QT 03/12/2025 Wed. Habakkuk 2. Waiting in faith for God’s justice and promises 凭着信心等候神的公义与应许

QT 03/12/2025 Wed. Habakkuk 2 Waiting in faith for God’s justice and promises
READ http://www.esv.org/habakkuk2

“The righteous shall live by his faith.” — Habakkuk 2:4

Habakkuk 2 is God’s answer to a prophet who is wrestling with injustice, violence, and a world that seems upside-down. The chapter begins with Habakkuk saying he will “take his stand… and look out to see what He will say” (v.1). It’s a posture of humble, expectant waiting — not passive resignation, but active trust. And God does answer.

(1) God’s Promises May Seem Slow, But They Are Certain

God tells Habakkuk: “If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” (v.3) God doesn’t deny the waiting. He acknowledges it. He even calls it slow — from our point of view. But He also promises that His plans are not uncertain. His justice will not be late. His purposes won’t be stopped.

Sometimes we confuse quiet with absence and delay with denial. But God says: “My timing is perfect. Wait with confidence.”

(2) Pride Fights God; Faith Walks With Him

Then comes the famous contrast: “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (v.4). There are only two ways to live:

Pride — trusting in ourselves, timing our own solutions, grasping for control.

Faith — trusting God’s character, God’s timing, and God’s justice even when we cannot see it.

Pride buckles under fear because it depends on our own strength. Faith stands steady because it depends on God’s.

This verse becomes the backbone of the New Testament’s understanding of salvation (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). God has always called His people to live — not by sight, not by circumstance, but by faith in Him.

(3) God Will Judge Evil and Vindicate His People

The rest of the chapter contains five “woes” against Babylon — warnings that God does see every act of oppression, greed, violence, and idolatry. Even the proudest empire is no match for the justice of the living God. And then comes one of the most comforting declarations in Scripture:

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (v.14)

This is God saying: “The story ends with My glory everywhere.” Even if evil seems to win today, it cannot win forever. And finally, God ends the chapter with a holy hush:

“But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” (v.20)

When God speaks — when God acts — creation listens. And we can rest.

Reflection

(1) Where are you tempted to “live by sight” instead of faith?

(2) Is there an area where God seems slow — but He’s calling you to trust Him?

(3) Are you trying to carry justice yourself instead of letting the Judge of all the earth do what is right?

Prayer
“Lord, teach me to live by faith, not by fear. Help me trust Your timing when everything feels slow
and Your justice when the world feels unjust. Silence my pride and fill me with confidence that Your glory will fill the earth and Your promises never fail. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

QT 03/12/2025 星期三. 哈巴谷书 2章 凭着信心等候神的公义与应许
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/hab/2/

迦勒底人自高自大，心不正直；然而义人必因信得生（“必因信得生”或译：“必因他的信实得生”）。”——哈巴谷书2:4

哈巴谷书第二章是上帝对先知的回应，这位先知正与不公、暴力以及看似颠倒的世界角力。本章开篇，哈巴谷宣告他要 “我要站在哨岗 … 留心看耶和华在我里面说什么”（第1节）。这是一种谦卑而期待的等候姿态——非消极屈从，乃是积极信靠。而神确实回应了。

(1) 神的应许看似迟缓，却必实现

神对哈巴谷说：“你若以为迟延，要等候，因为这事必临到，必不迟延。” （第3节）神并未否认等待的存在，祂承认等待，甚至从我们的角度称其为迟缓。但祂同时应许：祂的计划绝非虚妄，公义必不迟延，旨意永不搁浅。

我们常将静默误作缺席，将延迟视作拒绝。但神宣告：“我的时机完美无瑕，当满怀信心地等候。”

(2) 骄傲对抗神；信心与神同行

接着出现著名的对比："迦勒底人自高自大，心不正直；然而义人必因信得生。"（第4节）人生只有两种活法：

骄傲——倚靠自己，按自己的时间解决问题，执着掌控。

信心——信靠神的品格、神的时机、神的公义，纵然看不见。

骄傲在恐惧下崩溃，因它倚靠自身力量；信心却屹立不摇，因它倚靠上帝。

这节经文成为新约救赎观的支柱（罗马书1:17；加拉太书3:11；希伯来书10:38）。上帝始终呼召祂的子民——不是凭眼见，不是凭环境，而是凭着对祂的信心而活。

(3) 上帝必审判邪恶，为祂的子民伸冤

本章余下部分包含五重对巴比伦的“祸哉”——警示世人：上帝看透一切压迫、贪婪、暴力与偶像崇拜。纵使最骄傲的帝国，也无法抵挡永生上帝的公义。随后经文宣告了圣经中最令人振奋的应许：

“认识耶和华之荣耀的知识，必充满全地，好像众水遮盖海洋一样。”（14节）

这是神宣告：“故事终章，我的荣耀遍满天地。”纵使今日邪恶看似得胜，它永不能长存。最终，神以圣洁的静默结束本章：

“然而耶和华在他的圣殿里，全地当在他面前肃静。”（第20节）

当神发声——当神行动——万物都静默。我们便可安歇。

反思

(1) 你何时容易凭眼见行事而非凭信心？
(2) 是否存在神看似迟缓却呼召你信靠的领域？
(3) 你是否试图亲自伸张公义，而非让全地的主宰施行正义？

祷告
“主啊，求祢教导我凭信心而活，而非恐惧。当万事迟缓时，求祢助我信靠祢的时机；当世界充满不公时，求祢助我信靠祢的公义。求祢使我的骄傲静默，并以信心充满我——因祢的荣耀必充满全地，祢的应许永不落空。奉耶稣的名求。阿们。”