As we saw last week, the message of Habakkuk is rooted in a very specific historical context. The book was written near the end of the southern kingdom of Judah around 615 B.C. The prophet Habakkuk begins the book by crying out to the Lord and lamenting the terrible sin of the people of God in Judah. He wonders aloud if the Lord is going to do anything about it. God responds by telling Habakkuk that he is raising up the Chaldeans – a wicked and powerful nation – to judge the sin of his people. This creates another problem for Habakkuk – how can the Lord use someone more wicked than God’s people to punish the wickedness of God’s people? How is that just or honoring to the Lord? As we saw last week, the essence of God’s answer to Habakkuk is to have faith. God tells him to just wait and see and trust in the Lord. In some ways, this seems like a very unsatisfying answer. It is much like a parent telling a child to do something because they said so. There is nothing wrong with the answer, but it is a bit of an unsatisfying answer on some level.
With that in mind, the rest of the book of Habakkuk consists of God laying out for the prophet some “incentives to believe.” In essence, the message of chapters 2 and 3 serve as an incentive to the faith that God requires Habakkuk in 2:4.
Understanding that reality, our text for this morning – Habakkuk 2:4-20 – is essentially a song of judgment against the Chaldeans. In chapter 1, God told Habakkuk that he was going to use the Chaldeans to judge his people. Habakkuk wondered how such a reality could result in the Lord being glorified since the Chaldeans were wicked people who did not worship the true God. In chapter 2, God gives an answer to Habakkuk’s question in 1:17. God makes clear that the Chaldeans will not “keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever.” The point of Habakkuk 2 is that God will judge the wickedness of the Chaldeans.
We will begin by walking through the text itself, and then we will end by seeing how the themes of this text apply to us.
Last week we focused our attention on the response that God demands of Habakkuk – a response of patient waiting (2:2-3) and a response of humble faith (2:4b). But notice that, in verse 4, the righteous person who lives by his faith is compared to another person. That other person is the one whose “soul is puffed up”…and “is not upright within him” (2:4a). God is essentially laying out for Habakkuk the fact that God’s judgment of his people through the attack of the Chaldeans will not be the final word. Rather, after the Chaldeans conquer Judah, the story will continue. And the point of verse 4 is that, as the story continues, the one who has faith will live – we looked at that reality last week. But what about the person whose soul is puffed up within him? What about the one whose soul is not upright within him? The Lord goes on to describe him further in verse 5: “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” God compares the proud person of verse 4 to wine – highlighting that it never has its fill. It is not difficult to envision an alcoholic who needs more and more alcohol to meet their need. The alcoholic thinks there will come a point where it is enough, but wine is not like that. It never is enough. Likewise, the proud person of verse 4 is the same – all of his gains and victories and sins are never enough. He always wants more. What about him? If the person of faith lives, what happens to him? The answer comes in 2:6-20. And the essence of the answer is that he will be judged.
Before looking at the pronouncements of judgment themselves, we should take notice of the fact that these judgments are not just being pronounced on any wicked person. As we will see later, there is a principle of God’s judgment in these verses that does apply to all wicked people, but these particular judgments are being pronounced on the Chaldeans. In the context of the whole book, the arrogant person who is compared to wine in verse 4-5 is the Chaldeans. Understanding that reality, it is almost amazing to see how ordered and structured this pronouncing of judgment is. There are a series of 5 woes – all consisting of one verse describing what the Chaldeans have done followed by two verses describing what will happen to them because of what they have done. We will look at each woe in turn.
The first woe begins in verse 6: “Shall not all these [the nations that have been gathered and the people that have been collected in verse 5] take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, ‘Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own – for how long? – and loads himself with pledges!” So we see in this verse that this is a song – of sorts – that God is singing as if he were in the place of the nations who the Chaldeans have destroyed. And the first thing he points out is that the Chaldeans have taken what is not their own. That is, they have actively pursued those weaker than them and taken their things by force. God even uses the image of a creditor in saying that the Chaldeans have loaded themselves with pledges. But he also makes clear that there will come a day when the nations will demand repayment. He says, “Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them” (2:7-8). Here, the Lord is simply making clear a central principle of reality – individuals and nations reap what they sow. The Lord is making clear that the Chaldeans have sowed sinfully by taking things that do not belong to them and plundering those weaker than them. As a result, when it comes about that those weaker nations become stronger, they will pay back the Chaldeans for their wickedness. This is judgment being pronounced.
The second woe begins in verse 9: “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm!” Here we see that the Chaldeans have undertaken all of their conquest for the sake of building their own house (i.e. their name and fame). In essence, the empire of the Babylonians is stained with blood. The Chaldeans have thought of no one but themselves and sought their own good at the expense of others. And just like with the last woe, the result of this is the exact opposite of what was intended by the Chaldeans. God says, “You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond” (2:10-11). Again, much like with the last woe, we see God declaring that the very way the Chaldeans have gone about things will result in their collapse. It is like they have built their house with straw instead of something solid. The straw they have used to build is their greed and selfishness. Building on such a foundation results in a house that is just waiting to collapse. In fact, God even goes so far as to say that the stones and beams of the house itself will cry out against the Chaldeans. Their very own actions testify against them. Just like the previous woe, God is making clear that the Chaldeans are going to reap what they sow. They have built their empire on wickedness, so wickedness will come upon them in return. They have built their empire on conquering other nations, so they will be conquered in return. God is declaring to the Babylonians what awaits them in the future.
With the third woe, the frame of reference begins to change. In the first two woes, God seems to be talking almost exclusively about the way the physical world works. It is almost a law of nature: if you act wickedly, wickedness will come upon you as well. If you do not show mercy, others will not show mercy to you. This is pretty much what God has declared to the Chaldeans in the first two woes. Beginning with this third woe, there seems to be a more specific focus on the judgment that is going to come on the Chaldeans directly from the Lord himself. The third woe begins a shift from looking at the outcome of the sin of the Chaldeans in relation to the physical nations around them to the outcome of their sin in relation to God himself.
Understanding that, the third woe is given in verse 12: “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity.” Much like the first two woes, this one highlights the fact that the Chaldeans have built their empire on sin and wickedness. They have not gained power by winning the favor of the nations around them – they have forced their way into power and sinned the entire time they were doing it. Interestingly, the fact that they have done this means they are going to be destroyed. Listen to what God says in verses 13-14: “Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This is an astounding statement by the Lord. In essence, he is declaring that he created the earth in such a way that its ultimate goal is that it be covered with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. God is making the statement that anything that happens on this earth that does not move toward that end is going to fail and be destroyed. That is why verse 13 says that it is from the Lord that the nations weary themselves for nothing. The reason it is from the Lord is because he has designed this world in such a way that those things which serve to spread the knowledge of his glory across the earth will endure. That means, logically, that anything which does not serve to do that will not endure. The Chaldeans have built their empire on sin rather than the knowledge of the glory of God, and as a result, their empire will collapse.
The fourth woe focuses even more intently on God’s response to the wickedness of the Chaldeans. This woe is given in verse 15: “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink – you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!” Here, the Lord uses an image that is very interesting as he pictures the wrath of the Chaldeans as liquid in a cup. And he says that the Chaldeans have forced other nations to drink down the cup of their wrath so that they might conquer them and gloat over them in their embarrassment. This is an image demonstrating that the Chaldeans have abused their strength and might to destroy other nations just for the sake of gloating over them and exalting in their own strength. But the response to this behavior by the Lord is incredible in its appropriateness: “You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them” (2:16-17). Here we have a remarkable statement by the Lord. He makes clear that just as the Chaldeans forced others to drink the cup of their wrath, they will drink the cup of God’s wrath. Just as they have done to others, so it will be done to them. The cup of God’s wrath will be awesome and terrible and they will drain it down to the very last drop (Ps. 75:8). The Lord is promising his judgment upon the Chaldeans.
The final woe actually serves to sum up the other woes. In many ways, it is a revelation of the root of all of the Chaldeans’ sin. God declares: What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him, who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it” (2:18-19a). Here we see the Lord laying out for the Chaldeans the utter futility of their own gods. They have fashioned their gods and then worshiped something they fashioned – it is absurd. And the Lord, as he has done in this whole chapter, pronounces woe upon the one who serves such a false god. It is not only futile but sinful and it stirs up the wrath of God. And God makes clear how he is vastly different from the idols of the Chaldeans as he says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (2:20). Here is the climax of this chapter. The Lord’s point in pronouncing these woes is that the Chaldeans have refused to follow God and have turned away and built their empire in sin. And God is making clear that, unlike the idols that do not respond, he is responding, and he is calling the Chaldeans to account. He is making clear that his judgment will come upon them. And his judgment will prove his superiority to their false gods who do absolutely nothing.
Much like with our text last week, it seems a bit difficult to find the way this text applies to us. None of us are Chaldeans who need to fear the judgment that God promised in Habakkuk 2. In fact, that judgment has already been poured out, so why would we even go back and read Habakkuk 2? The answer to that question lies in the fact that the judgment of the Chaldeans prophesied in Habakkuk 2 tells us some things. It demonstrates to us some bigger realities that do apply to us. It demonstrates to us the character of God who is still alive and active today. So there are at least a few ways that this text can apply to us. Let me list them:
This is a reality that we actually saw last week as well. The entire historical context of Habakkuk makes clear that one nation does not overcome another nation simply because they happen to have more fire-power or more people. Ultimately, it is God who raises up and tears down nations as he sees fit for the purpose of his plan. This is a common theme in the Old Testament: God raised up the Assyrians to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel because of their sin (2 Kin. 17:6-23). Moreover, once Assyria destroyed the northern kingdom, God destroyed them because of their arrogance, via the Chaldeans (Isa. 10:5-19). Indeed, the Chaldeans were raised up – as we saw last week (Hab. 1:5-11) – to judge the southern kingdom of Judah. And even later in Israel’s history, God raised up the Persians and their king, Cyrus, for the purpose of restoring his people to their land by releasing them from captivity (Isa. 44:28-45:13). The clear message of the Old Testament is that the events of history are sovereignly directed by the powerful will of God. History does not move forward by chance but by design and intention. I do not think this means that God’s intention in raising up any particular nation is absolutely clear to us (hence we cannot declare that “such-and-such” nation was raised up for “such-and-such” purpose), but it does mean that we can have confidence that God is the one directing all things – even the evil actions of nations – for the purpose of accomplishing his perfect will.
As I mentioned earlier, all of Habakkuk 2 is actually prophecy about things that are going to happen in the future. As far as we can tell, Babylon has not even yet become the incredible and powerful nation that they would eventually become, but God is declaring even what sin they are going to commit before they even commit it. And, in turn, he is openly declaring what judgments will come upon them even before they come about. This is prophecy, which begs the historical question: did it come true? The resounding answer is, “Yes!” Habakkuk was not the only place that God prophesied the destruction of the Babylonians; Jeremiah would do the same thing not long after Habakkuk (Jer. 51:1-58). And Jeremiah would be even more specific about it being the Medes (the Persians) who would conquer Babylon. And, historically, that is exactly what happened. Approximately 75-100 years after Habakkuk prophesied, the Babylonian empire was conquered by the Persians. In 538 B.C., the promises God made in Habakkuk 2 came true. This is clear evidence to us that God is faithful to keep his promises. As we said before, part of the point of Habakkuk 2 was to provide support for Habakkuk’s faith. God was making clear that the Babylonians would not go on conquering forever. God made clear that he would judge them, and that is exactly what happened. God is faithful to his word, and it will be accomplished. Historical incidents like the judgment (and fall) of Babylon serve to remind us of that and help us have faith that other promises of God will ultimately be fulfilled.
This is perhaps the most specific application that can be made from this text. Even though none of us are Chaldeans and therefore none of us need to fear that the promised judgment of Habakkuk 2 will fall on us, this chapter makes clear to us a fundamental reality about God: he does judge. This is a truth that we must never forget – if we ever begin to worship a God who does not judge wickedness and sin, then we have failed to worship the true, biblical God. The God that we serve today is the same God who spoke the words of judgment in Habakkuk 2 and to forget that he is a God who judges is to deny the way that he has revealed himself in the Bible.
For every person in this room, you must understand and feel the reality of God’s judgment. You see, judgment (even ultimate, end-time judgment) is not just an Old Testament reality. Paul told the Romans, “He [God] will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Rom. 2:6-8). Paul also told the Corinthians, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). Judgment is a reality that all of us will face. We cannot escape that. And, by nature, we all stand ready to be condemned at that final judgment. There is no other way that it can end for us as humans apart from Jesus Christ. If we stand on our own, we are just like the Chaldeans – wicked and sinful - and God’s judgment will destroy us as surely as it destroyed them.
But this is the glorious news of the gospel. There is a way to escape this judgment and be saved and it is through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul also says in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:19-22a). The judgment of God is real, and the way to avoid that judgment is through repenting of sin and believing in Jesus Christ – following him as Lord.
But the fact that God’s judgment is real and sure is not just an important doctrine for non-Christians. It radically affects the lives of believers as well. First, it is the reality of God’s judgment that motivates us to persevere. Even as we saw in Romans 2, Paul writes, “[God] will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;…there will be…glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek” (Rom. 2:6-7,10). The fact that judgment is coming is incentive for us to do good. It is incentive for us to seek for glory and honor and immortality. It is incentive for us live a life of faithfulness, because God will render to each one according to his works.
For Christians, it is also the reality of God’s judgment that allows us to refrain from taking vengeance ourselves. Paul also says in Romans, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21). Here we see that the reason Christians can have enough self-control to not take revenge when they are wronged is because they know that God is going to punish that wrong eventually. This frees us from having to exact punishment ourselves. Even further, it frees us to love our enemy all the more. We do not have to hold a grudge, because we can entrust that to God who will judge all things justly.
The reality of God’s judgment also serves as a grounds for our perseverance to the end. The author of Hebrews – writing to a group of people who are being tempted to abandon the faith – writes, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” The author of Hebrews is telling his readers that they need to persevere because if they persevere, they will be greatly rewarded at the judgment. Judgment is not always a negative reality – all people will be judged. Some will receive reward for the good they have done and some will receive punishment for their wickedness. Like the original readers of Hebrews, we need to persevere and not throw away our confidence and hope. Why? Because the judgment of God is sure and real which means reward is sure and real.
This final application is a specific application from a specific part of our text this morning – Habakkuk 2:14. If you remember, God told the Chaldeans that one reason their empire would collapse was because God has ordered the world in such a way that the only things that will endure are those things (and people) that result in the earth being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. The astounding thing about this verse in Habakkuk is that it is a direct quote from Isaiah 11:9 – which was written approximately 100 years earlier. Amazingly, in Isaiah 11, the day when this covering of the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord occurs is tied together with the coming of one who will be the root of Jesse. The New Testament identifies that root of Jesse as Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The covering of the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord – according to Isaiah 11, which Habakkuk is quoting – is directly tied to the coming of Jesus Christ.
But what does that have to do with us? Moreover, Jesus has come – why is the earth not covered with the glory of the Lord? The answer to this question is the very point that I am trying to make. Isaiah did not distinguish in his prophecy between the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus. Standing where we stand in redemptive history, we understand that the glorious day spoken about in Isaiah 11 has been inaugurated (begun) but not consummated (finally realized). 2 Peter 3:13 does indeed point to a new heaven and a new earth “in which righteousness dwells. Revelation 21 also points to a new heaven and a new earth in which God dwells in the midst of his people because there is no wickedness there. These verses are the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:9 and Habakkuk 2:14. But how do we get from the promises to the reality? The God-ordained answer is through the speaking of the gospel. When Jesus delivers the great commission in Matthew 28, he is declaring to his followers that they have a part to play in bringing about the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2:14. In speaking the gospel to the nations, the earth is being filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as people from every tongue, tribe and nation repent and believe. God is building his kingdom. We must go forward in our task with confidence – knowing that the earth will be filled. But we must also go forward realizing that this is not just some vague promise that we sit around and wait for, but a promise that we actually serve to fulfill by speaking the gospel. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, and it is our task to be used of the Lord to make that happen.
As always, communion is a fitting conclusion to this message. For those of us who have believed, we are declaring that we have a hope that sets us free from the kind of judgment pronounced on the Chaldeans. Our hope is in the one who took that judgment upon himself so that we did not have to experience it. And, as we take communion, we are also looking forward to that day when the earth is covered with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. Christ will not take of this meal with us again until that day, so we look to it in hope. And we live faithfully today because of that hope. Amen.