Pause IV Day 10 Exposing Imposters
Habakkuk 2:15-20
Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink,
pouring out your wrath
and even making them drunk,
in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision!
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.
17 For your violence against Lebanon
will overwhelm you;
the destruction of animals will terrify you
because of your human bloodshed and violence
against lands, cities, and all who live in them.
18 What use is a carved idol
after its craftsman carves it?
It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies.
For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it
and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up!
or to mute stone: Come alive!
Can it teach?
Look! It may be plated with gold and silver,
yet there is no breath in it at all.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let the whole earth
be silent in his presence.
As we studied yesterday, we can replace “him” and “you” with “Chaldeans” or “Babylonians Empire” in verses 15-20 as we continue reading of the wicked exploits and motivations of this nation.
With graphic language, verse 15 warns the Babylonians of their pride in their own strength to bring their wrath down upon Israel. While it was accurate they would expose Israel’s sin by taking them into captivity, they would not escape judgement themselves. The Lord assures Habakkuk in verse 16 of His coming wrath against Babylon to expose their sin as well. Persian/Lebanon rulers would overtake Babylon and conquer it swiftly, bringing the Lord’s judgement against them. (verse 17)
Verses 18-20 serve as a beautifully poetic interlude to bridge between God’s righteous ruling against sin and His perpetual, magnificent glory. The mere presence of the glory of the Lord, the One True God, reveals how laughably inept our own strength, our own idols, and our own self-righteousness are in comparison to His magnificence. How ludicrous it is to address a log of wood, commanding it to speak. Yet, when we elevate anything, read a n y t h i n g, above the rightful position of authority held by the Lord God in our lives, we are bowing our hearts to idols as impotent as blocks of wood.
What fills your hands, your time, your passion, your thoughts? What do you protect, and are quick to defend? These things threaten to be our own idols! Even if they are good and important things, or people, they all make for a very bad Sovereign Lord. Things, and even people, will never love us back as the Lord loves us.
Allow the glory of the Lord to expose the imposter idols in your life. Be still before Him, acknowledging His mighty power, and realigning your life in worship to Him!
Pause VI, Day 9
These arrogant ones in Israel are “they” in verse 6.
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