Keeping Watch, Keeping the Faith
Habakkuk 2: I will stand my watch, And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision, And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4: “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” (NKJV)... 14: For the earth will be filled, With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.... 20: “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
The book of Habakkuk differs other prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet did not receive a message directed to Israel, but it is more the very personal dialogue of a troubled man of God with His Creator. In fact, God told Habakkuk: “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5).
His declaration that: “the righteous shall live by faith” (2:4) is one of the most quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament.
He was a man of prayer and heard the voice of God like few did in his generation. (He was a compatriot of Jeremiah).
1. Watch Tower!
Instead of praying what he always prayed for, Habakkuk went on his watch tower to receive the divine insight for his time. What worked in years past might not work today or even tomorrow.
Habakkuk stood watch! He kept a look out and an ear out!
He wanted to see what God was doing and he wanted to hear God’s answer. Remember, Habakkuk is motivated by his burden for the people (How long Oh Lord…)
This is a time when each one of us is called to go up to our personal watch tower to pray and seek the Lord as never before.
Insight from God can turn a watch tower into a Light House.
As Habakkuk listened, God spoke to him! God’s new revelation changed the perspective of the prophet.
God did not change his purposes, but He allowed the prophet to see the world how God saw it.
Habakkuk’s watch tower of prayer turned into a lighthouse of guidance for others. God used him in turbulent times to be like the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32).
2. Write It Down!
The Lord told him to write down plainly what He was about to share with him so that others could read it (2:2). That means God gave him not just an answer for his own questions but what he heard would help others too.
Most messages I have heard on this passage is all about church visions. In context that not is what is happening.
Habakkuk is told to write it down because it’s going to take some time to come about!
He needs to write it down because people, not just him, will need the encouragement of the prophecy.
Now we need to understand some things:
When we write down something God says it is to remind us of what God has said.
When we write down something we are not writing out a word that is equivalent to the Bible, the written Word of God. Habakkuk was writing a book of the Holy Scriptures but he did not know it at that time.
When we write out something God has told us it is a reminder, but it is subject to the authority of the Bible. If it contradicts Scripture it’s not from God.
We need to reminded of what God has promised. Now, remember, this prophecy was telling them that the Babylonians were coming to take them into exile. It was not all fantastic encouragement. But is also contained the promise that those oppressors would also be judged. It also contained amazing promises about God too.
It would sustain and encourage the people. In fact, Habakkuk put it to music and the people would sing this as a reminder during their exile and captivity!
3. Tell Others!
2: And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
There is something about this.
So many people don’t want to make it plain! They want to sound mystical, secretive, gnostic even, in their personal revelations. We need a wake-up call - there are no private interpretations!
2 Peter 1: 20-21: …knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Story: I was ministering in a town and a young guy reached out to me as a leader and requested a meeting. We met for coffee and he told me he was busy planting a church in the local cinema - he wanted me to know in case all my church folk left me and went to him! I asked him his vision. I genuinely wanted to cheer him on, after all the harvest is ready but labourers are few. He said, “Only those who will partner with me can understand the vision and, if you’re one of those, God will reveal it to you too.”
Which sounds kinda spiritual but also kinda loopy!
I said, “If you go down that route of ‘secret revelations’ you’ll end up in error and your new church won’t make it two years.”
Obviously, he rejected that. Eighteen months later his church closed.
Secret revelations have no place in the church. Why? Because we are to encourage others:
2b: "That he may run who reads it."
Some versions say that the "herald can run with it." The basic idea we have is two-fold: The prophecy can be shared with others! People can be strengthened by the prophecy.
Remember two things: Everything must be tested (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22) and we are witnesses of the Good News of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8) - we should be telling others about the hope we have.
Comments
Post a Comment