Hab. 2:2-5 Living By Faith

Good morning Church! If you have your Bible, and I hope that you do, please turn with me to Habakkuk 2. We are looking at verses 2-5 today. Last week we left Habakkuk on a watchtower. He had poured out his prayer to the Lord and he finished with this “I’ve said my piece, now I’m going to wait for God’s answer.”

He’s not preaching on the tower. No complaints. He’s not storming away in anger. He’s simply waiting and this raises a big question for us as Christians, what do you do after you pray and nothing happens right away? What do you do when you’ve brought your concerns to God, you’ve anchored yourself in His character, but the situation hasn’t changed?

Have you ever waited on a phone call you didn’t really want to get, but you knew you needed? You’ve already talked with the doctor, you’ve done the test, you know something is wrong and now you have to wait. You check your phone constantly, you jump when it rings, you think about the conversation and you think “If the answer is bad, I want to know but if it’s bad, I don’t want to know.”

That’s where Habakkuk is. He’s prayed, God has answered but not in the way he wanted to expected and now Habakkuk is waiting for what God will say next. But when God speaks here in chapter 2, he doesn’t give Habakkuk a timeline or a treatment, there isn’t a strategy explained, there’s no softening of the coming judgment on God’s people.

What God does give to Habakkuk is a vision of the future, a promise, and a call to live by faith while in a difficult season of waiting. This morning we’re going to see how God answers His prophet by teaching him how to live faithfully during the coming storm. God teaches His people to trust His Word, His timing, and His righteousness while we wait.

So let’s stand together in honor of God’s Word as we read

Habakkuk 2:2–5 ESV

2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 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. 4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”

When we were last in Habakkuk he said this Habakkuk 2:1

Habakkuk 2:1 ESV

1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Now, he has his answer and there’s no mistaking that this is a revelation from God. Habakkuk is not abandoned on the watchtower and he doesn’t get a rebuke, he gets a response. The first thing you need to know is that when God speaks, He speaks clearly.

God Reveals His Will Clearly

God says “write the vision; make it plain on tablets.” It’s not some instinct or mystical feeling. God is speaking clearly to Habakkuk and Habakkuk is to write down what God says because it is revelation. Revelation is not what we think of when it comes to the book at the end of the Bible. Revelation is the Hebrew word “hazon“

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament 2377. חָזוֹן ḥāzôn

The primary essence of this word is not so much the vision or dream itself as the message conveyed. It signifies the direct, specific communication between God and people through the prophetic office

This message is to be made plain and public. The truth should be easily read and understood so that future generations can benefit from Habakkuk’s communication with the Lord. This is important because Habakkuk learns that this is not for his benefit. He’s serving future generations.

In Spain there is a beautiful cathedral in Barcelona called Sagrada Familia. It began construction in March of 1882 and it’s still currently under construction. The architect, Antoni Gaudi, knew that he would not live to see it finished but he built it anyway. Gaudi famously said, “My client is not in a hurry,” which points to the truth that faithfulness is measured by our obedience, not by our completion.

For the final 40 years of his life he poured himself into this final project. It has endured the Spanish Civil War, World War 1, World War 2, and construction still continues. You walk its halls today which are filled with the most beautiful works of stained glass in the world!

But Gaudi never got to see this. In the same way, Habakkuk never got to see the fulfillment of the revelation God had shown to him. God’s Word was written to be preserved, examined, proclaimed, and trusted. Daniel, Ezra, Zerubbabel would be able to look back on Habakkuk’s writing and see God’s good plan for His people working out. Although a generation had to endure judgment, God was going to raise up a generation that could plainly read the vision of the Lord and they could believe because faith doesn’t rest on wishes and hopes, but faith rests securely on what God has said. That’s where faith rests but it’s formed by submission to that Word, not through experiences and trying things out. It’s formed by believing what God has said.

Verse 3 says “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.”

And we learn that

God Fulfills His Plan Patiently

The vision being revealed to Habakkuk has an appointment in the future. God had determined it. That word appointed is the same word used to describe the appointed feast days or even meeting points in military language. You see, the judgment is coming to Babylon. It is appointed to a specific time, not some uncertain judgment. But what about Habakkuk? What about the righteous in the land of Judah? Why don’t they get to see God’s judgment?

It’s because God works in His own time and when it feels like He delays, it’s not because He is okay with sin, it’s because He is longsuffering. Paul writes,

Romans 2:4–5 ESV

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

God works in this way because He understands times and seasons infinitely better than we do. He operates according to His will and pleasure, not according to our feelings of urgency or fairness. But we also learn that this delay tests our trust but it doesn’t impact God’s truth. “The judgment will come, Habakkuk. Do you believe that?” “Yes, Lord” but it’s not for you to see, Habakkuk.

We live in a world where people are extremely concerned with injustice. The assumption is, that if there is not justice now, then the unjust get away with it. For example: Leopold II of Belgium was a king who owned the Congo back in late 1800’s early 1900’s. He ran labor camps that resulted in people losing their limbs, mass starvation, and an estimated 10 million deaths are directly tied to his inhumane treatment of the Congolese people. He died wealthy with a royal funeral. He was respected by the world. He didn’t face charges, prison, and didn’t repent of his actions. For the Congolese people, they suffered. American and British missionaries witnessed the atrocities, children starved, villages burned. Missionaries like William Henry Sheppard worked hard to minister and was influential in the Congo gaining independence.

But what about the 10 million that died? We know that Leopold II stood before the Lord and was judged. Hebrews 9:27

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

There is the certainty of judgment, but we don’t know when it will happen. Just because God bears with you and allows you breath today doesn’t mean that God is idle or late. Habakkuk is like all of us, living between the time of promise and fulfillment. From our perspective God may seem delayed or slow, but from God’s perspective everything happens in His perfect timing. But this doesn’t mean we should simply be fatalistic and roll over. I fully believe in the sovereignty of God. I fully believe in the responsibility of man and that God calls us to pursue the best, most God glorifying results we can.

None of God’s promises will fail, but the promises are fulfilled on His schedule, not ours. It won’t delay a moment beyond its appointed time. Think of a train timetable if you would. The train may feel late to an impatient traveler, but that doesn’t mean the train misses its station. God’s promises arrive exactly when they’re supposed to. This is exactly what God says to Habakkuk “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” So there is a call for you and I to wait on the Lord and to wait with faith that what God has said, He will do. Even if I don’t get to see it, I am sure He will do it.

Let’s look at verse 4 because it says “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,” So let me draw this connection for you. Judgment is coming on Babylon. Habakkuk has described the Babylonians like this Habakkuk 1:15-16

Habakkuk 1:15–16 ESV

15 He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.

So the Babylonians are relying on their strength, their tools, their pride. God has allowed them to see success to bring them low because

God Judges Pride Certainly

To be proud and self-reliant is to be spiritually dead. All believers are saved by grace. We understand that we can’t have a relationship with God except by His grace alone. But pride isn’t just arrogance, pride is saying I can do what I want. I don’t need God. I can do this myself. But someone that views themself as enough cannot have an upright spirit. Their pride condemns them. Pride says, “I can manage.” “I don’t need righteousness apart from myself.” “I am sufficient.”

Imagine for a moment a man is drowning in the ocean. He can barely tread water and is sinking beneath the waves. A fisherman comes across him and throws a rope and flotation device and the man in the ocean says, “It’s okay! I’m alright!” That’s what pride is. It’s dangerous!

In Numbers 14, the spies had come back from the land of Canaan and the people heard the reports of giants in the land. The people were proud and listened to their hearts and trusted their eyes over what God had said. It was so bad that they said,

Numbers 14:2–4 ESV

2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

God had to directly intervene to save Moses and Aaron. These Hebrews rejected the Lord and refused to take Him at His Word. Because of that, He was going to destroy them but Moses interceded for them. They didn’t know or love the Lord, but He still chose them as a people to work through to fulfill His covenant promise. Because of their pride they were rejected. They were trusting in their own giftings and abilities. When God told them they couldn’t take the Promised Land but were cursed to wander the desert for 40 years, it was then that they decided to take the Promised Land, but guess what? They couldn’t because they didn’t believe the Lord! They were trusting in their own abilities rather than what God had said. This is the root of all sin isn’t it? When we trust in our own reasoning and abilities rather than the Lord?

But what does God say to Habakkuk? “but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

God Saves the Righteous By Faith

When we understand that God has clearly spoken and we place ourselves in agreement with what He has said that is faith. When Abraham trusted in his own reasoning and abilities he had an illegitimate son. But when he trusted God and his promises then he was willing to offer up even the promised son to the Lord. But Abraham had to have a revelation because revelation precedes faith.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Faith does not have its origin in self. Moses was called to from the burning bush. Abraham was met by God and it was only when he believed that the Lord counted it to him as righteousness. Paul had a revelation on the road to Damascus of the Son of God and this prompted him to write

Romans 1:17 ESV

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:11 ESV

11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Hebrews 10:38 ESV

38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

This doesn’t mean that faith is merit. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. So be careful not to confuse that. Faith is not some sort of lighter law where we are compelled to keep the whole Law of Moses but add faith to it. No, we have a new covenant in Christ! Faith is not moral improvement either. Faith is coming to God not on your own merit but on the merit of Jesus Christ.

So what does it mean that the righteous live by faith? Well, it means firstly that life itself is a gift from God. So delight in Him. It also means that righteousness is received. It means we live, not with a puffed up soul but knowing that we are fully deserving of God’s wrath but by His grace, we are accepted by trusting in Christ. So let me restate this very clearly here: Habakkuk is not saying that faithfulness earns righteousness but those who receive life by faith will live faithfully even when God’s promises are delayed or we don’t understand His ways.

But notice this last point:

Pride Always Overreaches

Look at Habakkuk 2:5

Habakkuk 2:5 ESV

5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”

A proud man is like a drunk addicted to wine. Drunkenness shows that there is no restraint, no wisdom, living in excess. When someone lives in greed and a desire for more their downfall is sure and certain.

Proverbs 25:28 ESV

28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Isn’t this exactly what happened to Babylon on October 12, 539 BC? The Babylonians were having a feast and were celebrating when Cyrus the Great threw down the Empire and fulfilled the Lord’s Word. For 87 years it ruled and consumed. It was never enough but wine is a traitor. A lack of self-control destroys. God judges arrogance in His timing.

Babylon did fall. Habakkuk wasn’t there. It wasn’t when it was most convenient for him. But it was exactly when and how God intended for a purpose because God is the Lord of history.

When God said, “The righteous shall live by faith,” He was pointing us to His Promised Son, Jesus Christ. Why? Because none of us are righteous on our own. Left to ourselves we are proud, self-reliant, untrusting sinners. Sinners can’t endure God’s judgment.

Because of that, God sent His only begotten Son Who lived by perfect faith and trust in the Father. He suffered and died under God’s wrath. He rose again in victory so that anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ will be forgiven and given Christ’s righteousness.

Not by works or effort, but by faith alone. and that’s why we wait, trust, and live for Him now, because Christ has secured our salvation. And if you are here this morning and you have been trusting yourself, your goodness, your church attendance, your morality, then God is calling you today to repent and believe the Gospel.

Turn from yourself and trust in Christ and live! “The righteous shall live by faith. Not faith in feelings or effort. Faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Head: God wants you to know that He has revealed His will clearly in Scripture, and He will accomplish every promise in Christ at the right time.

Heart: God wants you to believe that you don’t have to panic, control, or despair, because Jesus has already finished your salvation.

Hand: God wants you to repent of self-reliance and trust Christ in your decisions, prayers, and obedience.