“Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:2–3, NIV)
Over the last few days we have talked about those times in life when God seems distant and unresponsive. We have addressed the reality that our sight is limited to a fuzzy view of the past. We acknowledge that we must trust in a God who sees the past and future as clearly as the present…They are the same to Him. We have been comforted by knowing that throughout history He has been faithful to His Word. We are assured that He hears our cries even during times when it appears that our words are falling on deaf ears. We confidently wait for God to act on behalf of the weak and the persecuted among us.
Today, I want to present God’s true heart. He does not leave us in the dark for long. It doesn’t matter if you are one of the patriarchs, Moses, the kings of Israel, a prophet or priest, or a simple believer in God struggling to understand His will in this life. God will always act. And when He does, it is never in secret. God most often announces and proclaims His activity prior to acting. He doesn’t just tell one person but tells many. In today’s passage, He told Habakkuk to write down the revelation that He was providing. He wanted it written down so that heralds could proclaim it to His people. He wanted His act of redemption to be clearly understood ahead of time so that when it happened, they would recognize that it came from God.
Starting in Genesis 3:15, God began to lay down a list of messianic prophecies that describe the who, why, and what of the Savior of the world. Over thousands of years the Lord added to the prophecies, and in detail, described the life and death of the Messiah. Just before the Messiah’s birth, angels broke through the heavens to declare that He had been born into the world. Just before Jesus’ ministry began, John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
What I want you to be certain of today is that God isn’t really hiding from us when it appears that way. We have a God who shouts from the rooftops who He is and what His plan is for our redemption and for our lives. We have a God who is by nature declarative. He created with words and continually reveals Himself to us through His Word.
Don’t think that God is hidden or silent. He never has been, nor will He ever be. He speaks clearly, loudly, and consistently to anyone who would have ears to hear Him. Let’s stop and listen to the revelation He desires us to hear.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church
