“And the LORD answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’” (Habakkuk 2:2-3 ESV)
We are surrounded by empty promises. In almost all spheres of life, we have come to expect statements to go unfulfilled because they so often do. Words have largely become untrustworthy because they are so rarely followed by action.
As Habakkuk considers the promise of God, however, he finds no such uncertainty.
First, consider the opening words in this passage, “And the LORD answered.” Habakkuk is engaged in direct and personal communication with almighty God. He is not trying to decipher cryptic messages or interpret ambiguous signs. He is, as it were, in the very throne room of God, receiving the divine proclamation. Though this kind of direct revelation does not ordinarily occur in our days, we have a word from God just as sure in the pages of Scripture.
We long for this kind of surety. One needs only a few minutes on the internet to come across innumerable projections, forecasts, predictions, and the like. We try to discern what the weather will be like, the results of a sporting event or an election, or the price of stocks. While such endeavors are not entirely futile, they are anything but certain. When we open the inerrant, inspired Word of God, we depart from this realm of unreliability into the realm of the most steadfast surety we can ever experience. In a world where the ground beneath our feet seems to shift constantly, we may place all our hopes on the firm foundation of Scripture, where we find the Word of God spoken as clearly as if we were Habakkuk.
In God’s answer to Habakkuk, he immediately puts to rest any notion that his words may fall to the ground unfulfilled. He says, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” These are not words that will be carried away by the wind but will be engraved on tablets of stone. Not only this, but they are to be written in such a way that “he may run who reads it,” or as other translations say, “he who runs may read it.” That is to say, one does not need a careful examination of the words to understand them. Even the passerby who is running past the tablets may, with a glance, clearly understand the word of the Lord. The Lord is giving a clear, public, immovable decree of which Habakkuk may be entirely sure.
As God confirmed what would happen, Habakkuk naturally would have wondered when the events would happen. Would they come immediately, or would their coming be far off? That answer lay with God alone. As we read in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever.” While God was pleased to divulge the certainty of the events, he required that Habakkuk’s curiosity find peace in the goodness and justice of God rather than in an outright answer. Though the vision was sure enough to write down, its fulfillment “await[ed] its appointed time.” Just as Habakkuk patiently waited for the Lord’s answer, he would have to continue patiently waiting upon the Lord’s timing. It was not granted to him to know when the Lord would carry out his plan, demanding rather that he “live by his faith” (v. 3).
The prophet again finds himself clinging to his knowledge of God to carry him through the darkness of uncertainty. We often find ourselves in the same situation—not only in the daily events of our lives, but ultimately as we await the return of Christ. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ’s words were true when he said, “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20), but when that will occur is known only to God.
As Habakkuk’s faith was refined by waiting on the Lord, so ours is as well. All that God has promised will indeed come to pass, by virtue of the sovereign hand that carries out the divine promise. Yet, we await that fulfillment with bated breath. Like Habakkuk, we should stand guard on the tower, as a watchman, eagerly anticipating the execution of the eternal decree. Until that comes, like Habakkuk, may we learn to wait with patience and faith.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
What a gift it is to know that your promise will stand. You have never been unfaithful, nor will you ever be unfaithful. Teach us to wait in faith, knowing that you do all things well and in your perfect timing.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries who preach the gospel to LGBTQ individuals.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries serving with Palawan Baptist Hospital in the Philippines.
- Thursday: Pray for the ongoing work of the church and training center in Eusebio, Brazil.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries in Togo who are training medical staff.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries ministering to small towns in rural Mongolia.
- Sunday: Pray for Harmony Baptist Church in Hong Kong.
- Monday: Pray for those considering a call to the mission field.
