“Then the LORD answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.’” Habakkuk 2:2 [NASB]
When we come to this
verse in Habakkuk, the first part of God’s command makes sense, “Record the
vision and inscribe it on tablets.” It’s a command He gave to Habakkuk, His
prophet. Remember, Habakkuk said in verse one he would go to his guard tower
above the noise of the city and wait expectantly to hear from God. In verse
two, we read God answered Habakkuk’s heart’s desire to meet with Him.
From the first part of
God’s command in this verse, we understand recording God’s vision. Anyone of
the time who wanted people to listen to an edict from a King or a message from
the LORD wrote the message for people to read or a “crier” to declare loudly. This
verse is no different. God wanted all the people of Judea to know about His judgment
of their destruction. What may seem different about this prophecy is the last
phrase. God said He wanted His prophecy of judgment written, “So that the one
who reads it may run.” First reaction would be, “Why read and run?” Does it
make the person run faster? Is it so urgent a message people must act upon it at
once? Or, is it so insignificant that people can pay little attention to it and
so expect just to skim it?
God told Habakkuk write
this prophecy on tablets so it would endure. Remember, as the Israelites crossed
the Jordan River, God told each tribe leader to place a stone in the middle of the
river as a reminder of His leading them across safely into the Promised Land. Jacob
placed stones where he wrestled with God one night. These stones were a
spiritual marker. Stones last a long time. They are the perfect object by which
to mark a place in location and in memory. They remind people of a time or
event that was significant and should inform them of who God had been for them and
what He had done. These tablets Habakkuk would inscribe would remind the
Judeans of the original tablets on which God had Moses inscribe His Ten
Commandments. It would hearken them back to one of the most often repeated
parts of their history. These new tablets would receive great attention from
the Judeans because of their history as a people of God.
This method of relaying
messages to people was common to the time. The size of stone tablets with
writings etched on them was very large. Etching in stone requires chiseling tools
because of this, the letters would be large. To include the whole prophecy of
God as Habakkuk heard it would require multiple tablets, like a frieze. God’s
word through Habakkuk would be very noticeable because of the number of tablets
and their size. People may have said, “Have you seen the new work? You can’t
miss it.” What the tablets said would cause an uproar because it declared their
doom. People would speak of these tablets often for more than one reason.
Why is it important
that a person can “read it while they run”? First, because the tablets are so
big, you can’t miss them. You can’t say, “I was too busy; I didn’t realize.”
The Judeans had no excuse for not knowing God’s judgment of their sin. Second,
the writing on the tablets would be big since chisels etched the stone. The
people can’t say, “I didn’t see it because I was too far away or I had to move
too fast past it and couldn’t note it.” People would either read the tablets intentionally
or not, or they would hear about them. These tablets would have been like our
roadside billboards today. You can’t miss them. Companies pay lots of money to
make sure no one misses their messages. The advertising agencies makes sure people
read the messages. God made His judgment of Judea clear. He had it declared to
them by the prophet and had it written on a frieze of stone tablets. The people
would face their sin and resultant judgment from God even if they tried to
avoid it.
God had these tablets
written plainly, in large letters, and on large tablets as was the custom for Judeans
to receive notices from their priests and prophets. He had them put in a place
the people regularly saw notices. The tablets were so big people could hurry
past them and still get the message. None of them could say they didn’t realize
they were sinning, God saw them, and His judgment was coming upon them.
Everyone would understand, even the foreigners who lived among them.
God made sure the Judeans
heard His message. He commanded Habakkuk to tell His message. God still makes
sure we know His message. He wants us to know Him, His love, and the love sacrifice
He made to ensure we each can have an eternal relationship with Him.
Did you hear the message?
God loves you so much,
He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in your place for your sin so you can have
eternal life, a relationship with Him, and victory over sin and death.
Are you ignoring the Message?
Don’t be like the Judeans
who ran past the prophecy tablets saying they didn’t know. God makes sure you recognize
who He is and His great love for you.
Stop.
Listen
to Him.
Hear
of His great sacrificial love and forgiveness.
Repent
of your sin.
Accept
Him and receive victory over sin and death.
This
one billboard from God you pass by today tells you the one Message you need to know. The gospel
of Jesus Christ is the Message.
Take heed.
Lord, show me
yourself. Reveal to me the Message. Let me see You and heed Your word. Take me
to Yourself and use me for Your will. Help me not to run past You.
