How does Habakkuk 2:14 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Setting the Stage Habakkuk 2:14 and Matthew 28:19-20 sit centuries apart, yet the Spirit-breathed storyline is seamless. One is a prophetic promise; the other is a marching order that turns promise into present reality. Habakkuk 2:14 – The Prophetic Vision “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” • A sweeping, global picture—nothing less than every corner of creation saturated with the awareness of God’s glory. • “Knowledge” points to more than facts; it is relational, experiential recognition of who God is. • “As the waters cover the sea” leaves no gaps. Total, comprehensive saturation is in view. Matthew 28:19-20 – The Commission “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” • “Go” turns passive anticipation into active obedience. • “All nations” opens the doors wide enough to match Habakkuk’s worldwide scope. • “Make disciples… teaching” is the practical pathway by which “knowledge of the glory of the LORD” spreads. • Jesus’ promise of His presence (“I am with you always”) guarantees the mission will succeed—echoing the certainty in Habakkuk’s prophecy. Threads that Tie the Two Passages Together • Same Goal – Habakkuk looks forward to the earth filled with God’s glory. – Jesus commands His followers to spread that glory through disciple-making. • Same Scope – Habakkuk’s “earth” equals Jesus’ “all nations.” – Both eliminate geographic or ethnic limits. • Same Strategy – God chooses human messengers. Habakkuk writes, “it awaits an appointed time” (2:3). Matthew shows the appointed time has come. – Preaching, baptizing, teaching—these are the tools God uses to flood the earth with His glory. • Same Assurance – Habakkuk states the outcome as guaranteed. – Jesus reinforces it with His perpetual presence. Living Out the Connection Today • View every gospel conversation as a drop in the rising tide of God’s glory. • Engage globally—support missions, pray for unreached peoples, go when God opens the door. • Disciple locally—family, friends, coworkers. Knowledge of the Lord multiplies person by person. • Rest in Christ’s promise; our labor is never in vain because the prophecy cannot fail. Additional Scriptures That Echo the Link • Isaiah 11:9 – “The earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” • Psalm 46:10 – “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” • Acts 1:8 – “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” • Revelation 7:9 – A glimpse of the completed mission: “a great multitude… from every nation and tribe and people and tongue” standing before the throne. Habakkuk 2:14 gives the promise; Matthew 28:19-20 gives the plan. Our privilege is to stand in the middle—feet on the ground, hearts set on the day when the waters finally reach every shore. |
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