Habakkuk begins chapter 2 with a good solid word:
Stand
Station
Look
Give heed to our post
Habakkuk is focusing on God and being in tune with his God. He is paying attention to what message he was given and to the impact of history he is being shown. He (Habakkuk) has deep questions, but He is getting his answers. He is not getting answers from himself or his culture, but rather he is taking his cues from God. God has the Truth. God will always share the Truth… even if we do not like it or understand it. We may even feel that the Truth is unfair, but God always tells the truth. In the New Testament, we are told the same. He is real food and real life. God is the bread we need. Always.
Once God gives His word, He will not stop or be manipulated.
Note verse 4. A key verse that shows “the righteous will live by faith.” The faithful will not resist God. He will show mercy and they will accept it. In the end, the evil and unrighteous will perish, God will not delay, and our good holy God will not uphold evil. Evil will die of exhaustion. Integrity does not always look like success in this world. Jesus looked like a criminal to some (eating and drinking with ‘sinners’) and died a criminal’s death (on a cross). Judgment Day (the ultimate “Day of the Lord”) will show what is true. The faithful will live by faith which is speaking to the future. Many times it looks like the wicked are successful but in the end, the righteous win. The faithful will live.
What do the non-faithful get? Woe.
Babylon is pointed out in the rest of the passage (aka Chaldeans). Babylon seizes all nations in a greedy quest for the world. NOTE: The devil is like that. He devours. He is a roaring lion. Babylon was also a devourer and yet was empty. What did Babylon get? Woe.
We then come to verse 20. Woah! God has breath. God has life. Idols have no breath. Idols have no life. Idols don’t speak. God speaks. God speaks and we obey and will have life because it is from the Lord. All of the earth should mind its place because… woah… God is God! There is none like Him anywhere and we should focus on Him!
BMD & TMB
Dwelling In Scripture 