What Profit Is An Idol?

[Read Habakkuk 2:6-20]

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I was a wrestler in High School. I waited to join wrestling until my senior year, but I caught on pretty quickly and was a decent wrestler. I was able to wrestle on the varsity team and go to state with our team. So, I felt pretty good about my wrestling skills and abilities. But, along with those skills and abilities, there’s a temptation to develop a level of pride and overconfidence.

When you’re a good wrestler, you can defeat someone who is much larger than you because you’ve learned to use their size and weight against them. It can be pretty impressive to those around you. So, you take that overconfidence, mix it with some pride, throw in too much alcohol, and a girlfriend you’re wanting to impress, you get a concoction that doesn’t always end well. 

So, one night when I was early in my twenties—and still had a lot of maturing to do in my faith—we were hanging out with a bunch of friends and drinking way too much. One of the guys there was a rodeo cowboy—a steer wrestler, a big guy. I liked him—he was a really nice guy—but I wanted to impress my girlfriend. So I challenged him to a wrestling match. He didn’t really want to, but kept bugging him until he gave in. So I get ready for this wrestling match full of prideful drunkenness—fully confident that I’m going to take him down, make a fool out of him, and impress my girlfriend. That didn’t happen. Nobody told me that this guy was a really good wrestler—he had gone to state a few times and took third in state as a senior. Let’s just say that the match was very quick, he beat me thoroughly, and left me crawling away to the nearby weeds to vomit. It was a clear picture of pride coming before the fall. I had planned on making a fool out of him, but ended up making a complete fool out of myself. 

That’s the type of reversal we see happening in this passage. Babylon has been pictured as this prideful drunk overtaking nation after nation after nation. They pridefully mock the nations around them, they laugh at their fortresses, and they laugh at their kings and armies. They are a prideful, arrogant drunk looking at the nations around them saying, “Wanna fight? Wanna fight? You’ve got nothing on me!” But, God reminds his people that it will not always be that way. This prideful drunk of a nation will end up drunk and naked, lying in a pool of their own vomit. Any glory they once had would be completely covered in shame.

We’re given a very clear, stark picture of this reversal. God says to Habakkuk, “Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him…” (Habakkuk 2:6, ESV). The first question we need to answer is, “Who is doing the taunting?”  Who are the “all these” that the passage talks about? The easiest way to answer that question is to go to the passage right before it. When we read these together it becomes very clear. 

We read, “He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples. Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him…” (Habakkuk 2:5–6, ESV). The “all these” are the nations that have been gathered and collected—the nations that have been defeated and ruined by Babylon. God says that the nations that Babylon mocked and taunted will one day rise up to mock and taunt Babylon. They will no longer look at Babylon with fear and awe, but will look down on them in shame and disgrace.

Then we’re told what these nations will say to Babylon. We’re told how they will mock them. There are five points of mocking that are made against Babylon. It’s important to clear up something before we go on. The ESV translates the word, “Woe!” which is typically used as the opposite of blessing someone—cursing them. Yet, that’s not exactly how that word is being used in this circumstance. The nations are placing a curse upon Babylon, we’re told they are mocking them—taunting them. So, one commentator said it would be better to translate this word as, “Ha!” 

So the first taunt is basically, “Ha! You who plundered everyone will now be the one plundered.” We read, “Woe[Ha!] to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges! Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them.” (Habakkuk 2:6–8, ESV). It’s basically saying, “You thought you were such a big deal, go throughout the earth conquering everyone who came in your way, taking whatever you wanted, heaping up nations and wealth? Well, guess what? The debtors are coming for you. Someone rose up who is bigger than you and stronger than you and they took you out. Not so big now, are ya!?”

The second taunt is: “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.” (Habakkuk 2:9–11, ESV).It’s basically saying, “Ha! You thought you could build an empire that would never fall—a dynasty that would last forever. You thought you could become so great that nobody could ever touch you. But now, everything that you built is crying out against your guilt and you’ve forfeited your life.” 

The third taunt is: “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing?” (Habakkuk 2:12–13, ESV). It’s basically saying, “Ha! You thought you could build this dynasty through evil and wickedness. You thought you could step on anyone and anything you pleased on your path to ‘greatness.’ That didn’t work out for you, did it?”   

The fourth taunt is: “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink— you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!” (Habakkuk 2:15–16, ESV). It’s basically saying, “Ha! You weren’t happy doing wicked things on your own, you had to bring everyone else along with you. You had to get everyone else drunk too so you could take advantage of them. Well, look at you now, laying naked in a pool of your own vomit, all of your glory covered in shame.” 

The fifth, and final, taunt goes right to the core of the issue: “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 creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.” (Habakkuk 2:18–19, ESV). It’s basically saying, “Ha! You thought you could put your hope and trust in an idol! Something that you made yourself, something that can’t speak, can’t teach, and has no life in it. Now look at you. You’ve become like your idol, speechless and lifeless.” 

There’s part of us that really likes this, don’t we, this poetic justice? These people getting what they deserve and being mocked for it. There’s something inside us that rejoices when the bully gets what’s coming to them—when they run into a bigger bully or when they get caught up in their own scheme. We like it. Why? There are a couple reasons—one righteous and the other unrighteous. 

The righteous reason we rejoice is because we believe in justice. Our God is a just God and he has promised that the wicked will not prosper. Ultimately, they will get what they deserve. It would not be right for the bully to continually get away with injustice—for evil to continue unchecked and unpunished. So, when we see the wicked caught in their own traps, and when we see evil punished, and when we see justice take place, we rejoice. And that’s a good thing.

However, there are unrighteous reasons we rejoice. There are unrighteous reasons we hear these taunts upon Babylon and smile a little on the inside—saying to ourselves, “Give them another one!” or “Hit ‘em again!” The unrighteous reason we take pleasure in these things is because we think we’re more righteous than they are. We think we’re more righteous than the bully. We think we’re more righteous than Babylon. They DESERVE what’s coming to them. We would NEVER deserve that. We’re WAY better than they are. That’s just plain wrong. 

So, when we read these portions of scripture, we have a tendency to put ourselves in the position of the righteous person looking down upon the unrighteous. We’re like the Pharisee from Jesus’ parable: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10–14, ESV). We put ourselves in the position of the taunted victims, as they mock Babylon for their wickedness and glory in the poetic justice that’s been handed out to them. 

But what if we’re not supposed to put ourselves in the place of the victims? What if we’re supposed to put ourselves in the place of Babylon? What if we’re supposed to get a clear picture of what will happen to us if we continue down a path of pride idolatry—if we continue down the path that the world is taking? We don’t like that do we? 

So, remember, as we go through this book we’re learning how to live in the midst of a messed up world—in the midst of Babylon. We’re surrounded by idol worship—people trusting in the work of their own hands—looking to these things for their hope and comfort as they live in this world. And, as we live in this world, we’re going to be tempted to follow them. We’re going to be tempted to worship those same idols and put our hope in those idols. And as we’re tempted to put our hope in these idols, we need to hear these haunting taunting words in the back of our minds to be reminded that these idols are impotent and weak and foolish. They will not save us. 

Right now we’re living in the most powerful nation in the world—most likely in all of history. Just like the Babylonians we could easily find ourselves worshiping the idol of power—putting our hope and trust in the power of the United States. But as we’re being tempted to worship this idol, we need to hear the taunting in the back of our minds, “Ha! You thought you could trust the idol of your power. Someone bigger and better than you arose and took you out,” and we’re to be reminded that the idol of power is dead and lifeless. 

Like Babylon, we may be tempted to worship the idol of safety and comfort—putting ourselves out of reach of any harm. We live in a society that isn’t worried about being taken over, isn’t worried about putting food on the table, overly obsessed with protecting ourselves. We’re comfortable and safe and we like it that way. And we’re tempted to put our hope and our trust in these things. We’re tempted to worship the idols of safety and comfort. But as we’re being tempted to worship these idols, we need to hear the taunting in the back of our minds, “Ha! You thought you could put yourself out of reach of harm. You tried to jump out of the frying pan and ended up in the fire,” and we’re reminded that the idol of comfort and safety is dead and lifeless. 

Like Babylon, we may be tempted to worship the idol of work ethic—our willingness to work hard to build a city and civilization, no matter the cost. It doesn’t matter if we’re trampling over people and creation, we’re building an empire with our own two hands—we’re building a tower that will reach into heaven. But as we’re being tempted to worship this idol, we need to hear the taunting words in the back of our mind, “Ha! You thought you were building an empire that reached into heaven. You built a tower so high that it collapsed and destroyed everything. It was all a waste of time,” and we’re reminded that the idol of our work ethic is dead and lifeless. 

Like Babylon, we may be tempted to worship the idol of “freedom”—doing whatever we want to whenever we want to do it, and dragging everyone else along with us. We live in a society that is sold out in worshiping this idol and intentionally evangelizing the worship of this idol. Drink as much as you want, have as much sex as you want, go crazy with as many people as you want, and drag a bunch of people with you. Again, we may be tempted to worship at this idol—something inside us thinks it would be “fun” and “free” to worship here. But, as we’re tempted to worship this idol, we need to hear the taunting voices in the back of our mind, “Ha! You thought you were “free” in those things. You thought you were having the time of your life and showing others a good time. Now look at you, passed out drunk and laying in a pool of your own vomit,” and we’re reminded that the idol of “freedom” is also dead and lifeless. 

But, do you know who’s not dead and lifeless? The God who created the universe. We read, “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20, ESV). This God is not some dead, lifeless idol who cannot speak and cannot help. He’s alive and well in his holy temple. So, the earth better be silent before him and stop chasing after all of these idols. The earth better be silent before Him and stop running around pridefully boasting about the greatness of their idols—the greatness of themselves. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14, ESV).

And because we have a God who is not some dumb, weak, mute idol made by human hands, and because we have a God who is alive and powerful and in his temple ruling and reigning over the earth, we’re reminded not to put our hope and trust in foolish idols. We’re reminded to put our hope and trust in the living God. He is the one who is truly powerful. He is the one who brings true safety and comfort. He is the one who builds nations and empires. He’s the one who can offer us true freedom—not the false freedom the world has to offer us. So, as we live in this messed up world, we continue to hold onto our God by faith. The righteous will live by their faith. 

And to build upon that, because we know these things about our God, and because we hold onto our God by faith, we believe it when He says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV). This is a reminder that God will accomplish his purposes. His kingdom will come and his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, there will be times when it seems like wicked nations are prospering. Yes, there are times when we may fear that wicked nations will win and conquer. Yes, there are times when we see the wickedness of our own nations and wonder what will happen. But in the midst of all this mess, we’re reminded that our God is in his temple, and he will accomplish his purposes. He will continue to do his will and He will continue to bring his kingdom. Despite all of the wickedness and injustice we see in the world today—they will not win. One day, the earth will be filled with the knowledge and glory of God as the waters cover the sea. 

We hold onto that promise by faith. And when we’re tempted to worship the false idols of society, we fight off those temptations by faith, being reminded that those idols are dead and lifeless and will end up being destroyed—and will take us along with them in their destruction. We must not hold onto them. By faith, we must humble ourselves and grab hold of our God who is living and active and is seated on his throne.