Lesson 12
THE 5th WOE
idolatry
Habakkuk 2: 18-20
Of what value is an idol, since man has made it? Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Woe to him to says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.
But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.
We are now finishing up Part IV of our Outline of Habakkuk.
I. Introduction (1:1) and Habakkuk’s 1st complaint (1:2-4)
II. God’s Answer to Habakkuk’s 1st complaint (1:5-11)
III. Habakkuk’s 2nd Complaint (1:12-2:1)
IV. God’s Answer to Habakkuk’s 2nd Complaint (2:2-20)
V Habakkuk’s Prayer of Praise (3:1-19)
This is the final woe pronounced on Babylonian and completes God’s answer to Habakkuk’s last question in verse 1:17 – are You going to continue to allow the Babylonians to follow their path of ruthless conquest and violence?
The issue God brings up now is the foolish idolatry of the Babylonians.
The organization of this last section is a little different. The word “woe” does not begin the passage as it did in the other “woes” but is included in the middle.
Woe to him who speaks to that idol of wood or stone and says “Wake up!” (Remember, our God is different….God is not dead nor doth He sleep…)
Words from Isaiah
In Isaiah 44:5-20 we have a description of the foolishness of idolatry.
This passage is a literary gem. It is descriptive poetry in a class all by itself.
Read it out loud and you will feel like laughing, with playful scorn, and with delight. Seriously, read it out loud! Make it a stand-up comic act!
Look at verses 14-17. A man cuts a tree down, takes some for fuel, makes a fire with some of the wood to cook his food, and then takes the rest and makes a god! Can you even imagine a thing so foolish? Making something inferior to human beings into a god?
God Condemns It All
The verses in Habakkuk do not just refer to individuals who worship lifeless idols in their homes. God is condemning the whole religious system, with its divination, sorcery, demonism and the worship of military conquest.
These practices are the logical result of people who defy God and His wisdom. They begin to rely on their own handmade idols, and when that does not bring comfort and satisfaction, they turn to the dark spiritual world.
Astrology
Astrology was accepted without question by the Babylonians. In reality, astrology is a convenient religion. (1) It removes human moral responsibility (after all, the stars rule our lives), and (2) It offers revelation without those bothersome doctrines, like sin and judgment.
Astrologists do not recognize that God Himself controls the planets and the stars, just as God guides history. Nothing happens anywhere on this planet that is not within the permitted will of God, but they do not acknowledge this.
A look at Zechariah, a contemporary of Habakkuk, and the next book in the Bible, talks specifically about astrology:
I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests---those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host…..Zephaniah 1:4-5
It’s easy to picture these scenes: families in their robes going up to their flat roofs, chanting and bowing down in worship under the starry sky.
How futile! They should be worshipping the God who made the stars.
In Romans, we read:
...who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:25
The musical Hair talked about an age of peace, when the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars….the age of Aquarius….
I hope no one is holding their breath for that!
The final age of peace is seen in Revelation 21!
Where Is God?
Now we come to verse 20 of chapter 2 – another golden nugget in this inspired writing. It, like verse 4, settles our hearts in quiet joy. Read it and feel God’s peace and serenity flow over you.
God is in His holy temple, let all the earth be silent before Him.
This verse does not belong over the doors of a church. It might be appropriate for a great banner across the heavens – because the temple He is talking about is not here on earth, but the heavenly throne.
Habakkuk is making a comparison – idols are in earthly dwellings sitting on someone's chest or shelf. God’s presence is over all – He rules from His throne above all the universe.
I love Psalm 135:6. The LORD does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths….He does whatever pleases Him…whatever He wants, whenever, wherever.
I just imagine this verse in Psalm 135 as a sort of a taunt. God’s people looking over at idol-worshippers and saying….Sure, your god is sitting there doing nothing...keep trying to wake him up……Our God is sitting on His throne doing anything He wants….anything and everything He wants!
Our God is reigning right now. His Kingship is not acknowledged by rebels on this earth – that’s because they are in rebellion -- But He is in charge. He is not dead, nor doth He sleep
Nothing flows through human history that is not flowing in the channel He dug for it.
Nothing surprises Him. Nothing catches Him unawares.
This affirmation of God’s rule ends Part IV of our Outline, finishes the 5th woe directed at Babylon, and closes chapter 2.
This is also where the remarkable verse-by-verse commentary written by the ancient Jewish scribes and scholars 200 B.C. ended.
I wonder if they found as much comfort in Habakkuk as we have found? Did it help them view with a measure of hope their own chaotic world as much as it helps us? Probably….but did they have as much fun studying as we did? ….?
Fun Project for Lesson 12
Turn to Romans, chapter 1, starting with verse 28. Mankind did not think it was worthwhile to retain their knowledge of God (astonishing, isn’t it?) and so He gave them over to their choices of sin. “…they have become filled with every kind of wickedness….”
Some of these kinds of wickedness are listed….and right in the middle of the list is the statement: They invent ways of doing evil….
List the wicked ways God names in these verses and think about which ones apply to you, and then to us as a society.
Quiz #5
(Covering Lessons 10, 11, and 12)
1. _____ Read I Kings 5:1-6. Who was Hiram?
A. Solomon’s half brother
B. King of Tyre
C. The groomsman for Solomon’s horses
D. Ran King Solomon’s mines
2.______Solomon tells Hiram that his father (David) was not allowed to build God’s temple because
A. David’s sin was so great
B. David had too many wives
C. David was a man of war
D. David hadn’t had time to gather the materials needed
3._____Solomon told Hiram he was building the temple
A. For the Name of the LORD his God
B. To celebrate his coronation
C. So the new temple could have coffee and gift shops to make the Hebrews comfortable as they worshipped
D. To remind the world that God was on his side
4._____In Romans 1 we read about the wrath of God displayed against mankind. In Verse 20 Paul says God’s invisible qualities have always been seen. What are God’s invisible qualities?
A. His reign over all and His justice
B. His power to control nature and punish sinner
C. His creative energy and His free will
D. His eternal power and divine nature.
5._____Although man knew who God was they refused to:
A. Worship Him and praise Him
B. Glorify Him and thank Him
C. Offer appropriate sacrifices
D. Pray and ask forgivenes
6._____In Isaiah 46 God describes the gods the Babylonians worship. He says they are
A. Burdens to be carried about
B. Good for a few problems, but ineffective in the long run
C. Indicative of a pluralistic society and there should be freedom of worship
D. A and B
7._____In Isaiah 45:13 God says, “I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness; I will make all his ways straight. He will
A. Rebuild My city and set My exiles free
B. Kill the Medes
C. destroy all the idols in Babylon
D. plant new cedars in Lebanon
Note: Why? ”not for price or reward” -- just because God ordained it!
8._____What sins did Dante include in Circle 4 of his Inferno to be punished forever?
A. Violence and idolatry
B. Greed and violence
C. Greed and Squander
D. All of the above
HOW TO FIGURE POINTS
For
LESSONS 10, 11 and 12
PROJECTS – Grade Yourself
Lesson 10 has 4 projects; Lesson 11 has 2 and Lesson 12 has 1, for a total of 7 projects worth 20 points each. Grade yourself – 0 to 140—
And let me know what number of points you give yourself.
QUIZ #5 – send answers to me
There are 8 questions, worth 20 points each, for a total of 160. Just send me your quiz answers, and also any particular comments about things you have learned, blessings you have received, etc., from this material – and let me know if I can share them with others.
300 TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE FOR LESSONS 10-12
Glorya Hammers
20260 CR 510
Brazoria, Texas 77422
