Habakkuk 3:8

"Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, Or thy wrath against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots of salvation?"

This double mention of the rivers was likely prompted by the two miracles: (1) the divine visitation of plagues upon the Nile in the land of Israel's bondage, and (2) the rolling back of the Jordan at flood in order to enter Israel into Canaan.

The mention of the "sea" almost certainly refers to the passage of that body of water called the Red Sea upon the occasion of Israel's departure from Egypt.

"Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers ... ?" This question and the one in the following clause demand a negative answer. To be sure, God was not displeased with the sea and with the rivers, but with the wickedness of rebellious and sinful men.

"Thou didst ride upon thy horses ..." It was by the overruling providence of God that Pharaoh led his horsemen into the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites, hence God was here said to have ridden upon them. This particular event armed the nation, as they were able to recover the weapons borne by the 250,000 Egyptians who had pursued them, only to drown in the Red Sea.

"Upon thy chariots of salvation ..." The chariots of Pharaoh by rashly following Israel into the sea proved to be God's chariots of salvation for Israel. The weapons necessary for their survival as a nation were thus provided. Without any doubt, this mention of the horses and chariots was suggested by the mention of "the sea" in this very verse. It should not be thought, however, that God needs any literal horses or chariots. "Jehovah's chariots are his angels (Psalms 3:8,19)."[23]

This verse with strong emphasis upon such natural phenomena as the sea and the rivers suggests something that was pointed out by Nute: "Are not the elements God's servants?, instruments in His hand for the execution of his glorious purpose?"[24] Of course, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8-9, all of them dealing with natural phenomena, represented as subject to heavenly manipulation, strongly suggest the very same thing. Indeed, they do more. They declare it.