Habakkuk 1:11-The Babylonians Sweep Through Nation After Nation Conquering but Will Be Judged Because Their Military Power is Their God

Habakkuk 1:1 The following is the message which God revealed to Habakkuk the prophet: 1:2 How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, “Violence!” But you do not intervene! 1:3 Why do you force me to witness injustice? Why do you put up with wrongdoing? Destruction and violence confront me; conflict is present and one must endure strife. 1:4 For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted. 1:5 “Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned. 1:6 Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them.” 1:7 They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right. 1:8 Their horses are faster than leopards and more alert than wolves in the desert. Their horses gallop, their horses come a great distance; like a vulture they swoop down quickly to devour their prey. 1:9 All of them intend to do violence; every face is determined. They take prisoners as easily as one scoops up sand. 1:10 They mock kings and laugh at rulers. They laugh at every fortified city; they build siege ramps and capture them. 1:11 They sweep by like the wind and pass on. But the one who considers himself a god will be held guilty.” (NET)

Habakkuk 1:1 Indeed therefore, they characteristically sweep through like a destructive wind and then characteristically move on. However, they are guilty. Those whose own military power is their god. (My translation)

Habakkuk 1:11 completes a section which began in Habakkuk 1:5 and which section presents the God of Israel’s response to the prophet Habakkuk’s complaints which are recorded in Habakkuk 1:2-4.

In the latter, Habakkuk complains that the Lord had failed to judge the unrepentant, apostate individuals in the southern kingdom of Judah.

On the other hand, the latter asserts that the Lord will send the Babylonians as His instrument to judge these unrepentant, apostate individuals in the southern kingdom of Judah.

Habakkuk 1:11 contains four statements and thus four more descriptions of the Babylonians.

Now, here in Habakkuk 1:11, the first statement asserts the Babylonian army characteristically sweeps through a nation or kingdom like a destructive, high velocity wind and then moves on to another nation or kingdom to conquer and subjugate to themselves.

This assertion presents in an emphatic terms an inference from the previous descriptions of the Babylonian army in Habakkuk 1:6-10.

This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Babylonian army sweeping through like a destructive wind corresponds with the idea in verse 6 that their horses were faster than leopards and were fiercer than wolves.

This verse also describes their calvary as traveling great distances and swooping down swiftly like a vulture devouring its prey.

As we noted, the second statement in Habakkuk 1:11 is intimately connected to the first since it presents the next sequential event that takes place after the event described by the first.

This second statement asserts that the Babylonian army characteristically moves on to another geographical location to conquer and subjugate another nation or kingdom to itself after conquering a nation or kingdom.

The third and fourth statements in Habakkuk 1:11 are also intimately connected to each other since the fourth presents the reason for the third, which asserts that the Babylonians are guilty while the fourth is a relative pronoun clause which asserts that the Babylonians’ god is their own military power.

Therefore, these two statements assert that the Babylonians are guilty whose own military power is their god.

The obvious implication is that the Babylonians are guilty because their own military power is their god.

Together, they present a contrast with the preceding descriptions of the Babylonian army in Habakkuk 1:6-10 and the first one here in verse 11.

Therefore, the contrast is between the destructive military power of the Babylonians and God judging them because their awesome military power was their god.

Now, the Lord’s condemnation of the Babylonians here in Habakkuk 1:11 contradicts what history tells us about the Babylonians, namely, that they worshiped Marduk, who was a storm god and the patron god of Babylon who was head of the Mesopotamian gods.

The Mesopotamians regarded Marduk as the supreme god who was the absolute ruler of creation.

He was also consistently portrayed as a warrior god who led the Babylonians into battle.

Therefore, when they were victorious, they credited Marduk with their victory.

Thus, based on these factors, it would appear that the Lord’s condemnation of the Babylonians for worshipping their military power as a god, could very well be a veiled reference to the wordship of Marduk.

However, it would be best to take the Lord at His Word when condemning the Babylonians for worshipping their military power here in Habakkuk 1:11.

Though they did worship Marduk, the Lord is saying here in Habakkuk 1:11 that they actually were worshipping themselves by worshipping their own military prowess.

This interpretation is supported by Nebuchadnezzar’s statements in Daniel chapter 4, which reveals his great pride in his ability.

Daniel 4:28 Each and every detail took place for the benefit of Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 At the end of twelve months, he was walking about on the roof of the city of Babylon’s royal palace. 30 The king posed a rhetorical question to himself and said, “Is this not the great Babylon, which I myself have built her for a royal residence by means of my mighty military power as well as for the praise of my greatness?” (My translation)

The Babylonian empire was guilty in the judgment of the God of Israel because of their war crimes against other nations and kingdoms which violated His holy standards and in particular the Ten Commandments.

First of all they were guilty because they practiced idolatry in that they worshipped their military power rather than the God of Israel.

Secondly, they were guilty of murder in that they unjustifiably killed civilians as they conquered nations and subjugated them to themselves.

Thirdly, they were guilty of adultery in that they had sex with women who were the wives of the soldiers they had defeated in battle.

Fourth, they were guilty of covetousness in that they coveted the wives, wealth, and possessions of those whom they conquered.

So therefore, Habakkuk 1:6-11 asserts that the Lord would use the Babylonians to discipline the citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah who were living in unrepentant apostasy.

The God of Israel used the Babylonian Empire to discipline the kingdom of Judah and the inhabitants of her capital city of Jerusalem.

He also used Babylon to punish Edom as well as many of the nations in the Mediterranean region of the world in the sixth century B.C. according to Jeremiah 27.

However, Habakkuk 1:11 makes clear that the Lord would also eventually judge Babylon.

The Babylonian empire led by Nebuchadnezzar was serving God in that they were the instrument used to judge Judah and Jerusalem.

In Jeremiah 25:9, and 27:6, the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah describes Nebuchadnezzar as His servant because this king and his empire were the Lord’s instrument in judging Judah and Jerusalem.

God used Nebuchadnezzar to discipline the nation of Israel for their disobedience.

Jeremiah 25:1-11 also teaches that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because of their idolatry.

Also, a comparison of Leviticus 25:1-12, 26:32-35, 43, Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10 and 2 Chronicles 26:21 indicates that the Lord delivered Judah into Nebuchadnezzar’s power because they failed to respect the Sabbath Day and the sabbatic year in which every seventh year they were to let the land rest (cf. Jer. 27).

Therefore, contrary to how Habakkuk and this faithful remnant felt that the Lord appeared to be indifferent to the great apostasy in their nation, the Lord was in fact preparing the kingdom of Babylon to discipline the majority of the citizens of Judah for their apostasy.

Thus, long before Habakkuk issued his complaints recorded in Habakkuk 1:2-4 about the apostasy among his fellow citizens of the kingdom of Judah, the Lord was justifiably angry about this same thing.

The Lord had suffered long with these unrepentant citizens of Judah.

Their unrepentant sinful, ungodly conduct was repulsive to the His holy character.

To Habakkuk, and this faithful remnant in the nation, it appeared that the Lord was unconcerned about this situation, but in reality, His righteous indignation was about to be expressed in judgment against the southern kingdom as He makes clear in Habakkuk 1:5-11.