Habakkuk 2:1-3 - Homiletics

The prophet upon his watch tower.

I. THE OUT LOOKING PROPHET . ( Habakkuk 2:1 .) Having spread out before Jehovah his complaint, Habakkuk, determined to stand upon his watch tower or station himself upon his fortress, and to look forth to see what Jehovah would speak within him, and what reply in consequence he should give to his own complaint. The words indicate the frame of mind to be cherished and the course of conduct to be pursued by him who would hold communion with and obtain communications from God. There must be:

1 . Holy resolution. No soul can come to speaking terms with God without personal effort. Certainly God may speak to men who make no efforts to obtain from him either a hearing or an answer, but in general those only find God who seek him with the whole heart ( Psalms 119:2 ). Prophets frequently received revelations which they had not sought ( Genesis 12:7 ; Exodus 3:2 ; Exodus 24:1 ; Isaiah 6:1 ; Ezekiel 1:1 ; Daniel 7:1 ), but as often the Divine communications were imparted in answer to specific seeking ( Genesis 15:13 ; Exodus 33:18 ; Daniel 9:2 ; Acts 10:9 ) In the same way may God discover himself, disclose his truth, and dispense his grace to individuals, as he did to Saul of Tarsus ( Acts 9:1-6 ), without their previous exertions to procure such distinguished favours; but in religion, as in other matters, it is the hand of the diligent that maketh rich ( 2 Peter 1:10 ).

2 . Spiritual elevation . He. who would commune with God must, like Habakkuk, "stand upon his watch tower, and station himself upon his fortress," not literally and bodily, but figuratively and spiritually. It is not necessary to suppose that Habakkuk went up to any steep and lofty place in order the better to withdraw himself from the noise and bustle of the world, and the more easily to fix his mind on heavenly things and direct his soul's eye Godward. Abraham certainly was on the summit of Moriah when Jehovah appeared to him; Moses was called up to the top of Sinai to meet with God ( Exodus 24:1 ; Exodus 34:2 ); Jehovah revealed himself to Elijah upon the mount of Horeb ( 1 Kings 19:11 ); Balaam went to "an high place" to look out for a revelation from God ( Numbers 23:3 ); the disciples were on the crest of Hermon when Christ was transfigured before them ( Matthew 17:1 ); and even Christ himself spent whole nights in prayer with God among the hills ( John 6:15 ). Local elevation and corporeal isolation may be usefully employed to aid the heart in abstracting itself from mundane things; yet this only is the elevation and isolation that brings the soul in contact with God ( Matthew 6:6 ). When David prayed he retired into the inner chamber of his heart ( Psalms 19:14 ; Psalms 49:3 ) and lifted up his soul to God ( Psalms 25:1 ).

3 . Confident expectation . Habakkuk believed that his prayers and complaints would not pass unattended to by God. He never doubted that God would reply to his supplications and interrogations. So he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him ( Hebrews 11:6 ). It was David's habit, after directing his prayer to God, to look up expecting an answer ( Psalms 5:3 ), and it ought to be the practice of Christians first to ask in faith ( James 1:6 ), and then to confidently hope for an answer.

4 . Patient attention. Though Habakkuk had no doubt as to the fact that God would speak to him, he possessed no assurance either as to the time when or as to the manner in which that speaking would take place. Hence he resolved to possess his soul in patience and keep an attentive outlook. So David waited on and watched for God with patient hope and close observation ( Psalms 62:5 ; Psalms 130:5 ). So Paul exhorted Christians to "continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" ( Colossians 4:2 ). Many fail to obtain responses from God, because they either are not sufficiently attentive to discern the tokens by which God speaks to his people, or lack the patience to wait till he chooses to break silence.

5 . Earnest introspection. The want of this is another frequent cause of failure on the part of those who would but do not hear God speak. Habakkuk understood that if God answered him it would be by his Spirit speaking in him, and that accordingly he required not to watch for "signs" in the firmament, in the earth, or in the sea, but to listen to the secret whisperings that he heard within himself. So David exhorted others to commune with their own hearts upon their bed (as doubtless he himself did), if they would know the mind of God ( Psalms 4:4 ); and Asaph, following his example, observed the same godly practice ( Psalms 77:6 ). While God has furnished lessons for all in the pages of nature and revelation, it is in the domain of the inner man, enlightened by his Word and taught by his Spirit, that his teaching for the individual is to be sought.

II. THE IN SPEAKING GOD . (Verse 2.) Habakkuk had not long to wait for the oracle he expected; and neither would modern petitioners be long without answers were their waiting more like Habakkuk's. Three things were announced to the prophet.

1 . That he should receive a vision. Jehovah would not leave his dark problem unsolved, would afford him such a glimpse into the future of the Chaldean power as would effectually dispel all his doubts and tears, would unveil to him the different destinies of the righteous and the wicked in such a way as to enable him calmly to endure until the end; and exactly so has the Christian obtained in the Bible such light upon the mystery of Providence as helps him to look forward to the future for its full solution. The vision about to be granted to Habakkuk was

2 . That he should write the vision. Whether a literal writing upon a tablet (Ewald, Pusey) was intended, as Isaiah ( Isaiah 8:1 ; Isaiah 30:8 ) and Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 30:2 ) were directed to write down the communications received by them from God; or whether it was merely a figurative writing (Hengstenberg, Keil) that was meant, as in the ease of Daniel ( Daniel 12:4 ); the intention manifestly was that Habakkuk should publish the vision he was about to receive—publish it in terms so clear and unambiguous that persons who only gave it a casual glance would have no difficulty in understanding it. This has been done, not with reference to Habakkuk's vision merely, but as regards the whole Bible, which is not only "all plain to him that uuderstandeth" ( Proverbs 8:9 ), but is able to "make wise the simple" ( Psalms 19:7 ), and guide in safety "the wayfaring man, though a fool" ( Isaiah 35:8 ). The object contemplated by the writing (literal or figurative) of Habakkuk's vision was

3 . That he should wait for the vision . It might be delayed, but it should come. Hence he should possess his soul in patience. So should Christians wait patiently for the coming of the Lord for their final redemption and for the overthrow of all the Church's foes ( James 5:8 ). The contents of the vision are narrated in the verses which follow.

LESSONS.

1 . The dignity of man, as a being who can converse with God; the condescension of God in that he stoops to talk with man.

2 . The duty and the profit of reflection and meditation; the sin and loss of those who never commune with their own hearts.

3 . The simplicity of the Bible a testimony to its divinity; had it been man's book it would not have been so easy to understand.

4 . The certainty that Scripture prediction will be fulfilled; the expectation of this should comfort the saints; the realization of this will vindicate God.