Habakkuk. Now, you've probably heard that Habakkuk is one of the minor prophets. Just a reminder that that is a minor because of its size, not because of the importance of its message.
And Sam will be preaching a little while from Habakkuk chapter 2. So I'm going to read from verse 4 right to the end of the chapter.
If you have a church-read Bible, it's on page 941. It's one of those books in the Bible where I have to use the index myself.
It doesn't come very quickly when I'm leafing it through. So index, it's there for a good reason.
But 941 if you're reading from the church Bible. So I'm going to read from verse 4.
See, the enemy is puffed up. His desires are not upright, but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.
Indeed, wine betrays him. He is arrogant and never at rest, because he is as greedy as the grave, and like death, is never satisfied.
He gathers to himself all the nations and takes captives all the peoples.
Verse 6.
Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion?
How long must this go on?
Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their prey.
Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed human blood.
You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin.
You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice.
Has not the Lord determined that the people's labour is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
For the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters covers the sea.
Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbours, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.
You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now is your turn.
Drink and let your nakedness be exposed.
The cup from the Lord's right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you,
for you have shed human blood.
You have destroyed lands and cities, and everyone in them.
Of what value is an idol carved by the craftsman,
or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes a trust in his own creation,
he makes idols that cannot speak.
Woe to him who says to the wood,
Come to life, or to the lifeless stone,
Wake up!
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver.
There is no breath in it.
The Lord is in his holy temple.
Let all the earth be silent before him.
Let me just pray for Sam before he comes up.
Father, as we have just read this passage,
there is much that we have read,
and we wonder what does that mean.
But I thank you that you have raised up people like Sam
to study your word, to be a student of your word,
to bring the message from this passage to us.
We thank you indeed that we do not look at these verses by ourselves.
You have given us your Holy Spirit to help and to guide us.
You have given your spirit to Sam.
And I thank you that he desires to be a workman,
approved unto you, correctly handling the word of truth.
I pray indeed as he preaches,
that he too would be excited at the hope that there is in this passage,
and the desire that, thank you for the desire he has to teach, to share.
And I pray indeed that our hearts would be open to understanding,
to discipline, to encouragement, to learning,
that we would be changed by your word for the very word of God.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you, Sam.
Thank you very much, Jonathan.
And good morning, everybody.
Let me just pray as we begin.
Thank you.
Our Heavenly Father, help us this morning
to heed your warning where we need to heed it,
to take encouragement where we lack it.
Help us to hear what you want us to hear
from your eternal word this day.
Amen.
Back in June, a group of us lads from church
went on a walk
in Kerry.
It was on the old road to Kinmare.
Some of you may know that one.
And it's pretty remote out there.
Okay.
It's on the hills between Killarney and Kinmare.
It's completely uninhabited, this area.
And there are a few points in this trail
where you're walking through these deep, dark valleys,
and you can get discouraged.
You can begin to wonder
if you're ever going to make it to the end of the path.
You're in the middle of nowhere.
And you're down in these steep gullies.
But then way in the distance,
just in the horizon,
you see the top of Torque Mountain.
And you remember
that at the bottom of that mountain
is the car park.
And your car is there.
And whenever you get there,
you'll be able to take off
your soaking wet hiking boots.
And you'll be able to collapse
into that comfortable,
air-conditioned vehicle
and drive home.
The end of the journey is in sight
when you see that mountain.
Fixing your gaze on that
gives you hope to carry on
through the valley of darkness.
Now, last week, if you were here,
we read about the pain and injustice
that surrounded Habakkuk
on every side.
Okay?
It was like he was walking
through this steep, dark valley.
And in chapter 1,
we noticed that he didn't see
any hope at all.
And the main question raised was,
where is God
in the valley of injustice and pain?
And how can he be sovereign
over all of this evil?
And then we read
in chapter 2, verse 5,
God's ultimate answer
to that question.
It was this.
The righteous will live
by faith.
Now, if that was all
that God had to say,
it might seem too simple
an answer or too vague.
I mean, faith in what?
We might ask.
Live by faith in
my innate strength
to somehow push
through this pain?
Or faith in the latest
mindfulness techniques
to stay positive
when everything around us
is crumbling?
Well, in today's passage,
we read the rest of God's answer.
And he tells us
that our faith
is to be placed
in him alone.
More specifically,
in what he is going to do
in the future.
He gives us
three amazing realities
on which to fix
the eyes of our faith.
It's as if God points out
three mountains of hope
on the horizon
as we walk through
that valley
of injustice and pain.
And those three future realities
are as follows.
God's justice
will be done.
God's glory
will be restored.
And God's name
will be revered.
By looking forward
in faith
to those future realities,
we can keep walking
through the valley
of injustice
and pain.
So let's begin
with that first
mountain of hope.
God's justice
will be done.
And this is the main
emphasis
of this passage.
God pronounces,
I'm counting six judgments
over the nation
of Babylon.
Okay,
they were going to come
and conquer
Israel and Judah.
And God says,
well,
you are also
going to be judged.
But we also need
to take this
into account ourselves.
God is not just
pronouncing judgment
on Babylon.
it's also for anybody
anywhere
who lives
in these waves.
So we need
to listen up.
And I think
these six judgments
could be categorized
in two ways.
The first kind
are natural
consequences
for our sinful
choices
in the present.
And then the latter
kind
are all about
God's future
judgments,
his direct
intervention,
putting all
injustice
and sin
to a stop.
So we're going
to run through
these fairly quickly.
And first,
let's take the judgments
that are happening
in the here
and now.
And I phrase
these as questions
to kind of
help us
think about them
for ourselves
more so
rather than just,
oh, that was for Babylon
back then.
So number one,
are you greedy?
Well,
the natural judgment
is this.
You will never
be satisfied.
Look at verse
four and five.
See,
the enemy
is puffed up.
His desires
are not upright.
And look at verse five.
Indeed,
wine betrays him.
He is arrogant
and never arrest
because he is as greedy
as the grave
and like death
is never satisfied.
Now,
greed is one of those
acceptable sins
in our society,
is it not?
We may not need
a new car.
But we like
the look of that one.
Whether it's
a luxurious
holiday
or that latest phone
or an unnecessary
item of clothing,
we slip into greed
so easily,
don't we?
Be warned.
The greedy
will never
be satisfied.
All those things
will
betray us.
Here's a second judgment.
Do you steal?
Well,
the natural judgment
for that is this.
You will face
the consequences.
Look at verse six.
Woe to him
who piles up
stolen goods
and makes himself
wealthy
by extortion.
How long
must this go on?
Well,
here's the warning.
Verse seven.
Will not your creditors
suddenly arise?
Will not they wake up
and make you tremble?
Then you
will become
their prey.
Stop
stealing.
There will
be painful
consequences.
You will
be found out
sooner
than later.
and have to
face the full
penalty
of that.
Listen
to God's
warning.
Here's a third one.
Do you get
rich
by cheating
others?
Well,
the natural
judgment is this.
You will be
shamed
and ruined.
Look at verse nine.
Woe to him
who builds
his house
by unjust
gain,
setting his
nest on high
to escape
the clutches
of ruin.
cheating at work
or in school
is really
common today.
It's almost
accepted
that you're
going to
act in that
way to
get ahead.
Hear God's
warning of
judgment in
verse 10.
He says,
you have
plotted the
ruin of
many peoples,
shaming
your own
house and
forfeiting
your life.
Be warned.
Because every
time you
look at
your wealth
or your
achievements
you've gained
at the
expense of
others,
you will
feel shame
for all
the people
you exploited
to get
there.
Here's the
fourth judgment.
Do you
look to
idols
for life
or for
guidance?
You will
not find
it.
Verse 19.
Have a look
down at
that.
Woe to
him who
says to
wood,
come to
life,
or to
lifeless
stone,
wake up.
Can it
give
guidance?
You know,
we are all
guilty of
giving created
things God
status in
our lives.
gods of
money,
family,
romance,
comfort,
whatever it
is that you
set up as
that ultimate
thing,
rely on it
for life
and happiness.
Hear God's
warning in
verse 19.
It is
covered with
gold and
silver.
There is
no breath
in it.
God's
love.
Those idols
we have
will always
betray us.
They'll never
give us what
we're truly
looking for.
Now the
last two
judgments,
and these
involve God's
direct intervention
at the end
of time.
Number five.
Are you
building an
empire through
injustice?
God will
destroy it.
look with
me at
verse 12.
Woe to
him who
builds a
city with
bloodshed and
establishes a
town by
injustice.
And it's
acceptable in
our society
to build our
own comfortable
little kingdoms
where we live
in luxury.
We don't
really have to
care about
anybody else.
be warned.
If that's
what we
live for,
we're
building up
treasure that
will ultimately
be destroyed.
Look at
verse 13.
Has not
the Lord
Almighty
determined that
the people's
labor is only
fuel for the
fire, that
the nations
exhaust themselves
for nothing?
And here's
the final
judgment to
come.
Are you
shaming
others to
increase your
glory?
God will
bring shame
and destruction
on you.
we get this
terrible picture
in verse 15
of a nation
who gets
their neighbors
drunk in
order to
strip them
of their
clothing,
to bring
shame on
them and
boost their
own glory.
Now you
might say
that is
repulsive.
I would
never do
that.
Yet how
quick are we
to drag
up the
failings of
others behind
their backs?
Shaming
them to
our friends,
all the
while boosting
our own
glory in
comparison.
Listen to
God's warning
in verse 16.
You will
be filled
with shame
instead of
glory.
Now it's
your turn.
Drink and
let your
nakedness be
exposed.
The cup
from the
Lord's right
hand is
coming around
to you and
disgrace will
cover your
glory.
And as I
look up at
that list
there, I'm
convicted.
I'm guilty.
It's not
just something
for Babylon
two and a
half thousand
years ago.
No.
This is a
picture of
my heart and
this is a
picture of
your heart
at its
very worst.
And that's
frightening.
God's
judgment is
coming and
we won't
have any
defense.
But that is
not the end
of the story.
because 600
years after
Habakkuk
wrote of
these
judgments,
Jesus,
the righteous
judge himself
entered into
our world
and he
suffered the
judgment that
we deserved
on the
cross.
And now
anybody who
sees the
ugliness of
their sin,
repents of
it and looks
in faith to
Christ,
can know
full forgiveness
and pardon.
And that's
how God's
future judgment
can be a
source of
hope for
us and
something that
we no longer
dread.
Because on
that day,
every wrong
will be put
right.
Injustice and
suffering has
an end
date.
And that is
the first
mountain of
hope that we
fix our gaze
on as we
walk through
the valley of
injustice.
Now here's
the second.
God's glory
will be
restored.
Tucked away
in the middle
of all these
judgments,
we find
another
incredible
reason to
hope.
Now we
did look at
verses 12 to
13 earlier
and we saw
that God
was condemning
those who
build their
own glory
through
injustice.
I'm not
sure how many
of you watched
the opening
ceremony of
the Olympics
in Paris.
It was a
long night.
It was a
bit of a
commitment to
get to the
end of it.
But during
the ceremony
ten golden
statues of
influential
French women
were elevated
above the
River Seine
as hundreds
of millions
of people
around the
globe
watched on.
One of
them was a
statue of a
French government
minister who
legalized
abortion in
1974.
Her efforts
paved the
way for the
killing of
one million
innocent babies
in the womb
in the 50
years since
then in
France.
Hers is a
glory built
through
injustice.
Jesus.
And it's
not just
extreme
examples like
that.
Everywhere you
look around
you, you
see people
building their
own glory,
not God's.
love.
It simply
comes natural
to us,
doesn't it?
Listen to
how the
apostle Paul
describes this
in Romans
chapter 1.
You can read
on the
screen.
For since
the creation
of the
world,
God's
invisible
qualities,
his eternal
power and
divine nature
have been
clearly seen,
being understood
from what
has been
made.
So the
people are
without
excuse.
There's no
excuse for
us.
We know
that God
must exist.
Verse 21,
for although
they knew
God,
they neither
gave glory
to him as
God,
nor gave
thanks to
him.
But their
thinking became
futile,
and their
foolish
hearts were
darkened.
That's a
description of
our society
today.
We look
around and
see all the
amazing evidences
of God in
each other,
in his
creation,
but we
fail to give
him glory.
Instead,
we build up
our own.
We make
much of
ourselves,
and not
much of
God.
Don't
you long
to live
in a
world where
everyone,
everywhere
gives glory
to God
alone for
who he
is.
And what's
amazing is
that God
actually promises
this very
thing in
verse 14.
Have a look
at it with
me.
Instead of
the false
glory of
people,
look at this,
verse 14,
the earth
will be
filled with
the knowledge
of the
glory of
the Lord
as the
waters
cover the
sea.
What a
magnificent
picture.
Almost too
beautiful to
even imagine.
God
describes his
glory in
Exodus 33
as his
eternal
goodness.
It is
God in
all his
majestic
perfections
being seen,
being savored
on every
square inch
of that
new
heavens
and earth
to come.
Revelation
21 says
that that
future city
does not
need the
sun or
the moon
to shine
on it
for the
glory of
God
gives it
life and
the Lamb
is its
lamp.
All of
God's
resplendent
glory,
praised and
enjoyed
forever by
all of the
redeemed
from every
nation.
There will
be no
one in
that new
heavens and
earth who
does not
give glory
to God
for who
he is.
And we
don't have
the words
to do this
heavenly
picture any
justice,
but what I
will ask you
is this,
don't you
long to be
there.
where God's
glory fills
up everyone
and everything.
Or have
we become
so numb
to its
absence in
our society
that we
don't even
care?
You know,
earlier we
sang some
amazing words
in one of
the songs
called All
My Days,
and here
they are,
I long
to be
where the
praise is
never ending,
yearn to
dwell where
the glory
never fades,
where countless
worshippers
will share
one song
and cries
of worthy
will honour
the Lamb.
Don't you
long for
that too?
we say
come quickly,
Lord Jesus,
right every
wrong,
restore God's
glory again.
It's a glory
that we lost
sight of
in Eden,
but it's
coming back.
The earth
will be
filled with
the knowledge
of the
glory of
the Lord.
and here's
the thing,
it's a
glory
that's
actually
reflected
in us,
in the
lives of
every
spirit-led
believer.
Listen to
what the
Apostle Paul
says in
2 Corinthians
3.18,
it's on
the screen,
and we
all who
with unveiled
faces reflect
the Lord's
glory are
being transformed
into his
image with
ever-increasing
glory.
So here's
the deal,
if you are
in Christ
today,
you are a
mirror,
reflecting
God's
glory to
others.
And yes,
a cloudy
reflection it
may be,
but as you
walk with
the Spirit,
it gets
clearer and
clearer.
You are
being transformed
into God's
likeness with
ever-increasing
glory.
You are
part of
the promise
of the
knowledge of
God's
glory filling
the earth
again.
And that
means that
the choices
that we make,
the words
we say,
they really
matter.
Because God's
glory is
ultimately at
stake in the
way we live
our lives.
Do our
lives make
much of
him or
do they
make much
of us?
When your
family,
your colleagues,
your classmates
are looking
at you,
do they get
a glimpse
of the
goodness of
God?
Do they
see his
glory?
The closer
we walk
with him,
the more
we're
transformed
into his
likeness,
the more
others see
God's
glory in
us.
That's an
awesome
privilege and
a responsibility,
isn't it?
So let us
be diligent,
both in our
hope for that
new heavens
and earth,
where the
knowledge of
God's glory
will fill
everyone,
everywhere,
but also in
the here and
now.
Let's be
diligent in
our desire
to reflect
God's
glory.
And that's
the second
hope that we
fix our
eyes on,
in that
valley of
injustice.
God's
glory is
going to
be restored.
What a
wonderful
hope.
And there
is one
last
mountain of
hope I
believe that
we are
given in
this passage
and it
is this.
God's
name will
be revered.
we read
in verse
19 earlier
that God
proclaims
judgment on
those who
worship idols
of their
own making.
The people
on earth
might spend
all their
days worshipping
at the
idols of
power,
sex,
money,
comfort,
but verse
20,
look at
this,
the Lord
is in
his holy
temple.
Let all
the earth
be silent
before him.
Here is
the hope,
friends.
One day
when King
Jesus returns,
there will
be universal
silence
before him.
In a
moment,
every person
from every
nation
will see
God
exactly
for who
he is.
every
mouth
that
mocked
him
and
cursed
him
will
be
silenced.
Every
tongue
that
denied
his
existence
will
be
hushed.
On
that
day,
we will
see
everything
in this
world
exactly
for what
it is.
He
will
show up
all the
false
idols
that we
ever ran
after.
we
will
be
rendered
utterly
speechless
by his
perfect
judgments.
In a
split
second,
we will
know
that he
was
right
about
everything
all
along.
No
one
will
even
consider
uttering
a
word
in
defense
of
their
own
moral
purity
that
will
crumble
in
comparison
to
his
holiness.
We
will
all
be
silent
before
God
in
his
temple.
For
some,
this
will
be
a
silence
of
terror.
Their
sin
will be
laid
bare
with
no
excuses.
And
that is
tragic
beyond
words.
But
for
those
who are
united
to
Christ,
there
is no
terror.
This
will
be a
silence
of
holy
awe.
Because
our
judgment
has been
taken
by the
judge
himself,
Jesus
Christ.
So
take
heart
because
God's
name
will
be
revered.
All
who
reject
him
now
and
who
seem
to
have
the
upper
hand
will
one
day
bow
the
knee
and
confess
that
Jesus
is
Lord.
And
let us
practice
silence
before
him.
That
holy
reverence
for who
he is.
We
don't have
to wait
until the
day of
judgment
to do
this.
We
have
access
to
his
holy
presence
anywhere,
any
time.
And how
is that
possible?
Here's
how.
We
are
his
temple.
You see,
when Habakkuk
wrote this,
he had to
go to the
physical
temple in
the Jerusalem
building to
meet with
God.
That's where
God dwelt
at that
time.
But God
does not
dwell in
that kind
of temple
anymore.
In the
New Testament,
we learn
that God's
redeemed
people from
every nation
are his
temple.
That means
that God
has chosen
for his
Holy Spirit
to dwell,
not in a
building,
in his
people.
And because
he is at
work in
us,
everywhere we
go,
we have
access to
his glory
at any
moment.
And you
and I,
we desperately
need times
in our day
where we
cut out
the noise.
Laptop,
phone,
work,
family,
and we
practice
silence
before our
God.
A time
to open
up his
word and
let him
speak right
into our
hearts.
To really
meditate on
what he's
saying,
to confess
our sin
and to
worship him
in response.
We need
silence
before God.
We don't
have to
wait.
God's
name
so that's
the third
mountain of
hope that
we fix
our eyes
on.
God's
name will
be revered.
All the
earth will
be silent
before him.
And we
are the
temple of
his Holy
Spirit.
We are
enabled
right now
to live
lives of
holy
reverence
before him.
To finish,
we are
going to
sing a
song in
a few
minutes
called
Living
Hope.
And this
is a
song which
proclaims
Christ's
victory
over death
and our
victory also
in him.
And there's
one line,
whenever we
sing this
song, it
just gets
me every
single time.
And it's
this,
the work
is finished,
the end
is written,
Jesus
Christ,
my living
hope.
You know
we have
such an
unusual
gift as
Christians.
We know
the end
of the
story.
The books
of our
lives may
have many
chapters that
we cannot
read yet,
many surprises,
ups and
downs, but
I'll tell you
one thing, we
can flick any
time we
want to
that last
chapter.
In the
end,
Jesus wins
and we
are united
to him.
His
victory
is ours.
His
story
is our
story.
Here's how
that final
chapter reads.
God's
justice
will be
done
and we
don't need
to fear
it.
God's
glory will
be restored
God's
name will
be
revered by
all.
God's
name will
be revered
by all
and we
will live
in awe
of his
holiness
forever.
So,
as you
walk through
the valley
of injustice
and suffering,
keep your
eyes firmly
fixed on
those three
mountains of
hope.
They are a
gift from
God to
you to
help you
walk each
day through
that valley
on your
way to
the new
heavens and
earth,
the city
that he
has prepared
for those
who love
him.
Let's
pray.
Lord,
we
confess
we are
so quick
to despair
at the
injustice
and suffering
that surrounds
us.
It's real
and it
hurts.
Lord,
we need
a fresh
vision of
the hope
which you
have laid
up for
us.
Make it
wonderfully
real to
our hearts
this day.
And
together we
say,
come,
Lord Jesus,
bring justice
to the
oppressed,
fill the
earth with
the knowledge
of your
glory,
and silence
every
mouth of
the enemy.
We long
for this
day.
Let us
not be
content
without it.
Help us
to be
ready for
it.
In Jesus'
name we
pray.
Amen.
The musicians
come up.
We will sing
that song
together now.
Living hope.
And please use
this as an
opportunity to
respond to
what God
has been
singing to
you today
through
his word.
Thank you.
Amen.