contains. "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:" none able to show them any good. "Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Jehovah the Lord is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."

Hab. 3 is a prayer of the prophet. 'Upon Shigionoth,' reads in the margin "according to variable songs or tunes," which signification seems confirmed by the subscription, "To the chief singer on stringed instruments." The prophet realises the presence of God while he reviews His past dealings against Israel's enemies, and sees in them the pledge of the future salvation. At the close, while faith has to wait for the blessing he rejoices in God, saying, "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."