Laughing at the Conquerors (Habakkuk 2:5–8)

Habakkuk 2:5-8

GBCCR 3/30/25

Introduction

Catch- Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God was a sermon used by God to awaken religious people to their need for a true savior

It was preached by Jonathan Edwards, a well-educated theologian and Congregationalist minister from Northampton, Massachusetts

It was the year 1741 during what is now called the First Great Awakening, as invited to speak in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8th

He preached from the bible, using the passage Deuteronomy 32:35- ‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.’

He proclaimed to this religious, church going crowd that they could not be saved by religious activity, but only the mercy of Christ

He said, “As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18–19. “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation as in a moment!””

Thus all you that have never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God

The response was amazing as without theatre, music, or manipulation , members of the audience cried out, “What shall I do to be saved? O, I am going to hell!”

The noise was so loud at one point during the sermon that Edwards asked everyone to be quiet so that he could be heard

In addition to the imagery of God’s wrath, there is also the imagery of God’s mercy. Consider this example: “Now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open and stands in calling, and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners

And we just remembered his death day, Edwards dies on March 22nd, 1758.

The first great awakening shows us that fire and brimstone preaching are not wasted if they include a presentation of the gospel because in it we give the hope of what someone is being saved from

Review

Habakkuk is recognizing that need as he looks upon the sin of his own people and the sin of the coming Babylonians

So Habakkuk’s faith is stretched as he wonders how can God use these wicked people when He is a good God

But Habakuk knew He was the one who needed correcting and repentance…

He needed salvation from his own bad thoughts

So he waited for an answer

And God responded to Him saying that pride does not make someone right

But instead, the righteous person will live by faith

He will trust God

Today, we start seeing the result of trusting one’s pride

Let me give you

3 false hopes that will not keep us safe

Comfort will not keep us from the wrath of God's judgment (v5)

Explanation

This is not a text against alcohol but false comforts

Ecclesiastes 2:3- I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives.

Pleasure is anything that makes you feel good… some things that are bad, some things that are good

But in the end, he gives a rhetorical question, of good use is it.

But where do people find pleasure?

Sometimes in alcohol.

Wine is not strictly condemned in scripture, though being drunk is

Ecc 9:7 even says you should enjoy your life and drink some wine

But that’s not what he’s doing here

He used wine to search out what feels good

And lots of alcohol affects your inhibitions

Your brain operates on little chemicals going back and forth between nerve cells

Forbes magazine writes about the effects of alcohol

Cerebral cortex: In this region, where thought processing and consciousness are centered, alcohol depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers, making the person less inhibited; it slows down the processing of information from the eyes, ears, mouth and other senses; and it inhibits the thought processes, making it difficult to think clearly.And according to how things work, it’s the first section to be affected.

And according to how things work, it’s the first section to be affected.

Don’t think of Solomon as a drunk,

he’s still aware of what he’s doing, wisdom is still guiding him

But he’s getting drunk. And that is what scripture forbids

Ephesians 5:18 (ESV): And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Because even if wisdom was still be present, he was not filled with the spirit but was dominated by alcohol, instead

Here, the haughty man is getting drunk with wine because he see himself as secure and controlling all things

He has had great success of having an unending appetite like death itself

Sheol refers to the grave or death, not necessarily hell, but like death wins against everyone

Proverbs 27:20- Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

And what was the Belshaazzar doing the very night Darius the Medge took his kingdom?

Daniel 5:2 NASB95

2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.

He was drinking wine in celebration, with the very cups of Yahweh that his kingdom had taken

He and the princes were boasting of their victories and the gods of God and sliver

He had a front-row seat to Nebuchadnezzar’s prideful failure

how instantly God can blast the dignity of the brightest crown,

He saw his grandfather’s repentance

But all these awful lessons were lost upon Belshazzar.

So as they feasted the forces of the Medes used the festivities to slide into the city and bring about a coup with no major war

This wine that was meant to bring them comfort brought down

Illustration- Comfort and success will not save

Jonathan Edward famously wrote resolutions for life that can be compared to someone you know

Fellow colonial Benjamin Franklin also took to writing resolutions.

his third resolution concerns his goal: “To apply myself industriously to whatever business I take in hand, and not divert my mind from my business by any foolish project of growing suddenly rich; for industry and patience are the surest means of plenty.”

Imagine a meeting between these two great men

Franklin would explain goal was to arrive at “plenty,” to be prosperous.

Edwards would say he needed to set his sights far higher

He started his resolution with “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ’s sake.

self-reliance has become a distinctly American ideal, and American churches are not immune from its effects.

But Edwards sees us as helpless, standing before God entirely empty-handed

Success apart from God is empty

Application

Some need to watch their drinking or drug use,

These things can be used to deaden us to the reality of of our sin and God’s judgment

One of the most accurate predictions of the world came in 1932’s Brave New world by Aldous Huxely who pictures not a totalitarian government ruling through fear

But people ignoring religion and love and good and evil through the constant use of drugs and pleasures

Beware friends the danger of deadening your conscience or distracting yourself from the most important things of God

But others oof have different pleasures like Keeping up with the joneses is a real problem

We are so tempted to look at “fun” that others are having and want it

Whether it is money, or experiences, or ease

We see the comfort they have and without considering what it may cost them to have it… we long for it

But Solomon, who had everything available to him says even the comfort of great wisdom does not satisfy aprt from God

They may seem like they have it all, but it is nothing without the creator God

Trans: Not only does God express judgment on those who use comfort to silence, He reminds us

Power and control over others will not keep us from the wrath of God's judgment (v6-7)

Explanation

God gives a rhetorical question about the Babylonian conquered

Obviously, though 1:7 called them dreaded and feared

One day people will taunt.

Do you taunt and tease someone who can really hurt you?

Maybe a bull you can dodge… but not one that is sure to gouge you

Remember, 1:10 says they mocked kings and their fortresses because of their strength and success

There will be a day when their power will be crushed and people will have no fear mocking them

They will write Songs will mock them

5 woes are given against these conquerors in the rest of the chapter

You will recall the beatitudes of Jesus right?

Luke 6:21- “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

But do not forget Jesus also gave Woes

Luke 6:26- “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

Woe is an insert word that means, alas, or how dreadful

It is not judgment quit yet, but he’s saying this path does not have a happy ending

Woe is an utterance like the sound of the verdict paper being unfolded in a silent courtroom.

These woes are statements of faith, words to be repeated in horrible times, remembering the end result of the lives of sin.

Allow me to remind you of the history of Chaldea.

It was a small land, only about the size of New Jersey found in modern day Iraq.

There were not a lot of valuable resources there, so their success was dependent on trading and having an effective transportation system for their goods

And how did they do that? Well, after the defeat of Assyria and Egypt, the continued to conquer others to make sure they had the proper supply of goods

But Yahweh, who chapter 1 says was raising them up, now says all those who you are taking from to get wealthy are merely borrowing.

now says all those who you are taking from to get wealthy are merely borrowing.

your debt is going up

Most likely this is poetic, not that they actually are getting loans,

but perhaps they justified

“we’re” just taking these captives as loans… we will return them

They seemed like the ultimate power

But as more people hated Babylon, they were easily conquered by the Medes and the Persians with no one to fight for them.

Illustration point-

Power over others will not keep someone from the judgment of God

Edwards had a famous illustration with spiders

his sermon pointed out of how strong a spiderweb looks as it is holding a fly

Or do you notice how much it sticks to your hand showing its great strength

But place a rock on it and see the spiderweb fall apart

Edwards said your righteousness has the same strength to uphold you as a spiderweb the rock

Your strength is over others means nothing

Application

So beware of making your money by controlling others

I was told once by a man in a church he was told that in every sale and financial interaction there is is an winner and a loser… so make sure you are always the winner

And while it may be true that the house always wins… eventually taking advantage of others will lead to judgment… in man’s court or GOd’s

Be honest and make your living without destroying the lives of others

The key to the christian’s work is the great commandment

Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself

So, treat the checker at the grocery store like you would want to be treated

If you’re a seller, sell the way you would want others to do to you

But also… even in little things, do you steal?

A Christian cannot steal

Ephesians 4:28- He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

How easy is it to not mention that missed item at the store and just count it a blessing from God rather than a test? Or downloading something from the internet without paying the creator for it?

Or downloading something from the internet without paying the creator for it?

Christians, living by faith God means living not based on what you can get from others but how you can honor God before others

How you can love them

Anything else is sin

Trans: Pleasure will not protect, control will not protect, and neither will victory

Might will not keep us from the wrath of God's judgment (v8)

Explanation

The Babylonians were described as

those who were dreaded and feared with horses Swiffer then leopards

They were those who took captives like fishermen took fish in their nets

They were powerful

They were successful

They were mighty with a massive empire

But it was all a house of cards

605 BC- Babylon becomes the dominant power

In 586 B.C Israel was taken into captivity

570ish- Nebuchadnezzar is humbled

562- Nebuchadnezzar dies

Nebuchadnezzar may have been great, but God humbled him and after his death, things quickly got worse

But in the 540s King Cyrus the Great led the Medes and the Persians in battles against the Babylonian empire.

Oct 10 539, Cyrus led those armies against nearby cities

Then on Oct 12th the army entered the very the city of Babylon.

On October 29, Cyrus himself entered the city and was greeted as a liberator by the people.

Because of the building internal dissension, the people of Babylon greeted Cyrus as a liberator when he entered the city

Belshazzar was said to be so drunk with his power that he killed a man who hit a target in a game that he had missed

He was drinking to their power when enemies were defeating nearby cities

Remember the quick rise of Babylon that Habakkuk was told he would not believe it?

Now the quick destruction falls

Today various superstitions that prevent them from pitching their tents near the site of the ancient city are current among the Arabs.

The soil prevents the growth of vegetation suitable for the pasturing of flocks.

The ruins that remain consist of caves and holes occupied only by wild animals.

Verse 8 can be described as what goes around, comes around

God had first stated this after the first rainbow said God would not destroy the whole world again

But Man had not changed

Before the flood we read

Genesis 6:5 NASB95

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

After the flood we read

Genesis 8:21 NASB95

21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

So, God warns about the consequences of sins

Genesis 9:5–6 NASB95

5 “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

And this applies to all sin

God’s wrath means he hates all sin and evil doing

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men” (Rom. 1:18)

John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.”

God does raise up sinners like the Babylonians to bring judgment upon injustice… but he also judges those sinners

Yet God was not doing this just to punish, but his judgment is always focused on love towards those He is saving the people He made a promise

The new king Cyrus sent captives back and granted religious freedom

All of this happening exactly when God said it would

Illustration point- Christian, you must proclaim Might will not keep because He is far stronger

This is the job of the military ambassador in times of war

The story is told of Roman commander Gaius Popilius Laenas met Antiochus four miles outside of the city of Alexandra

handed him a letter from the Roman Senate ordering him to leave Egypt or face war with Rome. Then the Roman commander drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus and told him that he must respond before stepping from the circle.

the Syrian king stood in humiliated silence for a brief interval and then acquiesced to the demand. Antiochus withdrew from Egypt to Antioch in utter humiliation

The Christian ambassador’s goal is not humiliate but warn, “

“your strength is nothing compared to God’s.”

Application

Today, we also are tempted to belief might makes right

Some people look to the might of history… being on the right side of history as if we know what the majority in the future will say

Or others will say winning that is that matters so we must fight fire with fire, dirt with dirt

There is a temptation that if we can be just as strong as our enemies, we can be the ones who loot them

But if the history of Israel shows us anything is that the danger of pride is far worse than the danger of defeat

When Israel defeats their enemies, they tend to become like them in the times of the judges or the kings

God is so concerned about Paul’s pride that he leaves the thorn in his flesh

2 Corinthians 12:7- Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!

There is a great danger is the pride of one’s might or even what God has done in me

Christian, you are not supposed to be the army bringing destruction

Instead, you are the crier of woe, you are the ambassador, you are the one who lives by faith

You are to say to the unbelieving world, it may not look this way, but Judgment is coming.

Therefore

Since we have seen (Cohesion)- The Babylonians need to know their fate and so do we

Comfort will not keep you

Control over others will not keep you

Might will not keep you

God’s righteous judgment will come

We know we must (Resolution)- Preach what people are saved from

RC Sproul, the late bible teacher and founder of ligoneer ministries tells the story of his life before He came to Christ

One man who came up to him decades ago asking if he wanted to be saved.

Sproul’s response was, saved from what?

The young man, fumbled over his words and just walked away.

Our children have to be led to the truth of God’s judgment before we can show them the blessing of God’s grace.

Do you know that you are saved from the wrath of God

The righteous judgment upon the wrongs you have done

The pride of strength in the world times or religion terms will not rescue

But Christ crucified in your place will

If you are relying upon anything other than his death in your place

His resurrection over the power of death

And his accession to heaven with the promise of his return

Then you are still under the righteousness of God

May we remember that Jonathan Edwards preached that sermon to church goers

Is it is never our strength, but that Jesus is strong and kind which gets us through

Closing prayer

Lord, may you receive much glory from us

May you save even some here today who are relying upon themselves and not you