Habakkuk
2 reminds me of warning signs. We all know a blinking yellow light
means we should slow down, because something dangerous is ahead. The
warning means we may not have time to stop if we aren’t cautious
now. In today’s chapter, God is responding to Habakkuk’s
question about why He allows evil to prosper. The Lord begins,
“Write down the revelation and
make it plain… so that a herald may run with it“.
This is the universal challenge that we all face. How do we express
our relationship with God in a way that can be easily given to those
that ask? We are also told that this revelation “awaits
an appointed time; it speaks of
the end and will
not prove false“. A cold day
in May does not invalidate the statement that summer will be hot. We
are given examples of rotten people that seem to triumph, but do not
worry, because summer is coming. First He identifies the proud, “the
enemy is puffed up“. He notes
how this often shows itself, “wine
betrays him… he is arrogant and never at rest“.
The danger of pride is that it blinds us to our vulnerabilities.
One minute after I believe I am beyond temptation, I will stumble.
And He links this to Greed because that same blindness causes us to
lose sight of others. At the extreme, greed “like
death is never satisfied“.
Friend, do you put stuff in front of people?
He
continues by linking greed and violence to pride through a series of
“woes”. It is extremely wise to plan for the future, but we must
be aware that accumulating wealth can cause us to look down on
others. Wealth is a common justification used to think we are better
than someone else. Unchecked power often leads to corruption. “Woe
to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by
extortion!” The more wealth
accumulated, the greater the need to protect your stuff. He warns,
“The peoples who are left will
plunder you… Then you will become their prey“.
Have you become possessed by your possessions?
There
is a human tendency to pull others into corruption to spread the
blame, “Woe to him who builds
his house by unjust gain“. A
singular profiteer will stand out, “The
stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will
echo it“. But God adds, “Woe
to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by
injustice!” It may be easier
to blend in, but it does not remove the underlying sin. Finally He
describes the last warning sign, “Woe
to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin
till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!”
Protecting the innocent should need no explanation. Power perverts,
and He adds, “You will be
filled with shame instead of glory“.
In the end, “The cup from the
Lord’s right hand is coming around to you“.
The chapter ends with a subtle jab at those who claim ignorance.
The proud surround themselves with “yes-men”. They “make
idols that cannot speak“. Is
there anyone in your life that forces you to consider your actions?
The chapter ends with a “whoa”, “The
Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him“.
In that moment, all of life will be a blur. Friend, please don’t
ignore the warning signs.