Graduate 96: Advent, Day 19
Watching and Waiting
Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
This is the one advent reading that covers an entire book of the Bible. The first two chapters involve a back-and-forth between Habakkuk and God (They each speak twice); the third chapter is a hymn of praise to God. In his opening speech, Habakkuk asks a question that many of us have asked at one time or another: why does God allow wickedness to continue in the world. People suffer and are cruelly treated and oppressed and harmed in various other ways by other people. In his own time, Habakkuk was witnessing the wickedness and injustice of the people of Judah.
In His first response, God reveals that He will send the Chaldeans (i.e. the Babylonians) to punish the people of Judah for their injustice. But Habakkuk is not comforted by this revelation, for the Babylonians are a still more wicked people than those of Judah. “Why,” he asks, “art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (1:13) But, then, notice what he does after posing this second question to God; notice what he says:
“I will stand on my guard post
And station myself on the rampart;
And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,
And how I may reply when I am reproved.” (2:1)
He stands and waits for the answer. And when God does answer, He does not give Habakkuk a direct answer. Instead, He offers various warnings against those who act wickedly or hastily or unreflectively. The point is, perhaps, not obvious, but extremely important.
Oftentimes, when we “ask” God why things go badly, what we really have in mind is to ask why things are not going the way we want them to. But God is not beholden to our plans and agendas; He has His own and His desire is that we should become involved with them. Yet, very few of us are willing to watch and wait to see what God is going to show us and reveal. If we don’t get satisfactory answers on our timetable, we end up rejecting or disbelieving in God. It takes great faith—trust and confidence in God’s goodness—to follow Him even when we don’t know what’s going to happen, because we believe that He knows and is in control. (2:4) Indeed it will be over six hundred years after Habkkuk’s interaction with God before the Savior, Jesus Christ, is born in the manger. Would you be willing to wait that long for the fulfillment of God’s cosmic plan?
Later, after Jesus’ ascension, the author of Hebrews will speak in praise of the men and women of the Old Testament who followed God in faith and confidence. He says of them, “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.” (11:39) That is, in their lifetimes, the thing that they were hoping for and waiting for was not revealed. In many cases, it was revealed hundreds if not thousands of years after their death, but they were an integral part of bringing about the fulfillment of that promise.
Imagine if Noah had refused to trust in God? That would have been the end of the human race right there. Imagine if Abraham had refused to trust in God? There would be no nation of Israel and no Messiah. Imagine if Moses had not trusted in God? The nation of Israel would not have been freed from slavery. Without Joshua’s faith, the people would never have taken the promised land. None of these people saw the final result of the work--Jesus Christ, the Messiah--to which they were contributing; but by their faith they became participants in it and were blessed through it.
The shift in perspective is radical. Seeing God’s plan—a truly cosmic-scale plan—and realizing that we have an opportunity to be a part of it. But if that is to be, we must also be prepared, like Habakkuk, to watch and wait on God.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Habakkuk 1:1-3:19
This is the one advent reading that covers an entire book of the Bible. The first two chapters involve a back-and-forth between Habakkuk and God (They each speak twice); the third chapter is a hymn of praise to God. In his opening speech, Habakkuk asks a question that many of us have asked at one time or another: why does God allow wickedness to continue in the world. People suffer and are cruelly treated and oppressed and harmed in various other ways by other people. In his own time, Habakkuk was witnessing the wickedness and injustice of the people of Judah.
In His first response, God reveals that He will send the Chaldeans (i.e. the Babylonians) to punish the people of Judah for their injustice. But Habakkuk is not comforted by this revelation, for the Babylonians are a still more wicked people than those of Judah. “Why,” he asks, “art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (1:13) But, then, notice what he does after posing this second question to God; notice what he says:
“I will stand on my guard post
And station myself on the rampart;
And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,
And how I may reply when I am reproved.” (2:1)
He stands and waits for the answer. And when God does answer, He does not give Habakkuk a direct answer. Instead, He offers various warnings against those who act wickedly or hastily or unreflectively. The point is, perhaps, not obvious, but extremely important.
Oftentimes, when we “ask” God why things go badly, what we really have in mind is to ask why things are not going the way we want them to. But God is not beholden to our plans and agendas; He has His own and His desire is that we should become involved with them. Yet, very few of us are willing to watch and wait to see what God is going to show us and reveal. If we don’t get satisfactory answers on our timetable, we end up rejecting or disbelieving in God. It takes great faith—trust and confidence in God’s goodness—to follow Him even when we don’t know what’s going to happen, because we believe that He knows and is in control. (2:4) Indeed it will be over six hundred years after Habkkuk’s interaction with God before the Savior, Jesus Christ, is born in the manger. Would you be willing to wait that long for the fulfillment of God’s cosmic plan?
Later, after Jesus’ ascension, the author of Hebrews will speak in praise of the men and women of the Old Testament who followed God in faith and confidence. He says of them, “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised.” (11:39) That is, in their lifetimes, the thing that they were hoping for and waiting for was not revealed. In many cases, it was revealed hundreds if not thousands of years after their death, but they were an integral part of bringing about the fulfillment of that promise.
Imagine if Noah had refused to trust in God? That would have been the end of the human race right there. Imagine if Abraham had refused to trust in God? There would be no nation of Israel and no Messiah. Imagine if Moses had not trusted in God? The nation of Israel would not have been freed from slavery. Without Joshua’s faith, the people would never have taken the promised land. None of these people saw the final result of the work--Jesus Christ, the Messiah--to which they were contributing; but by their faith they became participants in it and were blessed through it.
The shift in perspective is radical. Seeing God’s plan—a truly cosmic-scale plan—and realizing that we have an opportunity to be a part of it. But if that is to be, we must also be prepared, like Habakkuk, to watch and wait on God.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 2:00 AM
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