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 Chaladins, that is the Babylonian, 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 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 spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee, because of men'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 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 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 putteth 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 a spoil of the beast 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 of the wrath 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 sayeth, 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 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 BC. 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 one, Habakkuk has seen the sad condition in Israel 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 have said to Habakkuk Habakkuk i'm going to raise the caladins if you remember chapter 1 and verse 6 says for law i raise up the caladins that 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 caladins are the Babylonian if you remember we spoke about it earlier that the Babylonian 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 caledines the babylonians as we find them in Isaiah 48 and verse 20 go ye forth of Babylon flee ye from the caledines 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 caledines that is the Babylonian 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 caladins when the Babylonian came to take our people of Israel the people of Judah into captivity and really the sad time was specifically in 586 bc when the temple in Yerushalayim was destroyed and burnt and city walls have been burnt and and fallen down and the Jews were taking 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 he said 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 Babylonian 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 this upon this tower and that tower they can watch to see what's going on all around as the farmers in those days of all 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 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 friend if you are a believer in the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah you are part of the assembly of the ecclesia 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 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 instruct Habakkuk through a vision the vision in Hebrew is chazon and the Lord instruct him to write what he is going to see in 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's sleeping but chazon a vision is much more than just a dream is literally God is presenting before his servants something unique concerning coming events or coming an occasion or something that he want to instruct his servant in this case Habakkuk was told notice verse 2 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 then instructing him it's very similar to what the Lord said unto Isaiah remember in Isaiah chapter 8 moreover the Lord verse 1 said unto me take thee a great role.

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 Yebrachiah 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 he's saying to him in other words that make it a plain means in the Hebrew it says 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's 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's 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 babylons 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 means is 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 the 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 hair 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 4, 5, and 6, 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 4. 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 he says for the in verse four he said behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him God said to Habakkuk in other anyone that will not submit to that word of God the message that God have for the world really but first of all to the people of Israel if anyone will not submit to this he is really proud he is really not in the will of the Lord but then beloved brothers and sisters Habakkuk is all by the Lord but notice that verse 4 at the end but the just shall live by his faith in Hebrew it says now this portion of Habakkuk 2 verse 4b is quoted three times in the new covenant in the new testament by the apostle Paul in Romans 1 17 and in Galatians 3 11.

And by the writer who wrote to the Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 38 now Paul took this verse and he quoted them in these three passages in the new covenant new testament but you notice here in Habakkuk 2 verse 4b that God is saying to Judah saying to Israel okay here is what's going to happen i will have to raise the caladins that is the Babylonian they're going to come and they're going to discipline you they will take you to Babylon and they will begin what is known to be the time of the goyim the Gentiles you're 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're believers in the God of Israel who truly have been justified by simply believing like Abraham.

We read in 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 forgiven. Before the Messiah came, many of our people who trusted in the Lord, in the God of Israel, were justified. So he's saying to those who believe already, they're just, they're 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 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 because once the Messiah came he removed once and for all sin from before the presence of God as we read in John 129 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 at 605 bc and they took Daniel hananiah and nazariah and mishael who were godly men they were just they were justified and they were taking 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 the 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's 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 galatian and there in galatian chapter 3 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 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 Rebus 10 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 brit hachadasha 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 Chaladins 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 yea 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 and 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 Yerushalayim 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 Yerushalayim 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 a Jerusalem and the king and his princess 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 Yerushalayim.

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 euphraic reason 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 thoughts 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's a proud man and secondly Babylon was always having appetite to 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 end is as death that cannot be satisfied you know like 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 the Kaladins as a proud nation as a nation that is intoxicated by wine as a nation that desire to usurp others he says he gathers 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 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 six and I would read the first part of verse six in verse six you will notice the first part of verse six 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's pronouncing the judgment upon Babylon and he's 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 the 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 said the 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 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 that will sing the taunting in Hebrew is a melitzah 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 fivefold song of woe of the judgment against the caladines which are the babylonians let me just give you a description of these fivefold 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 hoy, hoy, hoy in Hebrew, woe in English. Hoy or 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? This is by Babylon. And awake that shall vaxt thee and thou shall be for booties unto them because thou has 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 caladins 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 the 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 hoy 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 covetous 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 has consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and has seen the gains thy soul for then listen for the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam 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 is even the cry even the gain that they have had will cry against the nation of Babel 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 war judgment is verses 12 13 and 14 the third war is the war fire which will consume Babylon's labor we read in verse 12 woe to him that build us 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 built us a town with blood establish a city by iniquity says really is it not the Lord of holes 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 judgment against the Babylonian and that the fire which will consume the Babylonian because of their evil doings and the evil sin and notice what we learn from the next verse which is part of this whoa God in the middle of that promise of punishment that he give Habakkuk in a vision he cannot takes him beyond the day of even Israel restored back from Babel or from the the Persian back to the land he's taking Habakkuk and you and 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 Lord 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 covered the sea well it didn't happen at the time of 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 2000 years ago it's not happening today 2000 years later 2600 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 all the way to the messianic kingdom when a king shall reign in righteousness when the Messiah of Israel and.

The Savior of this world Yeshua himself will come and reign in the future day we read in Isaiah chapter 11 and 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 roared 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 of his lip 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 messianic kingdom 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 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, woe unto him that giveth his neighbor's drink, that puttest thy bottles to him, and make 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. 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 right 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 Babylonian worship idols we read it already in in Daniel chapter 5 how Belshazzar has drank and king of Babylon there the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar how he drank and what did he do.

He worshipped and he praised the gods of you remember this a 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 trustes therein to make dumb idols woe unto him that sayest 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 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 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 dumpstone arise teach me something God says it is laid this is overlaid with gold the silver and gold he says.

But there's no breath in it 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 his ears cannot hear his mouth cannot speak he has hands cannot touch his 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 on 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 riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches 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 in 2000 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 receive 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 the Lord is in his holy temple let all the earth keep silence before him that takes us all the way to the messianic king them 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 a vision is yet for an appointed time Habakkuk 2 and verse 3 Od Chazon Lamohed there is still an appointed time in which this fulfillment of this a 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 give answer to Habakkuk about the destruction of the Babylonian doing 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?