Habakkuk Chapter 2 Verse 1

• We see Habakkuk’s heart in this statement. God told him to “look” and “watch” back in verse 5 of Chapter 1 and although Habakkuk is seemingly a mess outwardly as he just lays it all out in front of God, his heart is right and we can see that in his statement here in verse 1. “God, You told me to watch, I will stand my watch. I will find the tallest wall (rampart – find them in your life), no way I’m going to miss it…and I’m going to watch for my correction.”

Habakkuk Chapter 2 Verse 2

• I love this! He is both watching in utter obedience to God’s word and waiting for God to correct and teach Him, (and comfort Him), THEN the Lord spoke! Don’t miss that!!!
• And God says something awesome that I hold onto tightly! He tells him to, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets!” In other words, tell the story and be clear! Be simple! Be as brief as possible! This is so relevant and so missing in expositional Bible teaching. When you are sharing the scriptures or teaching the Bible, you HAVE GOT to tell the story man! Make it plain! Get all the way around it in terms of context and application and THEN mix that word with faith as you put pen to tablet! HA!
• You just gotta make it plain! Make it understandable! Make it practical! I’m so stuck on this. And this is not just good teaching but this is also good conversation. If you can’t fully explain it in about 3 minutes then you’re not ready to talk about it! You don’t understand it yourself! Be brief. Be clear. Be ready. And be respectful. So important to understand that every word you spit you’re requesting that person to listen…which means you are making a demand on them. Respect the fact that they’re spending their life for that moment or minute on what you have to tell them…make it count!
• I love this statement from the Lord…why? Why so important? That he may run who reads it! YES! Every time you lead a bible study, every time you prepare for Morning Star or Freedom Church or Women’s Discipleship or Home Group or to share with your co-workers or family from the word, you have no right to make the word of God boring! It’s NOT! If the teaching is boring and complicated, it’s not the bible! Pour your heart into it and make sure that if it’s the only study they’ll hear all year or all their life, that they can walk away and run hard with the Lord!
• But it’s not all on the teacher either…God doesn’t say here that, “he will run who reads it…” He says that, “he may run who reads it…” Know what I’m saying? Don’t waste the time of the teller either. If you have given a person 3 or 5 minutes for a conversation…gonna go ahead and give them that life…be there. Focus. Listen to them…and if you have given 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour…to a bible study or the hearing of a sermon…go and apply what you learn! As the Lord asks you to allow Him to change your heart…LET HIM! That YOU may run…

Habakkuk Chapter 2 Verses 3 – 4

• This is it! God’s answer to Habakkuk’s cry. God says although it may seem, appear or feel like it’s never going to come…wait for it…its coming. The proud…underneath what you can see on the outside…they are a crumbling kingdom on the inside. They just hide it…or in some cases, they themselves don’t see it. Outward appearance of uprightness, and yet inwardly…weakness of character. God says, just wait…trust My word. Pride does precede a fall. The fall is already on its way…
• Now you and I often think of pride and we picture someone with a smug look on their face or someone who is obviously full of themselves but look, not always. We have pride, (in the sense of sin), a little messed up. Why do I say in the sense of sin? Well being proud of my son or my team at work or my squad at church, that leads me to glorify God with a grateful heart…we use the word pride but the idea is more of gratitude. Pride that God hates is different.
• Proverbs 8:13 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” This pride is something we get wrong because it’s not just and only smug stiff necked self-righteousness but it is simply to not seek God. That’s heavy! Here’s pride. Psalm 10:4, “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” Whoa. With the clarity of scripture now ask yourself…am I a proud person? Am I seeking God? Are my thoughts continually fixed on Him? Yikes right…answer that question and you get a look at your crumbling kingdom, possibly. Weakness of character revealed, probably…repent promptly!

• “But the just shall live by his faith.” Who’s faith? The Septuagint actually translates this, “The just shall live by My faith.” This most important biblical landmark and historical world-changing verse which is quoted 3 times in the New Testament…this proclamation of God showing utter contrast to the pride that started all of evil, Lucifer himself…can be translated this way…, “The just shall live by My truth.” And Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by truth; Your word is truth.” Psalm 119:160 says, “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever!”

• This verse can change everything for you if you submit to it! I have watched it change EVERYTHING in my life. I have watched this verse change EVERYTHING in my wife’s life and in Trifon’s life and in Tasha’s life and in Chin’s life…and even the world watched as this verse changed EVERYTHING about Christianity!
• Martin Luther on the Scala Sancta in 1511. A set of 28 white marble steps located in Rome and associated with Pontius Pilate…it was a tradition…a catholic pilgrimage…for folks to climb the staircase on their knees, stopping at each stair to pray and kiss the stair. The Pope promised an indulgence to all who did this. And while doing this, Luther remembered this verse, got up…and went home. The reformation began right there.

• Martin Luther would later write, “Before these words broke upon my mind, I hated God and was angry with Him because not content with frightening us sinners by the law and by the miseries of life, He still further increased our torture by the gospel. But when, by the Spirit of God, I understood these words, “The just shall live by faith,” it was then that I felt born again…like a new man. I entered through the open doors into the very paradise of God.”

• Religion, at its core, is pride with a robe on. Folks “buying” their own right standing with God through tradition and works…indulgences issued by the church…when God has said so plainly that redemption, salvation, justification…is a gift of God’s grace attainable only through a heart surrendered and eternally devoted to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther wrote, “This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.”

• He was and still is completely right. Because his statement is completely aligned with truth…the word of God! His entry into the paradise of God was simply that he discovered it’s not about him…this church, this religion, this world, this life, this day, this situation…it’s about Jesus. All of creation through Him, and all justification and righteousness, because of Him.

• Are you there yet? Are you living in pride and maybe not seeing it? Just living your life, doing the best you can, trying to be a good person…not seeking God thoughtfully through His word? Would you OPEN YOUR EYES today and get off that staircase…on your knees worshipping this world and yourself…worshipping evil…GET UP! Through His word, through Luther, God changed everything! Through His word, through my decision, resolve to honor God, in my life He changed everything…what do you want for your life? Truly whatever you want…you will have. But remember this…the just…live by truth.