Read the instructions

Recently, as we were trying to repair something in our home, I was reminded that it's an awfully good idea to read the instructions. (Grin) Especially if those instructions were written (or videoed) by the maker of the device. 

As we continue to look at chapter two, Habakkuk is a man who has decided to wait for an answer. And God, the One providing the answer, has some instructions for Habakkuk. 

Let's look at some verses and then dig in!

Then the Lord replied:“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

God gives Habakkuk three instructions: write something down, wait for a revelation, and remember the just live by faith . . . .

God wanted His message to be clear.

And plain. 

He didn't want it to be written down and squirreled away where no one could read it. He didn't want it to be consigned to the dusty tomes of history and legend. I guess today He might have expected Habakkuk to use social media -- because He wanted no secrets. This was not a coded message. It's a message for the whole nation and it needed to be large letters and clear language . . . . so that anyone could read it at a glance and rush to tell everyone they knew. Like a message from a king, that a herald was entrusted with - he would run and let nothing stop him, until he had delivered the message.

Next, God told Habakkuk to wait for the revelation. 
To wait for this prophecy to be fulfilled.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
    it will certainly come
    and will not delay.  (v. 3)

To us, impatient mortals that we are, it may seem sometimes that God is slow. But that's just our perspective. God is never late. He never, ever delays things in order to cause us pain. 

Sometimes when we are praying for something really big, it seems like we wait forever for an answer from the Lord. Like when we are preparing that pot of water for the spaghetti noodles, we wait and wait and wait to see the bubbles form and then the water to boil. (Grin)

Sometimes when we are super concerned about something, and perhaps praying for discernment and God's will, we finally give up. Days later, we are still half-heartedly mentioning it in our prayers, but if we are honest, we are pretty much in despair. 

Suddenly, the answer comes.

Why? I kinda think that maybe not every time, but sometimes God times His answer just so that we can't later say, "Yes, it was my faith that made the difference." He answers in His own time. He also answers in His own way.

So instead of feeling like we did something -- we say, "To God be the glory!"

God is telling his prophet that it won't happen today. Nor tomorrow. But the answer is on the way, so hold on tight. Wait for it.

God even says, "It will certainly come." The Babylonians, wicked as they are, will be judged and destroyed. God is going to balance the scales of justice, but He doesn't have to work on our timetable! He may even seem to linger, but He doesn't delay. That's something we must remember the next time we are praying and we feel like giving up.

The last thing that God instructed Habakkuk to do was to remember that He, God, would cut Babylon down. In verse four, we found the central verse that said the righteous shall live by faith - the whole rest of the chapter is God describing how the scales of justice will be balanced! 

Johnny Cash wrote a song near the end of his life, and I heard a rendition by Elvis Presley; the song was called "God's Gonna Cut You Down."

Here are some of the words:

         

                      "You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, sooner or later

                       God'll cut you down."

God one day will cut Babylon down, and He wants Habakkuk to remember that. The mighty empire will be brought down and destroyed. God will speak in the rest of the chapter - we'll study that tomorrow.