When God Is Silent Day 4: Habakkuk 2:2-5

Read & Journal

Read Habakkuk 2:2-5. These prompts will help you engage with what you’ve read.

• What do these verses teach you about God’s character?

• Thinking about what you read yesterday, summarize what Habakkuk’s question was to God.

• How did God answer that question?

• God says that the vision he gave Habakkuk is sure to be fulfilled, even if it takes a while. How does knowing that God’s promises are true and will be fulfilled give you hope?

• Consider verses 4-5. What do you learn about pride and greed?

• Verses 4-5 likely refer to the Babylonians who trusted in their own strength and power. Reread them in light of the gospel. What do these verses teach you about salvation?

Ponder

Habakkuk asked God for an answer—and God responded with a vision. Rather than outlining every aspect of his plan, God helped Habakkuk see the bigger picture. Yes, judgment was coming. Those who are filled with pride, arrogance and their own self-importance will die, but the righteous will live by faith.

We know the Babylonians trusted in their own strength (Hab. 1:11) and their ability to annihilate anyone who stood in their way, but the message that God wanted Habakkuk to understand was simple. Every one of us is going to seek satisfaction and meaning for our lives in something. Maybe it’s our own strength and power like the Babylonians. Perhaps it’s our intelligence, money, or our own innate goodness (which Scripture tells us is really like “filthy rags” in Isaiah 64:6). But as God showed Habakkuk—and those of us who have walked with him for a while know—none of those things ultimately satisfy. Only those who trust in God for salvation will live.

The concept of righteousness has to do with being upright, of being measured against a standard and being found to be right or straight. The truth of the gospel is that Jesus is that standard, and he gives his perfect righteousness to those who trust him for salvation. Our own righteousness will always fall short; but Jesus gives us his righteousness, and “the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.”

We can learn much about how to live during times of waiting through God’s words to Habakkuk. In the waiting, we are called to trust God’s promise and live in faithfulness. “Hard times are coming,” God seems to say, “but trust that my promise of salvation is true and live like it.” Persevere when the world is filled with injustice and violence. Remember God’s promise when doubt creeps in. When you don’t understand what God is doing, remember who he is.