Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Oh Friends, that’s the gospel truth! Our God’s pronouncements always come to pass. It might take awhile, because He likes to give us plenty warning; sufficient time to change our ways or do His work. During Habakkuk’s time, Israel was so evil, it led him to cry out in anguish to the Lord. ‘Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgement doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab.1:2-4) Oh people, doesn’t that sound mighty familiar? It’s the same thing many of us are asking today about our depraved, wicked, god-belittling society. Habakkuk opted to stand on the city walls and wait for God’s answer. And it came: ‘Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.’ (vs.2) At times the Lord’s ideas seem far fetched, but they’re always practical. It was common practice then to write public notices in large letters on clay tablets, so that anyone running by could easily read them. ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ Ah Friends, we don’t have city walls as such to stand on, but wherever we wait for God’s answer to our heartfelt plea, I’m sure the answer will be the same as Habakkuk’s. Write it BIG and BOLD! so that all those in our society of more haste but less speed can easily read it as they anxiously rush by, going nowhere fast. And we’ve so many options now of displaying the message that it would boggle Habakkuk’s mind: Radio, t.v, billboards, newspapers, magazines, not to mention the computer and its numerous tentacles. But sadly Friends, it doesn’t seem that we’re getting out the message enough to make a sizeable difference, for everyday our world is spinning closer and closer to the bottom. The iniquity workers are doing a much better job than us. Granted, they control most of the medium by which the message can be spread. But if our society is to stand any chance of survival, much less renewal, we must stop it from plummeting so fast to a disastrous end. When is that ending? Jesus said only the Father knows. But He always gives us sufficient warning, though we may not heed it. The Israelites got it from Ezekiel: They had a saying; ‘the days are prolonged and every vision faileth.’ (Eze.12:22) But the Lord told Zeke, ‘Say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.’ (Eze.12:23) It was time to pay the price. Daniel was the same: ‘Understand O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.’ (Dan.8:17) ‘Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make and end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.’ (Dan.9:23-24) It seems the Hebrew word for weeks, shabua’ can refer to any period of seven; days, weeks, years, etc. The scholars did the math and found that in Daniels context, it refers to years; meaning seventy times seven years. (490) And everything Daniel visualized came to pass within those 490 years; from when Jerusalem was ordered rebuilt to Christ’s crucifixion. (483) Now remember Friends, Jesus foretold His second coming. Only the Father knows when it is, but it can be anytime, and we’ve had ample warning; two thousand years. And though ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all shall come to repentance.’ (2 Pet.3:9) be sure, one day, at the appointed time, the vision will speak, it will not tarry any longer. So let’s get our houses in order right now, and help as many others as possible to do the same, so that hopefully none will perish, all shall come to repentance. Much LOVE!…of this one thing be sure…the Lord always keeps His promises…
Oh Friends, that’s the gospel truth! Our God’s pronouncements always come to pass. It might take awhile, because He likes to give us plenty warning; sufficient time to change our ways or do His work. During Habakkuk’s time, Israel was so evil, it led him to cry out in anguish to the Lord. ‘Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgement doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgement proceedeth.’ (Hab.1:2-4) Oh people, doesn’t that sound mighty familiar? It’s the same thing many of us are asking today about our depraved, wicked, god-belittling society. Habakkuk opted to stand on the city walls and wait for God’s answer. And it came: ‘Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.’ (vs.2) At times the Lord’s ideas seem far fetched, but they’re always practical. It was common practice then to write public notices in large letters on clay tablets, so that anyone running by could easily read them. ‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ Ah Friends, we don’t have city walls as such to stand on, but wherever we wait for God’s answer to our heartfelt plea, I’m sure the answer will be the same as Habakkuk’s. Write it BIG and BOLD! so that all those in our society of more haste but less speed can easily read it as they anxiously rush by, going nowhere fast. And we’ve so many options now of displaying the message that it would boggle Habakkuk’s mind: Radio, t.v, billboards, newspapers, magazines, not to mention the computer and its numerous tentacles. But sadly Friends, it doesn’t seem that we’re getting out the message enough to make a sizeable difference, for everyday our world is spinning closer and closer to the bottom. The iniquity workers are doing a much better job than us. Granted, they control most of the medium by which the message can be spread. But if our society is to stand any chance of survival, much less renewal, we must stop it from plummeting so fast to a disastrous end. When is that ending? Jesus said only the Father knows. But He always gives us sufficient warning, though we may not heed it. The Israelites got it from Ezekiel: They had a saying; ‘the days are prolonged and every vision faileth.’ (Eze.12:22) But the Lord told Zeke, ‘Say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.’ (Eze.12:23) It was time to pay the price. Daniel was the same: ‘Understand O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.’ (Dan.8:17) ‘Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make and end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.’ (Dan.9:23-24) It seems the Hebrew word for weeks, shabua’ can refer to any period of seven; days, weeks, years, etc. The scholars did the math and found that in Daniels context, it refers to years; meaning seventy times seven years. (490) And everything Daniel visualized came to pass within those 490 years; from when Jerusalem was ordered rebuilt to Christ’s crucifixion. (483) Now remember Friends, Jesus foretold His second coming. Only the Father knows when it is, but it can be anytime, and we’ve had ample warning; two thousand years. And though ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all shall come to repentance.’ (2 Pet.3:9) be sure, one day, at the appointed time, the vision will speak, it will not tarry any longer. So let’s get our houses in order right now, and help as many others as possible to do the same, so that hopefully none will perish, all shall come to repentance. Much LOVE!…of this one thing be sure…the Lord always keeps His promises…
SCRIP-BITS 