1 I will take my stand at my watch-post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 2-3 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end - it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

4“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (or, faithfulness) 5 “Moreover, wine (wealth) is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” 6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own - for how long? - and loads himself with pledges!” 7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. Habakkuk 2:1-8 English Standard Version

We've seen in this book how God was raising up the proud and cruel Babylonians to be His instrument of judgment on the other nations, including the Israelites in Judea. This created a problem for Habakkuk and, in the previous chapter, he said to the Lord: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong - why do you idly look at traitors, and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?” What was the response God gave to Habakkuk as he watched and waited for an answer to his complaint? (vs 2-3)

God's answer becomes even clearer in the verses that follow, but initially He tells Habakkuk to write down what he hears because His ultimate purpose would definitely come to pass. That's something which Christians ever since the days of Jesus should also take to heart. God has His appointed time for the outworking of His plans! “If it seems slow” to us, we must “wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” Many hundreds of years after Habakkuk lived, the apostle Peter encouraged Christians to not think that the promise of Jesus' return was taking too long! He said: “The Lord isn't slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” (2 Peter 3:9)

In verses 4-8 God assures Habakkuk that justice will be done. The lust for wine like luxuries and the wealth of other nations would spur the Babylonians on in swallowing up the nations, until Babylon itself would be brought down by the nations. That's what the sin of greed does in the lives of people. The apostle James put it strongly and said: “Listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You’ve fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” (James 5:4-5) When wealth is the outcome of greed, arrogance and exploitation, it only stores up a greater judgment when the Lord returns.

But midst these heavy words of judgment and justice, what is the encouraging thing God says in vs 4?

Those who have faith in God (in His person and in His promises) will save their souls from the corruption all around them. In Habakkuk's day sin was rampant in Israel as well as Babylon. But those who ran according to God's word would find refuge. The apostle Paul applied this even more deeply. He wrote: “I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'” (Romans 1:16-17) Yes, God's purposes will surely come to pass. Let's not waver in our faith in His word, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in Christ that we are made righteous before God, and we gain eternal life.