Woe - Part 2
morning church
antacid to have you here this morning.
If you do have your Bibles turn to habakkuk chapter 2.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father
forgotten heaven. We thank you for
on this day
Thank you that.
We have privilege in the honor to. Sing praise your name. Freely come before your word. To be changed and transformed by the working of your spirit in our lives.
God we thank you for your son Jesus.
What is the reason that we gather?
RIS everything we need and everything that we desire tree leaf.
but I pray that our hearts be ready and willing to hear what you would have to teach us this morning. the words of a backing Your precious in Jesus name?
Gun habakkuk 2 I'll be looking at 12 to 2012 at the end of the chapter.
Go to him who builds a town with blood in sounds of City on iniquity. Behold, it is not from The Lord of hosts that people's labor merely for fire and Nations weary themselves for nothing. The Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Woe to him who makes his neighbor's drink. Who pour out your room and make them drunk? In order to gaze at their nakedness. You will have your fill of shame instead of Glory.
drink yourself and show your uncircumcision the cup of the Lord's right-hand will come around to you and utter shame. Will come up on your glory. The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you. As well the destruction of the beasts that terrified them. for the blood of man Environments to the Earth 2 cities and all who dwell in them. What profit is an idol? When it's maker has shaped it a metal image a teacher of Lies. For its make her trust in his own creation. He will he will make speech when he will make speechless. I overseas me. Woe to him who says.
But you are silent Stone arise. Let's teach. Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver and there is no breath at all in it.
But the Lord is in his holy Temple.
What all the Earth keep silence? before him
again, Holy Spirit We asked your presence would be known and felt here. We would hear your teaching in your guidance. Jesus precious name
part 2 of part 2 of habakkuk Set last week as we picked up. The first two of these five woes that this is likely a different point in habakkuk Ministry. In chapter 1 2 2 5 receive receipt end of this conversation this back and forth between habakkuk and God and then we have a very very obvious and blatant tone change and how things are going to these woes. Couple things by way of a reminder if you were here last week and going to just be reminded this week. How we need to approach these walls were here in Have a Cigar are not different from the lowest of the rest of of of the Old Testament. Hello is in a simple terminology as possible of a kind of a statement of judgment against a particular action or particular group of people because of particular action.
And as we see these woes we note that voice was there they're coming from voicewise is is the righteous amongst the people there so but we don't ever think that the statements that are being made are coming from the people that are rather coming from God. Show me back at Key speaking for the righteous people in the middle of the of the people of Israel on the house of God. A well statement or or statement of judgment against another person is only ever from the voice of the Lord not from us.
Also to remind ourselves of what the first two was we're all about as we jump into the last the last the first to vote to him what his is not his own task. Let him who takes things that are his.
know what we'll find different about this week's was versus last week woes is that last week's woes are fairly you don't need too much explanation to know what he saying when he says,
He's taking what's not his it's not complicated. It's quite simple and it's something that we all recognize happens. people steal stuff some people are better at stealing people. The Babylonians they were very good at stealing.
A little bit a little bit more complex, but really not that much for himself, right? Again, this is something that is probably part of our human nature. We want to everybody else to know that we're
Today we're going to look at three more woes and he's woes.
Take just a little bit more time to understand. You're not quite as is obvious. I think once we can stop just a second think about it. I think they become obvious but none the less it takes just one more step. number three March 12th
Who builds a town with a c on iniquity? No, perhaps, our initial reaction means you spell blood. Maybe that's what he's talking about. with blood killing people mostly because of verse 13 Behold, it is not from The Lord of hosts that labor nearly for fire in the nation's weary themselves. What this world is about is about slavery. The people of Babylon asked it every single nation that is ever conquered the known world including Great Britain by the way enslaved people. Most particularly the people that they conquered you have been defeated. Now you belong to me you're going to work for me for free for such a little amount might as well be free and you have no choice you have no option. No, I'm going to make a statement and I've I've said this before and I want you to I want you to hear me until the end because if you stop listening, I'm not saying what I'm saying.
in Rome in Rome the system of slavery Austin benefited the people who were part of it. Another reason that this is true is because you were only enslaved for a time. You were eventually freed after a certain amount of time in slavery according to the system is not necessarily the practice when man gets power of use it this is why hands down Bar None there is no exception to the rule slavery is wrong in that even when according to the system. It can be a benefit in Rome many people you would sell your child into slavery after a certain amount of time when they were freed actually moved up the social ladder. If you are not a citizen and you had a child who is not a citizen of Rome sold him into slavery when they were freed as as when they were freed slaves when they were freedmen. They became citizens from which is a step in the right direction.
That is not the problem that he is talking about.
And I want to make myself clear here. I want to make sure this gets crossed. You know situation even in that is slavery. Okay, cuz man always always always. corrupt system
you talking about the violence that happens whenever humans get involved.
She might notice something from last week's to.
It's not about the wealth that the Babylonians are accumulating. Abraham Isaac and Jacob are probably three of the wealthiest people to have ever lived. Egypt says 222 Abraham 1.2 big for us. You need to leave. a nation says that to an individual Nation by the way, that still exist today.
It's not about the well, it's about what? What it takes to get to that? It's about the undermining or disorder.
The same thing is true for getting status for your house of others.
It's the same thing that's happening here.
Stop using people who you've conquered. Although we probably can make an argument against. That's not what? The 100 is about. It's about the violence. It's about the abuse of power. It's about undermining in crushing other people in order to.
now here's what I want you to hear.
We look at human history.
We As Americans look at American history and we say we've seated slavery because most of us is American slavery is
slavery is Alive and Kicking hard. today
sadly in this country I'm going to give you just two statistics two numbers. And I'm doing so very very purposefully. I'm going to get minimal numbers because I'm I want you I want you to go online and I want you to look it up.
I can talk about just this one thing for months.
I don't know that necessarily helps us. Just made it. There's about 40 million people who are enslaved in the world today 40 million. about 25 million of those as adults in physical labor slavery that are 15 million or so in marriage slavery in addition to those numbers to that 40 million. It's estimated about 151 million children are in what we would classify as slavery in jobs. You know, we thought we did this great Justice in in America by freeing the slaves. We did. We just enslave them in different ways. We created environments where you would go into a business and you probably have have harsher and more more wicked working conditions. And for really very little more Kaden whenever you were at least dare, you had a roof over your house. It was provided by your owner.
We as Christians have not solved the problem. I say that again. We as Christians have not solve the problem of slavery in the world. and that should be something very serious to our heart. Now I'm going to give some Christian some credit union.
The vast majority of the time when abolition happened. It happened because Christians stood up and would not go away. if you've never read the book Amazing Grace story of Wilbur Wilbur William Wilbert Williams, I can't say it now. Thank you. You need to read it. Passionate for his entire life fighting against slave slave trade all over the world was a Christian man. And did So based on his Christian world and I think we see a text today should share. I'll say this again when we get to the fifth wheel, but whenever in the Old Testament in particular in the Hebrew Bible whenever a pattern is created and then it's broken you need to pay attention.
Last week we saw all in one. The consequence of your stealing from others was that others would eventually steal from you. It was a script.
And then the second one make a name for yourself you built this house with will eventually the pattern in this Third Woe.
It's not that the slaves will rise up against you. There is a new enemy if you bear with me here.
It is not from The Lord of hosts. God has absolutely nothing to do with slavery.
people who fought against slavery heard these words very seriously.
It's not from The Lord of hosts that people labor merely from Fire Nation weary themselves for nothing.
The Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover.
You know what he's saying there.
Consequences for allowing slavery into others is the enemy of God.
Slaves will not rise. That's how you should fear. Maybe you should fear that but that's not. Can anybody imagine more terrifying enemy than God? No.
serious reason why this pattern gets broken cuz I think this is one of the places that God cares very deeply.
From start to finish in scripture. There is there is a message that sounds really above almost everything else.
And his people shall be too.
Everything that we should do should revolve around our taking part in God's part in protecting those who can't protect themselves. We should be very serious.
I wish I had answers.
I wish I had answers.
I wish I even knew were a lot of this slavery was happening.
I wish I knew more organizations that were part of a fight against it.
They are there.
We just have to find them. What are the first things that happen in the North? When abolition really started coming to the United States, by the way, I'm having a lot sooner than or then the Civil War started watching. The Civil War was the people in the north just didn't buy tobacco.
They boycotted things. Where slavery was happening? It's something that we can do today. We should pay attention where our clothes are made. Where are phones are made?
For him who makes his neighbor's drink?
This gets a little bit more confusing.
How can we make our neighbors drink is that really what this is really about that? I don't think it is. Just want to make in order to
I think what's going on here it is. It's not necessarily. the problem of alcohol it's it's more a problem of of comfort. Maybe that's not the right words that follow me. When you live your almost literally your entire life as an adult at War. and then you finally get maybe freedom to relax a little bit. You find ways to find enjoyment in life.
So when you're a leader give you some time frame.
I tried to find it I couldn't.
What time you was 30 crazy facts? Everything else everybody else is talk of the world did so over a period of decades right Austin times from a father to son to a grandson. So your whole life is spent at War constantly nervous.
And then you get some sense of a freedom and what are you doing? Okay, I'm going to enjoy myself a little bit and in the ancient world where there wasn't as many places to to make foolish decisions and have fun. You got drunk? shirt drinking not in today's society we can we can talk about 10 of them and barely scratch the surface and I can list. Good drink get you drugs.
We can seek power. We can seek money. in this in this age of politician We all know the politicians who said whenever they started they were all going home and go and change the system. I might go in and then somebody offer the money when they got their morals for you.
Can you find some sense of comfort you find some sense of power and not even that you abused but you you search a few starts with other things cover your smart decision-making abilities.
Doesn't take too much effort to think through this imagine. You have a general who sober. In a general who is Trump. Which one do you want leading the charge? Superman cuz what happens to making good rationale?
in the effects of his drinking we called drunken the effects of his drinking trickle down to those drunk drinks use me. Can you make decisions in your drunkenness and that affects the people you are who you are supposed to be leading properly?
In order to gaze at their nakedness.
In order to see the machine.
Maybe doesn't seem like it affects us as much today. but I think this is probably the the first one that we should take notice of
cheapest we lost so many things to make us drunk. Maybe it's not alcohol and bad decisions based on our drunkenness. Maybe it's not drugs. square head to where we only start thinking of what is benefiting me how there it is again. It's not about finding some sense of happiness and joy in your in your difficult life. It's about
the detriment of others
inverse 60 notice notice So she will have your fill you will have you will have your fill ashamed of Glory drink yourself and show your uncircumcision out at room full of adult circumcision, but when he gets naked. There it is. Again. The script is flat. There's that pattern again. We went back to our pattern. Smack dab in the middle. We broke the pattern because God cares deeply about those who can't take care of himself. We jump back to this pattern. The cup of the Lord's right-hand. How do you get drunk? You drink out of a cup? utter, shame come upon you verse 17 shows me at least in some small part that this isn't just about drunkenness is violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you as well the destruction of the Beast that terrified them. These are the ramifications of poor decision-making because you thought That you were allowed to find Joy overprotecting leading your people.
benefis, whoa Remember how I said that? When in Hebrew in the Old Testament a pattern is is made and then it's broken pay attention. The pattern has been established in each one of these woes starts with one phrase woe to him until number 5. He breaks the pattern. What is profit?
A prophet is an idol.
Speaker has shaped it. I'm a teacher of Lies for it. Make its maker trust in his own creation when he makes speechless Idols this this is this is know how incredibly foolish it is to think that a thing that you made is actually the thing that made you
We live in a society where where has told us? We don't have Idols because we don't make him. In that silly, aren't we just as foolish I think we are. Looks like something and then you said it down and you bow down in front of it. And you worship that you said all your so important in you're so wonderful and you're such a yeah.
What are some of the things that they worshipped in the ancient world? They worship what?
You're producing Foods.
They worship Mammon right both God and Mammon. Jesus says in the New Testament. Scottish money nobody nobody today for ships money.
do we
what's what's so silly about it isn't any different.
Just did any of the things that we build up in front of?
More things today that we can put our trust in our hoping than there was in the ancient world and we think that there's no idols.
the most certainly is
Fill in the blanks on anything anything in your life that you have I will be okay because of this. that might brothers and sisters is in idle.
You just haven't personified it.
Up until this point we've been talking about things that are sinful. Obviously since it's horrible that you would steal and have more money or more status or more slaves.
But this is just foolishness, right?
Just rode him. judgement chicken
It's a shame.
And dare I say the pattern has been broken.
It's not that the script is being flipped here. It's not even that won't have him has come. He's doubling up on the pattern breaking.
This is the point that I'm trying to make. More last week when I said whenever we hear our friend brother or somebody else being scolded we should listen closely.
What's listen closely? Woe to him who says to a wooden thing away cuz Stone arise can his speech.
but the Lord Is in his holy Temple.
I don't know if you maybe didn't hear me. It sound like you heard me. The Lord is in his holy Temple.
We put our trust in Our Hope and worthless things and images of worthless things.
He's there.
You know. Idis diction About the Bible I said this before.
It's it's always going towards Christ. I've been using this phrase to pick it up pick up the thread and in take out journey down to the last couple weeks because it's like a second cord. Chord makeup made up of many different pieces and parts that make the whole thing at the same time. start in Matthew the message of scripture starts in Tennessee and it traces through to the whole of scripture. so especially when we're in the Old Testament, I have to ask myself one particular question is
where is the thread to Jesus? last week I said let's pick up the thread and let's take it to to Revelation chapter 19. Christ will return and he will set all these things right with these woes. finally and fully completed
When wickedness in Injustice in Brokenness will be will be eradicated by the justice of God.
And that's great.
But that's not all of them. I was thinking this weekend.
Max you sit on it this morning in commune.
until some future date
I read this first I read it. But the Lord is in his holy Temple immediately change. My mind is vivid as and bloody's and crucify Jesus on the cross.
Vines
Because you came into this world and everyone of us. Let me say this again every one of us. Is this Babylon. We are wicked in Vile people. Unchecked by God, we will always always always.
but Christ
shed his blood
in freed us
Release us from bondage. He is in fact the ultimate check.
The Lord is in his holy Temple. His holy Temple. What is his? Holy Temple. There isn't even a temple. Shut up.
Which one of us?
He's in each one of us.
He's not just sitting around doing nothing.
We are no longer bound to this Brokenness. We are in fact mean change transform.
Down these woes. Amen.
We are something else.
But wait, Ryan. It sure seems like Babylon still exist. Maybe not in the same format did back then. Sure, looks like there's wicked and evil in this world was worth.
Turn your head to your right. Turn your head to your baby. Look behind you and in front of you. Where is Christ?
I said it earlier. There is a reason why Christians were the first and most vocal in the most passionate people out of slavery on this Earth because they were being transformed by the blood of Christ.
And we are two.
The Lord is in his holy Temple.
the Earth keep silent
Father in heaven
wishing you so much.
for savings
for rescuing Regina
4 transforming us and working in your creation. through us
we praise and honor you.
Lift up your name on high.
What time you think you appreciate you?
or Jesus
Jesus winter cheese
Jesus prayer