Prophecy of Habakkuk and Chapter 2. Habakkuk Chapter 2 and we're going to read the whole chapter together this evening. Habakkuk Chapter 2. Habakkuk 2, beginning at verse 1. Again, this is the inerrant, infallible, holy Word of God. I will take my stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me, Write the vision Make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time. It hastens to the end. It will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. It will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright within him. but the righteous shall live by his faith. Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol. Like death, he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples. Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own! For how long? And loads himself with pledges. Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoiled for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you. For the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. War to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be saved from the reach of harm. You have devised shame for your house, By cutting off many peoples, you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. Woe to him who builds a tower with blood and founds a city on iniquity. Behold, it is not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Water him who makes his neighbours drink. You pour out your wrath 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 in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory. The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them. For the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake! to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. Amen. And again, this is God's Word. The cry of woe, or alas, in the ancient world was originally used and associated with a funeral. It was followed by the name of the one who had died. Woe, and then the name of the deceased. It was an expression of grief felt at the loss of a loved one. Now, the prophets of Holy Scripture take up this rhetorical device, this woe, this expression, often in the Scriptures. But when they do so, they use it in a different way. The prophets linked the cry of war with a description of the behavior of those who were still alive, not associating it with those who had died. In this way, it was a very vivid way of pressing home how reprehensible was the conduct of these people who still lived in the sight of God. It was an announcement of God's impending judgment on them. As far as God was concerned, they already were as good as dead, because God had given His verdict against them in their sin and rebellion. And therefore, truly, war was to them for their rebellion against the God of heaven. Now, this five-fold war that we read of here in Habakkuk 2 from verse 60 through 20 foretells the coming doom of the Babylonian Empire. It's as a consequence of their cruel and unprincipled conduct. Babylon will have her due desserts and her downfall will be as extensive as the proud empire she had managed to build. She had rebelled against the God of heaven. She had made these things in her own image, in her own pride. And now God was going to come and deal with Babylon. So, war to her. War to her. War to her. Five times the prophet says. Now these five wars continue the portrayal of the arrogant oppressor that we read of in verses four and five that we considered last week. But the use of general descriptions here probably invites us to go further than seeing them as simply addressed to Babylon, ancient Babylon of so many centuries ago. Neither are they addressed simply to some other specific individual. Perhaps the king of Babylon, as so many think. Rather, these wars ought to be thought of in a general way. Yes, against Babylon. Yes, against specifically the king of Babylon. But also to all who are like these Babylonians in their conduct. Because they are a warning a warning to all who walk in these ways. And the warning in God's Word is still in effect, even today. War, war, war, if you live in this way. You see, rebellion against the God of heaven is not just a matter of ancient history. As we have been studying the book of Habakkuk, perhaps, as I've said before, we do find it difficult to connect with this book because it was written so long ago, about events so long ago. But you see, its message is as relevant to us today as it was then. Rebellion is still in the heart of all men by nature against God. It's not just a matter of Babylonian empire building. It still characterizes the human race. And the consequences of it remain what they have always been, the judgment of a holy God. So, how might we summarize these verses which are before us, these five wars? Well, we can do so in this way. Habakkuk 2, 6 through 20 contains a series of five mocking statements which express the righteous recompense that is sure to come on the proud and boastful." Let me repeat that for you. Habakkuk 2, 6-20 contains a series of five mocking statements, which express the righteous recompense that is sure to come on the proud and boastful. Well, as we seek to think about that summary, we're going to do so under five headings. The five headings seek to summarize each of these wars in terms of the behavior or the characteristic of these Babylonians that it was designed to address. So first of all, we think of an indiscriminate plunderer. Secondly, an aggressive empire builder. Thirdly, a merciless slave driver. Fourthly, an exploiting debaucher. And then lastly, an obstinate idolater. So, an indiscriminate plunderer, an aggressive empire builder, a merciless slave driver, an exploiting debaucher, and an obstinate idolater." So, first of all then, an indiscriminate plunderer, verses 6 through 8. Babylon had become an extensive empire. They had spread across the face of the earth. And what was characteristic of their conquest was they plundered wherever they went. They took of the wealth of those that they conquered and took it for themselves. But God says a time is coming when the nations who had been plundered by these Babylonians will not just mock Babylon itself, but they will do so by specifically using Babylon as an example for what happens to those who have no respect for God or for their fellow man. Yes, for a season God had permitted them, granted them to have military superiority over the greater part of the known world as it then was. With that, they abused the nations. They plundered them. But God says this is not to continue. Shall not," verse 4, "'these take up their taunt against him?' The day is coming when you may have taunted others by taking all of their wealth and goods and possessions, but they will rise up and taunt you, Babylon, and in such a way that you will become a byword for all in the future as to what happens to those who defy the God of heaven." As I've said, the Babylonian armies looted their conquered territories. They seized whatever they want and took it back to their homeland in Mesopotamia, as we read in verse 6. But God says, your wealth is polluted. It will become a burden to you. You will not prosper ultimately from it because it is not really or rightfully yours. It's a heap of goods that you've taken on pledge But the day will come when those to whom it belongs will reclaim it. They are its rightful owners. That day will surely come. The nations here are also viewed in this section as creditors. Now, they've been forced to give the Babylonian a loan. They didn't do so willingly. They came and they took. In the language of commerce, they had to give this loan to the Babylonians. But the day is going to come when these people will be unable to demand the return of that loan. The creditor will come and he will demand what is rightfully his. Then Babylon will not be able to compensate the nations as they would have to do when they demand a day of reckoning. They would be overrun. They would be conquered. they would not simply be able to discharge the debts which they had taken. Notice here the justice of retribution, particularly in verse 8. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you for the blood of man and the violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. Retribution here emphasized by repetition. You remember the Hebrew language often uses repetition for emphasis. This is the way Hebrew puts bold type, as it were, into the text for us, underlines it. You plundered, you will be plundered. God is going to come in retributive justice to these Babylonians. The empire that's established itself by brute force will be overthrown by the very same means that they have used to establish their prosperity. You plundered others, they are going to plunder you. Well, what does this tell us? Well, one thing it stresses for us here is the reciprocal characteristic of punishment that is brought on those who plunder others, who defy the God of heaven, who rebel against Him. Now, many think that that is simply an idea in the Old Testament. They point to the book of Habakkuk and many other Old Testament books and say, well, that is how God dealt with sinners in the Old Testament. He brought His retributive justice, recompense. But it's not the same in the New Testament. That's done away with in Jesus Christ. There is no sense of coming judgment and punishment for those who behave in such a way. Well, is that so? Turn for a moment to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verses 6-8. Remember, we have said time and time again, the picture of judgment in Habakkuk is a foreshadowing of the great judgment that will come. And here Paul speaks of that in 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 6-8. And notice the character of this last great final judgment. 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 6. God considers it just to repair with affliction those who afflict you and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Here are the words of Holy Scripture in the New Testament. God will bring retributive judgment against all men in that last grace judgment. This is not simply something that's characteristic of the Old Testament. It's in the New Testament too. God will judge and will bring men's sins upon their heads in righteous condemnation. Secondly, we come to an aggressive empire builder, verses 9 through 11. The second woe here focuses more on what the Babylonians were doing with the plunder that they had taken from others. It's described here as gain, as evil gain that they used for their own benefit. Verse 9, Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high to be safe from the reach of harm. Now, gain, generally speaking, may be used in a very neutral sense. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. The Scriptures do not condemn gain in and of itself. But very often, it is presented negatively in the Scriptures, as it is here. And that is because it wants to highlight the fact that gain can so easily get hold of the human hearts. Because the human heart is corrupted. It's sinful. then gain very quickly can move from something that is neutral, something that can be good in terms of a earned reward for honest labor, to something that is gotten by evil and immoral and unlawful means. Notice what it says about this person here. generally in terms of Babylon, but also applying to all who walk in their ways, remember. Here in verse 9, they get evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high to be safe from the reach of harm. Now, to set one's nest on high is a picture, a figure of speech for security, for securing oneself and one's property from any attack. Literally, the kingdom of Edom did that. Remember, their kingdom was in the mountains. They built their cities high in the hills so they might not be easily attacked. Now, as far as the Babylonians was concerned, of course, this was not literally possible for them. Babylon was on a plain. It wasn't in the mountains. But nevertheless, that same proud spirit of self-confidence was characteristic of how the Babylonians constructed their city. even in the plain of Shinar. Now, it's true, the Babylonians knew they'd made many enemies by their conquests. They knew that if the people had the opportunity, they would come seeking retribution. But they believed they'd made adequate preparations to deal with any rebellion. They had made their nest on high. Who could attack them? They were safe. They were secure. Of course, they did it by deporting many of the peoples to Babylon. They did not allow them to stay in their own country to organize a rebellion against Babylon. Conquered nations were uprooted from their home territory. They were caused to lose a sense of any national identity. They were scattered throughout the empire as a slave workforce, simply existing to promote the economic prosperity of Babylon. But in so doing, these Babylonian rulers were unaware that they were shaming their own house, God says here, and they would by so doing forfeit their own lives. Yes, they might have the power for time being to do these things. Yes, they may think they're secure in this world. Who could assail them? But God says He is coming and they would be cast down. It reminds us that when any country, any institution, any enterprise is built on an improper foundation, no matter what success it achieves, initially or for a while, it may seem to be built on high. Who could assail it? But it inevitably falls. And those flaws will not remain hidden, as we see in the verses 10 and 11. They will be seen, and they will ultimately cause their downfall. Well, again, brethren, we may think we're not responsible for some great and mighty empire, so what has this got to say to us? Well, it refers to us in this sense. Of course, here it's referring primarily to these great empire ambitions of the Babylonians, to their great desire to pass on this mighty empire to dynasty after dynasty after dynasty. But it also can be applied to individuals, even individuals such as us. Yes, it might refer to the conduct of kings and officials, But it can apply even to quite ordinary folk like us. You see, we too have things in this world, do we not? Okay, we may not have the wealth of the Babylonian Empire. We may not be as Nebuchadnezzar, remember, who walked on his palace out and saw, is not all this that I have built? But sometimes we still say the same thing as our hearts of the things that we have. Is not all this mine that I have gained? Are we not too, as sinful human beings, in danger of gaining evil gain? Of doing whatever it takes to get what our heart desires? To be able to cross whatever lines? To exploit situations for our own benefit? Even if we have gained it all by legitimate means? To pile it up? To build our nest on high thinking it's unassailable? have not many in the world suddenly found in recent days that their nest is perhaps not as high as they thought. They might have invested it wisely, they thought, that they were secure financially. But when God comes, how so quickly that nest can be brought down no matter how high it is seemingly built. The Lord brought down the mountain kingdom of Edom. He brought down the mighty kingdom of Babylon. However we are, He can simply blow on our nest and it will be gone. We cannot guarantee our own security. You see, no matter how much we are granted abilities by God's common grace to work in this world and to prosper by it, if by that we simply are building our own nest on high, God will come in judgment and we will not stand. Thirdly, we come to a merciless slave driver, verses 12 through 14. Now any major building project in the ancient world required a huge workforce. There were no massive machineries for construction in those days, although they knew a great deal about engineering and the physics of construction. But of course, the majority of the work was done by slaves and by the brute strength of human beings. It was done by obtaining and conscripting a forced labor workforce. The conditions were harsh. Little concern was shown for the welfare and safety of those involved. They were only useful whilst they were healthy and could continue to work. If not, then they were dispensable. not even thought of as human beings. And so the lives of those who were transported to Babylon to help realize Nebuchadnezzar's and other of the great king's great building plans were really thought of as no significance apart from the fact that they were this slave labor force. But again, God says a day of reckoning is coming if you think of people in that way. And so this third war is presented in terms of the purposes and control of God. Yes, men may think of men in this way, that they're simply at His disposal. He can move populations from here to there to build His great palaces and His great cities. But God says, verse 13, you are not the one who's ultimately in control. Verse 13, Behold, Is it not from the Lord, of course, that peoples labour merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? You see, in His control of events on the earth, God has structured human history in a way that works out His purposes. And men are not simply free to do as they please, to forward their own agendas in defiance of God's plan and purposes. in the rise and fall of all of the flow of history. There will come along other superpowers, whoever is in charge at the point in time. And again, we simply have to survey history to see that. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. Not just in biblical ancient times, but it continues to be the case. We think about our own times. Think about the times of our parents, our grandparents. Again, we see there are times when God permits a nation to rise and rule, and then they are brought down. They're not permitted simply to do as they please and to forward their own agendas. Well, why is this? It's because human empire building in and of itself is designed to glorify man and denies God the glory. But those empires built by man are empty achievements as far as God is concerned. In the divine purpose, man glorifying in his own strength, in his own achievements, in defiance of God, is intolerable. The Word of God reminds us that God will not share His glory with another. He will not allow man to set himself up in the place of God. and give the glory that is due to God alone to Himself. Therefore, God says He will not yield His glory to another. Therefore, the days of these empires in His time and purpose will be brought to an end. This is a great comfort, brethren, to a believer, isn't it? In light of the all-encompassing purpose of God, then for the prophets, and for us here too with Him this evening, we can find comfort and we can find strength to face the difficulties that may be around us. Because God is determined to exhibit His glory and ensure that all that is contrary to Him and that would militate against the glory of God will be judged and will be brought down We see that in the fall of tyrants in history throughout its course, do we not? They arise and they fall. For a time they may seem unassailable. How is this ever going to come to an end? They seem to have power that no one can resist. But when God determines, they fall. Even Babylon the Great, quickly, overnight, Babylon fell when God so determined. And so the fall of tyrants in the past encourages us to await the final overthrow that Babylon represents. Remember the picture of Babylon is taken up in the New Testament to represent all that would oppose God and His Christ and His Church. And in the same way that Babylon of old and ancient times fell, Babylon representing all of the enemies of God will fall. We may come to days of difficulty as believers, days when we find ourselves persecuted by godless tyrants. And we may cry out, how long, O Lord, is the prophet dead? But the courage and encouragement and comfort is here. God is in control. He will not share His glory with another. He will not permit these merciless slave drivers who build their empire to ultimately and finally exploit others for their own gain. Well, fourthly, we come to an exploiting debaucher, verses 15 and 17. The theme of this fourth war was the debasing treatment that the Babylonians inflicted on the peoples they conquered. It's pictured here in terms of someone who deliberately gets his neighbor drunk so he can take advantage of him. Now again, our natural sense of right and justice knows that that is a wrong thing to do. To so get someone inebriated by alcohol that they don't know what they're doing and so you can take advantage of them. But this is the picture of what these Babylonians were doing with these conquered nations. In particular, it points to the psychological techniques they employed to keep conquered peoples under their power. They sought to bring them and to make them submissive by subjecting them to indignities and stripping them of all sense of self-respect as men and women made in the image of God. But God says the tables are going to be turned. And as you have treated others, subjecting them to great indignity, God will do the same to you. The picture is in term of a cup. And the picture here in God's judgment is the cup of God's judgment. It's in His right hand of power. And He's going to bring this cup to the Babylonians and say, whether you want to or not, you are going to be forced to drink. And you will be exposed to indignity. And you will suffer the wrath of God for all that you have inflicted on others. You will experience shame. You will experience disgrace. That which you brought on others by lording it over them, you yourself, will experience. And then finally we come to an obstinate idolater, verses 18 through 20. Now this fifth war has a slightly different structure from the others. I don't know whether you noticed that as we read through it. It does not begin war. The war is actually part way through the section. Because it begins with the grounds on which the previous threatenings had been made. Why is this coming on these Babylonians? It's because of the fundamental reason that they refused to accept the Lord as their God and as their rightful ruler over them. They had rebelled. They resisted. They thought they were God. and that He was not. Because of this, God is coming. And so, we read what prophet is an idol. Verse 18, when its maker has shaped it. A metal image, a teacher of lies. For its maker trusts in His own creation when He makes speechless idols woe to Him. As it then goes on about a wooden thing and so forth. Because no matter what a man may think, that He Himself is God in His own eyes. We read, the Lord is in His holy temple. The psalmist says the same thing. Psalm 11, verse 4. The Lord is in His holy temple. The Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes see. His eyelids test the children of man. It is, of course, in Psalm 2 verses 4 through 6 from heaven that the Lord scoffs. That's why we summarize these wars as mocking statements. The opposition of men is what? To the God of heaven. Futile, isn't it? That's why the psalmist says in Psalm 2 that when the Lord sees the rebellion of men, the nations in wrath and in uprise against God and His Holy One, What does God do? Is God perturbed by Babylon? No, He laughs, the scripture says. He laughs at puny men who think they can shake their fist at heaven. God says, I have installed my king on the holy hill of Zion. It's not you, Nebuchadnezzar, who have installed yourself. I have installed my holy king, the Christ, the Anointed Holy One, and He is the One who is King, no matter what you think. Therefore, because of this, the Lord says, let all the earth keep silence before Him. They should wait submissively for this Divine Ruler to declare His will. They are the ones who are to be silent as an expression of their reverential awe before the God of heaven. Notice that this is applied to all the earth. It's not just something that Judah has to do. All are brought within the scope of this. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. He's God of heaven and of earth of all peoples, including these Babylonians. If the whole earth has to wait in this way, then what will be the fate of these Babylonians who continue in their opposition, in their rebellion against this God when He comes to judge the earth? Well, as we seek to come to a close this evening, let me bring to you one last application. The pronouncement of war against the foreign nations, we often read of them in the Scriptures, is done in such circumstances to assure the Lord's people that God's judgment is impending upon His enemies and their enemies, and to encourage them to remain loyal to the Lord their God. Again, we now make, as it were, the historical transition from Babylon of ancient times to our own day. There are still many who oppose God. who are in uproar against the Lord and His Christ, who wish to persecute the Church, who wish to oppose the Gospel. What is God doing about that? Often to us we wonder, for we do not see Him immediately acting. These men are able to go on with their opposition, their folly, their pride. They may do some or all of these things that have been condemned in these five wars. When will God come? In His own time He will. Remember last week we are told to wait, to be patient, but never to be despondent or to be deceived. It will come. Whoever you are this evening, it will come. If you are not one of God's people, that will be an awful day for you. Again, let me remind you, God is not mocked. The New Testament Scriptures tell us, doesn't it, that a man will reap what he sows. Babylon did. You will too. You may say, well, I've not done to the same extent these things that are described here. And by God's common grace, you may have been restrained from that. You ought to be thankful. But you will still not escape the judgment of your sins. God is coming. And in the same way, He says, woe to Babylon. He says, woe to you if you are outside of the Saviour Jesus Christ on that day. Remember what Paul said in 2 Thessalonians, the Lord is coming. He's coming with His holy angels. He will afflict those who have afflicted His people. who have opposed the message of the gospel, afflict, justice, retribution. What are we to do in the light of such things? We are to flee to God in mercy, for mercy and for grace. We are thankful that we are not left in our sins. that God has not handed all men over to just condemnation, but that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, that He might save men from such wrath that is coming. And for those of us who know the Lord Jesus, whose eyes have been opened to see the reality of what God's Word says, and been enabled by faith to embrace the Saviour, Let us stand firm. Let us never be shaken from our conviction that God is in His holy temple. Therefore, let all the earth keep silence.