Reflections on Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 02 (Contemporary English Version)


1. While standing guard on the watchtower, I waited for the LORD's answer, before explaining the reason for my complaint.
   
2. Then the LORD told me: "I will give you my message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance.
   
3. At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting-- it will happen!
   
4. "I, the LORD, refuse to accept anyone who is proud. Only those who live by faith are acceptable to me."
   
5. Wine is treacherous, and arrogant people are never satisfied. They are no less greedy than death itself-- they open their mouths as wide as the world of the dead and swallow everyone.
   
6. But they will be mocked with these words: You're doomed! You stored up stolen goods and cheated others of what belonged to them.
   
7. But without warning, those you owe will demand payment. Then you will become a frightened victim.
   
8. You robbed cities and nations everywhere on earth and murdered their people. Now those who survived will be as cruel to you.
   
9. You're doomed! You made your family rich at the expense of others. You even said to yourself, "I'm above the law."
   
10. But you will bring shame on your family and ruin to yourself for what you did to others.
    
11. The very stones and wood in your home will testify against you.
    
12. You're doomed! You built a city on crime and violence.
    
13. But the LORD All-Powerful sends up in flames what nations and people work so hard to gain.
    
14. Just as water fills the sea, the land will be filled with people who know and honor the LORD.
    
15. You're doomed! You get your friends drunk, just to see them naked.
    
16. Now you will be disgraced instead of praised. The LORD will make you drunk, and when others see you naked, you will lose their respect.
    
17. You destroyed trees and animals on Mount Lebanon; you were ruthless to towns and people everywhere. Now you will be terrorized.
    
18. What is an idol worth? It's merely a false god. Why trust a speechless image made from wood or metal by human hands?
    
19. What can you learn from idols covered with silver or gold? They can't even breathe. Pity anyone who says to an idol of wood or stone, "Get up and do something!"
    
20. Let all the world be silent-- the LORD is present in his holy temple.
    

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In the first chapter of Habakkuk the prophet challenged God with questions. First, he was concerned about the violence and injustice going on in Israel. He wondered how long God would allow this to go on. God told him he had a plan to deal with it. His plan was to raise up Babylon to punish Israel. Habakkuk wasn't any more pleased with this answer than he was with the prospect of the evil in Israel not being addressed. Next he asked God why He would use a people to carry out His punishment who were more evil than the ones being punished. It is a question we would probably all wonder about.

Chapter 2 is God's response to this second question. Having raised the question in chapter 1, this second chapter opens with Habakkuk's statement that he will now stand guard awaiting God's answer and "what I should reply about my complaint." Then God answered telling Habakkuk to write down what God will show him so it might be easily read. Having him write it down suggests a certainty about the message, and this is further borne out in the next verse (v. 3) where God says, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late." God proceeds to tell of His charges against Babylon and of her coming destruction. So the progression goes like this: God will deal with the evil of His people Israel by using a people even more evil to punish them. Then He will destroy those who were His instrument of punishment for His people.

Does this make sense? It makes perfect sense to God, and after all, on whose standard is true justice based? If not on God's, then there is no objective standard. I do not claim to know the mind of God, but I can see an explanation to the above progression of punishment. Why would God want to use good people who are His faithful follows to carry out His judgment getting their hands bloody in the process and potentially perverting them. His plan for His followers is for them to be messengers of the Good News of God's salvation for all. Using them to also be instruments of punishment would go contrary to this greater purpose. Why not use those whose hands are already bloodied for this purpose? It would not be inciting them to do anything they are not already doing. And, would be a natural outflow of their evil ways.

Through the remainder of this chapter God outlines 5 woes against Babylon. Whether or not Habakkuk is yet satisfied with God using evil people to punish Israel, he can at least be satisfied that God is not rewarding this evil people by turning Israel over to them. He has a punishment in store for Babylon of which Habakkuk can be certain. The woes that God proclaims against Babylon are:

• Woe to him who amasses what is not his - Their wealth was based on the plunder of other nations.
  
• Woe to him who unjustly gains wealth for his house to place his nest on high - They sought to exalt themselves even above God.
  
• Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! - This is self explanatory.
  
• Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness! - Also self explanatory.
  
• Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! - This referred to their making of idols to worship, pointing out the obsurdness of making something from wood or stone and then expecting it to come to life.
  

Each of these woes is followed with a description of what will happen as a result. This last woe, however, is followed with the statement, "But the LORD is in His holy temple; let everyone on earth be silent in His presence." It contrasts the woe concerning dumb idols that are not alive and cannot hear nor speak. The idols can do nothing, but God is alive and in His holy temple and is to be reverenced. So, also, should Habakkuk reverence Him and get over his concern for God's justice.