Bible reading (ESV)
Habakkuk 2
1 I will take my stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end — it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.
5 Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest in his injustice.
He enlarges his appetite like Sheol and is like death, and cannot be satisfied;
he gathers to himself all the nations and collects as his own all the peoples.
6 Shall not all these take up a taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him,
and say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his — how long? — and to him who loads himself with pledges!
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, and those awake who will make you tremble?
Then you will be booty for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
because of human blood and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.
9 Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of calamity!
10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life.
11 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 toil 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.
15 Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink — you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, that you may look on their nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory. You drink shame through your glory.
The cup of the LORD’s right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, and the destruction of the beasts will terrify you,
because of the blood of men and the violence of the land, of the city and all who dwell in it.
18 What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies?
For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he makes speechless idols!
19 Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach?
Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it.
20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
Observation questions (3–4)
- Read Habakkuk 2:2–3. What does the prophet mean by “write the vision… so he may run who reads it,” and how does the timing language (“if it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come”) shape the message?
- Look at the five “woes” in Habakkuk 2:6–19. What specific sins or behaviors does each woe condemn (identify the core charge in each stanza)? [40:54]
- Habakkuk 2:4 states, “the righteous shall live by his faith.” How is that phrase presented in the chapter’s context — as doctrine about salvation, endurance, or both? [51:58]
- The preacher described Habakkuk’s conversation with God as a “Mary-question” rather than a “Zechariah-question.” What distinguishes the two kinds of questions from each other in the sermon’s example? [31:37]
Interpretation questions (3–4)
- How should one understand God’s statement that he will raise up the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to punish Judah, given that those instruments are themselves violent and corrupt? What tension does this create about God’s sovereignty and justice? [37:44]
- The taunt song pronounces judgment over greed, false security, violent success, exploitation, and idolatry. What common theological or moral thread links these five woes together in Habakkuk’s argument? [44:05]
- Habakkuk is told to “write the vision” while the fulfillment is delayed. What does the act of writing and singing this taunt song before fulfillment communicate about the role of proclamation and worship during waiting? [48:53]
- In what ways does Habakkuk 2:4 function as both a statement about justification (saving faith) and about daily endurance (living by faith)? How did the preacher connect this to the broader Christian story? [51:58]
Application questions (5–7)
- The preacher urged us to bring Mary-questions (honest confusion seeking understanding) rather than Zechariah-questions (cynical doubts about God’s willingness or power). Thinking of a current struggle, which form does your question take? How would you reframe it as a Mary-question this week? [31:37]
- Identify one way you personally rely on “wealth” or “security” (career, savings, reputation, relationships) for safety more than you rely on God. Which stanza of the taunt song speaks most directly to that reliance, and what is one concrete step you can take this month to practice trusting God instead? (e.g., a financial plan change, an accountability conversation, a generosity decision). [44:05]
- Habakkuk was told to “write the vision” and could have sung the taunt song for decades before it was fulfilled. What is one “victory song” (a truth about God’s future justice or Jesus’ finished work) you need to start singing now despite not seeing it yet? How will you remind yourself of that truth daily this week? [48:53]
- The sermon said God can use wicked instruments for his purposes but will hold them accountable. Is there someone or some system that currently frustrates you because it seems to reward wrongdoing? How can you entrust that complaint to God practically (specific prayer, reframing, action) rather than letting it harden into cynicism? [37:44]
- Habakkuk ends by rejoicing “though the fig tree should not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” When have you been tempted to wait for circumstances to change before you worship? Name a concrete practice (song, short prayer, gratitude list, Scripture memory) you will use this week to choose joy “before fruit.” [55:22]
- The preacher emphasized both the final defeat of the dragon and the present call to live in the parade while walking the battlefield. What is one specific, observable behavior in your daily life (angry words, withdrawal, hopeless scrolling, a sinful coping habit) that betrays defeat rather than parade-minded victory? What is one small corrective action you will take in the next 48 hours? [58:25]
- The taunt song confronts exploitation and shame (e.g., “you make your neighbors drink… that you may look on their nakedness”). Is there a relationship in your life where you have used someone for advantage or allowed their dignity to be compromised? What practical step will you take this week to restore or protect that person’s dignity (apology, different behavior, advocacy)? [47:03]
