The five woes in this passage then resolve these concerns in light of the posture established by 2:2–5. How does God act justly? That judgment on the oppressors may come from their actions—their oppressive violence sows the seeds of their destruction. Nevertheless, in whichever way justice is served, God has brought it about, for he sovereignly controls even things that happen “naturally.” Justice will be done. What Actions Bring God’s Judgment? Habakkuk 2:6-8  1. Aggression The first woe is directed towards those who acquire goods dishonestly. Although the oppressor has claimed numerous pledges, Habakkuk insists a time will come when those unjustly indebted will arise against the oppressor (v. 8)—the plunderer will become the plunder.  God will judge nations with a lot but prey on those without. We do not have to fund the world, but we should not pillage the world. Habakkuk 2:9-11  2. Injustice The second woe also addresses the issue of unjust gain. Such evil gain is typically associated with violence and again reflects the actions of the wicked within Judah and the Chaldeans in their aggression against the nations. The oppressor believes wealth accumulated in this way provides security, raising his house beyond the reach of those who would act against it. The oppressor reasons that just as an eagle’s nest is secure because of its height, wealth accumulated through violence puts his house out of the reach of the oppressed. God calls us as Christians to be the best bosses, business owners, employees, etc. God calls us to be honest in all our dealings and pay our debts. Habakkuk 2:12-14  3. Violence and Crime The third woe expands the focus of the second as it considers those who build a city with bloodshed, founding it on violent “iniquity.” Observing that oppression bears the seeds of its downfall, we must note that something about Yahweh’s involvement in the world brings such unexpected results. A civilization built up by the destruction of other civilizations and by the conscription of their labor for its ends will be destroyed God’s abiding intent is that his “glory” should fill the whole earth as it has filled his house. God will only bless nations that care for the least of these in the long term. Habakkuk 2:15-17  4. Immorality The fourth “woe” introduces a new accusation, expressed by the image of inducing drunkenness with its consequences of incapacitation, humiliation, and utter vulnerability. This points to rampant immorality. Isn’t that what we see in our nation today? We used to be ashamed of doing things, and even though we still did it, we hid it from Mom and Dad because we were embarrassed. Now we wave our immorality loud and proud, then dare people to confront us. If we do not wake up as a nation soon, God will have to apologize to other nations that he took out for less than what we tolerate. Habakkuk 2:18-20  5. Idolatry The final woe oracle is distinct from the previous four in emphasizing idolatry rather than oppression (although the two are often related). Yahweh dwells in his temple, and from there, he sees everything; once this reality is recognized, one understands that the temple is also the divine palace where the true king dispenses justice. We like to think we don’t worship idols because we dont have little golden calves in our living room. We worship at the altar of status. We worship at the altar of security. We worship at the altar of self-gratification. To name a few. God wants to be number one in your life, and if anything is more of a priority to you than him, then it needs to go. What are our transformational moments? Which of the 5 hit the hardest for you? Do you think we, as the church, need to rise and do better? We need to pray that God would bring revival to our land!