Song of Judgement Pt. III | Habakkuk 2:6-19

March 23rd, 2025

As we find ourselves at the pinnacle of the taunt-song of the book of Habakkuk, the word that comes to mind is “legacy”. The idea of legacy can be thought of as the lasting impact, or the echo of a person’s life. What we do in this life really matters. Scripturally, legacy is the fruit of one’s life, the sum of their character and choices. God desires His children to leave a godly legacy. Character and choices are what builds a legacy. Psalm 145:4 reminds us that we should want those who know us to recognize our love for Christ. Scripture also teaches that it’s not just the finished product that matters, but how we build it that also matters. We see this in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, where we are told that we will all stand before the Lord, where all of our works will be revealed. So, there is a constant, cosmic evaluation of the works in one’s life. This fact can be forgotten in the busyness of our lives. Therefore, our legacy is built upon our testimonies. Given this, it is right to ask ourselves some questions, to evaluate ourselves, to examine what motivates our actions. As we come to this third woe in the taunt-song, we see that the congregation is mocking the Chaldean’s legacy, which, in reality, is the opposite of what the conquerors thought it was: it is a legacy built upon violence and the blood of others rather than on love. God will have something to say about that, which is what we find in verses 12-14.

What is interesting is that, for all the power and might that the Chaldeans believed they had, it was crumbling beneath their feet while they were building that legacy. This is important because this is our story too. If we look at the principles at play of how they got to where they are, we can see ourselves: anytime we misuse others, anytime our anger or our pride becomes the driving force of our homes, our friendships, or our ambitions, we are building something that God promises will not stand.

The Chaldeans thought that their legacy would be one of power, might, domination, glory, permanence, and strength, but, as we see here, their actual legacy of violence is the object of mockery, not admiration. We see what happens when someone builds his/her “kingdom” on the backs of, and at the expense of, others. As we look at verses 12-14 we need to look at our own lives and ask what the foundation is of our legacies.

III. Woe to the Violent (v. 12-14)

So far in our examination of the five woes of this taunt-song we have seen “Woe to the Greedy “(v.6-8) and “Woe to the Self-Exalting” (v. 9-11). In verses 12-14 we will see the congregation proclaiming “Woe to the Violent”. In verse 12, we have the first of three principles associated with this woe: Violence is built upon bloodshed.

Violence is Built Upon Bloodshed

In masonry, the success or failure of a wall depends primarily upon the quality of the mortar. If you mix the mortar incorrectly the integrity of the whole structure is compromised. The mortar that held the Babylonians together was compromised: that mortar was held together by bloodshed. In verse 12 he says, “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed”. He uses the word dom , which literally means “blood guilt”, as in innocent blood. When you see blood guilt elsewhere in Scripture it usually means a condition of being culpable for the murder of an innocent person, or taking advantage of the lifeblood of an innocent person. In addition, blood itself carries a significant imagery in Scripture. Leviticus 17:11 tells us why: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.’” Since life is sacred to God and the life is in the blood, then blood is also sacred to God. To mishandle life and blood was reflected in the Old Testament laws God gave to Israel, showing God’s value of what He had created. So, when one mishandles life and blood we see God act. Genesis 9 verse 6 says, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.” R.C. Sproul calls it “cosmic treason” when life is taken in this manner, as a serious violation of God’s law. In fact, it violates both sections of the Ten Commandments (first section dealing with relationship with God and the second the relationship with man). To mishandle life is to violate both our duty to God and to man. 

There is a poetic imagery in the congregation’s crying out on this, when you take into account the grandeur and majesty of what the Babylonians had built in their cities. An example was the Ishtar Gate with its Processional Way where you would walk along for over half a mile, with fire-kilned bricks on both sides carved with animal inlays. The bricks were joined together with a tar-like mortar. This building method became a metaphor in the ancient Near East for human ambition and achievement, as well as a defiance of God. It is further interesting to note that as this mortar oxidized it took on a dark reddish color. Essentially, then, God is poetically saying to the Chaldeans, “Woe to you because this blood of innocent people binds your empire together”.   God had made a provision for the accidental taking of a life (sacrificing the life of an animal), but the intentional taking of a life required that the life of the taker be surrendered instead. God takes this brazen defiance seriously: Numbers 35:33 says, “So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land, and no propitiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. “ 

Verse 12 of the taunt-song mentions another aspect of this defiance: In addition to the bloodguilt of the mortar and bricks, Habakkuk also writes that the Chaldeans as a people that “…founds a town with injustice!”. The word translated “founds” here means a cornerstone. God is saying that the foundation, or cornerstone, of their society was built on bloodshed. This is also where we find the earth in Genesis 6:11: “Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” This moral decay was the cornerstone of their society back then and for the Chaldeans in Habakkuk 2. Psalm 11:5 tells us how God feels about it; “5 Yahweh tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.” Bloodshed and violence reveal a heart that is anti-love, which is standing against God Himself. Therefore, the Chaldeans were at war not with the other nations only, but with God. This is where this legacy of destruction hits close to home: Forsaking love and embracing hate is a violation of the sixth commandment, unveiling hatred which Jesus said is the same as murder, according to Matthew 5:21-22.  

We must guard against unjust anger, as it becomes the seed of unrest in the heart and can be played out against anyone in our sphere of influence. We must see anger as God sees it, as murder of someone that is likewise made in His image. Matthew 5:22 and Psalm 140:3 warns against that which is the result of this anger, in how we speak of others. Arising out of this understanding is an important question we must ask ourselves: Are we nurturing a quiet hostility, or anger, against someone in our lives? Is this the mortar that joins together our legacy? Is violence the cornerstone of our own house? If so, it puts us at odds with God, and invites ruin into our lives. By His grace, God has provided an escape from this condition through Jesus Christ.

Violence is Fueled by Futility (v.13)

In verse 13, Habakkuk explains the gracious act of Yahweh to reveal to us whether a heart condition of violence is present, and bring it to light. He goes on to  conclude that having a heart of violence is futile. Violence exhausts and empties the soul, leading to weariness. Violence also always leads to spiritual depletion, since hate is anti-life. God desires for us to flourish, not deplete. We are weary because our conscience bears witness to what we are doing. It is the same warning we have in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce.This too is vanity. When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the success to their masters except to look on with their eyes?” 

The Chaldeans experienced this with their violence, which we talked about before with their greed. Part of the exhaustion is watching what you conquered just slip away, which is what Habakkuk termed “toil for fire”. The beauty of this is that God has graciously given us a warning sign (this weariness), like a check engine light in your vehicle, to alert us that something is wrong and needs attention. It can manifest itself in feeling like everywhere you go and everything you do is a battle. That “toil” is not random, but is by design and is a mercy of God. It’s God letting the futility of your efforts sink in. He’s telling you, “You’re building with the wrong mortar. I need you to build with the blood of Christ, not your own efforts”. Psalm 127:7 says: “Unless Yahweh builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless Yahweh watches the city”. We must replace the blood of others in our mortar with the blood of Christ, contrasting the effect of hate with the effect of love mentioned in the next verse (14).

Violence is Void of Love (v. 14)

The pinnacle of the taunt-song lies in the eschatological picture in the end where the knowledge and the glory of Yahweh will fill the earth. Habakkuk is telling all not to forget this in the midst of all of this violence! The hope of glory lies in Christ Jesus! It is a saturation of God’s love. Revelation 21:23 confirms this: “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” Christ absorbs the wrath that we deserve by giving His blood while we wait for Him to come back and giving us a kingdom built on peace and love. In the meantime, our mission is to put off this violence and put on this legacy of love.

Selah:

1. When is the last time you reflected on the motives for your behavior? Does Habakkuk’s revelations give you reason to make this a priority? Are you guilty of harboring “quiet hostility” towards anyone? If so, take the time right now to repent and be refreshed.

2. As of right now, what do you believe your legacy to be? If those who know and love you best were asked what would they say?

3. On what are your building the foundation of your legacy? Would it be violence/hate, or the love of Christ and peace?

4. Spend some time in praise for the gracious gift of “warning lights” from our God when we stray from His will for us.