Five Curses of Not Living by Faith

Introduction

Transition: Habakkuk reminds us of what it means to live by faith. That living by faith means to trust God based on the knowledge of who he is. It’s to believe that God is better than what life can offer and what death can take away, but in this next section, Habakkuk paints a picture of what it is to live unfaithfully. Faith is trusting God’s timing over my own. But what does not living by faith look like?

There are consequences to not living by faith, and these curses lays them out.

The language is ambiguous because it to talk about anyone who has suffered to anyone who has caused suffering.

Not being faithful leads to greed

Verses 6 to 8 They’ve but their trust to be satisfied in things.

They’ve but their trust to be satisfied in things.

The Woe Vs. 6 The oppressor has claimed what is not his, and he will lose it - the question isn’t “if”, but “when”. Those who have plundered will be plundered.

The Threat Vs. 7 Will not your debtors suddenly rise…? The spoil and plunder is just on loan until another nation comes. The debt of the greedy will come back. As they over extend themselves trying to satisfy their craving to have more.

This is quite contemporary. We in the western world are in more debt than we have ever been, and many are losing houses or other tangibles to collectors. This really points to the truthfulness of God’s Word and proof of what happens when a person or nation rejects God and lives without him.

Vs. 8 for the blood of man God will hold you accountable for indiscriminate bloodshed.

Application: Where do you see this in our world? The problem that this “woe” is showing is greed. It’s something we all struggle with, but it leads to destruction for the the person who doesn’t trust God. If a person trust God, he doesn’t need to be covetous of more and more things. God is his portion, he is all they need. When a person trusts God, he does not need to get more and more stuff, because he knows God will provide what he needs, and more than that, he knows that God is better than what life has to offer. If a person done’t trust God, then the need for things becomes a burden that crushes.

Transition: It’s not a burden that only crushes, but it leads to a downward spirl of life. If greed is left un checked, it will drag you down into destruction as the next woe even says.

Not being faithful leads to injustice

Verses 9 to 11 Putting trust in things leaves a hole that can’t be filled seeking any means to fill it.

The Woe Vs. 9 Woe to him who gets evil gain from his house Babylon is condemned for relying on all the stuff they get for protection.

set his nest on high like how an eagle makes his nest where no one can get to it, this is what Babylon is doing. Historians say that Babylon has such a massive wall that it had 100 bronze gates so big that 4 horses can get through it. Security isn’t found in buildings, locks, or security systems. Security is found in dependence on God.

The Threat Vs. 10 You have forfeited your life because of the injustice they have done that came from their greed, God will hold them responsible for what they have done.

Vs. 11 stone will cry out.

You need to picture it this way. A general in the army comes along. He wants to enjoy the rewards of the position, he wants a house to match his position. So he builds a house. He cuts down a forest that belongs to someone else. He destroys someone else house to he can get the bricks. Then he’s done his beautiful home. But as people are walking by, they don’t see his house, they see the forest that wasn’t his and they see Bob’s house from down the street. So when the opportunity comes, they will see that he is treated like the he mistreated.

The oppressor believes wealth accumulated in this way provides security, raising his house (both the building and the family or nation) beyond the reach of those who would act against it. The oppressor reasons that just as an eagle’s nest is secure because of its height (cf. ; ; ), so wealth accumulated through violence puts his house out of the reach of the oppressed.

Firth, D. G. (2018). Habakkuk. In I. M. Duguid, J. M. Hamilton Jr., & J. Sklar (Eds.), Daniel–Malachi (Vol. VII, p. 549). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Application:

Last week, the kids when through the ten commandments. Have you ever notices the progression of them. The first 3 deal with my relationship with God, then the next 7 deal with my relationship with those around me. When my relationship with God is priority, it is reflected in my relationship with people.

Proverbs 15:27 ESV

Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.

Any one who is greedy for more brings trouble, not security. When someone tries to get security from being unjust to others will bring shame and their life will be taken away. It may not be now, it may not be later, but it will happen at death. When they die and stand before the thrown of God and give an account for how they have rejected him and sought after stuff over him, they will find themselves eternally cut off from God. God is concerned with people. He cares for the needy of the land, reaching down even to the son of the handmaid, the lowest rung of society. Shame on those who oppress people, taking advantage of others in order to pile up unjust wealth.

Transition: and as greed leads to injustice, it leads to violence.

Transition: and as greed leads to injustice, it leads to violence.

Not being faithful leads to violence

Verses 12 to 14

The Woe Vs. 12 Building a town with blood

The Threat Vs. 13 that people labour merely for fire God has determined that their work is in vain, it is useless.

The Reason Vs. 14 The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. All the building projects may be intended to point to their grandeur (a claim made by Nebuchadnezzar; ), but God’s sovereign hand means the they will end up toiling for even the basics (“fire” and “nothing”; ). Instead of the glory of the oppressor, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory (v. 14)

The oppressors’ building projects may be intended to point to their grandeur (a claim made by Nebuchadnezzar; ), but Yahweh’s sovereign hand means the oppressors will end up toiling for even the basics (“fire” and “nothing”; ). Instead of the glory of the oppressor, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory (v. 14)

Where do you see God’s glory? It’s shown in the character of God. Moses saw God’s glory and he announced God to be merciful, gracious, and just (). This verse here is bringing together glory and knowledge. God’s Character will be known by all, which means that the oppressors will be doomed if they continue to oppress.

Application: The oppressor isn’t content with what their injustice can get, so they move on to more violent methods. When we don’t believe God as better than life, we move further and further down a hole. They are building their own towns on the shoulders of others, and other things. They have taken God as not better and put their trust in other things. We struggle with that every day. I struggle with that. As a church, we struggle with that. Building things isn’t bad, but why and how we build things does matter. It shows motive, and the heart, and God has a problem with that. How we build something show how we believe if God is better than anything. I was reading this this week in a commentary on this passage:

We can apply this to building a church. It is possible to build a large church by secular means. That is, you can prosper externally by using good marketing, advertising, and other secular techniques. Find out what the people want, then give it to them - that is the secret. If they want bowling alleys and gymnasiums, give them bowling alleys and gymnasiums. If they want classes on how to fulfill themselves as individual people and get ahead in business, give them those classes. If they want soothing, reassuring sermons, give them such sermons. Give them anything they want. Above all, do not confront them with the harsh statements or demanding standards of the Bible. A church build along these lines will grow, as I have said. But it will not endure! When hard times come or tastes (including tastes in religion change, it will fade away. On the other hand, a church the seeks to do things God’s way will endure, even though its way may be harder and the growth quite slow. Floods may come upon a church like this. The winds of adversity may blow upon it. But it will stand and be a source of blessing.

Living by faith means trusting God at his word. It means believing he is better than life has to offer. And when we don’t believe that, it leads down a road of distraction because we don’t trust God’s timing.

We are called to be a church that is gospel-centered. We don’t aim to be the anything-est church in town because we’re not comparing ourselves to other churches, but to the holiness of God, which will shrink the church down to size in its own estimation and make us hunger for the holiness that only comes from the riches of Christ in the gospel. A gospel-centered church aims to be a gospel-proclaiming church in town. Because that would be glorious.”

I pray that I am a person who faith is based on what God has done for me, not based on any other foundation that crumbles at the first sign of trouble.

Transition: As a person realize that all of these ways of accumulating things falls short and they are still hungry, they move to seduction.

Not being faithful leads to seduction

You can see the progression: Greed —> mild injustice —> more serious injustice —>Violence —> Seduction

Verses 15 to 18 As the oppressor hasn’t found any satisfaction in any other method, they move to their relationships.

Vs. 16. cup in the Lord’s right hand. What you have done in verse 15 will happen to you.

God’s wrath. You need to look to ; , The cup of God’s wrath prefigures the wrath of God in final judgement. But when we look to the cross, we see that Jesus drank the cup of wrath as our substitute.

God’s wrath. You need to look to ; , The cup of God’s wrath prefigures the wrath of God in final judgement. But when we look to the cross, we see that Jesus drank the cup of wrath as our substitute.

Matthew 26:39 ESV

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:42 ESV

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Matthew 26:42

So when we repent and believe what Christ has done for us, he becomes our substitute. The oppressor or the Babylonian was putting trust in other things, which will mean they will have to drink the cup of God’s wrath.

,

So when we repent and believe what Christ has done for us, he becomes our substitute. The oppressor or the Babylonian was putting trust in other things, which will mean they will have to drink the cup of God’s wrath.

show your uncircumcision! The verb translated “show your uncircumcision” might also be translated “be reckoned as uncircumcised”; oppressors among the covenant community will be considered no longer a part of it. God, the one who holds the true cup of shame, will bring it upon them as an exact retribution for their crime.

The verb translated “show your uncircumcision” might also be translated “be reckoned as uncircumcised”; oppressors among the covenant community will be considered no longer a part of it. Yahweh, the one who holds the true cup of shame, will bring it upon them as an exact retribution for their crime.

Firth, D. G. (2018). Habakkuk. In I. M. Duguid, J. M. Hamilton Jr., & J. Sklar (Eds.), Daniel–Malachi (Vol. VII, p. 550). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Matthew 26:39

Vs. 17 The violence done to Lebanon. What did Babylon do? Babylon used the famous cedars of Lebanon for its massive building projects. . Over cutting and over hunting decimated the land. You need to see that God has a concern to how his creation is treated.

Application: Now that a person has looked for security in things and being disappointed there, the person that has rejected God turns to personal relationships

Translation:

Not being faithful leads to idolatry

Verses 19 to 20 All of this is found in rejecting God and trying to find joy in something else.

Vs. 20 Temple Literally: Palace. This is the heavenly sanctuary of the Lord, the Great King, who rules His world.

Vs. 19 Why not worship things? 3 reasons:

What profit is an idol. Or better, who can trust an idol. Trust is an important part of the Old Testament. It shows shows what should be an important part in someones life. We are called to trust God alone, the one who is in his temple.

Human beings can make things of wood and stone, but the Lord God can make human beings. Why not worship him? We so tempted to worship possessions, things made with our own hands.

a teacher of lies They teach nothing but lies. The can’t hear our prayers and they can’t respons. They do nothing. There’s a false hope.

Third, making an idol means that the worshiper has made a god in his own image. But the worshiper of the Lord God has been created in the image of God. Worshiping an idol or image means that our god always will be too small because it will conform to our own image.

Fourth, the idol cannot speak or give guidance. Why should anyone cry out to that which is dumb? The idol cannot answer; it cannot save. The final word used for “idols” in the verse (ʾĕlîlîm) is a word meaning “nonentity” or “a nobody.” The idols were “nothings.” They could not speak, hear, guide, or save. Who, in his right mind, could worship an idol?

Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, p. 348). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Trust is talking about what we rely on. What we get our protection from. If we stand or fall depends on what we rely on. God calls his people to trust in him at all times. To live by faith. We all trust, but it it often in the wrong things: wealth (; ); important people (; cp. ); military fortifications (; ); beauty (); in personal abilities (; )

Application: Ultimately, this all this is rooted in a rejection of God. When I don’t believe that God is better than what life has to offer, I’ve substituted God for the creation. Creation that I have made.

riches (; ); important people (; cp. ); military fortifications (; ); beauty (); in personal abilities (; ). One can even trust in evil (). “The logic of biblical monotheism requires that all these things be used in the service of God and not set up as alternatives to him.”

Application: The trust that God calls us to is not an illusion, it’s not a spiritual high. It relates to life crises. Trust in God wipes away all fear (, ; ; ) because he is our hope of salavation. Habakkuk is mocking the Babulonians for thier worship of idols and the people of Judag for wanting to be like them.

Vs. 20 Temple Literally: Palace. This is the heavenly sanctuary of the Lord, the Great King, who rules His world.

What a contrast! The idol sits where it is put without the ability to hear or to respond, but the Lord resides by his almighty power in his holy temple ready to respond to the needs of his people.

The New American Commentary: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah 5. Woe to the Maker of an Idol (2:18–20)

What a contrast! The idol sits where it is put without the ability to hear or to respond, but the Lord resides by his almighty power in his holy temple ready to respond to the needs of his people.

Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, p. 349). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Let all the earth keep silence. Major contrast between the idols that are silent and the living God where all other must keep silence. All these woes come to this point that there is nothing that you can compare God to.

GOSPEL MOVEMENT It’s all rooted in Christ. You wonder why the world is the way it is. You wonder why your life is the way it is? It’s because of unfaithfulness. There, I said it. The World’s brokenness, your brokenness, are all symptoms of our a greater need, that our greatest need is the need of a saviour.

Jesus is the one who saves. As the Bible says, Christ died for our sins and rose again. Jesus is the one who only can save. He satisfies our greatest need and brings us life. When we try to find cheap substitutes of that, it leads to death.

SO WHAT

There are consequences to not living by faith. We trust ourselves, but we are not adequate for the trust. So, finding no help in ourselves and rejecting God, we turn to other things.

God created us for his glory, and when we reject that, nothings will fill that purpose.

The way of the righteous is the way of faith in God. The way of the wicked is the way of drawing back from faith in God. The first submits to God and trust God. The second submits to no one. The person who chooses the second way is arrogant. He says, “I don’t need religion. I can take care of myself. I can do without God.” \

The New Testament uses Habakkuk to teach that we are saved by God’s grace through faith (; ), it is this that the christians lives by faith ()

BI: It's through faith we see that God is better than what life has to offer and what death can take away.

The last verse of the chapter serves as a fitting conclusion to the final woe as well as a conclusion to the entire series of woes. They point back to a prophet making demands of God, asking questions of God, and retreating to his watchtower to wait for God’s answers, impatient at God’s silence. Now the prophet hushes himself and all the world, he is willing to let God act in God’s time and willing to wait for God to open his mouth when God chooses. This final verse of the chapter points you and me to the holy God enthroned in his holy temple and prepares the reader for the prayer of Habakkuk in chap. 3. It will be there that “Finally, God’s holiness will be vindicated, and the prophet was able to reconcile his theology with God’s actions. “Despite how things look, it may look like God is silent, he still remains with them; he has not lost control of their destiny. We are called to wait upon him in the awed silence that is often the most appropriate expression of true worship.

Barker, K. L. (1999). Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Vol. 20, p. 349). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

BI: It's through faith we see that God is better than what life has to offer and what death can take away.

Reflection

What idols do people worship today? In what ways are they powerless and foolish compared to God?

Redmond, Eric. Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) . B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

What does Habakkuk teach us about the gospel in chapters 1 and 2?

What does God reveal to Habakkuk (and us) about Himself in chapters 1 and 2?

Redmond, Eric. Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) . B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.