Habakkuk 2:20

New King James Version

“But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

For Meditation

We know nothing concerning spiritual things, but only what God reveals to us. Our curiosity will get us that far, but not far enough to understand the deep counsel of God. His ways are far beyond our comprehension. That is why He is God, and we are not.

The prophet Habakkuk admitted this so powerfully at the end of his complaining and surrendered in humility to God’s majesty (Habakkuk 3:2). He complained to God about the wickedness and injustice that prevailed in his nation (1:2-4). God revealed His plan to bring the Babylonians to execute judgment on Judah (5-11). That shocked Habakkuk.

How could a holy God whose eyes are so pure, He cannot look on evil (13), bring a people who were so wicked to punish His chosen people? God graciously responded to His prophet by revealing the side of Him Habakkuk had never known.

God had appointed the revelation of the end of a proud Babylon for a time in the future. Its fulfillment was sure. Though it delays, the prophet must wait for it by faith (2:2-3). In due time, God will punish the Babylonians for their cruel meanness—their greed like the grave that nothing could satisfy (5). Their false gods could not stop the punishment God had decreed for them, for they were images with no life. On the outside, they looked sparkling, beautiful, and invincible, but on the inside, there was nothing—powerless. God is the only true and living God.

“The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him” (2:20). 

Our God is not like those graven images of human making. He does not hide in gold or silver, which ignorant people used to fashion those images and bow to worship them. He lives in His temple in heaven and receives true worship from His heavenly hosts. His majesty covers the entire universe. He rules over His creation with full knowledge, wisdom, and power.

Regardless of the sins and wickedness of Adam’s race, God will never abdicate His throne and rule over His creation. So, let everyone on the earth be silent before Him. With humility, let everyone acknowledge His power and splendor in the manifestation of His salvation through Christ Jesus and the punishment of the wicked.

Like Habakkuk, you hate the wickedness of this world. It grieves you every day, and the devastation of sin around you has become oppressive to you. When, God? When will you end all this pain, sorrow, and wickedness in this world and establish your righteous rule? You have been crying in prayer.

Take heart, for God has His irrevocable plan for the world. The end will surely come. It is for an appointed time that will never fail. Though the return of Christ seems delayed (2 Peter 9), He will surely come (Habakkuk 2:3). 

In the meantime, we wait and live by faith for the return of Christ our Lord. As we wait, we tell His story that Christ loves them and invites them to come and drink the waters of eternal life from Him (Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:13-14).