Habakkuk 2:2-20

Introduction

The flow of the Book of Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:1-4 - Habakkuk is confused and has conflict with God - How could God show him the violence, iniquity, grievances, spoiling, and unrighteous judgments with the judicial setting, and do nothing about it. Habakkuk 1:2 “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

Habakkuk 1:5-11 - God responds. He says that He has not been inactive. Rather,

Habakkuk 1:6 “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, Which shall march through the breadth of the land, To possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.”

Habakkuk 1:9 “They shall come all for violence: Their faces shall sup up as the east wind, And they shall gather the captivity as the sand.”

I am raising up the Chaldeans to deal with Judah’s wickedness and rebellion.

Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 -

Habakkuk understands Babylon’s purpose is:

Not to destroy

To be God’s mouthpiece in rendering the guilty verdict for Judah.

To be God’s punitive arm in correcting Judah.

However, he is confused and has conflict with God becasue he does not understand how God could raise up a people more wicked, ruthless, violent and unrighteous than the Jews to perform this divine deed. How could God allow more wickedness to judge less wickedness?

Habakkuk 2:2-20 - God answers Habakkuk with hope.

In developing this hope, I want us to go back to Habakkuk 1:12 “Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; And, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.”

V.12 was a hope statement from Habakkuk. Within the statement he starts with a rhetorical question. A rhetorical question assumes the answer is clear and obvious. In this rhetorical question the answer is clear and unmistakable: Yes. However, within the question there are two parts where “yes” fits:

God, you are from everlasting - whose name means self-existing!

You are my God, mine holy one!

The importance to this rhetorical question is the conclusions that Habakkuk draws:

God’s purpose is to correct and not destroy.

His hope rest upon his understanding of Jehovah!

Habakkuk 2:2 “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, That he may run that readeth it.”

Within the first five words of Habakkuk 2:2 - we uncover hope’s confirmation. “And the LORD answered me.”

Confirmation that Habakkuk’s view of Jehovah was correct. His hope was not misplaced.

This morning let us see hope in the midst of calamity.

The just shall live by his faith

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: But the just shall live by his faith.”

The Lord does not answer Habakkuk’s conflict - How could you send someone more wicked than us to judge us?

Today’s culture wants to know why before they do. God’s culture has always been to do without always knowing why and rest with confidence that God has a good reason.

God does not criticize Habakkuk for asking the question. Scripture shows us that we can bring these kinds of questions to God.

Psalms 13:1-2 “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”

Psalms 10:1 “Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?”

These questions are normal responses to the painful circumstances of life. We need to bring those questions to God — not in a defiant, shake-our-fists-in-the-air kind of way like the Israelites did during the desert wanderings, but as one who trusts that God hears and that he cares. We ask these questions because we know that God is the source of all our answers.

So what did God do that produced hope?

Instead of answering why, God commissioned Habakkuk - Habakkuk 2:2 “And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, That he may run that readeth it.”

In commissioning Habakkuk there are hopes:

Obedience

God gives Habakkuk 2 commands:

To write the vision down

Make the vision plain

Even though Habakkuk was not getting the news or answers he wanted - Obedience demonstrates hope.

Obedience is necessary for worship

Obedience is the result of love

Obedience acknowledges honor.

The result of writing down the words - “that he may run that readeth it.”

The idea is a herald running to communicate the visions of Habakkuk.

Within the vision there are two parts:

The vision is for an appointed time and tarries but when the appointed time comes it will speak and lie not, and it will surely come to pass.

You cannot take prognosticators to the bank but you can God’s word.

Joseph - 13 years

David -15-20 years before he was anointed king.

In a culture that is shifting sand - God’s word stands as a rock! Psalms 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Instead of answering why, God instructs the righteous how to live within the vision?

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: But the just shall live by his faith.”

Babylon’s soul is lifted up and is not upright.

The “just” - the “righteous” shall live by faith.

The environment the just currently lives in - Habakkuk 1:4 “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: For the wicked doth compass about the righteous; Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”

The purpose of writing down the vision so that a runner can herald the news was to encourage the righteous how they were to live their lives.

Even though they did not have the answer to “why?’ their faith in God gave them assurances that He knew what He was doing.

In the context of Habakkuk it was to live in the midst of a violent enemy takeover believing that God is correcting Judah.

Yet, how to do this? The NT quotes Habbakuk 2:4 on three occasions. These instances will shed light on how to live by faith.

Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

Reveals the power of the Gospel in the lives.

Galatians 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

The just lives for a person greater than themselves

Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 10:37-39 “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Our faith will be sustaining!

The conclusion of a prideful man

Habakkuk 2:5-20 -

2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

God knows who is proud and not.

God knows exactly what Babylon’s success will lead to: An insatiable desire for more success v.5. This connects with Habakkuk 1:9 “They shall come all for violence: Their faces shall sup up as the east wind, And they shall gather the captivity as the sand.”

His answer is 5 woes that defeated foes will taunt them with v.6

Hab 2:6-8 Greed - wealth by extortion; promise of plunder

Hab 2:9-11 Arrogant self-assertion - set nest on high; shame will come

Hab 2:12-14 Violence - Resort to bloodshed which will only fuel their own destruction

Hab 2:15-17 Inhumane/Insolent - Treating people disgracefully will come back to haunt them

Hab 2:18-20 Idolatry -Trust their own creation, fail to bow to Creator; Result = no redeemer

Galatians 6:7-9 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

A Perfect Kingdom is coming for the just who lives by faith

Habakkuk 2:12-14 “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, And stablisheth a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts That the people shall labour in the very fire, And the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

This points to the woes extending beyond Babylon to all other kingdoms, culminating in the final kingdom.

Habakkuk 2:13 “Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts That the people shall labour in the very fire, And the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?”

Has not the LORD Almighty (follows the Lxx kurios pantokrator = "Lord Almighty") promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain!

Jeremiah 51:58 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, And her high gates shall be burned with fire; And the people shall labour in vain, And the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.”

But Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

Isaiah 40:5 “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together: For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

Matthew 24:30 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

When will this happen? Following the fall of "Babylon" (Rev 17-18) the Messiah will return "with power and great glory" [Mt 24:30 Mt 16:27) and every eye will see Him (Rev1:7) and the Land of Israel will be restored to the Jews at the beginning of the 1000 year reign in fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham (Ge 17:8). And so amid all the woes, the prophet catches a glimpse of the glorious Messianic Kingdom in which the tide of evil will be stemmed and the knowledge of the Lord shall flourish (Isa 11:9-11).

Henry Morris: “Despite the Nebuchadnezzars of the world (and the Napoleons and Hitlers and other would-be world rulers), God will establish His own Kingdom on earth at His appointed time (Habakkuk 2:3). Habakkuk here repeats the promise of Isaiah 11:9 (Ed: In other words at Messiah's Second Coming He will set up His Kingdom on earth - See Millennium 2).”