Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 2:1-4

The answer given to the prophet’s prayer is, 1. That after God hath served his own purpose by the prevailing power of the Chaldeans, has tried the faith and patience of his people, and distinguished between the hypocrites and the faucets among them, he will reckon with the Chaldeans for their infallible thirst after dominion and wealth, for which they themselves should at length be made a prey, ver. 2—8. 2. That not they only, but all other powers like them, should perish under a divine war. (1.) Those that are grossly of wealth and honesty, ver. 9—11. (2.) Those that are injurious and oppressive, and raise a chance by saving and rapine, ver. 12—14. (3.) Those that promote drunkenness, that they may expose their neighbours to shame, ver. 15—17. (4.) Those that worship idols, ver. 18—20.

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2. ¶ Will. L. ‘flaud upon my watch, and set me upon the sower, and ‘will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer ‘when I am removed. 2. And the LORD answered me, and said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3. For ’the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lye: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will ‘surely come, it will not tarry. 4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him: but ’the just shall live by his faith.

We have here,

1. The prophet waiting in faith for an answer to his prayer. I will stand upon my watch, and let me open my inner, as a watch, upon waiting for intelligence; and will watch to see what he will say to me, with regard to the requests he had made, and the difficulties he was under; and what I shall answer what I am expected, either for the boldness of his expolulation; or how he should silence the objections of others, who might, from their melancholy appearances, argue against the providence of God. Now, (1.) When we are in perplexity, and know not how to reconcile God’s providences with his promise, we must go up to the tower of prayer and meditation, and stand our ground there by faith against the assaults of temptation, looking to God for an answer of peace. (2.) When we have been with God in prayer, consulting his word, or reflecting on his dissertations, we must observe what God speaks and as by any of these means, for our conviction, direction, encouragement, or consideration.

2. God answers him in mercy, and throws him the destruction of these merciless ravagers: for he never disappoints the expectations of his waiting people. For the comfort of the faithful he is commanded to write the vision, that it may be preferred, and handed down, unadulterated by tradition; and make it plain upon tables, which were then used for writing, and covered with wine, on which the letters were impressed; and this was to be done very plainly, and hung up in some conspicuous places, that he may see that readeth it, so legible that it might be easily read even by the most cursory look, or as one run by it and but turned his head that way. And such should our something be, that the meared capacities might comprehend it, never wishing to be admired as orators, but using all plaziness of speech, that God’s word may be understood. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; though it be distant, the day of its accomplishment is fixed and first: as the end it shall speak, and not lie; the Lord will not disappoint the faith and patience of his people; or He will speak, who is the faithful and true witness, the prophet come to lead us into all truth. Though it, the promise, or He, the Messiah, tarry long, or at least scum to do to to those who longed for his appearing, wait for it, or Him, the fulfilment of the promise, or the coming of the Lord; because it will surely man, and not tarry a moment beyond the time fixed in Lord’s eternal counsels; or, for he that cometh will come, as the Apostle quotes the words, Heh. v. 37. applying them to the Lord Jesus, the great hope of his people, on whom they are called to stay themselves under every addictive dispensation. And herein the truth of grace is to be proved. Behold his soul, which is lifted up, is not upright in him: they who despise the vision, or distrust the promise, and, instead of waiting upon God, endeavour to shift for themselves, depending on their own devices, they throw the unsoundness of their hearts. But the just shall live by faith: they who trusted God, even in the midst of their calamities, should be preserved; and, in their captivity, the expectation of the Messiah should support them, and by faith in him their eternal life should be secured. The words are quoted thrice by the Apostle as a proof of the great doctrine of justification by faith only; and they teach us, (1.) That no man is just, or justified before God, by any doings or duties of his own, but by faith in Jesus. (2.) That all true believers shall live, keep by faith unto salvation, notwithstanding every effort of their spiritual enemies. (3.) The meritorious cause of our life of grace or glory is not our faith, considered as our own act, but the object of it, Christ Jesus, his blood and righteousness alone.

3. ¶ Tea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire ‘as hell, and is as death, and cannot be finished, but ‘gathered unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: 6. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and see, ‘Who to him that increaseds that which is not his: how long? and to him ’that ledeth himself with thick clay. 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall lose thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shall be for booties unto them? 8. ‘Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee: ‘because of man’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell

therein. 9. ¶ We to him ’that ‘coveeth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil. 10. ‘Thou hast considered shame to thy house, by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul. 11. For ’the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the ‘beam out of the timber shall ‘answer it. 12. ¶ We to him that buildeth a town ‘with blood, and stabbisheth a city by iniquity. 13. Behold, it is not of the LORD of hosts, that ’the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? 14. For ’the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:5-14

Some commentators, supposing from the foregoing ver突, which refer to gospel times, that these words go on to describe the character of the succeeding enemies of the church, apply them to the Roman people, and especially their emperors, to whom no doubt they are very applicable; but I rather incline, with the generality, to refer the prophecy to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors in the Babylonian monarchy.

1. Most heavy accusations are laid against this enemy of God’s people: drunkenness and brutality; imprison pride, even to expect adoration; covetousness infallible, v. 5. injustice and oppression, v. 6. the blood of innocents; ambition, that knew no bounds, v. 9. these and the like were the crimes with which he stood chargeable before God. Therefore,

2. Repeated woes are denounced upon him; and, when he is fallen, he will be justly insulted by those nations over whom he landed it before. Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb, pleased to behold his disgrace, and deriding his pride and presumption, and say, Wo, wo, wo, unto him.

3. We to him that incresceth that which is not his, oppressing and plundering to increase his wealth: how long shall iniquity thus prevail, and the unrighteous prosper? and to him that ledeth himself with thick clay, the riches of the world being no better; and they who take themselves with these by causing care and injustice, bring a heavy burden upon their souls, which will sink them into predation and defraud me. Shall not they rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee? certainly they shall: the Persians and the Modes will spoil him of the thick clay on which he doated; and thou shalt be for booties unto them. As he had spoiled others, he shall they spoil him, the just retaliation for the innocent blood he had died, the violence he had committed, and the cities he had destroyed, whose inhabitants he plundered, v. 8. God keeps a strict account, and in the dreadful day of judgment the black catalogue will be produced against the proud oppressor and daring sinner to his everlasting confusion.

4. We to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, infallible after wealth, and ever grasping at more; for covetousness brings its own curse along with it, and cannot be fastened, robbing men of all the comforts in their families they otherwise might have enjoyed: that he may for his self on high, raise his family above dependence, and advance them higher in the world; that he may be delivered from the power of evil, secured from the power of his enemies, and from weary, the great evil he dreads, though, alas! these are vain pretexts to gloss over his covetousness, and his defences but feeble against the evils he fears. Thou hast considered shame to thy house, by cutting off many people, fixing, by such unjust and cruel conduct, a mark of indelible infamy on his family; and hast sinned against thy soul, exposing it to God’s wrath and damnation: for the slave shall cry out of the wall, if either witnesses of his guilt are wanting, and his frauds and deceits have been so managed as to escape the eye of men; and the harm out of the timber shall appear it, calling for vengeance upon the head of the unjust and the oppressor.

5. We to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stabbisheth a city by iniquity, as Nebuchadnezzar had built or adorned Babylon with the spoils of conquered nations, Dan. iv. 33. Behold, it is not of the Lord of hosts, that the people shall labour in the very fires, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? so truiseless will be all the endeavours of the Babylonians to preserve themselves from their enemies. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea: when in the fall of Babylon God will be glorified, and the times of his judgments spread into all lands. And this verse seems to look forward also to greater events than the fall of Babylon, even to the times of the gospel, when the kingdom of darkness shall fall before the word of Jesus, and the knowledge of his glory be diffused, till as last, by his power and grace, the very ends of the earth shall remember themselves and be turned to the Lord, and all fools shall be the fathestness of our God.

6. ¶ Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink: that pasteth thy ‘bottle to him, and maketh him drunken also, that thou ‘mayh look on their nakedness. 16. Thou art filled ‘with shame for glory: ‘drink thou

also, and let thy forekin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful sputing shall be on thy glory. 17. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee: and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid ‘because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and all that dwell therein. 18. ¶ 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 truffeth therein to make him ‘dumb idols? 19. Wo unto him that faith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach; behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20. But ’the LORD is in his holy temple: ’let all the earth keep silence before him.

Habakkuk 2:15-20

The former veries cried out of oppression and wrong, for which the woes were there denounced; here we have two other causes for them, drunkennets and idolatry.

1. Drunkenness. We note him that growth his neighbour drinks, as Bolthorax did, when he made a feast for his thousand tords, Dan. v. 1. that puteth thy battle to him, urging him to drink; and mo凭理 him drunken wife: Such are factions for hell, and enemies to mankind; and tho’ it may be called holyvality, good cherr, and giving them a hearty welcome, thus to make the gladly circulate, it is indeed among the most deadly wickednesses, and will provoke the heaviest wrath of God. ‘Wo unto the drunkards, from the palace to the cottage? wrath is gone forth against them: that thou mayst look on their melodies; draw out their ferrets, or expose them to ridicule, or induce them to come forth or indiscrete act or bargain; this being the malignant view for which men often ply their neighbours with liquor; but God will be the avenged of all such. ‘Thou art filled with flame for glory; God will render such perfions vile and abhorred: drink thou alys, and let thy forekin be uncovered; a cup of wrath is put into his hands; the cup of the Lord’s right hand is turned unto thee. The same vengeance which the Chaldeans had executed upon others, shall return upon their own hands; when they should be stripped naked to their shame, and, like drunkards, shameful spewing shall be on thy glory; they shall be rendered contemptible and inarticulate, and all their riches and greatests be spoiled and defiled. The violence of Lebanon shall cover thee; either the same destruction as they had made in the temple of God; or this should rise up in judgment against them; or they should be hunted down as wild beasts in Lebanon: the spoil of beasts which made them afraid; once the terror of the country, but now destroyed; and this for the reasons alleged before, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, and of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

Many apply this to Babylon mystical, the great where that maketh all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, which end will be according to her works, See Rev. xviii. 3-6.

2. Idolatry. Babylon was full of idols; but all the gold and silver lavished upon them, or the curious sculpture, protted the maker nothing at all. Though they cried before them, Arise to help us, and expected from them directions in their emergencies, yet it was folly, nay madness, to expect a dumb stone, a lifeless log, to teach, or awake to account them. Such expectations could only be railed by the great teacher of lies, whom these idols effectually serve; and nothing but we can be the consequence of trusting on these lying vanities. Babylon mystical, the church of Rome, copies close after her pattern in ancient days, and hath multiplied her images of gold and silver, of the Trinity, the Saviour, the Virgin Mary, of saints and angels, crowding their churches with them, where miserable devotees are sent continually kneeling before the breathless image of dumb stone. Their crafty priests indeed represent these as laymen’s basis; but God regards them with abomination, as teachers of lies. But the Lord is in his holy temple; not in idols of wood, or stone, or gold, but in heaven, beholding the hearts and ways of all the children of men; and in his church, where his special presence resides, comforting his people, and protecting them from their enemies. Let all the earth keep silence before him, paying him the worship due unto his name with reverence and godly fear, and never more ascribing his honour to graven images.