Habakkuk 2:2–20 (ESV): The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith

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.”

Woe to the Chaldeans

6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

  “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—

for how long?—

and loads himself with pledges!”

 7  Will not your debtors suddenly arise,

and those awake who will make you tremble?

Then you will be spoil for them.

 8  Because you have plundered many nations,

all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,

  for the blood of man and violence to the earth,

to cities and all who dwell in them.

 9  “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,

to set his nest on high,

to be safe from the reach of harm!

 10  You have devised shame for your house

by cutting off many peoples;

you have forfeited your life.

 11  For the stone will cry out from the wall,

and the beam from the woodwork respond.

 12  “Woe to him who builds a town with blood

and founds a city on iniquity!

 13  Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts

that peoples labor merely for fire,

and nations weary themselves for nothing?

 14  For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

 15  “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—

you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,

in order to gaze at their nakedness!

 16  You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.

Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision!

  The cup in the Lord’s right hand

will come around to you,

and utter shame will come upon your glory!

 17  The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,

as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them,

  for the blood of man and violence to the earth,

to cities and all who dwell in them.

 18  “What profit is an idol

when its maker has shaped it,

a metal image, a teacher of lies?

  For its maker trusts in his own creation

when he makes speechless idols!

 19  Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;

to a silent stone, Arise!

  Can this teach?

  Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,

and there is no breath at all in it.

 20  But the Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Abba,

You are God

And I am not.

There is a wisdom at work here that defies our human logic.  It seems unjust to us for you to use sinful, wicked man to judge the sin of your chosen people.  It seems “unfair” and unjust to use unrighteousness as your rod of correction against those who proclaim your name.

And yet, that is your message to Habakkuk in response to His complaint of the wickedness of Israel.  But your answer only invokes this greater complaint.  In his righteous indignation, he stands awaiting your answer.

And answer you do.  In short, man’s sins will not go unpunished.  They may seem to for a time; they may build and compile for a time; they may fly unfettered, unhindered, unchecked for a time, but the message of this response in Habakkuk makes it clear, “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

And again, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own-for how long?-and loads himself with pledges!  Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble?  Then you will be spoil for them.”

A.K.A – Sin will have its just recompense.  Sin will have its negative consequence, even if for a time, it seems to not be so. 

There will come a time, when all men’s sins will be held to account.  There will be a time when all sin is corrected, judged, punished.  You will not suffer it eternally, forevermore Abba.  You won’t.  You can’t.  Your just holiness won’t permit it.

So, why do you wait?  Because of these precious words that resound in my heart and head….

2 Peter 3:8–10 (ESV): 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Your righteous and just hand is often stayed, for a time, against ungodliness because the great passion of your heart, the great narrative of history, the great story of Christmas is one of redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, salvation.  Your patience against ungodliness is not to be mistaken for indifference or excusal.  It is grace.  It is mercy.  It is love.  It is an invitation.  Come.  Repent.  Be saved. 

But whoa to the one who continually rejects that invitation.  The wrath of your throne is coming for them.  And they will not stand beneath it.  Your patience, your delay is an undeserved grace providing man the opportunity to turn away before that wave of wrath descends.  Blessed are those who claim that salvation!

Abba, what a response!  What an answer is this!  It is a promise, a reminder that though wickedness is an instrument in your hand, it is an instrument that will be still be judged and recompensed in its due time.

Your justice, your holiness never fails.  This ought to be comfort and caution us.  We are comforted by the truth that wrongs committed against us will not be ignored.  Yet, it ought to caution us that our sins, the sins of those around us will not be ignored.  Walk in righteousness…we must.  Warning others of their danger before the righteous wrath of Almighty God…this ought to be our compulsion. 

Abba, you are indeed good, just, true, and righteous.  We trust your wisdom to punish all sin in your way and in your time.  We rejoice at the patience forbearance that delays such justice affording man the opportunity to escape.  There is no greater being than you!  We bow in worship before the wisdom and grace of the one we are blessed to call Abba, Daddy! 

We love you!

We thank you!

We worship you!