History is His Story

Text. Habakkuk 2:5-20

Habakkuk’s depth of understanding increases…  History is all being determined, being enacted in accordance with God’s sovereign purpose and plan.  Everything is moving towards a conclusion that has been predetermined.  History is His Story.  God is writing history before it happens.

1. Woe to the Transgressors.

Habakkuk begins a long description of the characteristics of the sinful nations. Chapter 2:5-8.  A series of woes upon those who transgress God’s law.

11. People who build their own empires and strongholds. V9 – the very houses they build and the structures they put in place will witness against them on the judgment day.     
12. People who use violence to further their own ambitions. V12 They desire glory and worship for themselves, but ultimately, only God will be glorified.  The completeness of his glorification, his greatness is absolute, in V14.  
13. People who bring shame on others. They loved to see others humiliated. They give people alcohol, to get them drunk with the purpose of shaming them.  They expose them publicly.
14. People who worship false deities. V18

So all our conniving and scheming and scratching our way to top of the tree, all our ambition and plans, all our substitute deities and religions, – all will be pointless and wasted on that great judgement day, their fate has already been determined.  Despite all their great ambitions and all their wickedness and cruelty, their kingdoms will come to nothing.  Contrast that with the purpose – the climax that awaits the kingdom of God, Christ’s Kingdom.  14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.     

2. A Glimpse Ahead.

When Habakkuk contrasts the saved and the lost, he sets them apart by the word ‘but.’  4Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. They are different.    He now does this again.  Having described the mindset, and the actions and the utter futility of the sinner, Habakkuk bows contrasts this with the majesty and holiness of God.  He writes, v20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.

1. The holiness and majesty of God.
   1. His supreme attribute.. God dwells in holiness.  He is the holy God, who dwells in unapproachable light.  1 John 1:5 God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
   2. His exalted habitation. He is described here as being in his holy temple!  Do you remember Isaiah’s vision?  There is an amazing description of the habitation of God.  Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
2. The effect of that holiness and majesty upon humanity.
   1. All the earth shall gather! Again, we see here that all the nations of the earth shall one day stand before God in judgement.  The day is coming when Jesus will return as Judge. As Judge He must and will perform His duty in keeping with the nature of His office.
   2. There will be silence, Paul teaches us this in Romans.  3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God is in control of history.  He is bringing it to a close, in his own way and in his own time.  One day, after the nations have gathered, and the judgement day has taken place and the wicked have fly away for ever and ever, – Jesus shall reign!

Heidelberg Catechism: Q. 28.

What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence does still uphold all things?

That we may be patient in adversity; (a) thankful in prosperity; (b) and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, (c) that nothing shall separate us from his love; (d) since all creatures are so in his hand, that without his will they cannot so much as move. (e)

(a) Rom.5:3; James 1:3; Ps.39:9; Job 1:21,22. (b) Deut.8:10; 1 Thess.5:18. (c) Ps.55:22; Rom.5:4. (d) Rom.8:38,39. (e) Job 1:12; Job 2:6; Acts 17:25,28; Prov.21:1