Is it Time Yet?
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
10/18/2021
“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. 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. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:2-4)
Habakkuk was a seventh century BC prophet to the nation of Judah. Sometime around 607 BC, he received a vision from the Lord. Habakkuk calls this vision a “burden,” meaning a heavy load or something hard to accept. Indeed, the Lord tells him that what He is about to do in the life of Judah is “utterly astounding” and will be “hard to believe” (Habakkuk 1:5).
What was this astonishing vision? God told Habakkuk that He was planning to raise up the nation of Babylon under the leadership of the evil King Nebuchadnezzar to bring judgment on Judah for her lack of obedience and faith. Habakkuk could not believe his ears. It was true that the nation of Judah had rebelled against God but how could a holy and just God use a wicked nation to execute judgment on His own people? It did not seem fair. When Habakkuk questioned the prophecy, God responded by reiterating that what He said He would in fact do.
God told Habakkuk to write the vision plainly for all to see. The prophet was not to concern himself with the timing of it all, nor was he to doubt the vision’s accuracy if its fulfillment were to be delayed. “It will come,” God said. God also added a caution to all who would endure the impending judgment: “Do not be proud. The righteous will live by his faith.” In other words, even in the midst of persecution or harsh discipline, God’s people were to trust God and remember that He is at work in their lives.
As you might have expected, God’s prophecy to Habakkuk did in fact come true. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar and his army attacked Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, and led God’s people into exile. The prophet Habakkuk gives us an indication of how he personally planned to respond when judgment day arrived. After contemplating all of God’s prophetic words, Habakkuk declared, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Habakkuk took God’s advice and chose to live by faith, no matter how bad it got.
Perhaps you find yourself in a holding pattern today, asking God “Is it time yet?” Do you wonder what God is up to? Maybe the vision you have received from God seems unfair or especially harsh at this time. Or maybe God is silent, as if His vision has “tarried,” and you are beginning to doubt if it will ever come true. Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, one thing is sure: the righteous must always live by faith.
Faith is the one quality that can sustain us in both good times and bad. When God told Habakkuk that “the vision is yet for an appointed time,” what He meant was that Habakkuk need not worry about God’s timing. God’s timing is not our timing. God is not obligated to enter our realm of linear time and work according to our schedule. In the end, God’s plan will always be carried out. Though it tarries, wait for it. You will be glad you did!
10/18/2021
“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. 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. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:2-4)
Habakkuk was a seventh century BC prophet to the nation of Judah. Sometime around 607 BC, he received a vision from the Lord. Habakkuk calls this vision a “burden,” meaning a heavy load or something hard to accept. Indeed, the Lord tells him that what He is about to do in the life of Judah is “utterly astounding” and will be “hard to believe” (Habakkuk 1:5).
What was this astonishing vision? God told Habakkuk that He was planning to raise up the nation of Babylon under the leadership of the evil King Nebuchadnezzar to bring judgment on Judah for her lack of obedience and faith. Habakkuk could not believe his ears. It was true that the nation of Judah had rebelled against God but how could a holy and just God use a wicked nation to execute judgment on His own people? It did not seem fair. When Habakkuk questioned the prophecy, God responded by reiterating that what He said He would in fact do.
God told Habakkuk to write the vision plainly for all to see. The prophet was not to concern himself with the timing of it all, nor was he to doubt the vision’s accuracy if its fulfillment were to be delayed. “It will come,” God said. God also added a caution to all who would endure the impending judgment: “Do not be proud. The righteous will live by his faith.” In other words, even in the midst of persecution or harsh discipline, God’s people were to trust God and remember that He is at work in their lives.
As you might have expected, God’s prophecy to Habakkuk did in fact come true. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar and his army attacked Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, and led God’s people into exile. The prophet Habakkuk gives us an indication of how he personally planned to respond when judgment day arrived. After contemplating all of God’s prophetic words, Habakkuk declared, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Habakkuk took God’s advice and chose to live by faith, no matter how bad it got.
Perhaps you find yourself in a holding pattern today, asking God “Is it time yet?” Do you wonder what God is up to? Maybe the vision you have received from God seems unfair or especially harsh at this time. Or maybe God is silent, as if His vision has “tarried,” and you are beginning to doubt if it will ever come true. Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, one thing is sure: the righteous must always live by faith.
Faith is the one quality that can sustain us in both good times and bad. When God told Habakkuk that “the vision is yet for an appointed time,” what He meant was that Habakkuk need not worry about God’s timing. God’s timing is not our timing. God is not obligated to enter our realm of linear time and work according to our schedule. In the end, God’s plan will always be carried out. Though it tarries, wait for it. You will be glad you did!
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