I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
— Habakkuk 2:1
What earnestness! What intensity! We have observed Habakkuk to be quite the intense character. He was bold in his first prayer before God. After God’s reply, we saw Habakkuk complain before God Almighty and declares the truths he fully accepts and the problems he desires to reconcile with the truths. Now, in chapter 2, Habakkuk marches up the steps of the watchtower and stands watching, determined to hear an answer from God. We have seen Habakkuk maintain his faith in God though he makes his complaint. Once again, we should NEVER doubt our Lord and His ways. But it is a wise thing to seek out reconciliation of the seeming problems we have with the truth found in God’s Word. God’s Word is authoritatively pure and holy. He will NEVER contradict Himself. He is faithful. So if we have issues that seem to contradict what God has declared, we should, like Habakkuk, march up the stairs of the watchtower to seek out wisdom and direction from God.
The prophets of the Old Testament were depicted as watchmen. This job was very serious and demanding. Listen to how the Lord describes the job of the watchman in Ezekiel 33:2-6:
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
Yikes! If the watchman saw the danger and did not blow the trumpet, the blood of the people would be on the WATCHMAN’s hand! After the Lord delivers these verses on the watchman’s duties, he tells Ezekiel, “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel . . .” This makes your job seem a little better doesn’t it? Habakkuk was a watchman for Judah as this prophecy was written directly for the Jews living during his time. Habakkuk was also a watchman for US. Habakkuk’s prophecy is a very personal one written for us in such a relevant time. Habakkuk was also a watchman for himself.
Notice first that Habakkuk declares possession of this watch. “I will stand upon MY watch.” This was personal for Habakkuk. He would not be pleased with an answer from anybody else. The message in Habakkuk is similar to the message the Lord gave to Jeremiah in chapters 11 and 20 of his prophecy which was given around the same time as Habakkuk. Though Jeremiah’s prophecy was fully inspired by God, Habakkuk desired a PERSONAL, DIRECT answer. Jeremiah had HIS watch. Habakkuk needed HIS own watch. He didn’t want secondhand information. He wanted to hear firsthand from the Lord.
Are you living off of secondhand information about the Lord? It is wonderful to read after great men of God and listen to sound Bible preaching and teaching. But are you hearing directly from God. Are you daily saturating yourself with the pure, raw Word of God? It is fine to read sound Bible devotions and lessons written by others. There are those reading these studies as part of a daily devotion. But it so much more important to sit with the Bible, gleaning spiritual truths directly from the Lord. Habakkuk’s watchtower was a tall, prominent tower in Judah. Your watchtower can be the desk or table you sit at with an open Bible, expecting to hear from the Lord God. Make it YOUR watchtower. “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12), but the Bible is the Book of all Books! Job was able to say “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (23:12b). The psalmist wrote, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”
Where is YOUR watchtower? Do you have one? If not, claim one today and stand upon it!