“But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14 is arguably one of the most beautiful depictions of the fullness of God’s reign in the Old Testament. 

The verse seems misplaced in a chapter proclaiming the justice of plundering those who have plundered, and shame befalling those who have plotted evil to amass wealth and distanced themselves from harm’s way only to lose their lives in their own houses whose structures cry out for vindication. 

Furthermore, the strife to build foundations through bloodshed and sin will come to nothing, consumed by the flames of God. Victimisers who induce drunkenness to bring humiliation through fear of wrath will find themselves inebriated and despised, all their glory extinguished, shamed by God’s hand. Those who have exerted violence on others will themselves and all inhabitants of their cities comprehensively washed with violence.

These plunderers, plotters of evil, victimisers and builders of violence, trust in creations they have shaped, but only the creator is LORD, shaping his ultimate purpose for our world and not breathless creations. Let us keep silent and be in awe, for the LORD is in his temple establishing this purpose.

But the LORD is in his holy temple;

    let all the earth keep silence before him! (Habakkuk 2:20)

This ultimate purpose is when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” God is working towards the fulfilment of this purpose when justice prevails and evil eradicated. Only the faithful and the faithfulness of God will fill the earth for “No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 31:34)

We ask ourselves, when will this happen? How long God? 

God’s appointed time for Habakkuk 2:14 has been determined. Our waiting for the fullness of God’s kingdom does not in any way imply a delay or a change of the appointed time. A day passed is a day closer to the appointed time. Our inability to wait could be a result of pride and arrogance. The latter is a manifestation of the former. These egoistic siblings are always built on the human effort to attain and acquire, and in the case of Habakkuk 2:4-5, it is wealth. 

Whatever is feeding our pride gives false security and can never be satisfied. It always wants more. Pride corrodes our spirit and is fuel to faithlessness. The faithless are unable to endure because their trust in God has been incapacitated.

We pray you will rediscover your faith through the release of pride, the recovery of trust in God and the renewal of a right spirit. We pray you will ‘’Know the LORD” through his word. We pray in the waiting and asking, “how long God?” you will know God’s ultimate purpose, “the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea”.