how often we are perplexed and
confused by our circumstances. Confusing circumstances are troubling,
fretful and fearful. We cry to God, but he seems not
to hear and he gives no answer. Our minds are full of questions.
questions for which we can't find any answers. Darkness increases. The things that trouble us seem
to grow larger and larger, more out of control, and we are yet
more fearful and more fretful. I don't know about you, but it
does me some good as I read through the book of God to meet with
men and women who believed God, men and women
who were loved of God and loved God, who had the same experiences,
troubles, afflictions, heavy burdens all around them, confusing,
things they couldn't understand or explain. And as they cried
out to God in their great trouble, They spoke honestly, words that
we sometimes think but might never even think about speaking
audibly. Job, that faithful man, that
faithful man. God tells us in the beginning
of the story of Job, he was a perfect man, upright, one that feared
God. and discute evil. He tells us ahead of time as
if to warn us. Now, what I'm about to tell you
about Job, you're going to think he's reprobate. I'm going to
tell you about Job. You're going to think that he
never knew God at all. But Job was a man who believed
God. But when his troubles came, one
on the heels of another, he said, my flesh is clothed with worms
and clods of dust. My skin is broken and become
loathsome. Therefore, I will not refrain
my mouth. I will speak in the anguish of
my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness
of my soul. Then thou scarist me with dreams
and terrifies me through visions so that my soul chooseth strangling. and death rather than life. Thy hands have made me and fashioned
me together round about, yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that
thou hast made me as the clay, and wilt thou bring me into the
dust again? Hast thou poured me out as milk
and curdled me like cheese? God's faithful servant, Jeremiah,
because he faithfully declared the word of God, faithfully proclaimed
to his people what God had given him to speak to them. He was
ridiculed and derided by the prophets. He was denounced by
his own family. He was mocked by the priest.
He was laughed to scorn, and he cried out, cursed be the day
wherein I was born. Wherefore came I forth out of
the womb to see labor and sorrow that my day should be consumed
with shame. Now these weren't whining sissies. These were men. Men of respect
and character among their peers. Strong, strong men. reduced to utter fear and fretting. The disciples, those fishermen,
old men that, men of courage, had been with the Master a long
time, but when they were in the midst of a terrible storm that
appeared to threaten their lives, they cried to the Lord Jesus,
Master, carest thou not that we perish? All these questions
arose in the midst of troubles. Troubles that were especially
aggravating because these people recognized God's promises to
them appeared to be unfulfilled. And that which they experienced
appeared to be personal tragedies. Though we may not speak the words
audibly, You and I sometimes ask with the psalmist, is his
mercy clean God forever? Doth his promise fail forever
mercy? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? That's exactly the position we
find God's prophet Habakkuk in when we open the book of Habakkuk.
Let's turn there again this evening. Habakkuk's prophecy is different
from all other written prophecies. Habakkuk's prophecy differs in
this regard. He never says a word to anyone
but God. All the other prophets are written
and men address God and address his people and address the heathen.
Habakkuk speaks only to God. He speaks about his people. He
speaks about himself. He speaks about the heathen,
but he only speaks to God. So then these three chapters,
all we have that Habakkuk says are words that he spoke directly
to the Lord God. He was troubled. So troubled
that it comes to God with painful questions. Questions that were
painful for him to ask, but questions that he must ask because he must
be honest before God. The questions of an honest, troubled,
believing, perplexed heart. The prophecy opens in chapter
one, verse two, with a question of obvious pain and frustration.
Habakkuk says, Oh, Lord, how long shall I cry? and thou wilt
not hear? How long shall I cry, and thou
wilt not hear? Even cry out unto thee of violence,
or because of violence, and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou
show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling
and violence are before me, and there are that raise up strife
and contention. Therefore, the law is slacked,
and judgment doth never go forth. For the wicked doth compass about
the righteous. Therefore, wrong judgment proceedeth."
God's prophet looked around him, among his people, as we might
in our nation today. as some of you might in your
own lives in the things that you right now experience. And he saw nothing but cruelty,
oppression, injustice, and sin. That's all he saw. Cruelty, oppression,
injustice, and sin everywhere. Added to that, the Lord God raised
up the Chaldeans. He was at that time raising them
up, later known as the Babylonians. Today we would refer to them
as Iraqis. A reprobate, idolatrous, ungodly
people. A people God raised up specifically
to chastise his chosen. You've raised up these godless,
reprobate men to chastise your chosen people. Why? When Habakkuk
thought on that, he said in verse 13 of chapter 1, God, how can
you? You who are purer eyes than to
behold iniquity, look on these people and appear not only to
approve of them, but to promote them. After raising these questions,
Habakkuk seems to put his hand over his mouth as if astonished
to hear him speak the things that he was thinking. And he
comes to chapter two and bows before the Lord God. What are
we to do? When we're faced with things
that trouble us and causes fear. When we're fretful, afraid, perplexed
by the things we see and experience in this world. We're to watch
God work. Wait on God's promise. And believe God. Now listen to me, children of
God, hear this word of instruction, and this is the total of my message
to you tonight. In all trials, heartaches, and
difficulties, in all perplexing circumstances, in all times of
heaviness and trouble, watch God work. Just watch. Wait for God's promise and believe God. Watch God work. Wait for God's promise and believe
God. The title of my message tonight
is Watch, Write, Wait, Believe, back at chapter two. I will stand
upon my watch and set me upon the tower and will watch to see
what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am
reproved. And the Lord answered me and
said, write, write the vision and make it plain upon tables
that he may run that readeth. For the vision, that is the promise,
this that I've revealed to you, Yet for an appointed time God's promise is always for an
appointed time and God fulfills his promise always at the appointed
time The vision is yet for an appointed time But at the end
it shall speak The vision is talking about is a vision that's
going to speak and not lie Though it tarry, wait for it. And obviously the Lord's words
are intended to mean this, though it appear to tarry. Though it
appears that God's promise is not going to come to pass. Though
it appears that the Lord is slack concerning his promise, wait
for it. It will surely come. It will
not tarry. It will not carry whatever God
has promised. He is not waiting to fulfill. He is fulfilling. And at the
appointed time, it shall appear. Behold, his soul, which is lifted
up, is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith. Here's the first point. Watch.
The Lord God didn't immediately answer Habakkuk's prayer. But
that shouldn't surprise us. How many of you have ever had
God answer a prayer immediately? Seldom, if ever, does God answer
prayer immediately. When the Lord didn't answer him,
Habakkuk seems to have reproved himself for the way he had spoken,
for the things he had thought, for his misgivings with regard
to God's providence, for his murmuring, for his complaining,
even in the midst of such troubles as he's described here. And he
resolved to stand still like a sentinel standing upon a watchtower,
looking for God to answer. He says in verse 1, I will stand
upon my watch and set me upon the tower. The ancient cities,
the walled cities all had towers, lookout towers. From that vantage
point for miles away, they could see an enemy coming or they could
see a runner coming. They could see one approaching
that might be bringing certain war. They could see one approaching
who has a message of peace from the watchtower. Habakkuk says,
I'll stand me upon my watch and set me upon the tower and we'll
watch to see what God will say unto me and what I shall answer
when I'm reproved. It doesn't Habakkuk is not suggesting
here that he literally climbed up into a tower like a sentinel.
He's using an illustration. He's telling us that which is
his inmost attitude is that of a symbolic watchman. He remained
silent and eagerly looked for God to reply. He's poured out
his heart and now he says, I'm going to watch for God to speak.
We would be wise to follow the prophet's example. Stand still and see the salvation of the
Lord. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. Children of God, when your heart
is heavy, fearful, fretting, Whatever the cause. Whatever
the cause. You know, and I promise you. You're fretting. You're pacing
the floor. You're wringing your hands. You're
trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation. Will
come to naught. It will only aggravate all the
pain and all the trouble. It will only aggravate. It will
not help. Well, Brother Don, surely we
ought to do something. Yeah, nothing. Stand still and
see. Watch for God to work. And oh, how he works. The prophet
Isaiah tells us of God's people, their strength is to sit still. Their strength is to sit still. Isaiah 30 verse 7. Our Redeemer often tells us,
as Boaz said to Ruth, sit still until thou know how the matter
will fall. God teach me so. Sit still until
you see how God works this thing out. Certainly, gospel preachers
here have an example of that which ought to be our primary
business. That which is the most important
aspect of gospel preaching, but the most commonly neglected aspect
of gospel preaching. We're to stand upon our watch,
searching the scriptures, praying for God to give us a word for
his people. Well, Todd Nyberg called me the
other day and we were talking about this matter of preaching.
And I said to him, not only is it true that the only way God speaks to man
is by the preaching of the word, by the preaching of the gospel,
it is also a fact that the only way we can preach the gospel
is if God sends us. Not just initially. Not just
initially. James Jordan, the only way I
can speak to your heart by God's word, by the power of his spirit,
this moment, is if what I have, God's given me specifically for
you. And specifically for Charlotte.
And specifically for Diane. And specifically for Cody. Only
way I can do it. Well, no man can do that, no.
No. But God can and does. The gospel
preacher must stand upon his watch. We're watchmen upon the
walls of Jerusalem, waiting for a word from God. And when God
gives the word, then go and proclaim it. Would to God that every time
I stand in this place, I could speak confidently to you what
the Apostle Paul did to the Corinthians. He said, I have received of the
Lord that which also I deliver unto you. Frank, if God gifts you for the
work of the ministry, you listen to me, listen to me. Anybody
with half good sense can prepare an outline and give out an exposition of
a text, but that's not preaching. That's not preaching. Well, if
that's not preaching, Pastor, what is? Bringing a message from
God for his people. That's preaching. Brother Scott
Richardson put it this way. It's getting a message from God's
heart to my heart, to your heart. The message that's needed for
God's people at the time, at the hour in which we live. you
will observe I often in the course of preaching a series of messages
as I'm writing out to the book of Habakkuk, what's it been three,
four weeks since I preached from this book, uh, various times,
just wait a while. It's not because I'm lazy. It's
not because I'm not studying it. It's because God hasn't given
me the message that's needed. Not that I don't understand the
context, Not that I don't understand the history. Usually, that's
not the case. It's just that I don't yet have
the message God has for you in this hour, this day, from this
passage. I believe I have now. Watch. God preach you. That's what he
did. Troubled saints. He said, set
still. Like Habakkuk did here. What
do you mean sit still? Humbly bowing to God. Sweet, sweet peace it is when
God graciously inclines our hearts to bow to his will. To be reconciled to him in the
midst of difficulties. Lord, your will be done. Does that take away the pain? No, but it sure removes the trouble. Does that cause you not to care? Oh, no. Oh, no. But it sure gives
peace. Bow to him. Habakkuk says, I'll
set myself on my watch, and I will watch to see what God will speak,
what the Lord will speak to me. Bow before God's throne with
his book open and ask him to speak. See what he will say to you.
Keep silence all created things and wait your maker's nod. My soul stands trembling while
she sings the honors of her God life. Death and hell and worlds
unknown hang on his firm decree. He sets on no precarious throne
nor borrows leave to be. Chained to his throne a volume
lies with all the fates of men, with every angel's form and size
drawn by the eternal pen. His providence unfolds the book
and makes his counsel shine. Each opening leaf and every stroke
fulfills some bright design. Here, he exalts neglected worms
to scepters and a crown. And then the following page,
he turns and treads the monarch down. Not Gabriel asked the reason
why, nor God the reason gives, nor dares the favored angel pry
between the folded leaves. We often foolishly argue with God. Why? Now, it's perfectly legitimate
and right that we should want to know why God is doing things. That we should want God to speak
to us. But generally, our attitude is, why me? And we feel sorry
for ourselves and we pity ourselves. If this had happened to Bob Duff,
it'd been all right, but why me? If this had happened to this
fellow over across the road, that'd be all right, but why
me? Why not me? Why not me? Now, I'm not offering
platitudes. I'm not suggesting this pretentious
piety. You ask somebody, well, I'm doing
better than I deserve. I get so sick of hearing the
pretense. You are doing much better than you deserve. Much
better. Me too. But we murmur and complain. Why me? Why mine? Why not me? Why not mine? If anybody's Certainly,
I deserve that God should abandon me, if anybody does. But we murmur against him. Let's
cease the murmuring and start bowing. Bow to God's will. Lord, your will be done. How often we're reproved and
ridiculed by men and mocked of the devil who tempts us to unbelief,
to murmurings against God. We suffer trials and adversities. When the wicked prosper, Satan
seems to roar with laughter, and we are reproved. Let us then
stand upon our watch and see what the Lord will say. See what
the Lord will do. He will put the words in our
mouths at the appointed time, so we will know how to speak.
Until then, let us be silent. First Habakkuk watched. Next,
in verse 2, the Lord God told him to write, to write the vision,
and to write it out so plainly that all who read it might run
at the directions given. And the Lord answered me and
said, write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he
may run that readeth. The Word of God, this book. is always plain, simple, and
clear. Always. Now, for the last several
years, there have been folks, I forgot what the code's supposed
to be. They found a secret code in the
Bible, and you get on television and listen to those discovery
channels. I think those idiots are supposed to deal in facts,
aren't they? That's supposed to be factual stuff that you
watch on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel. That's supposed
to be well-researched fact. Isn't that right? Well, let me
tell you something. This book's not written in code.
This is not the hiding of God's will. It's the revealing of God's
will. It's not the hiding of God. It's
the unveiling of God. And it's written in plain, simple,
unequivocal, dogmatic terms. so that it's easily understood.
Now, granted, and this must be recognized, to the unbeliever
it is a sealed book. It cannot be understood by logic,
by reason, by history, by argument. It's understood only by the Spirit
of God who gave it, revealing it. But he who believes sees,
and sees clearly. So that the book's not difficult
to understand. It's not difficult to understand.
The difficulty comes when we start putting things in the way. The difficulty comes when we
start chasing rabbits. We start this trail, that trail,
that trail, that trail, and forget what the message of the book
is. The book is written plainly and clearly. like beams of the
sun. It shines so clearly that they
who read or hear and obey not are without excuse. Listen to
the book. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,
a light unto my path. I wonder if we could be honest
with ourselves. How many of you have ever really really been
in a circumstance? I'm talking about really now.
I'm talking about being honest. I'm not talking about pretending.
I'm talking about being honest. Have you ever really been in
any circumstance where you were pressed to make a decision? Oh,
I don't know whether I ought to do that or not. Something
that involved moral judgment, doctrinal truth, something that
involved right or wrong. Have you ever really been in
that circumstance? Well, I really don't know whether I ought to
do this or whether I shouldn't. That's not so. That's just not
so. If you've read this book, you
know exactly what to do. You know exactly what's right
and what's wrong. The difficulty is whether or
not you're willing to do it. The difficulty is not knowing
God's will. The difficulty is bowing to God's
will. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. and a light under my
pathway. You want to know how to live
in this world with God and for God? Know his word. Seek to understand what is written
here. The commandment is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs
of instruction are the way of life. Peter, speaking of the
revelation he and James and John had of the Lord's glory on the
Mount of Transfiguration. That was something. Wouldn't
you like to have been there? They saw the Lord transfigured.
They heard God speak from heaven. This is my beloved son in whom
I'm well pleased. What a wonder. Peter said, we
have a more sure word of prophecy. Something better than a vision?
Something better than the revelation of Christ right in front of your
eyes transformed in his glory, something better than that. The word of God, this word. It's written with plainness,
with clarity, with simplicity, and it is to be preached with
plainness, with clarity and simplicity. Sometimes you'll hear preachers
preach and you kind of scratch your head, I wonder if he meant. Have any of you ever gone away
from here wondering what I meant? Please let me know, because I'll make
it plain if I can. I wonder if he meant this. I
wonder if he intended to say that. If he had intended to say
it, he would have said it. and said it in such a way that
you couldn't mistake it. When you're not really sure what the
preacher was saying, it's either because he didn't have a clue
what he was saying, or he was making sure you couldn't know
what he was saying. That way he could back off. Say,
oh, no, no, no, no. Some Armenian comes up here.
No, no, don't misunderstand me. No, I wouldn't go over there.
And some Calvinist comes up here. Oh, no, no, no. Don't think I'm
an Armenian. I wouldn't go over there. He
can back up. Not faithful men. Faithful men proclaim the word
with clarity, with boldness, and with simplicity. Well, we
want to impress men with our learning. Too bad. Go somewhere
else. We want you to be impressed with
our knowledge. Too bad. Go somewhere else. We
want men to speak to us in fine philosophical terms. Go down
the road. We want stirrings of emotions.
Go somewhere else. In this place, God give me and
you men who preach in this pulpit grace to declare his word with
simplicity, with dogmatism, with clarity, so that those who hear,
those who read may know which way to go, may know how to run. Now, look at verse 3. The Holy
Spirit describes Habakkuk's vision, the vision God gave him. For
the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall
speak and not lie. Though it tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come. It will not tarry. But he doesn't
say what the vision is. Do you know why? He had already
given him the vision. Back in chapter 1 in verse 5.
He had already given him the vision. He'd already spoken his
word. This vision that the Lord gave
to Abacus, he says here in verse 3, is for an appointed time.
It is a vision that will speak, that is to say, he shall speak
clearly. It is a vision that though it
appears to tarry, will not tarry. At God's appointed time, it will
surely be performed. The vision is talking about the
glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it encompasses the
whole of the work of Christ by which he delivers God's elect
from the curse of the law, from sin and judgment and death into
the glorious liberty of the sons of God. It's talking about the
coming of Christ. Well, is it talking about his
coming in the incarnation or is it talking about him coming
in grace? I was talking about him coming in the last day in
judgment, finally bringing us into the resurrection glory.
Yes, that's what it's talking about. In fact, if you read the
prophets and read them carefully as they are restated in the New
Testament, You'll find that almost always when the prophets speak
of our lord's coming it speaks of the whole of his coming everything
involved in his first advent in his accomplishments in this
world in his accomplishments of grace when he comes to save
and of his accomplishments in the last day when resurrection
glory is finally accomplished look at the text in Habakkuk
1 5 Behold ye among the heathen and regard and wonder marvelous
there for I will work a work in your days Which you shall
not believe though it be told you Now I really think I had
you do this last time I was in a back turn to chapter 13 Acts
chapter 13 acts the 13th chapter If you're looking for 13th chapter
of Habakkuk, you won't find it acts chapter 13 Verse 38 The apostle Paul is preaching
to the Gentiles and he's quoting Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 5. Again
in verse 38, be it known unto you therefore men and brethren
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins
and by him all that believe are justified from all things from
which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware,
therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the
prophet. And here it is. Behold, ye despisers,
and wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it unto you. In Hebrews chapter 10, the Apostle
Paul tells us of this wondrous work. The Lord Jesus comes to
accomplish his father's will and that will accomplished by
his sacrifice as our substitute and his ascension into glory.
Look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse 26. If we sin willfully, after that
we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins. but a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and a fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.
Verse 30, for you know him that has said vengeance belongeth
unto me. I will recompense, saith the
Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people. Verse 34. For ye had compassion on me and
my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing
in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and enduring
substance. In chapter, the same chapter,
back in verses 1 through 14, the Lord Jesus sat down. Having
finished his work, he finished that aspect of his mediatorial
work that involved sacrifice. He finished the work of substitution,
the work of sin atonement. But there's much more yet to
be done. There's a day coming when he will come again in his
glory. And you have a in heaven, a better and an enduring substance. Verse 36, for you have need of
patience that after you have done the will of God, you might
receive. The problems when when I've done
God's will, when I've done Larry Brown, everything God Almighty
put me on this earth to do, when I've done it all. And I'm going
to do everything God put me on this earth to do. You too. When
you've done the will of God, you'll receive the promise. What
promise? The promise of complete salvation. For yet a little while, and he
that shall come will come and will not tarry. He takes us right
back to Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 3. The vision God gave Habakkuk
then speaks of our Lord's coming, the first advent of our Savior
in the incarnation. to accomplish redemption, the
redemption of all God's elect by the sacrifice of himself.
At the appointed time, he came. In due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. When the fullness of time was
come, God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the
law to redeem them that were under the law. At the appointed
time, called in scripture, the time of love, God sends his son. by the power and grace of his
Holy Spirit to the hearts of chosen sinners, and he conquers
Satan in you, binds the strong man, cast him out, and gives
you new life by his almighty grace, makes you a new creature
by his free grace. And then we have our days of
trouble and sorrow and difficulty. And the Lord says, I will come
to you. I'll come to you. I'll come to you. Children of
God. I'm not much of a help to folks
in trouble. I know that. I wish I could be
more help. All I can do is have my arms
around you and hug you and say I care, love you, pray for you.
But you hear me. You hear me. Christ will come
to you. He will come to you. And he will
deliver you from your present trouble at the appointed time. At the appointed time. A lot
of us humorously speak to one another, picking up a phrase
from Brother Tim James, and they say, Lord willing, I'll see you
such and such. He said, when it's time. When
it's time. When it's time, Ron, the Lord
will come, and he'll deliver you, and he'll make things clear. And then the scripture speaks
of another day, the day of our Lord's glorious second advent,
when he shall come in flaming fire to destroy the world, taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and to deliver you to deliver
you at last into his glorious kingdom when it's time at the
exact appointed time though the vision tarry wait no it's not
it doesn't tarry no no it just appears to tarry wait for it
it will not tarry it will surely come at God's appointed time
and then the prophet waited. He watched. Then when the Lord
God gave him something to say, he wrote, and next he tells us
to wait. Verse three, for the vision is
yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and
shall not lie, though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely
come. It will not tarry. Wait. Wait? You mean just fold your
arms and sit back and nonchalantly, carelessly, without thought,
just wait? No. No. No. No wait in faith. Wait in expectation, standing
on the tiptoe of faith, looking for the Lord Jesus unto eternal
life. Wait. Wait. Believe in God. Now turn to a very familiar text,
Isaiah chapter 40. Wait. They that wait upon the Lord
shall inherit the earth. Wait. on the Lord Isaiah chapter
40 verse 31 they that wait upon the Lord
like the handmaiden waits on her mistress like the servant
waits on his master looking to the hand of the Lord we wait
they wait for instructions They wait for provision. They wait
for everything because everything comes from the master. So we
wait on the Lord. They that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings
as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. This waiting involves faith. So here's my fourth point. In
verse four, the prophet of God tells us to believe God. We wait
upon the Lord because we trust him. We believe God. We trust
his word. We believe on his son. Behold
his soul, which is lifted up. the proud, the unbelieving, the
puffed up, the self-righteous Pharisee, the rebel sinner, those
who will not believe, understand nothing and see nothing. His
soul is not upright in him. But the just shall live by his
faith. The just shall live by his faith. I remind you three times. This
statement is quoted by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament three
times. In Romans chapter one, it's quoted with the emphasis
on the word just. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. It's the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believe it. He said, the just shall live
by faith. The emphasis is on the word just
because you and I who live before God live justly before him. I don't mean by that that our
lives are just, though I certainly hope they are. I mean by that
that God gives us life because justice is satisfied. God's grace
and God's salvation comes to sinners in a just and in a righteous
way through the satisfaction of justice, by the fulfilling
of the law, by our substitute, the Lord Jesus. In Galatians
chapter 3, this statement is quoted again. But this time,
the emphasis is on faith. Because in Galatians, the apostle
Paul is teaching us that we receive this free gift of salvation,
this free gift of God's grace, this free justification, all
together freely with our works, by faith, by faith. We're saved
by the faith of Christ, by his faithful obedience for us, and
by faith in Christ. Freely, we live by faith. And then in Hebrews chapter 10,
Paul quotes the same text again, but the emphasis is on live.
Look at that one. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 37. Hebrews 10 verse 37. The emphasis here is on the word
live because all to whom the Lord God graciously gives this
gift of faith, persevere in faith. being kept and preserved in Christ
Jesus unto eternal life. All who live by faith persevere
in faith and they die in faith. Hebrews 10, 37. For yet a little
while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith. We'll just wait on God. But if
any man draw back My soul shall have no pleasure in him. But
we, we who live by faith, we're not of them that draw back into
perdition, but of them that believe unto the saving of the soul.
And then Paul describes a whole bunch of them. Look in verse
13 of chapter 11. Abraham, Sarah, Enoch, Noah. What he says, These all died
in faith. They all died living in faith,
not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off
and were persuaded of them and embraced them. And as such, they
confessed. This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. There
are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. God teach us then
to live by faith for his glory, watching his work, waiting for
him, believing him. Amen.