Sunday Night Notes 7/5/2015
Faith Fall: God Starts a Riff Off!
Habakkuk 2:5-20
Context:
1. The big question that Habakkuk throughout this book is: “Is God worthy of my trust?”
a. Either you live with your trust in God…
b. Or you live with your trust in yourself.
2. In response to Habakkuk’s question, God gave three important lessons for us to remember when
we’re struggling with our faith.
a. Listen to the truth of God’s Word.
b. Lean on God’s timing.
c. Live with your trust in God.
3. At this point, God still has not addressed Habakkuk’s concerns, but He will in today’s lesson:
God Starts a Riff Off:
1. In the rest of the chapter, God literally writes a song with five “woes” or verses about how
Babylon’s pride will ultimately destroy them.
a. These are truths that are applicable today as well.
2. Woe #1: Greed
a. Problem: The Babylonians had borrowed and not paid back, and even killed to steal what
didn’t belong to them.
b. Outcome: Their creditors would demand to be repaid, and the other nations would one
day kill and loot them. Their greed would ultimately destroy them.
3. Woe #2: Arrogance
a. Problem: Their greed has made them seem so strong that they have a false sense of
security.
b. Outcome: They were racking up guilt that would one day bring about God’s judgment.
As a result, they were really only sinning against themselves.
4. Woe #3: Violence
a. Problem: They were walking all over others to advance themselves.
b. Outcome: Their glory wouldn’t last…so ultimately they were committing evil acts to
advance themselves for nothing.
5. Woe #4: Perversion
a. Problem: The Babylonians lived for sinful entertainment and parties that were designed
to bring entertainment at someone else’s expense.
b. Outcome: Their sinfulness would lead them to become a literal disgrace among the
nations (Daniel 5:30-31).
6. Woe #5: Idolatry
a. Problem: The Babylonians were trusting in and worshipping gods made with their own
hands, rather than trusting in the one true God.
b. Outcome: As they are being judged, they will find out the hard way that their carved
images can’t help them.
c. The idols that they trusted in were not worthy of their trust, but in the last verse God
reminds Habakkuk that He alone is worthy of absolute trust.
i. This is how God answers Habakkuk’s original question.
A Peek Ahead:
1. At the end of chapter 3, Habakkuk declares that he was no longer going to let his circumstances
affect the way he viewed God.
2. Instead, he was going to let God affect the way he viewed his circumstances.
Discussion Questions:
1. Which of the five woes resonates most with your personal life? Why?
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2. Basically this taunt song shows us that God knew what the sins of Babylon were and how their
sin would destroy them. If God were to write a song about your life, what sins would He bring
up? How do you think those sins might destroy you if you don’t turn from them and begin to live
in faith and obedience?
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