Shabbat Shalom, everyone. God bless you. We thank the Lord for the privilege that we have today to study the Word of God together. And we are going to continue today with the study of the book of Habakkuk. The book of Habakkuk, the study of the book of Habakkuk, is a very important study because from this book of Habakkuk, we learn to see how there was a man that served the Lord, that embraced his people. He is called the embracer of Israel. And Habakkuk was so concerned for his people, he had a dilemma because of the condition of the nation of Israel, the people of Judah.

But even a further dilemma, because God was going to discipline his people using the Kaladins, that is the Babylonians, to raise them in order to discipline his people of Judah. And Habakkuk was so concerned that he cried to the Lord for an answer. And today we have arrived to the second chapter, so I would like you to turn to Habakkuk chapter 2. We already covered verse 1 in the previous ministry meeting. And so I would like in this ministry meeting to continue to read from Habakkuk 2, verse 2, all the way to verse 20, to the end of the chapter. And so please open your Bible and just turn with me to these verses.

So we read, chapter 2, verse 2, And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 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. Behold, his soul, which is lifted up, is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his faith. Yea, also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlarges his desire as hell, and ease as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gather unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people.

Shall not all these take a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increases that which is not his! How long? And to him that leadeth himself with thick clay, shall they not rise up suddenly, that shall bite thee, and awake, that shall wax thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Because thou hast, 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? Woe to him that covetous and 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 thou hast thou hast thou, thou hast thou, thou hast thou hast thou, thou hast thou hast thou. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and a beam out of the timber shall answer it. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and establish a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts, that the people shall labor in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink!

Shall putest thy bottle to him, and maketh him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness. Thou art filled with shame for glory, drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered. The cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of the beasts which made them afraid because of man's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein. What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof has graven it, the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein to make dumb idols?

Woe unto him that saith, Woe unto him that saith, Woe unto him that saith, 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. But the Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him. This is an amazing chapter, beloved brothers and sisters, we read at this ministry meeting, Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 2 to 20, very interesting chapter. We are covering today in this ministry, practically the whole second chapter of the book of Habakkuk. Again, a reminder that Habakkuk was a Jewish prophet that ministered to the tribes of Judah, to the people of Judah, sometimes before the Babylonians rose to power.

To remind you that when he spoke to the people of Judah, it was just before the rise of the Babylonians, sometime around 630, 625 B.C. And then later on, the Babylonians rose to power, and they were the ones that God used to discipline his people. Again, to remind you that in the earlier part of chapter 1, Habakkuk has seen the sad condition in Israel's behavior one towards another. There were things that were grieving him. There was spoiling and strife and contention, and the law was slack, and there was no judgment. There was really grievance that existed in those days. And so God saw that, and God has said to Habakkuk, "Habakkuk, I'm going to raise the Kaladins." If you remember chapter 1 and verse 6 says, "For law, I raise up the Kaladins, the bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs." We learn, of course, that the Kaladins are the Babylonians.

If you remember, we spoke about it earlier, that the Babylonians will rise later on, and God will use them to take the Jewish people into captivity. In fact, the Babylonian captivity began what is known to be and spoken by our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, in the Gospel, when he says that the times of the Gentiles will only be fulfilled when Israel the nations will turn to the Lord in repentance and say, "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai" "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." So the Kaladins, the Babylonians, as we find them in Isaiah 48 and verse 20, "Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Kaladins, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this utter it even to the end of the earth, say ye the Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob." So the Kaladins, that is the Babylonians, were used by God to discipline the Jewish people, and we know that it happened in history.

I mentioned earlier the three deportations that happened in Jewish history when the Kaladins, when the Babylonians came to take our people of Israel, the people of Judah, into captivity. And really the sad time was specifically in 586 B.C. when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and burnt, and city walls had been burnt and fallen down, and the Jews were taken to the land of Babel, to the land of Babylon. So now here, after the first problem that Habakkuk had, and he said, "God, why don't you answer?" God gave him an answer finally, and told him that he raised a Babylonian. Then Habakkuk had a second problem, and the second dilemma, the second problem was, "God, how is it possible that you are using a more wicked nation to deal with your own people, the people of Judah, the people of Israel?" He had really a dilemma.

And so when he had this dilemma, he says, "Really, God, you have a pure eye, than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity." Then he said, "Wherefore, why lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue, when the wicked devour the man that is more righteous than he?" So the Habakkuk was told by the Lord that the Babylonians will rise. So now he has a second problem. He says, "How can you raise a wicked nation who is worse than your own people, the people of Israel, and allow them to cause this wickedness against them, to punish your people?" Well, the Lord wanted to give this answer to Habakkuk.

So you remember what Habakkuk did? And that's what we began in chapter 2 and verse 1, which we already spoke about. He said, Habakkuk said, "I will stand upon my watch," chapter 2 and verse 1, "And set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he," that is God, "will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved." So Habakkuk said, "I will climb upon this tower," "they can watch to see what's going on all around as the farmers in those days of old will stand, rise up to this tower." It's called here "Matzor" in the Hebrew language. And of course, it's a tower that you might watch what's going on around you, whether it is far, whether it is close, you can watch around.

And what he was really saying, Habakkuk, "God, I'm going to trust you. I'm going to wait on you. I'm going to watch and see what kind of response you are going to give me about my second dilemma as to why would you, God, allow a wicked nation as Babylon that will rise up soon to punish your disobedient people of Judah." So now we're arriving to this second chapter from verse 2 to verse 20. In this second chapter, God now gives the second answer to Habakkuk, the embracer of his people of Israel. How wonderful for us to learn from Habakkuk because today, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, if you are a believer in the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, you are part of the assembly of the Ekklesia today.

And today we ought to have concern for the welfare of the people of God as Habakkuk had concern for the welfare of the people of Israel. While he didn't want them to fight among themselves, he also didn't want them to be punished by a wicked nation. And you and I, why we do not want the believers in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to fight among themselves, but we certainly don't want an enemy nation, those who oppose the gospel, who oppose the grace of God, who oppose the body of Messiah to persecute the people, the body of Christ, the body of Messiah. And so now God comes with an answer.

And we have three or four major points that we find here in the second chapter of Habakkuk. The first thing that we have here in verses two and three, that the Lord instructs Habakkuk through a vision. The vision in Hebrew is chazon. And the Lord instructs him to write what he is going to see in that vision. To remind you that a vision is not a dream. A dream is when one sleeps and he sees a certain dream when he is sleeping. But chazon, a vision is much more than just a dream. A dream is literally God is presenting before his servants something unique concerning coming events or coming an occasion or something that he wants to instruct his servant.

In this case, Habakkuk was told, notice verse two, and the Lord answered me. Look how beautiful. He's answering. God is answering. Maybe late. Maybe a little bit not to our liking and our time. But God does answer. And the Lord answered me. And he said. He's speaking to Habakkuk. And he's saying to him. Write the chazon. Write the vision. Make it plain upon tables. That he may run that readeth it. Habakkuk. God is saying to him. Here I'm going to show you a vision. And I'm going to instruct you as to what's going to happen in the future day. Remember, beloved brothers and sisters. When Habakkuk has this dilemma.

And we had this conversation with God. This, the people of the Babylonian Empire haven't rose yet to power. But now God is showing to him how the Babylonian will rise into power. And will ultimately, will deal with the people of Judah in such an evil way. And then now God is going to show him the response to the activity of the Babylonian against the people of Israel. This is tremendous. When you really think about it. God instructing him. It's very similar to what the Lord said unto Isaiah. Remember in Isaiah chapter 8. More over the Lord. Verse 1. Said unto me. Take thee a great roll. And write in it with a man's pen.

Concerning Maher Shalal Chashbaz. And I took unto me faithful witness to record Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Yeb Rachiah. And then we can see that Isaiah wrote and put down in Isaiah 8 verses 1 and 2 what God have told him to put as Habakkuk here. In Habakkuk 2 and verse 2 was told to do. Notice again I just want to emphasize the Lord answer me verse 2. And he says write the vision. Write the chazon. Make it plain. Don't make it complicated. Make it simple. What I'm telling you. Make it plain upon table. And then he's saying to him. In other words that make it plain means in the Hebrew it says hu ba'er.

In other words explained it. Make it plain. Explained it. In the words of course that the Lord would have given him. And then he said that he may run that readeth it. In other words whatever the Lord will give Habakkuk to put down through this chazon. Through this vision. Then Habakkuk will put it down on luchot. This is tablets. And then the ordinary Jewish man in the time of Habakkuk will read it. And he will run with it to spread the news that God would give to Israel. To Judah through Habakkuk. So that he. Notice how personalized this. Not only they. But every individual that trusts in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Will read what Habakkuk placed on these tablets. Which God had given him. The word of the Lord. And will take it and run with it. And share that message. This is amazing. Because we are called. Also today. As believers in the Lord Yeshua. Jesus the Messiah. To preach the gospel. To share the message of the word of God. To share both. Judgment is coming. Judgment is coming. But there is a way to receive forgiveness. And God had provided a way of redemption through the Lord Yeshua. Jesus the Messiah. So we also are called. To run. To run the race. To run and share the word of God.

To preach the gospel. Wherever we are. And to take the opportunities that the Lord gives us. As the Jewish people were called to run. And spread the message. That Habakkuk the prophet of Israel. Put down on these tablets. Now notice very interesting in verse 3. A Habakkuk division. God said to Habakkuk. Is yet for an appointed time. Again to remember. Babylon is going to rise. Babylon will discipline the Jewish people. Babylon will burn the temple in 586 BC. On the ninth day of the month of Av. Babylon will carry the Jewish people into the land of Babel. There in Babylon. The Jewish people will say. By the rivers of Babylon.

There we sat down. And we wept. As we remembered Zion. You remember Psalm 137. It is Babel. In Hebrew Babylon. In Hebrew Babel. Babel is this nation. And it is a representation really. Babel became a representation. Of this wicked world. To reject the ways of God. And I want to just pause here. To remind you. That we have these two Babylon's. The first Babylon already began. In Genesis chapter 11. Where the people. There they said. Let us go. Let us build a city and a tower. Whose top may reach unto heaven. And let us make us a name. Lest we be scattered abroad. Upon the face of the whole earth.

And you remember God came down. As we read. And so the Lord scattered them abroad. From thence upon the face of all the earth. And they left off to build their city. Therefore. Is the name of it called Babel. Why? Because the Lord. Did there. Confound the language. Of all the earth. The Hebrew word Babel. Is the Babel. To confound. To confound the languages. But it's not only this. It shows us the condition of Babylon. Let us build us a city and a tower. Whose top may reach unto heaven. And let us make a name for ourselves. In other words. Babel is a representation of the whole world.

Who say we don't need God. We're going to get to heaven in our own way. And it's really beloved brothers and sisters. A confusion. That exists in a world that reject God. So of course the first Babylon. Is found in Genesis chapter 11. But we have the finality. The second Babylon. And the finality of Babylon. Found in Revelation chapter 17. And 18. And there I just read this. One verse. That is found there in Revelation. Chapter 17. We read. It says in verse 5. And upon her forehead. Has a name written. The mystery of Babylon. The great. The mother of harlots. And abomination of the earth. And we can continue and read as well.

In chapter 18. We read in verse 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice. Saying Babylon the great. Is fallen. Is fallen. And is become the habitation of demons. And a hold of every false spirit. And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk. Of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth are wax rich. Through the abundance of her delicacies. And Babylon the great. Will eventually be destroyed. But here it is. In Habakkuk 2. What God described. Before Habakkuk. What's going to happen. To Babylon.

Really. It is to the world. That rejected God. And God's people. And ultimately rejected the Messiah. Yeshua. Jesus. Who is the king. And ruler. Over this world. So. Habakkuk. Write. The vision. Make it plain. The one that read. Will run. And share it. And then he says. 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. Habakkuk. God is saying to him. Listen. The vision. Will surely come. To pass. You make sure. That you. Write it. Upon tablets. You make sure. That you.

Are sharing it. With others. Because that vision. Will surely. Come to pass. What I'm going to tell you. Habakkuk. Will surely. Come. To pass. He's saying here. It is. An appointed. Season. This is very interesting. Expression. The word appointed time. In Hebrew. Is come. It means. Moed. Moed. It is an appointed. Season. Like all the seven feasts. Of the Lord. That God gave. To our people. Israel. They were giving. And they were to. Be celebrated. At an appointed. Season. Well beloved. Brothers and sisters. Now. That God. Have instructed. Habakkuk. To write. The vision. And assuring him. That this vision. Is surely. Going to come. To pass.

Then. In verses. Four. Five. And six. The Lord. Said. That he will use. This vision. In order to. Give a message. And to ultimately. To accomplish. His purposes. So you notice. Now. How beautiful. It is. In verse. Four. We read. About. The one. That may be. Proud. And arrogant. And will not. Want to submit. To the word of God. And to the. Message. Of the. The vision. Is conveying. Look at this. It says. For the. In verse four. It says. Behold. His soul. Which is lifted up. Is. Not. Upright. In him. God said. To Habakkuk. Anyone. That will not. Submit. To that. Word of God.

The message. That God. Have. For the world. Really. First. Of all. To the. People. Of Israel. If anyone. Will not. Submit. To this. He is. Really. Not. In the. Will. Of. The. Lord. But. Notice. That. Verse. Four. At the end. But. A. Just. Shall. Live. By. His. Faith. In. Hebrew. It says. Vetsadik. Be. Emunato. Yichyeh. Now. This. Portion. Of. Habakkuk. Two. Verse. Four. B. Is. Quoted. Three. Times. In. The. New. Covenant. In. The. New. Testament. By. The. Apostle. Paul. In. Romans. One. Seventeen. And. In. Galatians. Three. Eleven. And. By. The. chapter. Ten. And. Verse. Thirty. Eight. Now. Paul. Took. This. And. He. Quoted. Them. In.

These. Three. Passages. In. The. New. Covenant. Two. Two. Two. Verse. Four. B. That. God. Is. Saying. To. Israel. Okay. Here. Is. What's. Going. To. The. Babylonian. They. Going. To. Babylon. And. They. Will. The. The. Gentiles. You. Are. Going. To. Be. Taken. Away. And. You. Will. Be. Punished. By. Me. But. Those. Of. You. Israel. Those. Of. You. Among. The. Jewish. People. Who. Are. Just. Meaning. They. Believers. In. The. God. Of. Israel. Who. Are. Truly. Have. Been. Justified. By. Simply. Believing. Like. Abraham. We. Read. Genesis. 15. And. Abraham. Believed. God. And. It. Was. Counted. Unto. Him. For. Righteousness. They. Were. Just. Not. Because. Of. Themselves. They. Were. Just.

Because. They. Trusted. God. They. Believed. God's. Word. And. They. Were. For. For. The. Messiah. Came. Many. Of. Our. People. Who. Trusted. In. The. Lord. In. The. God. Israel. Were. Justified. So. He. Saying. To. Those. Who. Believe. Already. They. Are. Just. They. Are. Already. Justified. The. Only. Believers. That. Truly. Belong. To. The. Lord. Like. David. Like. Abraham. And. Isaac. And. Jacob. And. Moses. And. Aaron. And. Joshua. And. Them. And. All. The. Men. And. Women. Of. God. In. Olden. Days. Who. They. Trusted. The. God. Of. Israel. They. Were. Justified. By. Faith. Even. Though. The. Messiah. Hasn't. Come. As. Yet. But. They. Were. Justified. When. They. Sinned. They.

Had. To. Offer. A. Sacrifice. The. Blood. Atoned. For. Their. Sins. And. They. Were. Justified. And. They. Were. Cleansed. Temporarily. Of. Course. Nine. Behold. The. Lamb. Of. God. Which. Taketh. Away. The. Sin. Of. This. World. So. God. Is. Saying. That. The. Just. Shall. Live. By. His. Faith. In. Other. Words. Those. Who. Truly. Believe. God. Among. The. People. Of. Israel. They. Would. Live. In. Light. Of. Their. Faith. In. God. Even. Though. They. Will. Experience. The. Persecutions. And. The. Sorrow. That. Happened. By. The. Babylonian. You. Remember. Beloved. Brothers. And. Sisters. When. The. Babylonian. Came. In. 605. BC. And. They. Took. Daniel. Hananiah. And. Azariah. And. Mishael. Who. Were. Godly.

Men. They. Were. Just. They. Were. Justified. And. They. Were. Taken. To. Babylon. Along. With. The rest. Of. The nation. Of. Whom. Some. Were. Truly. Justified. Just. And. Some. Were. Not. Because. Of. Their. Lack. Of. Trust. In. God. So. Here. We. Learn. That. A. Just. Shall. Live. By. Simply. Being. Faithful. Even. Though. The. Persecution. May. Arise. Interestingly. The Apostle Paul. In Romans. Chapter 1. And. Verse 16. Says. For. I am not ashamed. Of the gospel. Of the Messiah. For. It is the power. Of God. Unto salvation. To everyone. That believers. To the Jew. First. And also. Unto the Greek. And then. He said. For. Therein. Is the righteousness.

Of God. Revealed. From faith. To faith. As it is written. And he is quoting. Habakkuk. Chapter 2. And verse 4b. The just. Shall live. By faith. While Habakkuk. Has said this. In relationship. To the one. Who is already. Just. Paul. Was emphasizing. The need. To believe. The gospel. For now. In this present day. To believe. God. Today. When he preached. That message. And then. The righteousness. Of God. Will be applied. To the believer. And then. He will. Become. Justified. And. He. Will. Be right. With God. You see that. How interesting. He also. Mentioned that. As well. Once again. In the book. Of Galatians. And there. In Galatians.

Chapter 3. The apostle Paul. The apostle Paul. Mentioned that. Verse again. In verse 11. And he said. And I'm reading. Galatians 3. In verse 11. But that no man. Is justified. By the law. In the sight of God. It is evident. For the just. Shall live. By faith. Again. He's emphasizing. In what Habakkuk said. In chapter 2. And verse 4. But there. In the. Book of Galatians. The apostle Paul. Emphasizes. The fact. That if you will. Become. Justified. Now you will. Live. A godly. Life. Here in this world. As a believer. In the Lord. Jesus. Yeshua. The Messiah. In other words. Don't neglect. To live. A life. That is pleasing. To the Lord.

Today. Once you have. Accepted. The Lord Jesus. The Messiah. You can. And you ought. To live. A life. That is pleasing. To God. Now the Hebrew writers. Quoted. 10th chapter. He quoted. The same verse. And there. Notice that. In relationship. To faith. Of the believers. He says in. Hebrews 10th. Verse 37. For yet a little while. And he that shall come. Will. Come. And will. Not. Tarry. And then he says. Now the just. Shall live. By faith. The just. Shall live. By faith. So you notice. Every. One of these. Three passages. In the new covenant. In the. Rit. Rit. That quoted. Habakkuk 2. Verse 4. Emphasizes. One. Or two words.

That I mentioned. The just. Shall live. By faith. To be justified. Romans. Chapter 1. Verse 17. We need to believe. On the Lord Jesus. The Messiah. To live. A life. That is honoring. To the Lord. Galatians 3. 11. Is once. We have been justified. We should live. And honor the Lord. In a godly way. Hebrews. Chapter. 10. And verse 38. By faith. By faith. It will be evident. When the believer. Is walking with the Lord. To trust him. And to believe. Not only for salvation. But also. For our daily. Life. So. Beautifully. God. Is instructing. Habakkuk. To write. This vision. And the true. Believers. Who are justified. Because they. Love God.

And accepted. His word. They will. Trust him. And believe. On him. Even though. They are going. Through time. That is not easy. We continue. In Habakkuk. Chapter 2. And in verse 5. God is describing. For Habakkuk. What kind of a nation. Is. The Babylonian. The Caledines. He says. Notice. Yeah. Also. Because. He transgresses. By wine. Notice that. He. This is Babylon. Transgresses. Or sin. By wine. He. Is a proud man. Neither keepeth. At home. Who enlarges. His desire. As hell. And is. As death. And cannot be satisfied. But gathereth unto him. All nations. And heapeth unto him. All people. You notice. God described Babylon. As a person.

He used the word. He. And him. And his. More than once. Here. In. Habakkuk 2. Verse 5. And he described. The Babylonian. As a nation. That was characterized. As a nation. That was constantly. Drinking. Wine. And being. Influenced. By wine. Notice. Verse 5. Says. Yeah. Also. Because. He. Transgresses. By. Wine. This is very interesting. Because. If you remember. When we read. In Daniel. This is a bit later. Than the time. Of Habakkuk. When our people. Of old. The people. Of Judah. Was carried. To Babylon. In the time. Of Daniel. After Nebuchadnezzar. The first. King. The first one. That took. The Jewish people. To Babylon. After he died. His grandson.

His grandson's name. Was. Belshazzar. We read of him. In. Daniel. Chapter. 5. In verse 1. And you remember. What happened. And Belshazzar. The king. Made a great feast. To a thousand. Of his lord. And he drank. Wine. Before the thousand. Belshazzar. While he tasted. The wine. He commanded. To bring. The golden. And silver. Vessels. Which his. Father. This is his. Grandfather. Nebuchadnezzar. Had taken. Out. Of the temple. Which was. In Jerusalem. Can you imagine. Beloved. Brothers. And sisters. That. Belshazzar. Took. The vessels. That were used. For the honor. Of God. In the temple. Of Jerusalem. Where the people. Of Israel. Worship. God. And use. These vessels. Of silver.

And gold. In order. To serve. God. The true. And living. God. In the temple. In Jerusalem. What. Belshazzar. Has done. He requested. For these vessels. To be brought. To him. And you notice. He wanted. To drink. From them. And you remember. What we read. In verse 3. Of Daniel. Chapter 5. And they brought. The golden vessels. That were taken out. From the temple. Of the house of God. Which was. At Jerusalem. And the king. And his princes. His wives. And his concubines. Drank. In them. They drank wine. And praised. Listen. They praised. The gods. Of gold. And of silver. Of brass. Of iron. Of wood. And of stone.

What a shame. What a shame. To take. The holy vessels. That the people of Israel. Used to serve God. In the temple. In Jerusalem. And to use them. To get drunk by. And to worship. And praise. Idols. The gods of gold. Silver. Brass. Iron. Wood. And stone. What a shame. What a shame. And if you remember. It was then and there. That God brought judgment upon the Babylonian. It was then and there. That the middle Persian came and took over. The kingdom of Babylon. And they were destroyed. It was then and there. That the finger. Man's hand. Came out. And wrote upon the wall. As we read in.

Daniel chapter 5. It says here. And wrote over. Against the candlesticks. Upon the plaster. Of the wall. Of the king's palace. It said that the same hour. Came forth. Fingers. Of a man's hand. And you remember. What it was saying there. Mene. Mene. Tekel. Ephraim. Ephraim. Ephraim. God is coming in judgment against you. And you remember what happened to Belshazzar. It says Daniel 5 and verse 6. Then the king's countenance was changed. And he thought troubled him. So that the joints of his loins were loosed. And his knees smote once against another. Well beloved brothers and sisters. When God would come in judgment. He will cause these wicked men.

Who dishonor him. To experience his judgment. And indeed. The Babylonians were destroyed. By the Medo-Persians. And the kingdom was taken away from them. Well we are back to Habakkuk. At chapter 2. And now. After God described. These two things. The Babylonians. Sin was being proud. First of all. Verse 5. As it says here. That he is a proud man. And secondly. Babylon. It was always having appetite. To get more. To drink more. And to usurp other nations. As it says. That the second part of verse 5. He says. He enlarges his desire like hell. And is as death. That cannot be satisfied. You know. Like the grave. Like a grave.

Like hell. The grave. And Hades. And death. Today. Doesn't seem to be satisfied. Every day. More people die. Even though new people are born. New people die. There is no end. To the grave. More and more. More and more. Death. Are coming. Every day. And that's how God described Babylon. And that's how God described Babylon. The Caledines. As a proud nation. As a nation that is intoxicated by wine. As a nation that desire to usurp others. He says. He gathereth unto him all nations. And he heapeth unto him all people. More to take. To control more of the world. To take more of the world.

This is exactly Babylon. Is a description of the world. And its worldliness. And a rejection of the true and living God. And Judah was called to be different. Israel was called to be different. The body of Messiah. The church. The assembly. The assembly is called to be different. To be part of that which is honoring God. In this sad, sad world. And so beloved brothers and sisters. From verse 6. And I would read the first part of verse 6. In verse 6. You will notice. The first part of verse 6. The Lord pronouncing the judgment upon Babylon. And we might say. Upon the Babylon the great. The system. This world system.

That is headed up by Satan. And controlling humanity. Those who reject our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Notice God is now in a sense. He is saying in verse 6. The first part of verse 6. He is pronouncing the judgment upon Babylon. And he is saying. Notice. Shall not all these. Take up a parable against him. This is against Babylon. And a taunting proverb against him. Against Babylon. And say. And from here on. From verse 6b. All the way to verse 19. Of Habakkuk chapter 2. There are five fold songs of woe. Against Babylon. Against the world and its system. Against those who oppose God. Oppose the people of God.

And oppose the Messiah. The son of God. The Messiah. Yeshua. And you notice. As if it were. There is a song. As is the world. Those who realize. That Babylon eventually will be destroyed. They would sing. Notice. Shall not all these. Which are all these. These are those. That could see. And eventually recognize. The condition. Of Babylon. They will. As he said. Take up a parable. The word parable is mashal. Against him. Against Babylon. And then he says. A taunting proverb. The Hebrew word. Melitza. Chidot lo. It's not only. A proverb. But it is almost like. A mockery. Against Babylon. It's like. Have a. A proverbs.

When you have. A song. When you have. A mockery. Song. Against the nation. That one thought. In pride. To turn against God. That never was satisfied. With anything. That usurp. The ways of the Lord. Control nations. In this world. Rejected God. And rejected the Messiah. Yeshua. The son of God. The redeemer. And. Eventually. They will. Those who recognize it. Will. Sing the taunting. In Hebrew. It's a melitza. It's a joking. Kind of. A proverb. Against. Babylon. And say. And now we have. Beloved. Brothers and sisters. From verse 6b. To the end of verse 19. We have the five-fold song of woe. Of the judgment against the Kaladins.

Which are the Babylonians. Let me just give you a description of these five-fold songs. In verse 6b. To verse 8. First of all. The first woe. Is the removal of the wealth. That Babylon have gained. And the word for woe. Is in the Hebrew. Is really. The word is. Hoi. Hoi. Hoi. In Hebrew. Woe. In English. Hoi. To him that increases. That which is not his. How long? And to him that leadeth himself with thick clay. Shall they not rise up suddenly. That shall bite thee. This is by Babylon. And awake. That shall vax thee. And thou shall be for booties unto them. 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. In other words. We read that ultimately Babylon. The Kaladins will be. As it were. The wealth that they gain by force from others. Will be taken away from them. Him that increases that which is not his. Him that increases that which is not his. They force it upon the nations around them. They have taken it. They have taken the Jewish people. They took all the temple vessels. And they carried the people of Israel to Babylon. And that Babylon.

That city of Babel became. The kingdom of Babylon became a great kingdom. But ultimately God will destroy them. And eventually will remove from them all that wealth. That they have acquired by taking it from others. This is the first woe. Verses 6b to verse 8. Listen to the second woe. Or the second hoi in Hebrew. Verses 9, 10, and 11. Is the second woe upon the Babylonian. The cry for judgment. By even by its own gain and accomplishment. We read in verse 9. Woe to him that coveteth 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. And hast sinned against thy soul. For the stone shall cry out of the wall. And the beams out of the timber shall answer it. Notice that the stone and the beam will cry out against Babylon. Why? Because Babylon have gained everything. They have gained everything through covetousness. They have controlled nations. They have taken over. And again in the context. In relationship to Judah, Jerusalem, the Jewish people. How Babylon have gone against the Jewish people. And here is the second woe. Even the cry. Even the gain that they have had. Will cry against the nation of Babil.

The stone will cry out. And the beam will cry out of the timber against that. Against Babylon. Look at thirdly, beloved brothers and sisters. The third woe judgment is verses 12, 13 and 14. The third woe is the woe fire which will consume Babylon's labor. We read in verse 12. Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood and establish 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 very vanity. So God is saying to them about Babylon in verses 12 and 13. To him that buildeth a town with blood. To him that buildeth a town with blood.

Establish a city by iniquity. So really, is it not the Lord of hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity. In other words, God will bring the fire which will consume the Babylonians because of their evil doings and evil sin. And notice what we learn from the next verse, which is part of this woe. God in the middle of that promise of punishment that he give Habakkuk in a vision. He kind of takes him beyond the day of even Israel restored back from Bavell or from the Persian back to the land. He's taking Habakkuk and you and I all the way to the future kingdom.

To the messianic kingdom. Where our Lord Yeshua the Messiah will rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Where God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that the knowledge of the true and living God will fill the whole earth. And the glory of the Lord shall be as the water that covers the sea. When will this happen? Notice verse 14. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the water covers the sea. Well, it didn't happen at the time of Habakkuk. Habakkuk at 630, sometime around 630 BC. It didn't happen even when the Messiah came at his first coming.

Our Lord Jesus, our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, some 2,000 years ago. It's not happening today. 2,000 years later. 2,600 years after Habakkuk ministered the word. We cannot see today and say that the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. In fact, the vast majority of the people of this world reject God. Reject the scripture. Reject the promises of God. Well, what happened here that Habakkuk received in his vision something that takes us to far beyond even the days of Habakkuk. Look all the way to the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of Israel, Yeshua himself, will come and reign in the future day.

We read in Isaiah chapter 11. And if there shall come forth, verse 1, a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of the knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He's speaking about the one that will come, that rod out of the stem of Jesse. He is a descendant of Yishai, the father of David, David, the king of Israel. This is the Messiah, the branch that will grow out of the root of David, the root of Jesse.

And you notice what it says. He shall, notice, he says, his delight will be in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither approve after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness he shall judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And listen to this verse 5. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loin, and faithfulness the girdle of his reign. This is Isaiah chapter 11, verses 1 to 5. And then it says in verse 9 about the coming Messiah in the future day.

They shall not hurt, verse 9, nor destroy in all my holy mountain, in all my kingdom, God is saying. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah wrote this before Habakkuk wrote it. Isaiah received this information from the God of Israel before Habakkuk received this information from the same God of Israel. Who said, as he's pronouncing judgment against Babylon, he said in verse 14, For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. What an amazing promise of the Messiah, when Yeshua the Messiah will reign and rule over this world.

Israel is restored. The church is ruling and reigning with the Messiah over this world. The whole world will know that God is the true and living God. Heaven and earth will recognize that Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So Habakkuk getting a glimpse that takes him all the way to the future day of the Messianic age. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea in Habakkuk 2 and verse 14.

Listen to verses 15 and 17. This is the fourth woe judgment upon the Babylonian. That the woe of them, the returning judgment of God upon them. In verse 15, 16 and 17. In other words, God is saying, he's going to come against you, Babylon. You cause others to be drunken. You have brought a sorrow and suffering upon others and shame. You are going to be judged by God. Notice it says in verse 16. The cup of the Lord's hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory. For it says in verse 17, for the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts which made them afraid because of man's blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.

Babylon will experience the cup of the Lord's right hand that will turn against Babel, as we have already mentioned. In Revelation chapter 17 and 18, we have this political and religious Babylon, which is a representation of this whole world, that God will judge in righteousness in a coming day, before he will begin the Messianic kingdom, and the blessing of the thousand years reign of our Lord Jesus, our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. What a wonderful future is awaiting. But Habakkuk, again, beloved brothers and sisters, we are studying the prophecy of Habakkuk. He is not so much speaking to men, but he is in a conversation, dialogue with God. And God is giving him an answer.

And now he is to put it on a tablet to make it plain, this vision, this chazon. There is an appointed season when this chazon, this fulfillment of this chazon, of this vision, will come to pass at the appointed time, even though it seemed to delay for such a long time. But God will surely fulfill every promise that he has made. Well, finally, in the fifth woe against Babylon, we find that in verse 18 and 19, this is the woe of the uselessness of idolatry, because the Babylonians worship idols. We read it already in Daniel chapter 5, how Belshazzar has drank a king of Babylon there, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, how he drank.

And what did he do? He worshipped and he worshipped and he praised the gods of, you remember this? In chapter 5, and these verses that we read, in verse 4, he praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Well, Habakkuk is being told now, how useless is man-made gods. And so we read in verse 18, Habakkuk 2, 18, what profit is the graven image that the maker thereof has graven it, the molten image, and the teacher of lies that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that sayeth to the wood, awake, to the dumb stone, arise, and it shall teach.

Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. How sad it is that people, that man, is capable to worship images that made out of stone, out of wood, out of silver, out of gold, and say, this is my God, and worship it. How sad it is, instead of turning to the true and living God, the creator of the universe, the upholder of all things, the lover of us all, when he was so gracious to provide us, not only to create us for his pleasure, but also because we, when we got lost, when we sinned against him from the time of the garden through Adam and Eve until today, the very same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sent the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus, to this world to provide redemption for us.

The Bible tells us, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, this is the Mashiach, the Messiah, that whosoever will believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life. But sadly, man continues on in his own way, and God says, woe to him that says, to the wood, wake up, and to the stone, the dumb stone, arise, teach me something. God says, it is laid, it is overlaid with gold, silver and gold, he says, but there is no breath in it. There is nothing at all in the midst of it. An idol is an idol, is an idol. He cannot move.

He has eyes but cannot see. He has ears cannot hear. He has mouth cannot speak. He has hands cannot touch. He has legs. He cannot walk. And men that creates him become like him. And God says, woe, woe to those that follow and create idols instead of following the living God. And brothers and sisters, my dear friend who hear me, that's what we learn here from these verses 2 to 19, that God is going to come in judgment upon this Babylon the Great. The times of the Gentiles will come to an end when Babylon will be destroyed. Revelation chapter 17 and 18. And the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, will come from glory.

And Israel will recognize that he is indeed the promised Mashiach. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. We read in the prophet Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10. And they shall mourn as one mourner for his only son. And when Israel will accept the Messiah, then the world will see and be blessed in a future day. I am always fascinated with the wisdom that the Apostle Paul had who said in Romans chapter 11, I say then, have they, namely Israel, stumbled that they should fall? God forbid. But rather, through their fall, salvation is common to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy. And if the fall of them be the richest of the world and the diminishing of them the richest of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?

He says later on in verse 15 of Romans chapter 11, For if the casting away of Israel was the reconciling of the world, what shall be the receiving of them but life from the dead? Now you might not see this in the prophet Habakkuk. But what happened that Habakkuk received information that takes us all the way to the Messianic kingdom. In the middle there, we are finding ourselves in 2,000 years of church history which Habakkuk didn't know about. It was a mystery hidden God. Habakkuk was looking all the way to the future, to the restoration of Israel. He didn't see the church age in which you and I live in today and that's why at the end of this second chapter of the book of Habakkuk in verse 20, Habakkuk received his answer and Habakkuk is revealed by the Lord that God eventually will be in his temple and everyone will have to be silent before him recognizing that he is Lord, that God is God and he is sovereign and every knee will have to be bowed before him.

Notice the last verse of Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 20, but, but, whatever going to happen over the generation, but the Lord Jehovah, Yahweh, but the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. In Hebrew it says, Ve'adonai be'heichal kod'sho has mipanav kol ha'aretz. The Lord is in his holy temple. let all the earth keep silence before him. That takes us all the way to the messianic kingdom when the messianic temple will be built according to Ezekiel 40 to 48. And the Lord God and the person of the Messiah Yeshua will sit in that temple. He is in his holy temple, even though the temple was destroyed in 586 BC.

But Habakkuk received that vision, this chazon. And he says, for the vision is yet for an appointed time. Habakkuk 2 and verse 3. Od chazon lamoid. There is still an appointed time in which this fulfillment of this vision will come to pass because the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. Recognize him. Humble yourself before him. Recognize that he is Lord, that he is in charge. What a wonderful message we have in Habakkuk chapter 2 verses 2 to 20 where God gave answer to Habakkuk about the destruction of the Babylonian during his days a bit later but it takes him all the way to the messianic kingdom.

These two verses and I'm going to conclude these two verses in Habakkuk 2 verse 14 and verse 20 takes us all the way to the kingdom age. For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Verse 20 but the Lord is in holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. That is the culmination. That is the last days when the Messiah will come and God will have his rightful place in this world ruling over Israel and all the nations of the world. Well, praise God. We're looking forward for this coming day and we anticipate this future day that is ahead of us.

May God bless his word. Can you say amen to that?