Does Your God Do This? (Part 2)
Habakkuk 2
| 1. "God, where are You?" (1:1-4) 2. "I am Raising Up the Wicked." (1:5-11) 3. "God, how can You?" (1:12-2:1) 4. "I will Judge the Wicked." (2:2-20) |
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| 1. Woe to those who are greedy (2:6-8) 2. Woe to those who take from others (2:9-11) 3. Woe to those who use violence (2:12-14) 4. Woe to those who seek pleasure (2:15-17) 5. Woe to those who worship idols (2:18-20) |
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Please open your Bibles to the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets, which simply means that it’s length is small, which means that it might be difficult to find. You can find it by going to the end of the Old Testament, and back-tracking five books, until you find it. Last week, we began to look at the message of Habakkuk, by examining the first chapter. Today, we will continue in our exposition of Habakkuk, by looking at the second chapter. Next week, Lord willing, if our baby does not arrive at a bad hour, we will finish by looking at Habakkuk 3. I would encourage you to read that chapter in preparation for next week’s sermon.
The book of Habakkuk records the dialogue that he had with God. There are 5 phases to this dialogue. First, Habakkuk speaks. Then God responds. Habakkuk again speaks. Then God responds. Finally, Habakkuk speaks (and the book is finished). It is a short conversation.
Chapter 1, verses 1-4 contain the first cry of Habakkuk, "God, where are You?" (1:1-4). Like I said, last week, Habakkuk lived in Judah during the days of its decline. The people were wicked. The leaders were corrupt. Destruction and violence were all around. The law of the land was virtually non-existent. These things stirred Habakkuk’s heart to cry out to the LORD to change the situation. He was praying for some length of time, but, God was silent. Habakkuk wanted to know why God was silent. Habakkuk expressed his anguish in verse 2, "How long, O LORD, will I call for help, and You will not hear?"
In verses 5-11, God broke His silence by saying, "I am Raising Up the Wicked" (1:5-11). Far from being passive in the situation, God was very active. Verse 6 is the key, "Behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans." The Chaldeans would later come and take Judah captive back to their land. This isn’t at all what Habakkuk had expected. He expected reform and revival in the land of Judah. He expected God to provide another good king like Hezekiah (or even Josiah). He didn’t expect God to prosper a wicked, pagan nation so that they might come upon Judah and destroy them. God knew that he wasn’t expecting this. This is why God prefaced His announcement with the words of verse 5, "Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days--You would not believe if you were told." This was the crux of our message last week: Does your God use evil to accomplish His purpose? God’s purpose was to destroy Judah for their wickedness and to send them into exile. God was going to do it by using the Chaldeans--a nation more wicked than Judah. God was "raising up" these people to accomplish His purpose. They were a very wicked nation, but God was prospering them. It must be noted that God did the same thing with the northern tribe of Israel. He brought the wicked Assyrians against Israel to destroy them. In Isaiah 10:5 God described Assyria as "the rod of My anger."
Habakkuk’s response in verses 12-17 demonstrate how appalled Habakkuk was. He said, "God, how can You?" (1:12-2:1). In his response, Habakkuk was very confident in his accusations toward God. He was calling God into question. He was playing the part of the prosecuting attorney and was prosecuting God for His apparently unrighteous acts. The core of Habakkuk’s argument comes in verse 13, when he told God, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously?" Habakkuk thought that God was that God was so pure that He couldn’t even look on evil. Yet, that is the very thing that God was doing. God was raising up these wicked Chaldeans. Much of chapter 1 describes how wicked and how terrible the Chaldeans were. Habakkuk simply couldn’t understand how God could do this. As the prosecuting attorney, he presented what he thought was an open and shut case. In chapter 2, verse 1, Habakkuk says, "I rest my case" and turns the proceedings over to the defense. He used these words, ...
"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved." (Hab. 2:1)
Habakkuk would boldly stand before God and wait for His response. Then, he was ready to counter with his next argument.
Last night, I was talking with my son, SR, and explaining where we were in Habakkuk and what I will be preaching about today. I explained the dialog between Habakkuk and God. I explained Habakkuk's question of "God, where are You?", and God's response, "I am raising up the wicked", and finally Habakkuk's reply, "God, how can You?". SR said, "Oh, so we're going to find out why God was doing these things?" He was tracking me all the way. The answer is "yes" and "no". It is "no" in the sense that God doesn't really answer the questions of verse 13, but it is "yes" in the sense that God's answer is sufficient for us.
4. "I will Judge the Wicked." (2:2-20)
God’s response can be summarized by these words, "I will judge the wicked." Rather than an explanation, God’s response was one of judgment and justice. Habakkuk's complaint is that it wasn't right for God to prosper wickedness. But, God responds by affirming his justice. He will be fair. He had already hinted of this in Habakkuk 1:11, "They will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty. They whose strength is their god." Sure, it may look like they are at ease, as they sweep through and destroy whomever they will. But, justice will come upon them. They will be held guilty.
Perhaps you have had conversations with others concerning the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Often these discussions turn into long philosophical debates. However, in light of God's response to Habakkuk, perhaps it might be best to direct our attention to God's justice. In Romans 9, when the accusation came against God, we were reminded that God will be fair. It is not man's place to question God who created all things. God will punish evildoers. We shall see next week how this answer satisfies Habakkuk. Since it satisfied Habakkuk and since it was where Paul argued in Romans 9, it also ought to satisfy those with whom we discuss these issues with.
Chapter two is all about how the evildoers will be held guilty. The punishment for their wrong doing will indeed come upon them.
There are times when the judgment will come in the form of human retribution (2:5a-6a,7,8,10-11,15-16a,17a). I experienced a great example of this yesterday. I went canoeing down the Kishwaukee River yesterday with three other men from the church. We had two canoes. One of the men (who will remain nameless) happened to bring along a bag, which was filled with squirt guns and water balloons. He had other plans. Now just imagine with me what happened when it became evident that he was intending to use these weapons of mass destruction on the other canoe. Our canoe trip turned into a giant water fight. I returned home without a shirt and with drenched pants. My wallet is still wet from the river. Now, who do you think got it the worse? It was he who brought these weapons. He fell in the river more times than any of us! Jesus said, "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword" (Matt. 26:52). Or, you could say, those who live by water balloons and squirt guns will die by water balloons and squirt guns. This is human retribution.
There are times when the judgment will come in the form of divine retribution (2:13-14, 16b, 20). Nobody will ever escape the judgment of God. As the Scripture says, "‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay’ says the Lord" (Romans 12:19). To use the terminology of the last few sermons, "man is responsible." God’s response begins in verse 2,
Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run." (Hab. 2:2)
The book of Habakkuk isn’t a direct prophecy. It is a conversation between God and a distraught prophet. Yet, God told Habakkuk to write it down for us to learn, not to preach it. God told Habakkuk to record the vision that He would be given. There is some question as to exactly what the vision is. I believe that it is simply referring to the entire book of Habakkuk. The LORD continues in verse 3,
"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Hab. 2:3)
In Habakkuk’s case, it was the delay of God’s judgment that provoked this whole conversation between he and God in the first place. Habakkuk complained, "the law is ignored and justice is never upheld" (Hab. 1:4). But, God’s affirmation to Habakkuk is that God will judge. In the end, God will set the matter straight.
The things that God promises will certainly take place. The Chaldeans will certainly come and "sweep through" Judah to ransack it and pillage it and bring the people back to Babylon. This is exactly what took place. Daniel and his friends were part of the group that were brought back against their will to be trained in the schools of Babylon. Though it might appear to delay, it would certainly come (verse 3).
Five times in chapter two, God pronounces a "woe" upon the guilty. If you like to write in your Bible, like I do, you I would suggest that you highlight these "woes." Perhaps you want to even use a highlighter (or draw a circle or a square around these words). They give a nice structure to Habakkuk 2. If the words are highlighted in some way, it will help give you structure as you read this passage of Scripture in the future.
The first woe is found in verse 6, "Woe to him who increases what is not his." The second is in verse 9, "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house." The third is in verse 12, "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed." Then comes verse 13, "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink." Finally, verse 19, "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’"
This word, "woe," isn’t a word that you want to hear God say to you. It is a word of anticipated doom. It is a word of future demise. It is a word of coming calamity. When the child disobeys and is ordered to go to his room to await his punishment, it is "woe to him." When the criminal is convicted of a crime, but awaiting his sentencing, it is "woe to him." When the newspaper gets hold of incriminating information about a man, it is "woe to him." When Saddam Hussein chose to remain in Iraq and defy the world forces, it was "woe to him." It is a dreadful thing to be anticipating judgment. With these woes, we will see of the certainty with which the retribution will come upon sinful people.
Many times, those who will receive judgment are clueless as to what is in store for them. Matthew 23 contains the situation with Jesus and the Pharisees. Perhaps these 5 "woes" of Habakkuk cause you to recall when Jesus pronounced 7 "woes" upon the scribes and Pharisees. They had this neat religious system cranking in high gear. But they were wrong! They were hypocrites. Jesus told them that their façade would someday be removed. The veil would be lifted and they would be exposed as unclean hypocrites who appeared to be so righteous. They were going to lose. When God pronounced these "woes" it was a declaration that these people would lose in the end, regardless of how well they thought themselves to be doing at the moment.
It looks as if these people are winning: They are being made rich (2:6). They are getting gain for their house (2:9). They are building a city (2:12). They are enjoying the pleasures of life (2:15). They are on top of the world. They are the rich and famous. They are living in pleasure and ease and comfort. But, in the end, they will lose big time. By looking to the fate of these people, the people of God should be satisfied and encouraged as Asaph was in Ps. 73. His feet came close to slipping. But when he perceived their end, all was well. Perhaps there are people that you see getting away with it, cutting corners at work, having no concern for God, and out boating on Sundays, rather than assembling with God's people. Furthermore, they seem not to have a care in the world. Things appear to be going very well for them. They are prospering. If you are tempted by these thoughts, with Asaph, I would have you think of their end! God says that judgment is coming. Oh, it may appear to delay for a time, as verse 3 says, but it is coming. When it comes, it will come strong and hard. When it comes, it will be merciless.
This is the very core of my message this morning. I have entitled my message, "Does Your God Do This?" Last week, I asked you a question, Does your God use evil to accomplish His purpose? Pertinent for us this morning is the related question, Does your God punish evildoers? When you think of God and his dealings with sin, do you think of a justice-pursuing God? Do you think of a God who will inflict harm and distress upon those who do evil? Do you think of a God who will destroy the wicked in their wickedness? Do you think of a God who will ultimately, someday, make all wrongs right? When you think of God, is He a soft, cuddly teddy-bear type of all-forgiving grandfather? Or, do you think of God, as righteous and holy God, whose glory cannot be trampled without His wrath burning within Him. Do you see that it is only his patience that checks His wrath from being fully manifested upon the earth today? (1 Thess. 2:16). This is the God of the Bible. This is the God that Habakkuk describes for us in chapter 2. This is the God in whom Habakkuk found His comfort in a difficult time when wickedness reigned in the land. This ought to be a comfort to you as well.
Before these woes appear in Habakkuk, verses 4 and 5 summarize for us the two types of lives that people may lead. It begins in verse 4,
"Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith." (Hab. 2:4)
Verse 4 gives us a contrast between the proud one and the righteous one. The proud one is the one who thinks highly of himself. He is puffed up. He is independent. He is arrogant. He doesn’t need God. He is boastful of the things that he has and does. His soul is not right within him. On the other hand, the righteous one is the one whose soul is right within him. He is the one who lives by faith. He thinks properly of himself. He is dependent upon God. He lives in integrity. He is steadfast. The phrase that Habakkuk uses, "But the righteous will live by his faith" is a great way to summarize the life of a Christian.
Moses gave 613 commands in the Pentateuch, but summarized a righteous life with 10 commandments. Jesus gave His disciples many instructions, but boiled down the essence of a godly life to two commands: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37-39). Paul reduced it to one sentence by borrowing from the book of Habakkuk: "The righteous man shall live by faith."
This verse from Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in the New Testament: Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Hebrews 10:38. When Paul quotes this verse, (in Romans 1:17 and in Gal. 3:11), he uses it to summarize the core of the gospel message, which is the power of God. The most central element of a life transformed by God is that it is lived by faith in the Son of God. "The life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me" (Gal. 2:20).
Do you want to know how to live a life that pleases God? Live it by faith in Jesus. Do you want to have a righteous standing before the Lord? Live by faith in Jesus. Do you want to escape the coming judgment? Live by faith, not by works. Paul writes, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them" (Gal. 3:10). You want to be blessed? Live by faith. The only way that you will escape the judgment of God is through a humble faith and dependence upon Jesus Christ. He is the only one who is able to present a guilty sinner as righteous before a holy God. But, this faith in Jesus isn’t merely something that you believe in your head in some intellectual way and which makes no difference in your life. A life of faith, leads to a life of faithfulness. A life of faith, leads to a life of "firmness, steadiness, fidelity, steadfastness" (Brown-Driver-Briggs, p. 53).
If you have a NASB or an NIV translation of the Bible on your lap, you will notice that they translators have added a footnote to this word faith to indicate that it might mean "faithfulness." This is because there is no Hebrew noun for "faith" (unless Habakkuk 2:4 is the only occurrence of it). There is a Hebrew verb for "belief" or "trust." However, it doesn't translate into the noun form. So, many believe that Habakkuk 2:4 should be translated, "But the righteous will live by his faithfulness." The idea isn't foreign to faith. It is simply the manifestation of faith. As I said earlier, a life of faith, leads to a life of faithfulness. This is the context of how Hebrews 10:38 quotes this verse. In the midst of difficulty and oppression and trouble, the righteous one shall live by faith -- not shrinking back, but trusting in the Lord. This was the message to Habakkuk. This is the message of the Bible: the righteous will live by faith.
The righteous ones place their faith and trust in another. But, the proud ones place their faith and trust in themselves. Pride has been called "the essence of unbelief" because pride turns away from trusting God to seek satisfaction and joy and delight in self-fulfillment, rather than in God (John Piper, Future Grace, p. 87). The proud man looks to himself and his own accomplishment, rather than looking to another. The proud one was initially mentioned in verse 4. It continues in verse 5,
"Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty [i.e. the proud] man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples." (Hab. 2:5)
The proud one looks only after himself. He is never satisfied in what he has. He is after more and more and more and more. He is "never satisfied." This describes the Chaldeans perfectly. The Chaldeans were proud. They trusted in their military might (1:8). They mocked kings and laughed at rulers and every fortress set against them (1:10). They weren’t content to stay at home. They weren’t content in what they had. But, their appetites were large. And, they pursued bigger and bigger and better and better. By the way, that sounds much like America, does it not? God pronounced these 5 woes upon the Chaldeans, precisely because of their pride and ambition and self-seeking.
Proverbs 16:5 gives us a great transition to these "woes." It tells us, "Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished" (Prov. 16:5).
This is the theme of the woes in chapter 2: judgment will come upon the wicked. These "woes" are primarily directed against the Chaldeans who certainly were guilty of all these things. The Chaldeans were a proud (2:5) and greedy (2:6-8) people who would take what is not theirs (2:9-11) through force (2:12-14) for their own pleasures (2:15-17). The Chaldeans defied God in their idolatry (2:18-20), as they trusted in their own strength (1:11). God affirms that they would be punished for their sins, "They will be held guilty, who strength is their god" (1:11).
In Habakkuk's day, Judah was very guilty of all sorts of iniquity and wickedness, as well. They were far from being innocent (1:3,4). Judah would be punished for their sins by the hands of the Chaldeans (1:6, 13). But Habakkuk's message goes further than Judah or the Chaldeans. It extends to the entire world. The final punch line of chapter 2 addressed the world: "Let all the earth be silent before Him" (verse 20). Let’s begin with our first woe in verses 6-8. I’m calling it ...
1. Woe to those who take advantage of others (2:6-8)
"Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him, And say, 'Woe to him who increases what is not his--For how long--And makes himself rich with loans?' Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you--Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants." (Hab 2:6-8)
The NIV does a good job in getting at the meaning of this woe against the Chaldeans. In verse 6, the NIV describes this as "extortion." In verse 8, the NIV describes this as "plundering." Habakkuk described how the Chaldeans were extortioners and plunderers. They would conquer another nation and then force them to pay tribute to them, so that they might keep them powerless. It would be similar to the United States conquering Iraq and requiring that they pay us from their own natural oil resources to such an extent that they could never stand on their feet as a country again, and would remain poor and oppressed. Habakkuk says that all of this will come back upon the Chaldeans. Verse 8 says, "Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you" (Hab. 2:8).
The golden rule is "Do to others as you would have them do to you." The golden rule of these "woes" is, "God will do to you as you have done to others." It is the divine boomerang. As the Chaldeans have done to others, so will it be done to them. "You will reap what you sow." This was certainly fulfilled historically when the Medes and the Persians destroyed the Chaldeans. Again, I must note that God is using evil to accomplish His purposes. God had used the Chaldeans to conquer Judah. God used the Medes and Persians to conquer the Chaldeans.
Those who take advantage of people today, will likewise be punished. Those involved with businesses may be guilty of this, if they gouge their customers with unreasonably high prices. Pawnbrokers are often guilty of this. They take advantage of poor customers who are desperate in their need of fast cash. I believe that gambling institutions are guilty of this. It is a well-known fact that the poor are hurt by the lottery more than they are helped, as those who can least afford to play are those who are drawn in to play. What is driving it all? Greed. Greed is taking advantage of others for your own gain and comfort. This may happen on a national scale. This may also happen on a small scale. But, be assured that "your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:23).
2. Woe to those who take from others (2:9-11)
"Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high To be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself. Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the framework." (Hab. 2:9-11)
In many ways, this is similar to the first woe. The difference is that this one is talking about outright thievery: taking what is not yours. Verse 9 describes "evil gain." As the Chaldeans would come and conquer nations, they would enter houses and take what they might want to use for their own houses. In those days, you couldn’t go down to Lowes to purchase nicely cut wood for your house. Rather, you would have to find a tree, fall it, and cut it to the specifications that you want. It was much easier to steal it from someone who had already done the work. But such a thing is called "shameful" in verse 10.
Verse 11 describes the recompense that will take place to the one who has done such a thing: "the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework." Here is a principle for us: stolen things will haunt you. That thing you shoplifted from the store, it will haunt you every time you use it. That tool you borrowed, but never returned, will continually cry out to you. That item that escaped the notice of the cashier at the store, which you ended up getting for free, will protest until it is returned or ends up in the garbage. April 15 will remind you every year of your deception in reporting your income tax. These things ring in your heart and ring in your ears, because God remembers. God is bringing punishment upon those who steal.
3. Woe to those who use violence (2:12-14)
"Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence! Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing? For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea." (Hab. 2:12-14)
From what you know about the Chaldeans, you certainly know that these words are describing them. They were an evil, ruthless, violent people, who would come and conquer nations without any regard for the life of those in the way. This woe is upon those who are use violence to accomplish their own means. They believed that the "ends justifies the means." Their end was to conquer and rule. They would take any means to get there. In the case of the Chaldeans, it meant that they terrorized cities with their brutality.
Obviously, we can apply this today to murderers. But, we can also apply it to those who use their position of authority to manipulate and abuse others in their quest to climb the corporate ladder or to seek the almighty dollar. This would apply to the one who has "friends in high places" and gets away with criminal activity. This would apply to boss at work who intimidates his employees for his own gain. This would apply to the abusive husband (or father) who will use his strength and authority in the home to get what he wants (i.e. first-class, full-service treatment at home as if he is a king).
As long as they get their way in the end, they are happy. What these people don’t realize is what the end will be like. Verse 14 reminds us that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
If you have ever stood on the shore of a great body of water like Lake Superior or the Atlantic Ocean, you know that when you look out across it, all you see is water. Someday, the LORD will return and cover the earth with the knowledge of His glory. That is the end for which God created the world. It is for His own glory. The means to get to that end are righteousness, not wickedness. The things that people might get today through exerting their own strength will burn in the fire and vanish (according to verse 13). Woe to those who are using improper means today to accomplish their ends rather than the end for which God created the world (i.e. His own glory).
4. Woe to those who seek pleasure at the expense of others (2:15-17)
"Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness! You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the LORD'S right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants." (Hab. 2:15-17)
The picture that God gives here is that of a party. A drink is spiked to make someone drunk. Once they are drunk, they are exploited and used as an object of pleasure, rather than as an image bearer of the almighty God. Several evils are listed here: the evils that alcohol produces; and the evils of sexual perversion, exposing what ought not to be exposed. Just as they use a cup to carry their alcohol, so also will the cup of God’s wrath come upon them as well. Look at the end of verse 16, "The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will come upon your glory." There is a certain sort of glory that men boast about in their exploitation of women. I remember when I was in college, I heard a man boasting (with names) of the 6 or 7 women with whom he had slept with that semester. His fleeting "glory" at that moment before other men will become a disgrace when the knowledge of the glory of the LORDfills the earth (2:14).
This has all kinds of applications for us today. Those who abuse drugs and push them on others will be held guilty. Those who abuse alcohol and encourage others in its usage will be held guilty. Those who use pornography to satisfy their own lustful desires will drink of God’s wrath. Those who willingly expose their children to these things will be held guilty.
The story is told of a father whose teenage daughter was killed in an alcohol related accident. When the father found out about it, the man went into a rage and threatened to kill the person responsible. He went to his cupboard where he kept his supply of choice beverages to help him calm down. When he opened the cupboard, he found a note in his daughter's handwriting that said, "Dad, we're taking along some of your good liquor. I know you won't mind." The story is probably fictional, but it illustrates our point well. Woe to you who make your neighbors drink (Hab. 2:15).
Cable television and the Internet in your home are great way to push these evil things on your children. While you are off and gone and away, you will never know what your children are watching. You will never know what evils you have pushed on your children by exposing them to the glamour of Hollywood or to the evils of the world. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that alcohol or cable television or the internet are intrinsically wrong. However, they are very dangerous in their use. Please, don't become guilty of pushing them on others. You may end up being guilty of defiling others.
5. Woe to those who worship idols (2:18-20)
"What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a dumb stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, And there is no breath at all inside it. But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him." (Hab. 2:18-20)
The Chaldeans were a pagan nation. They didn’t worship the true God. They worshiped their idols, along with all of the other nations that surrounded Judah. We got a taste of their idolatry in 1:16, when Habakkuk pointed out that "they offer a sacrifice to their net. And burn incense to their fishing net." We can laugh at the stupidity to which idol worshipers subject themselves. On the one hand, they create the idol. Then, on the other hand, they look to the idol to be their god. It is laughable. This is humor in the Bible. It is intended to be funny. There are several places in the Scripture that demonstrate this same absurdity (Jer. 10:1-5; Ps. 115:4-8; 135:15-18). The contrast is this: the idols are dead, but our God lives. And there is one LORD.
Woe to you if you don’t believe in the one, true LORD. His name is Jesus. The application to us is plain and simple. If your faith is not in the Lord, Jesus Christ, you are an idolater, just as the Chaldeans were. I don’t care what you trust in -- Allah, Buddha, Confucius, Your inner power. Apart from believing in Jesus, you are lost in your sins, and are as guilty as any idol-worshiping Chaldean ever was. The reality of the universe comes in verse 20, "The LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him" (Hab. 2:20). (This verse is a sermon in itself!) All of these woes will come upon those who fail to believe and fail to submit themselves to the LORD of hosts, who reigns supreme.
At this point, let’s back away from the text. I want you to think about the message of these woes: The guilty will be punished. Some people don't like to hear such a message, as they believe that it isn't edifying to them. Yet, as hard and as condemning as these words are, the words of Habakkuk 2 are intended to be a comfort for God’ people. They comforted Habakkuk. He went from a defiant stance of "God, prove me wrong" to a humble stance of praise, as he composed a Psalm in chapter 3, which exalts and praises God. Furthermore, they would have comforted the faithful in Judea, who saw the unrighteousness of the land, and knew that God would eventually set matters straight. This morning, they ought to be a comfort to you.
If you heard today’s message of "woes" and it wasn’t a comfort to you, then there are two possible reasons for this.
Possibility #1 - You have realized that God has said, "woe" to you. Perhaps there are sinful activities in which you have engaged yourself in that you have continued to practice. Perhaps you have taken advantage of others, stolen from others, used violence, sought pleasure at the expense of others, or been involved in idolatrous practices (as these woes clearly explained). Perhaps you are prideful in your accomplishments and in your achievements. Perhaps you are seeking to build your own kingdom, rather than God’s kingdom. If this is you. Then, I plead with you to repent of your sins and embrace Jesus Christ. The woes that came upon the Chaldeans will certainly come upon you if you don’t repent.
Possibility #2 - You don’t have a category in your mind for a God who judges the evildoer. Perhaps, when you think of God, you only see grace. Perhaps, when you think of God, you only see mercy. You think that God cannot be a harsh judge. Please realize this, that God is a wrathful God. God will punish sin because men are entirely responsible for their sin. Apart from this understanding of God, the gospel simply doesn’t make sense. If your God isn’t an exacting, judging God, then there was no reason for Jesus to come and offer Himself up as a sacrifice for sin.
God’s message of judgment upon the wicked ought to generate two responses in the soul of someone who is truly a child of God. The first response is thankfulness and praise to God, that through the grace of God, you will escape these terrors. You know that by faith, Jesus has been punished in your place. Your sins were born upon His body upon the cross 2000 years ago. The second response is the joyful expectation, that God will fully vindicate Himself.
The Bible tells us to rejoice in the anticipation of God's return to judge the world. Consider the following verses of Scripture...
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy. Before the LORD, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness (Psalm 96:11-13).
Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy. Before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity (Psalm 98:7-9).
The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity (Prov. 21:15).
Realize that it is a glorious thing for God to fully reveal Himself for who He is. For eternity, God will show forth His mercy in that He saved some of us from His wrath. For eternity, God will show forth His justice in that He condemned others because of His wrath. For eternity, God will put His character on display: His justice and His mercy. Understanding this fact is what ought to allow you to endure the culture in the United States of America where Hollywood blasphemes His character, where the courts have systematically removed God from our culture, where schools have removed His name, where schools have taught evolution and denied creation, where schools have taught a cultural morality, where church attendance is dropping fast, where churches are not being straightforward with the truths of God’s word, and where churches are ordaining homosexual priests and bishops.
God will vindicate Himself someday. When you see the evils in our society, Pray like Habakkuk! (1:2), "How long, O LORD?" We ought to long for the day when God sets everything straight. Perhaps citywide prayer meetings ought to be centered around Hab. 1:2, rather than 2 Chron 7:14. Perhaps judgment is soon coming to America, rather than wide-scale blessing. I certainly don't see America repentant today. There is no promise that He will "restore our land." The promise of unrepentance is the judgment.
Additionally, this ought also to allow you to get past any type of hard feelings that you have toward other people. This is what sets Christians apart as those who can live an utterly care-free, worry-free life. If we are wronged in some way, we know that God will repay the offender, justly and fairly. A Christian ought to be entirely free from the feelings of retribution, knowing that it is in the Lord’s hands.
So, I ask you, "Does Your God Do This? Does Your God punish evildoers?"
This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on
August 10, 2003 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rvbc.cc.