Why can we read Habakkuk? Habakkuk 1-3

Habakkuk 2:2 (NASBStr)

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 (NIV1984)

The Lord’s Answer

 Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation

and make it plain on tablets

so that a herald may run with it.

The above verse is not the most famous in the book of Habakkuk.   In fact, it wouldn't probably rank in the top 20 of those we would pick to meditate upon or learn from.   The most famous is two verses later when the writer tells us that, "... the just shall live by faith."   That verse is quoted three times in the New Testament and not only is the lynch-pin of Justification by Faith, it was the "heralded" message of the Reformation.   Men and women lost their lives over the belief and defense of verse four.   Yet, without verse two, verse four would have been lost with the hearers of the day, or, perhaps a generation later.   When great truths are spoken, those who hear them can rejoice, reject or otherwise respond as they hear.   But, God didn't want just the immediate listeners to hear this message (in, in fact, they rejected the message as they heard it).   God wanted everyone then and forever to hear it.   That is were the above verse comes in.  Before the reformers could, by faith, respond to Habakkuk and Paul's message they had to read it.   God knew that and instructed Habakkuk to write it down.   It is amazing that in our power of technology and modern communication, the written word is still the bedrock of society.  Contracts are written; marriage vows might be utter, but nothing is legal without the written license; the written Constitution still runs our country.   God instructed many of His chosen leaders to write down His message (see Isaiah 8:1; Ex. 17:14; Jer. 30:2; Eze 24:2).  You can live the life of faith in verse four without having the written Word, instructed in verse two.   Habakkuk, however, was not just instructed to write.  He was instructed to write plainly.   We can rejoice that God not only records the source of our faith but does so plainly, so we can believe it.   The message of God's Word is plain.   Yes, there are some things difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15). But, the message is plain: God's love is the reason for man's redemption and God's wrath is on all those who reject that love.   Habakkuk was an obedient prophet.  He wrote the words down for us.  So that we can believe and have hope.