Sermon Tone Analysis

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.

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.