The Vision Will Come Habakkuk 2:3 - Equipped for Battle

If we think about it for a moment, we can probably remember when we were children the promise of Christmas coming. As a child, Christmas seemed like it was forever away, but as adults, we may be in shock to realize that we are almost at that time again. The difference is relative to the percentage of time that has passed. As a five year old child, one year is twenty percent of one's life, but at fifty years old, a year is only two percent. As sure as Christmas is soon coming again, we see in our verse from Habakkuk today, chapter two and verse two, the words of God to Habakkuk about the fulfillment of His promises. Habakkuk wrote:

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.

First God tells Habakkuk, “the vision is for an appointed time.” God has His “appointed time” for different events on the Earth. There is no altering it. It is His appointed time. He owns it, and He is responsible for it. Habakkuk has been standing on his watch, setting on a tower, and listening for God to speak, and now God let's him know that the vision of the Chaldeans conquering Israel has an appointed time. We Bible students might be reminded of the words of the writer of the book of Hebrews in chapter nine and verse twenty-seven when he wrote”

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

As ominous as these words are we know that God's timing may not be the same as ours, but it is nonetheless appointed and according to His plan. God's vision to Habakkuk would be fulfilled, and it would come to pass according to His timing.

Next God says to Habakkuk, “but at the end it shall speak, and not lie.” In other words, this vision will not be just phantom words. As surely as God has spoken, this vision will come to pass. So many times promises are made by people and never fulfilled. This is not the case with God. As it is written in the book of Numbers in chapter twenty-three and verse nineteen:

God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do [it]? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Men may lie or be unable to keep their word, but God does not. When He declares something will be, it will be. In this case Habakkuk is listening to God declare His character.

Not only is this vision for an appointed time and it will certainly come to pass, God tells Habakkuk, “though it tarry, wait for it.” Waiting is probably one of our greatest challenges. We generally desire things “right now”. Most people want what they want, when the want, how they want and where the want whatever it is, right now. God says to Habakkuk, there may be some delay in this promise, as there usually is with God, and Habakkuk, you must wait. What is it in our lives that God has promised for which we must wait?

Finally God says to Habakkuk, “because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” What God has spoken will come to pass, and since God has an eternal perspective it gives Him distinct advantage in seeing that which will be as though it already is. When He declares “it will surely come”, He already sees it happening and reports upon what He sees. “It will not tarry”, delay, hesitate, defer or remain behind. God's promises are true, and even if Habakkuk or we do not understand what God is doing, He still continues that which He purposes to do. Paul the apostle probably said it best in the book of Second Corinthians chapter one and verse twenty:

For all the promises of God in him [are] yes, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Next time we will see Habakkuk's response to what God has said and learn one of the most important lessons in life, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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