Habacuque 2
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Habacuque 2
Wiersbe - The image of the watchman carries a spiritual lesson for us today. As God’s people, we know that danger is approaching, and it’s our responsibility to warn people to “flee from the wrath to come” (Mt. 3:7, cp 1Th 1:10). If we don’t share the Gospel with lost sinners, then their blood may be on our hands (Ed: See Ezek 3:17,18-note). We want to be able to say with Paul, “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26NKJV-commentary). (Be Amazed) (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament. Victor) Habakkuk's contemporary prophet Jeremiah was also a "watchman" on the wall speaking to Judah before (during and after) the Babylonian invasion. Listen to what he recorded and the response of most of those in Judah… And I (Jehovah speaking) set watchmen (tsaphah - same word used in Hab 2:1) over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' (this should have produced alarm and preparation!) But they said, 'We will not listen.' (Jer 6:16, see Judah's sad response in Jer 6:16!)
Habacuque 2
Wiersbe adds that "The revelation God gave was for a future time and about a future time. While the immediate application was to the end of the Babylonian Captivity, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews interpreted it to refer also to the return of Jesus Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit, he changed “it” to “He” and applied it to our Lord. “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). Along with the scoffers Peter wrote about, some readers might ask, “Where is the promise of His coming? (2Peter 3:3ff) and God’s reply is, “Wait for it! It will surely come!” A discouraged Jew in Babylonian exile might ask, “Will the Lord come and deliver us?” and the answer is, “Yes! Wait for him!” (Be amazed) KJV Commentary - The writer of Hebrews quotes the last part of this verse (cf. Heb10:37) to apply to the coming of our Lord. We, like Habakkuk, wait for fulfillment of the Lord’s Word; but the Word given to each is different. Habakkuk waited for the fulfillment of the Word of the Lord pertaining to the destruction of Chaldea, but we wait for the fulfillment of the Word of the Lord pertaining to His return. From our perspective we can see that the Lord completely fulfilled His Word to Habakkuk, and we can have assurance that He will fulfill His Word to us just as completely. Achtemeier writes… that which may seem delayed or halted by our reckoning has not been impeded at all. God’s purpose cannot be thwarted (cf. Isa 55:10, 11); it is speeding toward its completion. Indeed, those actions of God that seem to reverse his march toward his goal—as the Babylonian conquest of Judah seemed to Habakkuk to reverse that march (Hab 1:12–17)—may not be reversals at all but integral parts of God’s purpose to save his earth. Certainly Luke (Ed: "the times of the Gentiles" will be fulfilled! Lk 21:24), Paul (Ro 9:22–24), and the author of Second Peter were sure that was true The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (2Peter 3:9). God’s envisioned Kingdom for his earth surely comes and will not be late. Such is the word Habakkuk faithfully passes on to those who live “in the meantime” and who, wearied and dismayed by evil, cry out, “How long, O Lord?” For his contemporaries, he writes the assurance on a placard large enough to be read by every passer-by. For those who come after him, he preserves the assurance in writing. For us, Habakkuk’s words have been handed on by a cloud of faithful witnesses, and they bid us still wait in hope for the fulfillment that will not be tardy (cf. Ro 13:11). (Ibid) VISION - If we lose “the heavenly vision” God has given us, we alone are responsible— not God. We lose the vision because of our own lack of spiritual growth. If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled. The only way to be obedient to “the heavenly vision” is to give our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory. This can be accomplished only when we make a determination to continually remember God’s vision. But the acid test is obedience to the vision in the details of our everyday life— sixty seconds out of every minute, and sixty minutes out of every hour, not just during times of personal prayer or public meetings. “Though it tarries, wait for it… ” (Habakkuk 2:3). We cannot bring the vision to fulfillment through our own efforts, but must live under its inspiration until it fulfills itself. We try to be so practical that we forget the vision. At the very beginning we saw the vision but did not wait for it. We rushed off to do our practical work, and once the vision was fulfilled we could no longer even see it. Waiting for a vision that “tarries” is the true test of our faithfulness to God. It is at the risk of our own soul’s welfare that we get caught up in practical busy-work, only to miss the fulfillment of the vision. Watch for the storms of God. The only way God plants His saints is through the whirlwind of His storms. Will you be proven to be an empty pod with no seed inside? That will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of the vision you have seen. Let God send you out through His storm, and don’t go until He does. If you select your own spot to be planted, you will prove yourself to be an unproductive, empty pod. However, if you allow God to plant you, you will “bear much fruit” (John 15:8). It is essential that we live and “walk in the light” of God’s vision for us (1 John 1:7). (Oswald Chambers) The passion of patience Though it tarry, wait for it. Hab. 2:3. Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He “endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.” A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure; and the power to endure is there because you see God. “Though it tarry, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. “What shall I render unto the Lord?” said the Psalmist, “I will take the cup of salvation.” We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves—‘Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure.’ Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.” If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually. (Chambers) Divine Perspective Read: Habakkuk 2:2-14 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; . . . it will surely come. —Habakkuk 2:3 Jason took a trip to New York during spring break. One afternoon he and some friends piled into a cab and headed for the Empire State Building. To Jason, the ride on the ground seemed chaotic and dangerous. But when he got to the observation deck of the skyscraper and looked down on the city streets, to his amazement he saw order and design. What a difference a change in perspective made! Habakkuk learned a similar lesson. When he looked at life from his earthly vantage point, it seemed that God was indifferent to the evil permeating society (Hab. 1:2-4). But God gave him a divine perspective and showed him that life is more than what it seems. The deeds of men cannot thwart the purposes of God (2:3). Those who don’t show any regard for God may seem to prosper at the moment, but God will ultimately right all wrong. God acts sovereignly in all that comes to pass so that everything works toward His good purpose. God’s plan will surely take place and be on schedule (v.3). We can’t sort out the whole picture from where we are in life; only God can. So let us continue to live by faith and not by sight. From His perspective, all things are working together for the believer’s good and for His honor. Sovereign Ruler of the skies, Ever gracious, ever wise, All my times are in Your hand, All events at Your command. —Ryland Our times are in God’s hands; our souls are in His keeping. Habakkuk 2:4 "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.: His soul: Job 40:11,12 Da 4:30,37 5:20-23 Lk 18:14 2Th 2:4 1Pe 5:5 But: Jn 3:36 Ro 1:17 Gal 2:16 3:11,12 Heb 10:38 1Jn 5:10-12 Habakkuk 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE WAY TO BECOME RIGHTEOUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Given the importance of this verse, here are the various renderings of Habakkuk's great text. As you will notice, there is considerable difference in the way this passage is translated, because the first line is notoriously difficult. The differences seem to depend primarily on which original language text is followed. For example, in Hebrew the word translated faith in the NAS is more accurately (literally) the word faithfulness. However, the Hebrew scholars who translated the Hebrew text into Greek (the Septuagint) choose to use pistis (see below) which is the noun which means faith. To help illustrate which original version the translation team favored, the following passages color code faith (Greek - Septuagint) and faithfulness (Hebrew - Masoretic Text), beginning with the Amplified which uses both terms (Note some versions use other words which I've highlighted in bold)… Amplified Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness. Berkeley (MLB) Look, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright in him! But the righteous shall live by his faith. BBE As for the man of pride, my soul has no pleasure in him; but the upright man will have life through his good faith. CEV I, the LORD, refuse to accept anyone who is proud. Only those who live by faith are acceptable to me. KJV Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Darby Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him: but the just shall live by his faith. ESV Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. GWT Look at the proud person. He is not right in himself. But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith. International Children's Bible See, the nation that is evil and trusts in itself will fail. But those who do right because they trust in God will live. Complete Jewish Bible Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright; but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness. MSG Look at that man, bloated by self-importance— full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive. NAB The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live. NCV The evil nation is very proud of itself; it is not living as it should. But those who are right with God will live by trusting in him. NET Look, the one whose desires (Ed: "soul" in most translations) are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness. NIV See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith-- NIV2011 See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness— NJB You see, anyone whose heart is not upright will succumb, but the upright will live through faithfulness.' NLT Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. NKJV Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. NRSV Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. RSV Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith. TEV And this is the message: 'Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.' " TLB "Note this: Wicked men trust themselves alone [as these Chaldeans do], and fail; but the righteous man trusts in me and lives! Young's Literal Lo, a presumptuous one! Not upright is his soul within him, And the righteous by his stedfastness liveth. Finally here is the English translation of the Greek (Septuagint) LXE If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith. Comment: Notice that the sense of the first phrase is considerably different in the Greek text (the writer of Hebrews quotes the Greek not the Hebrew in Heb 10:38). James Hastings writes that… THERE is no single text in the Old Testament that plays a larger role in the doctrinal discussions of the New Testament than this little sentence from the prophecy of the prophet Habakkuk. It is also one of the foundation stones on which Martin Luther built his anti-papal doctrines of the Reformation, and changed the course of Church History. ( Live by Faith) Dr. John Walvoord commenting on Hab 2:4 writes that This statement is not only the central theme of Habakkuk but of the entire Scripture. (The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook) Barker sums up this passage… Finally, God revealed the message itself. “It is short but comprehensive.” In the day of turmoil and destruction, the righteous person shall live by his faithfulness to God. The answer dealt with Habakkuk’s frustrations and fears. Would God leave the guilty—in Judah and in Babylon—unpunished? Would the righteous be consumed with the wicked? (Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers) Behold (Sometimes translated "Lo!") (hinneh) is used over 800x in the OT to call attention to the text which follows, directing the reader to give it special attention. So be on the lookout for behold, Hab 2:4 being one of the most important texts in all of Scripture to carefully "behold!" GOD IS IN CONTROL! Great Song to Remind you of this Truth Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him - In the context who is the proud one? Is this not the wicked proud Chaldeans (Hab 1:7, 11, 13)? In Hab 2:6-20 God proceeds to describe the woe filled end of their pride! This warning of course would also be applicable to all in Judah (and indeed every man still in Adam - cp 1Cor 15:22), who read this divinely inspired, inerrant, inscribed record and in their pride reject its warning and its contrasting offer of hope (Hab 2:4b), for they too would be laid low by the even more proud Babylonian hordes! A CLEAR CONTRAST PROUD ONE JUST ONE Trusts in himself Lives by Faith Way of the Ungodly Way of the Godly Way of Unbelief Way of Faith Way of the Wicked Way of the Righteous Submits to No One Submits to God Puffed up, Arrogant, Proud Exhibits Trustworthiness, Faithfulness "The Lost" "The Saved" Not right with God Right with God "The Ain'ts" "The Saints" Will die (Eternally) Will live (Eternally) Their destiny described by Jesus… Mt 7:13b-note Their destiny described by Jesus… Mt 7:14-note As
Habacuque 2
Wiersbe adds that the puffed up person is inwardly "twisted"… for the soul of the unbeliever is "not upright," which means his inner appetites are crooked and sinful. He delights in the things that God abhors, the things God condemns in the five "woes" in this chapter. But - Terms of contrast are always important to observe, but this contrast is especially notable as it marks the dividing line between life and death, a principle that permeates the entire Bible, the principle that faith is the way to real life in this short time on earth and more important prepares one for life eternally with God. In Habakkuk 2:4 Yahweh draws a sharp contrast between the wicked, personified by the Babylonians, and the righteous, represented by the remnant (believing remnant) of Judah. In short, the wicked are proud and thus refuse the ancient ways (Jer 6:16), instead choosing paths that lead to death and defeat (in this life and that to come!). In contrast, the righteous by faith choose to walk on a path that leads to life and victory (See summary of these two paths in Ps 1:1-note; Ps 1:2-note, Ps 1:3-note; Ps 1:4-6-note). This is a word of comfort to Habakkuk (and the remnant) and marks the turning point in the prophet's personal confusion over why the Lord would use the wicked Babylonians as a rod of chastisement against Judah. Consider the fact that the Babylonian star is just beginning to rise. Habakkuk recorded this prophecy about 607BC. In 605BC Nebuchadnezzar would defeat Pharaoh Necho at Battle of Carchemish at what has been referred to by some historians as "the turning point of world history". What God is relating to His prophet Habakkuk, is prophetically speaking, Babylon's star had already begun to set! Daniel was correct when he affirmed that God is the One Who "removes kings and establishes kings!" (Da 2:21, Read Da 4:17, 32, 1Sa 2:7,8, Job 12:18, Ps 75:5, 6, 7, Pr 8:15, 16 - These passages describe YOUR God, YOUR Father! Be encouraged!) Righteous (just, "the justified one") (06662) (tsaddiya/saddiq) is an adjective derived from a root which basically means conformity to an ethical or moral standard. In simple terms a righteous person is one who is "in the right." In the present context the word has a forensic sense (as if one were in a court of law) and ultimately speaks of right relationship and right conduct toward God. The person who is righteous or just is one who conforms to a certain standard, ultimately God's perfect standard. As someone has well said, righteousness is all that God is, all that God commands, all that God demands, all that God approves, and ultimately all that God provides in Christ. The Septuagint translates tsaddiya/saddiq and its sense of faithfulness with the adjective dikaios [word study] which is the NT word for faith. Hastings writes that "The NT reduces faithfulness in conduct to its root in the heart and calls it "faith."" In simple terms dikaios describes one as being in accordance with what God requires. The righteous man does what he ought. He is the person who conforms to the standard, will or character of God. Who are the righteous in this context? Those described in Hab 1:4 are probably in view. The implication is that they have faith in God and His promises. Blue explains that… A righteous Israelite who remained loyal to God’s moral precepts and was humble before the Lord enjoyed God’s abundant life. To “live” meant to experience God’s blessing by enjoying a life of security, protection, and fullness. Conversely, an apparently victorious but proud and perverse Babylonian would die. Faithfulness (niv marg.) and faith are related. One who trusts in the Lord is one who relies on Him and is faithful to Him. (Ibid) Live (be preserved) - In context refers to primarily to physical preservation in the coming Babylonian invasion. Boice emphasizes that live "does not say that the righteous shall begin by faith and then proceed on some other principle. It does not say that the righteous shall draw on faith from time to time as faith is needed. It says "the righteous will live [continuously] by his faith." That is, the righteous will operate on this principle twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year—so long as life lasts… Paul uses Habakkuk 2:4 to challenge living by the law. He says, "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.'" (Gal. 3:10, 11). The only way to live is to "live by faith." This world may crumble about our ears. All that we know and love may vanish. "But the righteous will live by his faith." He will live by faith in the one who keeps us, not only in the moment of our initial belief in Jesus Christ as Savior, but in every later moment of life as well. (The Minor Prophets: Micah-Malachi: James Montgomery Boice) Faith (0530) (emunah from aman = to confirm or support) is a noun which means firmness, steadfastness, fidelity, truth, faithfulness, trustworthiness, a condition of being dependable. The root idea is certainty or firmness. It is therefore fitting that emunah is used to describe God… (Deut 32:4) “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. (All the following Psalms refer to God's faithfulness - Ps 33:4; 36:5; 37:3; 40:10; 88:11; 89:1f, 5, 8, 24, 33, 49; 92:2; 96:13; 98:3; 100:5, Ps 119:75, 90, 138, 143:1) Used initially in Scripture to describe Moses hands held up with the staff of God until sunset (Ex 17:12), of the stability of the times (Is. 33:6); of the trustworthiness of one in office (2Ki 22:7); of an office as a trust (1Chr 9:22, 26); in connection with righteousness (Pr 12:17); and of right conduct in general. Emunah is used later to describe God's total dependability (Dt 32:4) and faithfulness is frequently listed among the attributes of God (1Sa 26:23; Ps 36:5;40:10; La 3:23). Emunah is also used to refer to those whose lives God establishes. He expects to see faithfulness in them (Pr 12:22; 2Chr 19:9). Indeed, such faithfulness or a life of faith is characteristic of those justified (declared righteous) in God's sight (Hab 2:4). Emunah is translated (NAS) as faith (1), faithful (3), faithfully (8), faithfulness (25), honestly (1), responsibility (1), stability (1), steady (1), trust (2), truth (5). Hastings says "The root-idea of the noun (emunah) is belief in, and faithfulness exercised toward, God in true whole-hearted obedience." The Septuagint (Lxx) translates emunah with pistis [word study] which is means faith, trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything. In Scripture pistis speaks of belief in regard to man's relationship to God. Whereas the Hebrew word primarily describes faithfulness the fact that the Septuagint translators used pistis has led most of the modern translations use the noun faith. (exceptions are NET Bible, see above) As James Hastings say "The NT reduces faithfulness in conduct to its root in the heart and calls it faith." Emunah - 48 verses - Ex 17:12; Deut 32:4; 1 Sam 26:23; 2 Kgs 12:15; 22:7; 1 Chr 9:22, 26, 31; 2Chr 19:9; 31:12, 15, 18; 34:12; Ps 33:4; 36:5; 37:3; 40:10; 88:11; 89:1f, 5, 8, 24, 33, 49; 92:2; 96:13; 98:3; 100:5; 119:30, 75, 86, 90, 138; 143:1; Pr 12:17, 22; 28:20; Isa 11:5; 33:6; 59:4; Jer 5:1, 3; 7:28; 9:3; Lam 3:23; Hos 2:20; Hab 2:4 We get a good sense of the meaning in the following passage… 2Kings 12:15 (see also 2Ki 22:7) Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully. (Here it speaks of honesty, the state of being completely truthful.) Watkinson - Faith means vision. The constant sense of things unseen and eternal. Faith means trust. Daily confidence in the faithful Creator, the loving Redeemer. Faith means expectation. The anticipation of the recompense of the reward. Faith is the root, hope is the blossom, charity is the flower of true religion. Let me beware of the technical, the tangible, the formal in my religious life; let me keep intact the ethereal cords which bind me to the upper universe, and which bring into my life the spiritual electricity on which everything depends. I live by trust, love, admiration, fellowship, revealing themselves and justifying themselves in obedience. (The Gates of Dawn as quoted in Great Texts of the Bible) Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, but is obeying in spite of consequence, resting on God's faithfulness. Achtemeier adds that "faithfulness here means trust, dependence, clinging to God; it means living and moving and having one’s being in him alone; it means relying on him for the breath one draws, for the direction one takes, for the decisions one makes, for the goals one sets, and for the outcome of one’s living… Faithfulness means placing one’s whole life in God’s hands and trusting him to fulfill it, despite all outward and inward circumstances; despite all personal sin and guilt; despite all psychological and social and physical distortions. Faithfulness is life by God’s power rather than by one’s own (cf. 1Co 1:30–31); and therefore it is truly life, because it draws its vitality from the living God who is the source of life. (Ibid) Spurgeon in a sermon on Hab 2:4 described faith this way - The faith which saves is not one single act done and ended on a certain day: it is an act continued and persevered in throughout the entire life of man. The just not only commences to live by his faith, but he continues to live by his faith: he does not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh, nor go so far by grace, and the rest of the way by works of the law… Faith is essential all along; every day and all the day, in all things. Our natural life begins by breathing, and it must be continued by breathing; what the breath is to the body, that is faith to the soul (Habakkuk 2:4 Luther Sermon at the Tabernacle). Wiersbe… We are not only saved by faith (Eph. 2:8-9), but we are instructed to live by faith. "And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4NKJV). Faith is a lifestyle that is just the opposite of being "puffed up" and depending on your own resources. Habakkuk knew the difficult times were coming to the people of Judah, and their only resource was to trust God's Word and rest in His will. Living by faith is the major them of the Book of Hebrews (Heb 10:30), for in that book the phrase "by faith" is found over twenty times. To live by faith means to believe God's Word and obey it no matter how we feel, what we see, or what the consequences may be. This is illustrated in Hebrews 11, the famous "by faith" chapter of the Bible. The men and women mentioned in that chapter were ordinary people, but they accomplished extraordinary things because they trusted God and did what He told them to do. But the righteous will live by his faith - This is the full, final, ultimate answer to Habakkuk's questions and indeed to all the deepest questions of all men throughout the ages-What happens when we die? Where will I spend eternity?, etc. This phrase indeed is the key to the book of Habakkuk, for in his appropriation of this truth, the Spirit transformed him from worrying in chapter one to worshiping in chapter three. This passage is the key to the Creator's relationship with men created in His image. In the most simple of terms God is saying. "TRUST ME!" John
Habacuque 2
Wiersbe quipped "Thou shall not covet" may be the last of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:17), but if we're guilty of covetousness, we're in danger of breaking the other nine! Put his nest on high - The evil man may get evil gain to make his "nest" more and more protected, but he can never protect himself from the long arm of the LORD's righteous wrath! The Babylonians were like their ancestors who said “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Ge 11:4). That did not work very well as we see in Genesis 11:8! To be delivered from the hand of calamity - This is the deception of riches and, especially obtained wrongfully (as did the Babylonians), that you can make a house "high enough" to deliver you from the righteous wrath of the Most High God. Solomon (a fairly rich man himself) wrote "A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor." (Pr 18:11-12) Habakkuk 2:10 "You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself.: Devised: 2Ki 9:26 2Ki 10:7 Isa 14:20-22 Jer 22:30 36:31 Na 1:14 Mt 27:25 Sinning: Nu 16:38 1Ki 2:23 Pr 1:18 8:36 Isa 33:11 Habakkuk 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples - This is straightforward - they destroyed others (Hab 2:5,8) and in doing so were sinning against themselves. You are sinning against yourself - Literally against your own soul (nephesh also in Hab 2:4)! (Cp Nu 16:38, Pr 1:18). In other words like an Australian boomerang, the Babylonians "threw out" destruction, but that "boomerang" would evenually come back on their own head. Isn't this the principle of reaping what you sow (Gal 6:7-8-note, Hos 8:7 - note that "they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind" - the return is delayed, is certain and is even bigger than what was sown! Woe! We need to ponder this the next time we consider carrying out some willful sin! As the Coke commercial used to say "It's the pause that refreshes!"
Habacuque 2
Wiersbe observes that… In contrast to the shame and infamy of Babylon, God promised that His glory would one day cover the earth (Hab 2:14). The “glory” of Babylon didn’t last, but the glory of the Lord will abide forever. Certainly, the Lord was glorified when Babylon fell before her enemies in 539BC (see Jer. 50–51), and He will be glorified when the Babylon of the last days is destroyed, that final great world empire that opposes God (Rev 17–18). When Jesus Christ returns and establishes His kingdom, then God’s glory will indeed cover the whole earth (Isa 11:1–9). The fall of “Babylon the great” is a reminder to us that what man builds without God can never last. The exploiter will eventually lose everything, and man’s “utopias” will turn out to be disasters. We can’t exploit people made in God’s image and expect to escape God’s judgment. It may take time, but eventually the judgment falls. (Be Amazed (Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Malachi) The Homiletical Commentary writes… God is glorious in character and procedure. And of this glory He is so jealous that He will not give it to another (Isa 42:8) The glory here is the revelation of impartial just and irresistible power; a manifestation condemning sin and honoring truth. Not only the glory, but the knowledge of it, shall fill the earth. Men shall recognize it, see mercy and judgment, and learn that "verily, there is a reward for the righteous: verily, He is a God that judgeth the earth." The measure in which this blessing is bestowed. "As the waters cover the sea." This indicates (1) Depth. God's judgments are a mighty deep, and the knowledge of them shall not be superficial. The nations shall feel them, and be convicted by the revelation of the Divine glory (2) Abundance. The waters cover the sea, and spread far and wide. This knowledge will fill the earth. 3. Permanence. The waters of the sea abide, can never be exhausted nor diminished. The earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. His moral excellencies- holiness, righteousness, and grace; His natural perfections - power, wisdom, omniscience and omnipotence to made known. The Necessity of Doing It: God is seen in the physical universe, and in the powers of the human mind (Ro 1:20, 21); but sin, like a mist, hides His glory. No intellectual effort, no human light whatever, can do the work. God must shine in Christ, shine into the world and into the soul "to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God" (2Cor 4:6) Will it ever be done? How dark the days of the prophet! How improbable the present signs! Yet how much has been done already. Sufficient to guarantee future success. God Himself has pledged His Word. (Homiletical commentary on the Minor prophets) OUR ONLY HOPE - We should live… godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope.- Titus 2:12, 13 An unknown author wrote, "When I was first converted, and for some years afterward, the second coming of Christ was a thrilling idea, a blessed hope, a glorious promise, the theme of some of the most inspiring songs of the church. "Later it became an accepted tenet of faith, a cardinal doctrine, a kind of invisible trademark of my ministry. It was the favorite arena of my theological discussions, in the pulpit and in print. Now suddenly the second coming means something more to me. Paul called it world." From the human standpoint, there is no solution for the problems of the world. Leaders seem to be completely frustrated in trying to deal with the unrest and increasing violence in society. The only complete and permanent solution is found in the return of Christ. When He comes, He will set up His kingdom. He will rule the nations in righteousness, and "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). And for the hope of His return, Dear Lord, Your name we praise; With longing hearts we watch and wait For that great day of days! - Sherwood As this world grows darker, the promised return of the Son grows brighter. Habakkuk 2:15 "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!: Five woes Hab 2:6, 9, 12, 15, 19 So as to look - Ge 9:22 Ex 32:25 Habakkuk 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SHAMEFUL EXPLOITATION Woe #4 - Excessive Debauchery – The Shamers Will Be Exposed to Public Shame (Paul Apple) In Hab 2:15-17 the Babylonians are described as lascivious people who use alcohol as a prelude to perversion. Gaebelein sees drink as a figurative description of Babylon "Drunkenness here is a figure of the utter prostration of the nations which the Chaldeans had conquered; they stripped them in their wicked endeavors of all they possessed."