It’s hard to wait for things that we know are good. My friend Justin spent five years getting his bachelor’s degree and six years getting a master’s degree in preparation to become a pastor. After searching for a pastor job for several months he became discouraged, sad, and even angry. I remember him expressing frustration, “I thought God wants me to be a pastor, but I don’t know why it’s so difficult to find a job! I’m tired of waiting! Why would God lead me through that entire process of preparation and training and leave me hanging?” It’s hard to wait for God to intervene when we want God to do things that we know are good.
Habakkuk was experiencing this same frustration in 607 BC. Habakkuk was waiting for God to restore Judah back to its loyal devotion to God it once had. He was waiting for God to intervene in his circumstances.
In Habakkuk 2:2–3 we read about God’s plans for the future. Habakkuk tells us, “Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run’” (Hab 2:2).[1] This revelation from God is going to be a tangible reminder—like a wedding ring or a necklace given by a loved one—to remind Habakkuk about a commitment that is made. God tells Habakkuk to preserve that message,“Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets.” This suggests its importance. It had to be preserved so they probably recorded it on tablets of baked clay. God tells Habakkuk to publicize that message. “That the one who reads it may run.” That phrase tells us this was a clear message because the one running can read it. In other words, the one who has read it can easily share the message with others. This is most likely the meaning here. God’s telling Habakkuk or whoever else, “Read this, then run and put it into action.”
God has something he wants written down for future generations (Hab 2:2), but he also has something to work out at a future time (Hab 2:3). God reveals to Habakkuk, “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay” (Hab 2:3). It was important for Habakkuk to record this because it has future implications. We learn, “the vision is yet for the appointed time.” That appointed time is going to be described in detail in Habakkuk 2:6–20. We also learn about the certainty of this declaration from God, “It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.” This plan will occur. God is 100 percent accurate 100 percent of the time. It’s our responsibility to wait.
From Habakkuk’s prophecy we learn that by faith we wait.[2] Most of us understand the necessity of waiting for things to occur. When we plant seeds we know we must wait for them to grow into plants. When we teach kids to read we know it requires instruction, practice, and repetition. If we want to improve our health we know it involves eating healthy and exercising over months and years.
But sometimes when it comes to God—because we know God is powerful and can do anything—we don’t like to wait for his intervention. We want him to change things instantly.
That’s why it’s important we learn that it’s by faith that we wait. Sometimes we have to wait for a new job, a spouse to come to know the Lord, or to have a baby. We might say, “God I need a new job that pays better so that I can save for retirement or give more to church.” Or maybe we plead, “God I want my spouse to become a Christian so that I see her when I get to heaven.” Perhaps we ask, “God I want a child so I can raise him or her up to love you and honor you.” Those are all good things, but it’s hard to wait for God to work on those things.
We might not know how those things will be accomplished, but it’s by faith we wait. Pastor and writer Mark Hitchcock said this when preaching from Habakkuk, “In the Bible faith is never in contrast to reason, faith is in contrast to sight.”[3] We trust God to do good works, but we might not see how he’s going to do them. Wewait on the Lord, rather than moving on our own strength or according to our own timeline. We do this because we know God, love God, and trust God. That’s why it’s by faith we wait on God.
[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[2] Habakkuk hears from God in 607 BC, yet God won’t fulfill his promise until 539 BC when king Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon.
[3] Mark Hitchcock, “Just Live by Faith” (Habakkuk 2:1-4) from July 24, 2016. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/t7sqqgc Accessed May 4, 2023.