Habakkuk bared his soul before God. How long would this suffering go on? Why should not the wicked Babylonians suffer for their brutality? Then he waited expectantly for the answer. God answered, told him what was to come and anchored his soul.
The Answer
The Lord answered. Write it down, make it plain to read, “that he may run who reads it.” It won’t happen immediately, but the time will come just as I have spoken. Wait. Be patient. It will not take longer or be delayed. “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him, but the just shall live by faith.”
What Was to Come
In the answer, the Lord showed Habakkuk what was to come. Though the greed of the Babylonians drove them on, like death, it was never satisfied. They would soon receive retribution from those they oppressed. Through murder and corruption, they built their expensive homes in mountains, thinking they could protect their families. Yet, they gave shameful counsel to their house and sinned against their own souls. It would come back to haunt them. Their brutality to neighbours, disregard of forests and animals, would soon cause them to experience being cut down and terrorized themselves. In his time or ours, wherever the stench of wickedness hangs in the air, the just live by faith. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.
Anchored His Soul
After the vision, God anchored Habakkuk’s soul. The wicked create their own gods, gods without voices or knowledge, without heart or soul. But the eternal God is in His holy temple. From everlasting to everlasting, He lives, breathes, and reigns. All keep silent before Him. Faith and steadfast hope anchor the soul. God answers, shows us what was is to come and anchors the soul.