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

March 16th, 2025

As we examine our life, we need to understand that, by design, God created us to be dependent. God built into us basic needs of food, water, shelter, security, etc. God knows our needs and He knows that He is the One who supplies our needs. The danger we face is that these basic needs can become a pathway to self-reliance and, ultimately, to self-exaltation as we don’t look to God to supply our needs. Instead of seeing the things that we have as gifts from God, we think they are our rights to have and control. Rather than trusting God we try to manipulate circumstances or hoard resources or build fortresses to protect what we have secured for ourselves. Since the fall of man into sin, our sin nature keeps us bent in this direction.

We long for security and comfort and control, and we begin to trust in our ability to meet these needs. As a result, we begin to live for self rather than for God, and this is what comes to mind when we consider Habakkuk’s woe in verses nine through eleven in Chapter 2. These verses serve as a warning to the self-exalting heart. Those in pursuit of their own security elevate themselves over others and, ultimately, over God. This woe reminds us that God is sovereign and that only God is secure, that He alone is worthy of exaltation, and that we find our security in Him.

I. Woe to the Greedy (vv. 6-8)

The first woe we studied last week was a warning against greed, specifically against the type of greed exhibited by the Chaldeans. A woe is a multi-faceted grief that conveys the idea of a) the grief experienced at the funeral of a loved one and b) the sudden grief that comes upon someone, for example, just pronounced guilty in a court of law, when they were absolutely convinced of their innocence or of someone who just received a devastating diagnosis from their doctor. The first woe was seen in the vision that Habakkuk received describing how God would use the evil Chaldeans to discipline Judah for their sin. The second woe concerns those who are self-exalting.

II. Woe to the Self-Exalting (vv. 6-11)

This continues the taunt-song that mocked the Babylonians for their greed, saying that their greed would ultimately lead to their downfall. The song continues, mocking the Chaldeans for their pride, self-exaltation will not stand. God will not tolerate anyone who exalts self. Verses nine through eleven represent a three-fold judgment of self-exaltation and a three-fold warning for believers. The self-exalting covet security at all costs (v. 9), they are blind to their own stupidity (v. 10), and will ultimately face God’s scrutiny (v. 11). Keep in mind that no wall is high enough to protect the sinful human heart from God’s judgment and no human effort is strong enough to replace the security that comes from living by faith. 

Self-exaltation means to lift up, to glorify or to magnify oneself for others to see. Pride is taking credit for what God has done. Thomas Watson wrote in A Godly Man’s Picture, “Pride seeks to ungod God. It is a sacrilegious attempt to steal the crown from His head and to place it on our own.” Self-exaltation is a manifestation of pride that rejects dependence on God. These woes come after verse four (“But the righteous will live by his faith.”) because the righteous depend on God, whereas the unrighteous are not so dependent, thus the woes are pronounced upon them.

• Security (v. 9)

Self-exaltation begins in the heart first and foremost in the form of security. These verses help us identify self-exaltation in our life. “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high to be delivered from the hand of calamity!” The need for security at any cost comes from a state of fear. The pursuit of security in a sinful manner begins through injustice, as seen in the Chaldeans. Security is a natural need for all. We have security officers in schools, in stores, in parks; we have security cameras; thus we all have a desire to feel secure. When we feel secure through human institutions and devices, we cease to rely on a sovereign God. 

The desire for security drove the Chaldeans to seek power and control, culminating in the rise of the neo-Babylonian empire. Under King Nabopolassar and his son, Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian empire experienced great expansion and prosperity. Their reign reflected a sense of security through dominance. The initial vulnerability of the Chaldeans resulted in their insatiable desire for security. They moved from vulnerable settlers to rulers. Security became an idol that allowed the Chaldeans to justify sin.

The Chaldeans used oppression, extortion, manipulation, anger, rage, and physical control, all to dominate their local sphere and then grow it through covetousness. The King James Version of the Bible begins verse nine as, “Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house.” This is a covetousness with violence to get what it wants. This idea is seen in Micah 2:1, “Woe to those who devise wickedness, who work out evil on their beds.” They plan evil all during the night and when day comes, they carry out their plans. Proverbs 1:19 says, “So are the paths of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes the life of its possessors.” The self-exalting Chaldeans believed that being secure would shield them from life’s hardships. A reliance on any form of security other than trusting God is only smoke and mirrors. No amount of control will ease a heart that is steeped in fear.

Being absolutely secure is a façade. Having security officers in banks, stores, schools, etc. or having security systems in our homes or cars does not stop crime; it only moves it to other locations. This is known as crime displacement. We need to understand and admit that we are not secure, and so we spend a great deal of money on trying to reduce our vulnerability. It is good to be aware of dangers, but real security is found only in God. The feeling of vulnerability is what sparked the Chaldeans’ sinful tirade; they wanted suffering to be out of reach.

The Chaldeans could have followed the example of Israel and depended on God when they were a small tribe. As Israel was preparing to enter the Promised Land, Rahab told the spies that everyone in Canaan knew that God was with His people; He was their security. The Chaldeans chose to trust in themselves, putting their nest on high, as eagles do to protect their young chicks. Nebuchadnezzar II undertook massive building projects in Babylon to reinforce their security. This three-square mile city, surrounded by moats, had double walls, and the Euphrates River flowed through it. Nebuchadnezzar wanted their security to match their military dominance. He also built tall towers called ziggurats in which they believed their gods lived. There was also a massive temple tower, believed to be at the geographical center of the terrestrial earth, and they called it the House of the Frontier; they believed it to be a bridge between earth and heaven, between human and divine.

The Babylonian’s military power and their strong city embodies the essence of self-exaltation; this is why God used them to chastise Judah. The same warning is given to Edom in Obadiah 4, “Though you build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," declares the Lord.” The ultimate motive of the Chaldeans was to escape judgment. They knew that God existed, and they didn’t want to be judged by Him. They thought that their power and wealth could make them immune from God’s judgment, yet they inherently knew that judgment would eventually come.

Romans 1:18ff tells us that everyone ever born knows they are guilty before God. Isaiah 47:10 says, “You felt secure in your evil and said, ‘No one sees me,’ your wisdom and your knowledge have turned you astray; so you have said in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me,’. But God answers, “But evil [judgment] will come on you which you will not know how to charm away.” Babylon thought they were secure, but no one can escape judgment. The self-serving view of security has been a part of the human condition since the fall of man described in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve thought they would find security in being like God.

True security is found only in God. Psalm 18 describes God as a rock and fortress. John 10 describes Jesus as the door to the sheepfold who protects His sheep. Psalm 23 says that the Good Shepherd leads His sheep to green pastures and quiet streams of water. Philippians 4:6-7 says that the peace of God will guard our heart from all anxiety and insecurity. Peace is a fullness whereas fear is an emptiness. Acts 4:12 declares that salvation comes only through Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 tells us to not fear those who kill the body – for they cannot kill the soul. First John 4:18 reminds us that there is no fear in love and that perfect love casts out fear. John continues, by saying that fear involves punishment, and we know that those who have trusted Christ have been delivered from the wrath of God.

Verse nine also serves as a warning that coveting security leads to self-exaltation. A desire for security is not necessarily sinful, but when the pursuit of security becomes an obsession that overrides righteousness, it turns into covetousness. For example, we desire relational security, and we may pursue this by control and manipulation. Parents may try to control their children’s environment rather than trusting them to the Lord. Manipulating others through guilt and deception or coercion rather than building relationships on trusts or refusing to forgive or let go of bitterness are sinful ways of seeking security. All relationships should be built on trust, then we can freely love and freely forgive.

Paul said, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1) We are not to be enslaved by the yoke of the law or the yoke of self-reliance. Relational security begins with a union with Christ. Being filled with Christ allows us to freely love, forgive and trust others; we are not concerned with being filled by them because we are already filled with Christ. We might pursue a particular career because of status. We should accept who we are and stand humbly before God.

In a biography of D. L. Moody, after one of his talks a man pulled Moody aside and told him he shouldn’t speak in public because he made too many mistakes in grammar. Moody acknowledged that he made mistakes and that he lacked many things, but he was doing the best he could with what he had. Then he said to the man, “You have grammar enough, but what are you doing for Jesus?” Paul said in Galatians 1:10, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me.’” Let the Chaldean’s boast in power and wealth be a warning to us.

Obsessing over control of circumstances can also lead to fear-based decision making. We should make plans for disasters, for example, but making decisions based on fear rather than trusting God is what James 4:13 warns. He says that we should not be so confident that our plans to conduct business will succeed but we should have the attitude, “If the Lord wills.” When we make a decision and see that circumstances are working out exactly as planned, we conclude that this is God’s will, otherwise it is not. Making certain that we have everything secured before stepping out in faith is not stepping out in faith. We miss great blessings if we never step out in faith.

The final implication from verse nine is that we cannot find security in political, military, or national strength. We tend to fear loss of earthly freedoms more than God’s judgment. Psalm 20:7 is good advice for us, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” When we are tempted to elevate security over an abandoned dependence on God, we need to be aware of our own sinful hearts, and we need to remember what Habakkuk said: “Woe to him who is greedy for evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of evil!”

• Stupidity (v. 10)

Self-exalting persons pursue security at any cost; they are blinded by their own stupidity. “You have counseled a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples.” They were not stupid because they lacked intelligence but because they pursued their own exaltation. Stupidity is a theological reality, but it is not necessarily a deficiency of intellect, it is a willful rejection of truth, of what we know to be right. This results in a lack of moral discernment, resulting in self-inflicted harm and ultimate ruin; it persists in foolishness after having been warned. “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1) The Hebrew word for stupid here is “ba`ar”, translated brutish and carries the imagery of a cow grazing in a field. After he boasted of his wealth and power, rather than acknowledging that it had come from God, Nebuchadnezzar became like an ox and ate grass for seven years; then his reason returned to him when he praised God. (Daniel 4:19-34)

Stupidity is the rejection of wise counsel. Verse 10 could be interpreted as, woe to the stupid for their end is ruin. Proverbs 3:35 says, “The wise will inherit honor, but fools display shame.” The Chaldeans didn’t accidentally fall into judgment, they actively devised their own downfall. They thought they were seeking glory, but they were actually writing their own demise. They became the hub for cult worship; they engaged in astrology, divination, sorcery, idol worship, witchcraft – all condemned by Yahweh. They took stupid counsel. It was not that the Chaldeans were unaware of the bad advice they were receiving, but they purposefully brought in people to give them unwise advice. When Nebuchadnezzar had dreams as recorded in Daniel 2, he first called for his magicians, conjurers, sorcerers and the Chaldeans. His approach was to avoid seeking divine wisdom until it is the last resort. 

The Chaldeans had access to truth; they were aware of Daniel and the prophetic writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah, but they chose to trust in demonic practices instead. This is stupidity on display – the rejection of wise counsel. The primary source for wise counsel is Scripture itself. Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us that if we trust in Yahweh with our whole heart, He will make our paths straight, and James 1:5 tells us that, if we lack wisdom, God will give it, if we ask Him.

If your counsel doesn’t come from God’s Word, it must come from godly people who rely on God’s Word. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another.” Those filled with the word of Christ can provide godly advice. Hebrews 3:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning.” This is profitable for us. Proverbs 19:20 tells us, “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” The key is that such counsel must be godly. Before accepting any advice, we need to determine whether it aligns with God’s rubric for our life. The irony is that the Chaldeans were damning their own souls by accepting stupid advice.

Sin is never neutral; it may not result in immediate repercussions but Galatians 6:7 will always prove true: a man reaps what he sows. The Chaldeans annihilated many people through slaughter and enslavement. Their extreme aggressive behavior was due to the fear that another empire might rise above them, then they would have to submit. This fear-based decision would lead to their downfall. Jesus warned in Matthew 26:52, “For all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.” The Chaldeans thought of themselves as a great mountain, though they were aware of the prophesy of Jeremiah 51:25-26, “’Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth,’ declares the Lord… ‘But you will be desolate forever,’ declares the Lord.”

A truth that we need to face is that the flaw we notice in others is most likely the one we wrestle with ourselves. Before attempting to take the speck out of our brother’s eye, we need to remove the log from our own eye. (Matthew 7:3-5) We can identify the sin in our brother because we recognize it; it is also our sin. One of the clearest examples in Scripture is when Nathan confronted King David regarding his sin with Bathsheba. David was enraged over the parable of a rich man taking the only lamb from a poor man. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7) Up to that point, David was blind to his sin, but then, after Nathan’s rebuke, he recognized it clearly. Proverbs 25:7-8 warn us not to be so quick to judge the sin in others because we might be guilty of the same sin. Another warning for us is found in Numbers 32:23, “be sure your sin will find you out.” Your sin will find you out because you recognize it in others. Such recognition can also be a tool to help us grow in sanctification, and we should love the other person for helping us see our sin. 

• Scrutiny (v. 11)

Sin carries its own undoing. Willful sin, which is stupidity, leads to self-destruction. Satan, the author of sin and self-exaltation, desired to be like God and to have his throne set on high. (Isaiah 14:13) Self-exaltation cherishes security, loves stupidity, and will face ultimate judgment. No sin is ever hidden from God, even if there is no human witness. Our works will cry out, if not today, then on the day of judgment. The Chaldeans thought that there would be no one remaining to testify against them; however, this verse speaks otherwise, “Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the woodwork.” God says to the Chaldeans that the great city, with its advances in architecture, will cry out against them on the day of judgment.

The notion that our sins cry out against us is introduced in Genesis 4:10 when Abel’s blood cried out from the ground against Cain. Because God is just, injustice demands divine intervention. A just God will always demand justice for sin. Because God is just, sin cannot go unnoticed! Praise God that He provided a way for sinners like we to be justified through the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:24 refers to, “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” Abel’s blood cried out for justice, but Christ’s blood speaks mercy and grace.

Works do matter for both the sinner and the saint. Ephesians 2:10 states that God created us for good works. The sinner’s works will be judged on the last day, while the believer's works testify to the grace of God. James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead. Our works don’t save us but they are a witness for us, and they are subject to God’s scrutiny. As 2 Corinthians 5:10 reminds us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” The Chaldeans left a legacy of destruction, but believer’s leave a legacy of Christ’s righteousness.

Truth can never be silenced. In Luke 19:40, Jesus said to the Pharisees who told His disciples to cease proclaiming Him as Messiah, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" Our works either testify for us or against us. For the Chaldeans, the taunt-song cries out against them. The congregation is going to sing, woe to the self-exalting because it leads to ruin, but praise for the good news of self-surrender; the righteous live by faith. If we forsake self-exaltation and embrace self-surrender, we will find true security, wisdom, and righteousness. Humility and surrender lead from ruin to redemption. 

Selah:

1. Where do you see self-exaltation in your life? Is there something you are proud of that you want to make certain that other people see?

2. Where do you go for wise counsel? How do you evaluate their advice?

3. What type of legacy will your works leave?