“And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.’” (Habakkuk 2:1-4)
The words of Habakkuk 2:4 are repeated by Saint Paul in Romans 1 and Galatians 3:11. It was these verses that Martin Luther was studying when the Lord revealed to him the truth that changed the world, the truth that has set millions free from sin and the fear of death. The righteous shall live by faith. But those who are made righteous are righteous not because of their deeds or actions. They are made righteous by the blood of Christ shed for the remission of sins. Faith in Christ, the gift of God, alone makes a person righteous.
The prophet Habakkuk lived in a time similar to our days, a time of violent political and social upheaval. The temple had been pillaged. God’s sanctuary had been violated. The Jews had fallen into idolatry. The King of Judah, Zedekiah, was unjust, unmerciful, corrupt, and indecisive. He allowed immorality, bribery, and injustice to pervade the government and the religious system. The righteous were oppressed while the wicked prospered. In addition, the kingdom of Babylon was about to brutally devastate Jerusalem and Judah and carry her people off into exile. How could the Lord allow such things to happen?
Many are probably asking the same question these days as well, especially in light of the social and moral chaos sweeps across our land. Add to that the violent acts of domestic and foreign terrorism, crime, abortion, and social acceptance of gross immorality as well as the persecution of Christians who desire to honor God and voice opposition to all this. Why doesn’t the Lord act to put an end to all the violence? Why doesn’t He do away with all the corruption, immorality, dishonesty and cheating that characterizes our political leaders, the media, and our educational systems? Why does the Lord allow evil-doers to profit from their irresponsible and sinful actions? Why does the Lord allow the righteous to suffer because of the sins of the wicked?
Habakkuk never got answers as to why the Lord did not deliver the righteous, but he does learn this: the righteous live by faith. By faith we trust the Lord and do not worry about what will happen to the wicked. Those who do not have faith will not only fall into sin but they will continue to reject Jesus and His gift of salvation. They will continue to be greedy and selfish. They will grab all the riches and pleasure they can while they can. They will forget the effects their actions have on their relationship with God, other people, or their eternal state.
But the righteous will live by faith. These words of the prophet bring us great comfort in our day when we are experiencing such great social immorality and injustice. Faith assures us that God has not forgotten us. Faith confirms that He will ultimately deliver, bless and reward us. Faith enables us to persevere. We trust in His promises and know with certainty that God will give us deliver us.