Day 859: A futile pursuit - Habakkuk 2 vs 9 - 14

9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 10-11 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.”

12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labour merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:9-14 English Standard Version

The Jewish prophet, Habakkuk, was deeply worried by God's message that the Babylonian army was going to cruelly plunder many nations, including Judea. But as God responded to Habakkuk's fears and questions, He also spoke of the futility of Babylon's ambitions, and the fate that awaited them. Earlier, in vs 6, God pronounced the first of a number of grave warnings about nations like Babylon, and said: “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own - for how long? - and loads himself with pledges!” Today we see a second grave warning. What was a big motive for nations like Babylon to plunder other nations? (vs 9)

They were looking for security. That would include the security of the necessary things all nations need, things such as food, adequate water, and shelter. They believed that security came through a powerful army that could conquer other nations and take the spoils of war. But what did God warn them what such an approach would lead to? (vs 10-11)

They were digging a grave for themselves. They would not end up with fame, but shame. In fact, the very stones and beams of timber in the cities they destroyed would be like witnesses testifying to their cruelty. One can't help but think of images of the bombed out buildings in the current war in Ukraine. The next grave warning, in vs 12, cries out further against those who seek to build their empires by shedding the blood of multitudes of people. Something that has been true of tyrants through the ages. But what does vs 13 tell us about all such conquering ambitions?

It's all for nothing. It's a futile quest. All they end up with is fire. A picture, perhaps, of their own destruction when nations eventually attack and overthrow them. Certainly a picture of what they will face on judgment day. But what is the ultimate reason why the ambition of any nation (or even the United Nations) to rule the world is a futile pursuit? (vs 14)

What a glorious promise this is that God made to Habakkuk! It echoes what God said through the prophet Isaiah when He spoke of the kingdom that the Messiah would bring about. We read of the Messiah that “the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding”, and that “with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” (Isaiah 12:2-5) That’s the sort of ruler of nations the world most needs!

And if that wasn't enough, Isaiah describes what an earth full of God's glory will be like. He says: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6-9)

Don't be sidetracked by arguments whether that's a literal or figurative picture. The truth it presents is that the new heavens and earth God brings about as a result of the atonement Jesus made at Calvary will be wonderful. It will be full of God's glory. It's a world no power seeking nation could ever bring about. Our response should be like that of King David's when he prayed: “Blessed be God's glorious name for ever. May the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!” (Psalm 72:18-19)