Faith That Lives Series

Living by Faith When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

Faith that Lives

Habakkuk 2:2-2:20

In our last message, we left the prophet Habakkuk standing watch upon the walls of one of Judah’s fortified cities—waiting, listening, and wrestling with God. He had begun by crying out over the violence, injustice, and spiritual decay that had overtaken his people. The covenant nation had drifted so far that God’s law—once meant to reflect His justice and mercy—had become powerless in practice. It was still recited, still referenced, but no longer obeyed. Justice was twisted to favor the wealthy and the powerful, while the righteous were pushed aside.

Habakkuk longed for justice because he loved God. He could not bear to see the Lord’s holy character misrepresented by a corrupt society. Yet he also longed for mercy because he loved his people. This was not the cry of an angry prophet seeking vengeance, but the prayer of a faithful intercessor yearning for repentance and restoration—perhaps even hoping for a return to the reforms once ignited under King Josiah. At its core, his first complaint was simple and painful: God seemed silent when decisive action was desperately needed.

But when God answered, the response only deepened Habakkuk’s struggle. The Lord was not silent—He was already at work. Judgment was coming—through Babylon. A fierce and ruthless nation. A people whose horses were swifter than leopards and more ferocious than wolves at dusk. As Habakkuk stood on the wall, waiting for further word, we can almost feel the weight of his second complaint forming in his heart. How could the everlasting God—his Rock, pure and without blemish—use a nation even more wicked than Judah as the instrument of His justice? How could the Holy One employ a people whose god was their own strength, who swept up nations like fish in a dragnet and showed no mercy?

Surely this could not be justice. Surely this could not be right.

It is here, in Habakkuk 2:2–20, that God finally speaks with unmistakable clarity. Faith that prays and faith that waits must now become faith that lives. God calls His prophet—and His people—to listen with reverence, to trust with patience, and to live with confidence in His holiness and righteousness. Though the wicked may appear to prosper for a season, their end is certain. And though the righteous may struggle in the present, their way is secure.

As we listen to the Lord’s response today, we will see two sharply contrasting ways to live: one marked by pride, self-reliance, and eventual ruin; the other marked by humble faith and enduring life. May God grant us ears to hear—and hearts willing to live by faith.

Faith Lives by God’s Revealed Word

Before God explains what He will do, He begins by showing how His people are to live while they wait. The Lord does not respond to Habakkuk with dates, details, or deadlines. Instead, He anchors the prophet’s faith in something far more enduring than a timetable—His revealed Word, meant to be written down, clearly understood, and faithfully trusted.

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

Habakkuk’s struggle had begun with a simple but agonizing question: How long, O LORD? He longed for action. He longed for relief. But when God finally answered, He did not reveal the exact moment Babylon would come, nor did He explain the full sequence of events that lay ahead. Instead, He reminded His prophet that divine purposes do not unfold according to human schedules, but according to God’s sovereign timing.

Habakkuk had placed his daily life on hold to stand watch upon Judah’s walls, waiting for God to speak. To be told that the vision was for “an appointed time”—with no date attached—must have tested his patience deeply. Yet God, in His mercy, commanded Habakkuk to write the vision down. This was not because God feared the prophet might forget His words, but because God wanted His truth preserved, proclaimed, and passed on. The vision was not meant for Habakkuk alone; it was meant for all who would need to live by faith while they waited for God’s promises to unfold.

Faith Lives by Trust, Not Pride

Once God establishes the certainty of His Word and the certainty of His timing, He now draws a clear line between two ways of living—one rooted in pride, and the other rooted in faith.

See, the enemy is puffed up;

his desires are not upright—

but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness

Habakkuk 2:4

The Babylonians embodied the first way. They were self-reliant and proud, trusting in their own strength, power, and military might. Their nets, their armies, and their conquests became their gods. From a human perspective, it appeared that injustice would reign unchecked. But the Lord calls Habakkuk to look again—this time with spiritual eyes. Though injustice may be permitted for a season, it is never ignored, excused, or endorsed by God.