For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
— Habakkuk 2:3
We have been looking at the characteristics of the message God gives Habakkuk. The Lord wanted His message to be clearly understood by all, not just a select few. The Lord’s message was abiding and needed to preached to all people from Habakkuk’s time to ours. Today, we will look at the last two points of the Lord’s introduction to His message.
The Message is Appointed
“For the vision is yet for an appointed time . . .”
This word “appointed” in the context of time means “agreed upon” or “scheduled.” The vision of chapter 2 is of hope for the Just and judgment for the Wicked. The Lord had a scheduled time on His calendar for this judgment to take place. Nobody can alter the date of something God’s appointed. This judgment WOULD TAKE PLACE. We will refer to this point as we continue our study of the vision. The proud WILL BE judged. The drunks WILL BE betrayed. The violent WILL BE violently spoiled. Those who desire evil WILL BE destroyed. Those who hate the Lord and His ways WILL LOSE. The vision is just as applicable today as it was in Habakkuk’s time. There is an appointed time of judgment for the wicked. There is, however, an appointed time of everlasting life for the Redeemed. “The just shall live by his faith” (v. 4). “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
The Message is Faithful
“But at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
One of my favorite characteristics of God is His faithfulness. He is faithful to His promises. We can trust in each one of them. He is faithful in His Word. We can’t trust the news. We can’t trust people in general. But we can trust in every single word the Lord speaks! Peter in his second epistle brings up the time when he was at the mount of transfiguration and saw the magnificent event of Christ transfigured in glory, but then he records in verse 19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” Peter places God’s Word ABOVE his own personal experiences! Why? God’s Word is FAITHFUL. Wow! If we as Born-Again Believers could grasp this truth and hold onto it, things could really start changing in our spiritual lives. We cannot trust the news. We cannot trust what is placed on social media. Yet we place our faith in these things. With what’s going on right now in the world today, there is a lot of falsified and misleading information. We act as if we know so much about COVID-19, but in reality we don’t what’s true and what’s false. The “facts” about it changes all the time. I think it’s wise to err on the side of caution. But the FACT remains that GOD’S WORD IS FAITHFUL! With the news of George Floyd’s death, there is much bad information out there from BOTH sides of the issue. There is misleading and falsified information on BOTH sides. God’s people shouldn’t wholeheartedly follow after these things like blind sheep. We have the ONLY FAITHFUL SOURCE OF TRUTH – God’s precious, holy Word. Much blood has been shed over the preservation of God’s Word. Many faithful men and women of God throughout history have dedicated their whole lives to it. In this age of misinformation, it is comforting to know that God’s Word remains faithful.
The judgments in the vision of chapter 2 would faithfully take place. The judgments WOULD speak and “not lie.” The Lord said concerning this vision, “Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” There were those in Habakkuk’s day who ignored the message. They did not trust in God’s Words. Because they trusted in their king and the news of the day, they perished. The Just, however, will live an everlasting life according to God’s faithful Word. Born-Again Believers have an EVERLASTING LIFE! Christ is coming for us! Wait for it! Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry! Praise the Lord!
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” – Deuteronomy 7:9