Habakkuk 2:5-20
5 "Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man,
And he does not stay at home.
Because he enlarges his desire as hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 "Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
'Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges'?
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men's blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
9 "Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
And the beam from the timbers will answer it.
12 "Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
As the waters cover the sea.
15 "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
Pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on his nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also—drink!
And be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the LORD's right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men's blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
18 "What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awake!'
To silent stone, 'Arise! It shall teach!'
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 "But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him."
Many woes were pronounced against the wicked for their multitude of sins. They are drunken and covetous, alway unsatisfied and grabbing at more and more and never satisfied with what they have. Like death, they cannot be satisfied as the inevitability of the consequences take them off the earth and pile them up in the ground as all enemies of God are gathered for judgment. The taunting riddle of Habakkuk pointed out how their greed in amassing debt would be called in on them suddenly to pay with their lives as the interest gathered from their creditors. The price of using others and taking all that they own would come back on their own heads. That is the result of coveting all that others have and using evil means to take it from them to have more and more. These also sin against their own lives by shameless counsel for ungodly gain of riches and possessions. The very buildings and cities they erect in their own honor and greed will cry out with the blood of others used to make them. The point is that it is not God’s will or purpose for men to build what will only be consumed by fire in the final judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) or to wear themselves out until they drop for mere mortal gain of riches instead of eternal riches (Matthew 6:33) that can never fade away (1 Peter 1:4). Instead of wearing ourselves out heaping up wealth and power, we should remember that the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth to His glory and we therefore should be seeking the lasting riches of Him and His glory instead of our own in the scriptures which provide all life and godliness (1 Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 1:3) instead. The imagined glory of God’s people in the time of Habakkuk ended in shameful exposure of their spiritual nakedness of uncircumcised hearts instead of cleansed ones by the Lord according to the working of His word and Spirit (Romans 2:29). Violence for gain only comes back on one’s own head while goodness shown others is true gain that echoes into eternity. Worshipping false gods of manmade religions only echo the lies men make to keep people from the true God in Jesus Christ. There is no gain in lifeless idols that are incapable of helping or teaching anyone anything of lasting value for the immortal soul. Only God sits enthroned as Sovereign in His holy temple in heaven from which He rules over all creation. Everything and everyone should shut their mouths who speak against Him, for all will bow to Him in the end (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). Worship Him! Learn from this historical passage and proverb to do good for your neighbor instead of using him for selfish gain! There is only eternal woe for the proud and idolatrous evil person. This is a warning to those seeking ungodly gain over the contentment of worshiping God in spirit and truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment