Habakkuk 2 - The Righteous will live by Faith.

Last week we learned about doubt. Habakkuk asked God some very important questions regarding His own pure character. After Habakkuk’s last question “How long will You permit them to take and do what they want?

Habakkuk 2:1-3: The Faithful Guard.

“I will stand on my guard post. And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.”

Anyone know what a guard does? They protect right! In order for a guard to protect he has to pay attention. He watches. He observes; with his eyes and ears. About a month or so ago Angie and I were at the Rockin Rail Fest. I was walking around and I saw a few guards. They were actually police officers. And they were positioned on the roofs of some of the businesses. They were keeping an eye on everything waiting for action so that they could protect those that were at the fest.

Habakkuk is no different; like a faithful guard or policeman he is going to position himself in order to hear the response from God.

1. Why is God’s response so important?

Because what God is going to say is critically important to the faithful remnant in Judah. Habakkuk also knows that God’s response to him will be a correction against the prophet's bold questions; and he will need to reply back for His bold speech.

Then Yahweh answers.

“Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.”

This vision must be important because God commanded Habakkuk to write it down. When I read this it reminded me of when God gave Moses commandments to inscribe on stone.

Deuteronomy 27:8–9 NASB95

“You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly.” Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for the Lord your God.

The commandments were for many reasons, but the highlight was that they were to signify that they belonged to God. The purpose is the same here in Habakkuk! The one who reads the vision [faithful Jews] will naturally want to run not walk! and proclaim the good news [bad new for non-believers] of the vision from God.

Romans 10:15 NASB95

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

The good news is God’s plan of saving the faithful; is already set in motion for a specific time; and purpose. And because it comes from the mouth of God it will not fail. God’s plan of deliverance will be in His time, which means that those that are loyal must continue to trust Him; but rest assured it will come and will not take any longer than what He has permitted.

Ezekiel 12:25 NASB95

“For I the Lord will speak, and whatever word I speak will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it,” declares the Lord God.’ ”

HOW EXCITING!

The faithful in Judah were burdened by their own people.

Then they are going to be removed from their land because of their own people, and by a godless nation.

Now, they will be saved by God because of His faithfulness to those who love and trust Him.

Habakkuk 2:4-5: The Good News.

“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. “Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.”

[God addresses Babylon]And this is the bad news for “the proud one”, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. His power is his god. He is unrighteous. He is in the exact opposite condition of those that have been loyal to Yahweh. Unlike the proud one, “the righteous will live by his faith”. What does that mean? That means that those who have faith in God live according to God’s standard of righteousness - their attitude is up right and just.

Romans 1:17 NASB95

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

2. What is the righteousness of God? God’s moral standard of living.

God’s moral excellence prompts Him to do all that He does including judging sin. And it prompts Him to redeem those who love Him and Christ. Faith is what will enable the faithful Jews to endure affliction, injustice, brutality and violence.

Unlike the proud Babylonians, who do not understand righteousness, or faith - they don’t even understand the effects of too much wine. They indulge too much and become increasingly unsatisfied. Just like death is never satisfied; Babylon gathers and collects captives - not realizing they will be next.

So this is what life looks like living in the world - lets see if you can notice any differences from our world today. God now clearly explains Babylon's five offenses which paint a picture of their unrighteousness.

Habakkuk 2:6-8; First Woe; Oppressive Financial Practices.

“Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Even mockery and insinuations against him And say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his— For how long— And makes himself rich with loans?’ “Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. “Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you— Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.”

This first “Woe” is a warning and judgement!

God is declaring punishment on Babylon for their financial oppression towards Judah.

Greed has taken over their hearts.

Raised taxes and forced loans on Judah [and other nations] in order to become rich.

Instead of financially helping others - He helped them take out loans, with high interest rates.

3. Sound familiar? Where can you see financial oppression this in our world?

Rest assured, God will take away what they have stolen.

Those that they have hurt and taken from will rise up against them.

All those that you have looted and stole from; they will steal from you.

Your reap what you sow.

Habakkuk 2:9-11; Second Woe; Unjust Gain

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high, To be delivered from the hand of calamity! “You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself. “Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, And the rafter will answer it from the framework”

This second warning is about unjust gain. Unjust gain is when someone takes something without asking or by force.

Took unjustly [money/property] to build homes away from trouble.

Giving them false comfort. Thinking they would be safe and comfortable away from threats.

They built these homes away from people so they don’t have to be bothered by their needs.

Even the stones and rafters of the house that were unjustly acquired pay will cry out in judgement against Babylon.

Jeremiah 49:16 (NASB95)

“As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” declares the Lord.

And in doing so they are cutting off those in need. God say’s here in essence they are sinning and hurting themselves. When you go against God you are not living a righteous life.

4. Sound familiar? Where can you see unjust gain in our world?

Habakkuk 2:12-14; Third Woe; Brutality

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed And founds a town with violence! “Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts That peoples toil for fire, And nations grow weary for nothing? “For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

Chaldean’s have established their city by violence. Little do they know that all that violence, time and energy is all pointless.

5. Why is it pointless to achieve anything with a godless motive?

Jeremiah 51:58 NASB95

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed And her high gates will be set on fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted only for fire.”

With all their evil gain - their empire will ultimately burn.

And Instead of nations seeing how powerful Babylon thinks they are - God’s glory will be seen when He will restore all of Israel.

At that point the whole earth will hear and know who God is. This also points to the ultimate salvation through Christ.

Habakkuk 2:15-17; Fourth Woe; Inhumanity to neighbors and surrounding nations.

“Woe to you who make your neighbors drink,Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness! “You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory. “For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, And the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants.”

The last six of the ten commandments have to deal with relationships how we treat others. It is obvious that Babylon is doing the exact opposite here.

Taking advantage people for sexual gain, and encouraging them to have the same intoxicating desires, while planning to expose them to loss and shame.

Resulting in people letting their guard down, and literally exposing them.

3. They think what their doing glorifies them but it just shows their shameful behavior. vs glory

6. Does this sound familiar? Where in society do you see people being taken advantage for sexual gain?

But God says drink up Babylon because you are only exposing that you are godless and are headed to hey will indeed drink and expose that they are the uncircumcised - pagan drink from the cup of the wrath of God.

Jeremiah 25:15 NASB95

For thus the Lord, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

The wrath of God will cover the proud in disgrace for all the violence that was done to God’s faithful.

Habakkuk 2:18-20; Fifth Woe; Idols.

“What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it,Or an image, a teacher of falsehood?For its maker trusts in his own handiwork When he fashions speechless idols. “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’And that is your teacher?Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,And there is no breath at all inside it.“But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

If that isn't enough we come to idols.

7. What is an idol?

God’s question and explanation seem pretty logical! What purpose is their in worshipping something that is powerless, other than the fact that is produces a lie. The maker trusts in his own wisdom when he makes it. Let he be judged who talks to a piece of wood! or to a rock! What foolishness is this?

Psalm 115:8 NASB95

Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.

But the living God is in His temple! He is to be worshipped. He reigns in heaven and fulls heaven; over seeing everything!

How do we deal with life in the real world?

The faithful will so be living in a faithless environment. They will undergo more trials and suffering for 70 years. They will be able to read God’s redemptive words for strength. What else can they do?

8. What can we learn from God’s response?

God will save those who are faithful to Him.

Psalm 91:14 NASB95

“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

You are loved.

2. In times of suffering we are being matured.

James 1:2–4 NASB95

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

You are a saint becoming more like Jesus.

3. In times of suffering Christ gives us strength.

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

You are an overcomer.

9. How can we put these 3 truths into practice in our everyday lives?