Hab 2

So the prophet declares,

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, I will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved (Hab 2:1).

He knew that he had said too much, and yet, sometimes we don't understand God. And sometimes we say things in our emotional fervor, where we're sort of challenging God, and then all of a sudden, "Ooh I've gone too far. I'll just go to the tower and wait to see what God has to say to me in reproving me for the things that I've said." Go up in the tower and wait. "God, I cried unto You. I told You I didn't understand why You weren't working. You said You're working, and I wouldn't understand it, and God, I don't understand it. Why would You use the Babylonians? They're more evil than we are. I'm just gonna go and sit in the tower, and I'm gonna wait and see what You have to say." So the Lord answered in verse 2.

And he said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it (Hab 2:2).

Now notice, "he may run that readeth it," not that he that readeth it may run, but, "he may run that readeth it." That is, "Write the vision; make it plain so that when people read it, they will run to share it with others." For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie (Hab 2:3):

Now it's gonna happen; it's gonna happen in its appointed time.

and though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (Hab 2:3).

Now the vision for the appointed time is really looking down to the time of the coming of the Messiah. "And though it tarry," he said, "wait for it, because He will surely come and not tarry." The church has been waiting for Jesus to come for almost two thousand years of man's time.

But we have learned from Einstein that time is relative. That the faster you go, the more time slows down, until as you approach the speed of light, time almost stops. So that if some of you could be appointed as astronauts to travel in inner stellar space, and let us say that we were able to develop spaceships that could operate on the magnetic forces of the universe, and they could approach the speed of light and could travel, say, at 185,900 miles per second. You would get into one of these spaceships and you would take off for Alpha Centauri, the next closest star to our sun. Traveling at this speed, this phenomenal speed, in around five years you would be approaching the planetary system around Alpha Centauri.

Having entered that planetary system and flying by the various planets to determine the possibility that life forms might exist, you then turn your rocket ship back towards the solar system and the planet Earth. And another five years or so, you would be back on the earth landing somewhere upon the earth, Edwards Air Force Base. Though you had only been gone on your calendar in your spaceship on your little digital clocks and calendars in your spaceship, you'd only been gone on your calendar for ten years, by the time you got back to the earth, because of the relativity of time, you would be looking for familiar landmarks. You'd be looking for Edwards Air Force Base, but you probably would not find it. Because in the meantime, some three million years have transpired upon the earth. So you'd come back to an earth that is three million years older, where you yourself would only be ten years older. You'd find no trace of your wife, your family, or anybody else that was familiar to you. Now that's according to Einstein's theory of relativity of time.

Now, how fast Jesus left, I don't know. How fast He traveled. He said, "I'm coming quickly." Now the earth is transpired and gone through some two thousand revolutions around the sun since Jesus left. Though the earth is two thousand years older, of course, it is even ridiculous to speak of Jesus in the term of age, because He is from everlasting to everlasting. But in that time, a sense of relativity and so forth, if He, say, left at the speed of light and returns at the speed of light, and as the lightning shineth out of the east to the west, so is the coming of man, so He's coming like lightning. If He returns at the speed of light, you say, "Lord, what took You so long?" He said, "What do you mean? I've only been gone ten minutes."

Now the prophet is encouraging us to the faithfulness of God's Word and God's promise. "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Throughout the New Testament we are encouraged towards patience as we wait for the coming again of Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that in the last days scoffers would come and they would say, "Where is the promise of His coming? You say Jesus is coming again? Ah, go on. They've been saying that for years.

The early church, since our fathers have fallen asleep, all things continued as they were from the beginning." The Uniformitarian theory, "Everything is going on in a uniform pattern, nothing has changed. Since our fathers, all things going on as they were." But Peter said, "Of this they are willingly ignorant of, the flood that destroyed the people before, or the people in the time of Noah." The great error that is made by the revolutionary theory in the ignoring of the flood as a more plausible explanation of the geological column. But then Peter went on to say, relativity of time, "A day is as a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is as a day" (II Peter 3:8). Time is relative. We didn't need Einstein to tell us that, the Lord told us that before Einstein ever breathed his first breath.

But then Peter went on to say, "But God is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness, but He's faithful to us" (II Peter 3:9). Then he tells you the reason why he has tarried, "For God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9). Therefore, realize that the delay of the Lord is the salvation of the lost. It's for those who've not yet received God is so patient. James said, "Have patience brethren till the coming of the Lord, establish your souls, for the Husbandman is waiting for the complete fruit of harvest" (James 5:7-8). So we are exhorted to wait, but always being encouraged it's going to happen; surely it will come.

Behold, his soul which is lifted up [the Lord says] is not upright in him (Hab 2:4):

Again, this thing of pride, any man whose soul... of course, it was probably directed at Nebuchadnezzar who was the leader of Babylon when they conquered over the land and fulfilled this prophecy. Then old Nebuchadnezzar lifted up with pride, going around, parading around the city of Babylon, that fabulous city, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, enjoying these hanging gardens and all. The watchers watching from heaven gave a warning to him. He came to Daniel, and he said, "I had this weird dream, and I want you to tell me what it's all about. I saw this tree, it grew up and it was mighty, and all the birds were lodging in it, and then someone came and cut the tree down." He said, "I heard them say, 'Cut it down.' And the tree was cut to the ground, but then new branches began to grow out of the roots. What does it mean Daniel?"

He said, "Oh Nebuchadnezzar, it's a bad dream. Your enemies are gonna rejoice when they hear this, because you have become great; your kingdom is great and covering the earth, and all of the people have found refuge in your kingdom. But pride has lifted up in your heart, and the watchers from heaven, when they have seen that pride, they've ordered, 'Cut the tree down.' You're gonna be cut down, but yet you'll begin to grow again. Oh Nebuchadnezzar. Hey, man, take it easy. Walk softly before the Lord. Walk carefully; don't let this pride take over."

For about a year old Nebuchadnezzar walked softly. As he was walking in that city of Babylon looking around, he said, "Is this not the great Babylon that I have built?" The watchers from heaven said, "That's it, cut him down." He went insane. So here is sort of a little warning, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him."

Now Nebuchadnezzar, after this experience of insanity and living with the animals until seven seasons were passed over him, as again his mental faculties were restored to him, he made a very interesting proclamation in which he acknowledges much of what the Lord had already said. He declared in coming out of this mad state, "And at the end of the days," that is, of my madness, "I, Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes unto heaven, and my understanding returned to me. I became sane again, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All of the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He does according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say unto Him, 'What are You doing?' And at the same time my reason returned unto me, for the glory of my kingdom, and my honor, and my brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and my lords sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom. An excellent majesty was added to me, now I, Nebuchadnezzar praise, extol, and honor the King of heaven, whose works are truth, and His ways are judgment. And those," notice, "that walk in pride, He is able to abase" (Daniel 4:34-37).

Before this ever happened to Nebuchadnezzar, Habakkuk had warned in the prophecy, "Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him," but then in contrast,

the just shall live by faith (Hab 2:4).

Herein is a glorious truth of God that is proclaimed three times over in the New Testament. "The just shall live by faith." Justification through faith in Jesus Christ. Justification through the principal of faith and not of works. We're into that whole scene on Thursday nights, and so we're not gonna get into it tonight. But as we're dealing now in Romans, chapter 3, Paul's great treatise on justification through faith, as we continue it through chapter 5. Yea also, [the prophet declares] because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither he keeps at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people (Hab 2:5):

Speaking how that the pride of man never has a place of satisfaction. There is no place for the man of sin to rest. One of the sad things about the world in which we live, with all of the liberties that men have been granted today, no doubt more than in any other period in history, more opportunities to indulge your own lusts and desires. But the remarkable thing about it, with all of the opportunities and license towards evil, there's perhaps a greater unrest and dissatisfaction in this age than in any other age. Why? Because man given over to his unbridled lusts will never be able to fill the void within his heart. It's just a bottomless pit. The more you indulge your flesh, the more your flesh demands. Rather than satisfaction, you have just the opposite. You have a craven drive, and desire, and lust that cannot be fulfilled, which only increases day by day.

Shall not all of these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be booties unto them? (Hab 2:6-7) "You've conquered Babylon, you've taken the land, you've taken the prey. You're never satisfied. You're always wanting more. You've got more than you could possibly spend, but you're not satisfied. But one day you yourself will become a prey."

Because thou hast spoiled many nations, and all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. Woe to him that coveteth with an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil! Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, you've sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that builds a town with blood, and establishes a city by iniquity! Behold, it is not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for the very vanity? For the earth (Hab 2:8-14)

And, of course, he speaks, and this is all directed to Babylon and to their conquering, and to subsequent nations that would seek to gain by war, and to conquer by war, and to subdue others, and to use bloodshed and iniquity to establish themselves. But then verse 14 speaks of a glorious day that is coming.

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). Oh, God knows how I long for that day when the earth is filled. You know, this could be a nice place to live if it weren't for people. But look how man has corrupted his environment. Hey, I hate to tell you this, but I go up to the conference center. When we're up there camping with you people, that beautiful place up there in the mountains, with the beautiful ferns and trees, and all. I find you leaving your pop cans around on the ground, and you're leaving your candy wrappers and all. You just, I don't know, you pollute the environment up there. And you're good. But I get so sick when I see that people carelessly throw papers or candy wrappers or gum wrappers on the grounds. Because it's such a beautiful place, and just to carelessly leave your debris around. It's sort of sad, but it seems to be just a part of man's nature. We look at the earth, and we see the corruption that man has brought. Where can you escape it? But one day, the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet just filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, the whole earth. Oh God, hasten that day.

Now the Lord pronounces a

Woe unto those that would give his neighbor a drink, giving him a bottle, to make him drunk, so that he can behold his nakedness! Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, that you might be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be your glory (Hab 2:15-16).

You'll vomit all over yourself, and let that be your glory.

For the violence of Lebanon (Hab 2:17)

That is, the way they violently destroyed Lebanon. "The violence that you exercised against Lebanon," and of course Babylon, when they took the city of Tyre there in Lebanon, just destroyed it so utterly.

and the spoil of the beasts, which made them afraid, because of men's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. What profiteth the graven image (Hab 2:17-18)

Now, remember the mistake of Babylon was that they were going to attribute their victory to their gods, though God was using them and allowed them to be His instrument to bring judgment against His people, they in turn were going to mistake it as a victory of their gods, and going to worship their gods.

You remember when Belshazzar was in the feast with all of his princes and lords, and they were praising the various gods, and worshiping the various gods. In his drunken state, "Drunkenness will come to you," in his drunken state he called to his servants to bring to him the gold and the silver vessels that his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, to bring them into this orgy in order that they might drink wine out of these vessels that had been sanctified for use in the temple of God. As he was drinking the wine out of these gold and silver vessels, and praising and worshiping the gods of gold and silver, there came the form of a hand upon the wall, writing those words, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN--Your days are numbered and finished, your kingdom is to be divided between the Medes and the Persians, this night thy soul shall be required of thee" (Daniel 5:25).

So here the prophet speaks about the graven images that they were worshiping in Babylon. "And what profiteth the graven image,"

that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? (Hab 2:18)

That is, idols that can't speak. The carving out of an idol as an object of worship has to be one of the most stupid things that man has ever done in his history. Isaiah speaks of the utter stupidity of it. The guy takes a piece of wood, and he starts to carve an idol out of that piece of wood. Now the chips that he carves off, he throws into the fire and burns to keep him warm. Other parts of this piece of wood he uses in his oven to bake his bread. The other part he sets it on a table and he bows down and prays to it and worships it. Same piece of wood. Part of it was used in the fireplace to keep him warm, part in the oven to bake his bread, and the other part of it is his god that he worships, that he gives homage to. How ridiculous.

David the psalmist speaks of, again, the folly of idols. He said, "The work of the heathen is vain for they take a stick out of the forest, and they carve it and they make an image like unto themselves." He said, "But though they put eyes on the little god, the eyes can't see. Though they put ears on the little god, they can't hear. Though they put feet on it, they can't walk. Though they put the mouth, it can't speak."

Then he makes a very interesting observation, and he said, "They that have made them have become like unto the gods that they have made." You see, the first observation is that men have to have a god, and many men make their own gods. But when a man makes a god, he makes his god like himself. The anthropomorphic concepts. Because I have eyes, I put eyes on my little god. Because I have ears, I carve ears on the little god. Because I have a nose, I carve a little nose. Because I have feet, I carve the feet. Because I don't have any hair, I leave him bald. But though I may take great care in carving out the eyes on my little god, those eyes never do see anything. Though I carve a mouth on my little god, the mouth can't speak. Though I may carve feet on it, it can't walk. It's a dumb little idol.

But tragically, a man becomes like his god. If your god is a dumb stupid little idol, you are becoming like your god. Insensate, where soon you no longer hear the voice of God; you no longer see the glory of God; you no longer feel the presence of God. You've become like your gods, insensate to God. A man becomes like his god. That can be a glorious blessing, or a glorious, I mean a horrible curse. It all depends on who your god is. A man becomes like his god. "And we with open face beholding the glory of the Lord are changed from glory to glory, even into the same image by the power of His Spirit within us" (II Corinthians 3:18). Hey, I'm becoming like my God. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It doesn't yet appear what we're gonna be, but we know when He appears we're going to be like Him, for we will see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).

You see, you have two things. You have one, a man making his god less than himself, and becoming like his god. That's why idolatry is always a debasing, degrading experience. You're going down anytime you get involved in idolatry. It's a step down, because if an idol is your god, you're becoming like your god, but your god is actually less than you. Because you have eyes and can see; you have ears and can hear; you have a mouth, and you can talk. See, your god is less than you, but you're becoming like your god. So it is a degrading experience always, downward experience to worship idols.

But to worship the true and the living God, you see, God is making man now back again into His image, into His likeness. God is restoring that which was lost through the fall. Through the power of His Spirit within us, He is bringing us back into the image of God. When God made man, He made him in the image of God. When man fell through sin, he came from that image of God, he went down. Now God is remolding and reshaping you back into the image of God, back into God's first intent and purpose. God's purposes are being restored in the lives of His people.

But he speaks of the folly of these who make these dumb little idols,

Woe unto him that says to the wood, Awake (Hab 2:19);

Wake up little god. Talk to me.

who says to the dumb stone, Arise, teach me! Behold it is laid over with gold and silver, but there is no breath at all (Hab 2:19).

It can't breathe.

But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him (Hab 2:20).

Contrast with the gods of stone overlaid with gold, or wood overlaid with silver or gold. They can't speak, they can't breathe, but the living God is in His holy temple.