Read and Run

Dr. Alan J. Dunn

Part 2 Habakkuk 2:1-20

We might imagine the believing remnant, huddled in the temple, while the invading Babylonians run rampant in the streets. They look upon violence, havoc, and mayhem. The streets of Jerusalem have become quite unsafe. Their eyes fastened on one man who was especially walking toward danger, Habakkuk, their prophet-priest. He had already pressed the Lord with his perplexing questions and received the Lord’s, albeit perplexing, answer. He responded with more complaints to the Lord. Yes, his prayer evidenced his orthodox faith in YWHW, but his How Long? and Why? questions are yet to be answered so as to calm his conscience. Now he has headed off to station himself on the ramparts built by the Babylonians to breach the walls of Jerusalem to persist in his prayerful queries. Amazing. Habakkuk was placing himself in real danger. He went off to stand before the Holy One of Israel. Would Habakkuk survive his audacious audience with God? Would he return to the temple? Would he come back with words from the living, speaking Lord?[1]

The Lord’s Provision: His Word

The Lord again speaks, and He commands His prophet to record the vision and inscribe it on tablets. The vision is given for the benefit of the people of God, so that the one who reads may run [Hab 2:2]. We read the record of the vision as we read Habakkuk’s inscribed prophecy. We are to read and run. This phrase is ambiguous. The phrase can mean “read and obey” and or “read and proclaim.” Here is the Lord’s response to Habakkuk’s crisis of conscience: Scripture – read it and obey it.

We are liable to approach God arrogantly, convinced that ours is a “righteous cause,” that we are justified in our “righteous indignation.” We demand that God answer our oh so complicated conundrums to our satisfaction as if we could call the Lord into our court-room, be His judge, and require Him to give an account of Himself to us. It is unsettling to see Habakkuk persist in questioning God. Only God can discern whether someone is a Jacob-like wrestler or an arrogant fool who answers back to God [Rom 9:19-20]. The difference between faith and foolishness is evident in how we respond to God’s answer to Habakkuk: read and run. It is stunningly humbling.

Faith is essentially quite childlike. Before we look at what the Lord says, we must be those who believe the speaking God. It is quite simple. God speaks, then man hears and obeys. “But Lord! Look! Violence and injustice! Evil! Pain! Are You not good and powerful and sovereign and… ah, c’mon! Answer me!” Here is His answer. Read and run. How does that sit with you? With all your questions for God, answer that question in the presence of God. How does God’s answer sit with you? Your response will indicate whether you are inclined to faith or folly.

The Lord is answering the How Long question. He told Habakkuk that He was already doing something in your days [Hab 1:5]. Lord, how long? When? “Already. In your lifetime.” He is giving Habakkuk fresh revelation as His prophet, and He is using Babylon as the rod of His discipline in providence. There is an “already” to God’s unfolding purposes. There is also a “not yet.” The vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay [Hab 2:3]. History is linear. Time moves forward toward the goal, the end, which is the completion of this present age. That goal is already appointed, scheduled in God’s “calendar” by His sovereign decree. It is “already” hastening, hurrying to God’s goal. Because the Lord appoints the goal, it will certainly come. He plans it, He directs it, He appoints it, it will certainly come. It will not fail. Our plans may fail. God’s appointed time, God’s goal, will not fail. It hastens, although, to us, it may feel like it tarries. But it will not delay. History will arrive at God’s goal right on time, the appointed time. What should we do in the meantime? Wait for it. How? Read and run. Again I ask, How does God’s answer to Habakkuk sit with you?

Habakkuk 2:3-4 is cited in Hebrews 10:37-38. Hebrews references the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. The Greek translates Habakkuk 2:3 as for yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. The Holy Spirit uses Habakkuk’s prophecy to direct our faith to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Our salvation is “already” and “not yet.” Jesus has already saved us by His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is now saving us by His Spirit. Jesus will yet save us when He comes to raise the dead and usher us into a glorified cosmos. Though He tarries, He will certainly come. Wait for Him. He will not delay. Read and run.

What about the Why question? The Lord answers that question by assuring us of His impeccable justice and the certainty of judgment. He would have us understand that He saves us in the midst of and then from His judgment and wrath. In Habakkuk 2:4-5, the Lord tells Habakkuk that He sees, He knows, and He judges. He differentiates between the proud one and the righteous. Habakkuk 2:4 proves to be one of the most significant verses of Scripture. The righteous will live by his faith. In 2:5, the Lord again profiles the proud Babylonians. They are like death itself, insatiable. They consume continually, seemingly without end. The rapacious invaders arrogantly think that they are autonomous, accountable to no one, their justice and authority originate with themselves [1:7]. Why are they not stopped? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they? Is it not true that Your eyes are too pure to approve evil [1:13]? Lord, does not justice and authority originate with You?

What should the people of God do in the face of evil’s aggressive avarice? Read and sing. Sing? YHWH gives the believing remnant five taunt-songs to sing. These are poetic, prophetic denunciations pronouncing judgment upon the Babylonians. They answer the Why question with the moral principle of Lex Talionis: the law of righteous retribution. Justice and authority originate with the Lord, and the wicked will receive a punishment fitting to their crimes. In God’s court, the Why question is silenced because the Lord is upright, He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him [Psa 92:15]. No conscience is unsettled in the presence of the Holy One – so, sing!

Each of the taunt-songs, except the fifth, begin with woe! These are prophecies of impending damnation upon proud predators. Woe to the greedy economic tyrants, they will be economically tyrannized [2:6-8]. Woe to the bombastic dynasty-builders, their house will crumble around them [2:9-11]. Woe to those who enlarge their kingdoms with violence, the Kingdom of God will be enlarged and fill the earth with His glory [2:12-14]. Woe to the sensually debauched who expose men’s nakedness, God will expose their shame [2:15-17]. Woe to idolaters who bow down to dead, dumb, self-deceptions, the living, speaking Lord sits enthroned in His holy temple [2:18-20]. “Lord, why is all this happening?” “Here, Habakkuk. Pronounce judgment on God’s enemies in advance of Final Judgment and placate your conscience in the certainty of God’s righteous wrath. Sing of His justice. Sing His revealed words and prophesy of His victory over evil. Let your Why question be quelled in the silent serenity of His transcendent sovereignty. Sing.”

Lord, How long? Long enough for the appointed time to arrive according to the Lord’s time-table. Providence hastens to its goal soon enough. What will happen then? The Lord will come as the Warrior God for the salvation of His people [3:13]. Yet today is the day of distress, and evil still invades us, and God’s people are dragged away in nets of violence and injustice [3:16]. Why? The Lord sees, and already He is doing something in our day. He calls us to live by faith in Him and to settle our consciences with confidence in His impeccable character as the Holy One, the Rock, our God who is in His holy temple where the cacophony of raucous rebellion fades into silence.

Will you receive the Lord’s answers to the How Long and the Why questions? Not everyone in Judah was with Habakkuk in the temple to hear the vision from the Lord. Most Judeans were unbelievers, which is why their streets were filled with violence and injustice now intensified by the judgment of God. Judah was apostate, but the Lord is faithful. The forewarned woes of the covenant curses have come. Yet there is a remnant, there, in the temple where they hear the Lord’s words from His priestly prophet. The Lord is in His holy temple, and the earth will be filled with His glory. Lord! Look! Violence and injustice! Believer! Look to the Lord’s temple, to Him who is seated upon the throne of transcendent sovereignty. He is YHWH, the Lord, our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ who has taken His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens where He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him for He is our divine Mediator and King [Heb 8:1; 7:25]. By His death, Jesus bore the woes of covenant curse which we deserve, and now He calls us into His peace, into reconciliation, into His saving sovereignty. Believe. Read and run. Wait and worship. It won’t be long. Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door [Jms 5:9]. Even so, Come Lord Jesus [Rev 22:20].

[1] Your personal reading of Habakkuk as you consider the content of this article will bring additional benefit. Habakkuk and other Scriptures are frequently referenced using italicized words.

First article: Lord! Look! Violence and Injustice!

Second article: Read and Run

Third article: The Silent Serenity of Sovereignty

Fourth article: The Righteous Shall Live By Faith

Fifth article: Wait Quietly

The following books by Dr. Alan J. Dunn are available at Trinity Book Service and Cristianismo Histórico: