Today in God's Word—December 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
December 11, Habakkuk 2
"Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith." - Habakkuk 2:4
There are only two ways to live our lives. This text and this chapter contrast those two ways. The two ways of living are rooted in each person's decision about who or what they are going to trust. You and I will either put our trust in God, or we will disregard God and put our trust in ourselves or something else we make our god.
Habakkuk is a good model of what living by trusting faith in God is all about. He was confident of God's sovereign power and faithfulness. But even with that confidence, he still had questions, and he asked God about them. In Chapter 1, he asked how God could put up with the people of Judah whose wickedness was an affront to the Lord's holiness. When God told him the Babylonians were coming to punish Judah, Habakkuk wondered and asked how a righteous God could use people more wicked than Judah to punish Judah. But after voicing his questions, Habakkuk began this chapter with a description of what to do when we're trying to trust God and live by our faith.
Habakkuk said he would take his stand at his watchpost and station himself on the lookout tower, and wait from an answer from God. When he heard from God as he trusted he would, he would then decide how to respond to what God told him. The LORD did answer Habakkuk, and told him to write the answer down so others could hear it and learn from it. God's word is certain and sure. What he says will surely come to pass. If we trust that basic idea about God and his word, it will shape our lives in a very different way from the way the ungodly live their lives.
The woes against Babylon paint a clear picture of how a lack of trust shapes a life. Babylon exemplified all people who reject the knowledge of God, and put their trust in something or someone besides the Lord.
The first "Woe" addressed those who trusted their money and possessions. They have no regard for right or wrong and no respect for anyone who has something they want.
The second "Woe" is addressed to people who oppose and confiscate from others by cruelty and violence. This spirit is not only found in world-beating conquerors, but in all who abuse, torture and deceive others to take what they want from them. They have a hateful disregard for human life and the rights of others.
The third “Woe” is against people who deceive and exploit others to get what they want for themselves. God said such people were like those who would intoxicate their neighbor to take sexual advantage of them. That disgusting picture emphasizes the gross wickedness of all who use deceit and trickery to get what they want from others.
God also pronounced "Woe" on those who worshiped idols, and bowed down to images made by their own hands. When they get in trouble, they cry out to their idol gods who cannot see them, hear them or do anything to help them. That reminds me of the 450 false prophets that Elijah challenged to a contest on Mt. Carmel to show the people that The LORD God was the true and living God, and Baal and all other idols were worthless fakes.
In sharp contrast, the person who lives by his faith in God puts his trust in God who is enthroned in heaven. Instead of loud boasting and defiance like a rebel, the person who lives by faith stands in reverent, awestruck silence before his God.
You and I face the same decision today. In whom will we put our trust? If we trust ourselves and our stuff, we will experience the same woes. Will we submit in deep reverence for God's will that shapes our lives? Are we willing to trust him so completely that even when we have questions or do not understand, we will still wait for God, be loyal to him and trust him regardless? That's the kind of faith or faithfulness that leads to honor instead of shame, reward instead of ruin, and life instead of death.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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