THE pride and arrogance of Babylon is described in verses 4-5, and now Habakkuk has revealed to him by God the doom of Babylon in the rest of the chapter. We now look at verses 6-14 under the title of EVIL OVERCOME.

Habakkuk is waiting for God's answer to his problem of the Lord using Babylon to chastise and punish Israel, and now God speaks to him and shows him that Babylon will be brought down. The demise of Babylon would be long in coming from an earthly point of view, but God is not false, and it will come. What we learn in these verses is the way of all evil. Evil may flourish for a time, and to us that time may seem very long, but the overcoming of evil by the Lord will never fail.

THE FACT OF EVIL.

What we see in these verses, and the history that they speak of, is the reality of evil. We have only to look out over our world today to be convinced of the fact of evil. Evil flourishes everywhere, and in various forms - from the manifestation of evil in war between nations, and people against people. We also see it in corruption which is prevalent in governments wherever we may find it. We also see evil exhibited in people wherever they may be found.

This is the insoluble problem that the world cannot explain. All the theories about the origin of the universe fail to face or explain the horror of evil, and the delight which human beings have in evil, whether it is to be actively evil, or actively enjoy hearing about evil. The theories of man, can't answer where evil comes from, or explain why evil is present in all of us. The theories of man would lead us to expect evil to be absent, or at least diminish as the world evolves, but the truth is that evil does not diminish, but rather grows worse. It is only in the Bible, God's revealed word, that evil and its presence can be explained, or even overcome. Further the world has no answer to evil. All the efforts of mankind simple patch up the problem and evidence of evil, but mankind can't cure it, and has no answer for it. With all the advance in knowledge in so many ways, there has been no advance in the knowledge of a cure for evil in the world and in human beings.

THE MESSAGE OF THE PASSAGE.

The passage commences with a statement that the oppressed will taunt, ridicule and scorn Babylon, and follows with the substance of this taunt and scorn. Then follows a series of woes. There are three of these woe's in our passage, and they speak as follows:-

In verses 6 to 8 the woe expresses the certainty that the oppressor, in this case Babylon, will eventually be overcome as those who are oppressed rise up against the oppressor. In this woe the evil of the oppressor is made clear. Then in verses 9 to 11 the woe expresses the certainty that the oppression of the oppressor can't be hidden, because even the walls and beams of wood will cry against the evil of unjust gains, and even if the oppressor does everything it can to protect himself, and seek to 'set their nest on high', the oppressor will find this no protection form final retribution. The third woe speaks of the fact that God has determined that all evil will finally brought down. All the efforts of the ungodly to protect themselves from retribution will fail.

As we read this in the context of the history of the Jews, we find that history shows these woes to be well founded. God determined that Babylon would eventually be punished and brought down. It was overcome by the Persian empire, and then the oppression of the Persian empire was brought down by the Greek, and then the Greek empire was brought down by the Roman, and so history repeats itself. As we look back on the history of Europe we see that Napoleon was overcome, later the Kaiser, and later still the rule of Hitler. Nearer in time we have seen how oppressors have finally been conquered ? for example Saddem Hussein and Colonel Gaddaffi.

God has written into the life of this fallen and evil world that evil may flourish for a time, but it will always be brought down.

THE LESSONS REVEALED IN THIS PASSAGE.

Although there is a direct reference to the immediate history of the time in which Habakkuk lived, and the problem of Babylon being used to chastise Israel, yet there are lessons revealed here that are true for us, and for all time.

The first is that evil will not go unpunished. To us living in time, it seems that evil is invincible, and when retribution comes it is always seemingly to late. But the fact is that evil is subject to God and God is over all, and evil cannot be committed with impunity. People complain against God and complain that God does not seem to do anything, while the perpetrators of evil seem to get away with their acts. Yet the truth revealed in this passage before us is that evil cannot go on regardless and God knows all about it, and just retribution will fall in God's good time.

In our godless age where God is disregarded and people live without a thought of God and his will, people have forgotten what is revealed in the Bible that after death, and at the return of Christ, all evil will receive its just deserving, and eternity in hell is a reality. All evil that seems to have escaped justice in this life, will find that in the life to come full and just punishment will be pronounced by God, and eternal punishment will be seen to be the destination of all who have not submitted to God, and who have not availed themselves of the Salvation provided by God in Jesus Christ.

The next lesson this passage reveals is that God knows all about evil, and all evil is open and clear to God. Those who perpetrate evil may believe that they are getting away with their evil, and in this life some seem to have escaped, yet God knows every detail of evil committed, both actions and motives and thoughts, and all evil will receive its just deserving from God at last. In this life people can employ lawyers who are clever enough to get the criminal safe from the law, but this is not possible with God, and the righteous can comfort themselves with this knowledge.

Then there is the revelation concerning God that is given in verse 13. Here we are taught that God is the Lord. That is that God reigns over all his creation. Then we learn that God has determined in his sovereign will that evil will be punished. Then also we learn that God is almighty and so can carry out his will, and none can resist his will, or escape his justice.

As we live in this world this revelation is hard to grasp in its fullness because it is difficult to see this sovereignty of God. It is by faith that the righteous lay hold of this truth, and so rest in the almighty power of God.

The last verse of our passage is the great strength for our faith. Habakkuk was told that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Here is an all embracing truth. For those who have received the salvation which is through faith in Jesus Christ can see now, in a 'glass darkly', that is as through a mist, that the glory of the Lord does even now cover the earth, and this knowledge of his glory has been revealed to us as we read and study God's word, and are able to apply that word to our lives, and to the events that happen in our lives and in the events all around us and in the world at large. The unbeliever can't see this glory, and may scoff at it. For those who live by the Word of God, they can see in events the very hand of God, and in our own personal lives and in the church we see this glory of God in the way God answers prayer, and brings blessing to his people.

Further in this verse concerning the knowledge of the glory of God, the verse expresses this knowledge to come in the future. It may be hidden in this evil world, but will be known in the future.

This future knowledge can express nothing less than the restoration of all things after Christ's return, and the judgement has been complete, and the new heaven and earth, wherein will dwell righteousness, will be completed. In Isaiah 11 we have the promise of this restoration of all things pictured for us, and this passage closes in verse 9 with the words "They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

CONCLUSION.