Habakkuk 1:16 - Homilies By S.d. Hillman

The pride of human sufficiency.

The reference is to the Chaldeans. They would, in due course, invade Judah, and should be successful in their invasion. The "sinful nation" should fall into their hands as fish into the net of the angler; and, intoxicated by their success, they should congratulate themselves upon their achievements and adore their military prowess and skill, and their weapons of war, as though these had won the victory. "Therefore they sacrifice," etc. ( Habakkuk 1:16 ). They should be lifted up with the pride of human sufficiency. Observe—

I. SUCCESS IS EVER SECURED AS THE BESTOWMENT OR BY THE PERMISSION OF GOD .

1 . Temporal success is thus gainful. The age in which we live is an age of earnest toil, of restless activity. It is becoming more and more felt that a man cannot expect to make headway apart from continuous, energetic work. And this is a healthy "sign of the times." It reminds us that life is too valuable a gift to be frittered away. It contrasts, strikingly and pleasingly, with those periods in which ease, luxury, and sloth were deified and adored. There is dignity in labour. The danger lies in the non-recognition of God as the Bestower of the prosperity secured, and in ascribing the success achieved wholly to ourselves. The true spirit is that which prompts the acknowledgment, "All things come of thee" ( 1 Chronicles 29:14 ). The Lord is "Giver of all." Success is sometimes achieved by bad men. By fraud, oppression, reckless speculation, and by taking mean advantage, "the portion" of such is "made fat" and "their meat plenteous;" and in such cases all this is through the all-wise although often inscrutable permission of the Most High.

2 . Spiritual success is also thus gained. In holy service we are but the instruments employed by God. The power is his, and the honour should all be laid at his feet. Baxter, when complimented at the close of his career upon the usefulness of his writings, said, "I was but a pen in the hand of my God, and what honour is due to a pen?"

II. MEN , FORGETFUL OF THIS AND TRACING TO THEMSELVES THE SUCCESS ACHIEVED , BECOME ELATED WITH THE PRIDE OF HUMAN SUFFICIENCY . "Therefore they sacrifice unto their net," etc. ( Habakkuk 1:16 ). "They say in their heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth" ( Deuteronomy 8:17 ). So Pharaoh said, "My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself" ( Ezekiel 29:3 ). So Nebuchadnezzar said, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built," etc. ( Daniel 4:30 ). Pusey refers in illustration of this to certain North American Indians, "who designate their bow and arrow as the only beneficent deities whom they know;" to the Romans sacrificing to their military standards; and to the French referred to in the Times during the FrancoGerman War as "almost worshipping the mitrailleuse as a goddess." And this is still our peril. Because our possibilities are so great, we think that we can win all blessings for ourselves. Everywhere we see the worship of our human powers and means—the workman worshipping the strength of his arm and the deftness of his fingers, the man of business worshipping his skill and acuteness, and the man of science, human knowledge. Nor is the Church of God free from this spirit: for there is far too much of trusting to forms and ceremonies, to worldly alliances, to machinery and organization, as though these were the great essentials, and far too little of "looking up unto the hills whence cometh her help."

III. ALL SUCH GLORYING IS VAIN .

1 . It reveals self-ignorance . For no one who really understands himself could possibly cherish this spirit.

2 . It leads to oppression . The man who has exalted notions of his own powers and doings is likely to be proud and overbearing in his conduct towards others.

3 . It is offensive to God . "He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" ( James 4:6 ). "In all our ways, therefore, let us acknowledge him" and as we prosper in our course ascribe the success gained to his favour and blessing. In the language of Keble, let us say—.

"Should e'er thy wonder working grace

Triumph by our weak arm,

Let not our sinful fancy trace

Aught human in the charm:

"To our own nets ne'er bow we down,

Lest on the eternal shore

The angels, while our draught they own,

Reject us evermore." S.D.H

Habakkuk 1:13-15 , Habakkuk 1:17 ; Habakkuk 2:1-4

Dark problems and man's true attitude in relation to them.

I. THE MYSTERY CONNECTED WITH THE DIVINE OPERATIONS . ( Habakkuk 2:13-15 , Habakkuk 2:17 .) The prophet in these words expressed the perplexity of his mind and the consequent sadness of his heart. He had bitterly mourned over the prevailing guilt of his people, and had earnestly appealed to Heaven to vindicate the right. The Divine response, however, filled him with distress. That Divine chastisement should be inflicted upon his country he understood and approved, but that the Chaldeans, who were still greater transgressors, should be permitted to run over the land, and to lead his people into captivity, baffled and perplexed him. Yea, more; whilst the good in his land were but few, yet there were to be found such; and how could it be that these should suffer, and suffer at the hands of the heathen who were so gross and iniquitous? Surely, thought he, this scarcely accorded with the thought of the Divine purity, and of the rectitude of God's providential government. And hence he cried in his perplexity, "Thou art," etc. ( Habakkuk 2:13-15 , Habakkuk 2:17 ). There is mystery in the Divine operations; dark problems confront us as we reflect upon the Divine working. "How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" ( Romans 11:33 ); "Thy way is in the sea;" i.e. "far down in secret channels of the deep is his roadway;" "Thy footsteps are not known;" i.e. "none can follow thy tracks" ( Psalms 77:19 ). One man enjoys the endowment of reason; another is left a helpless lunatic. One has all things and abounds; another is well nigh destitute of the common necessaries of life. One has "no changes;" another is being continually subjected to adverse influences. We see the mother dying just after she has given birth to her child; we behold the young and the beautiful passing "out of sunshiny life into silent death;" we behold the earnest toiler stricken down in the very prime of life, whilst useless and injurious lives are preserved and "burn to the socket." The sceptic asks us to reconcile all this with the thought of God's wise and loving rulership, and, failing this, to join him in his indifference and practical atheism; but to do so would be to go contrary to the deepest convictions of our hearts, and to the clearest testimony of our consciences. We will rather seek to cherish a faith which will pierce the mists, and enable us, despite such anomalies, to recognize the goodness and the love of God.

II. THE TRUE ATTITUDE IN RELATION TO THESE DARK PROBLEMS .

1 . The attitude of prayer. The seer took all his fears and forebodings, his difficulties and discouragements, his doubts and perplexities, to God in prayer (verses13-15, 17). As we pray light often is cast upon the hidden path.

2 . The attitude of expectancy. "I will stand upon my watch," etc. ( Habakkuk 2:1 ). We are to "wait patiently for the Lord," and there is ever to enter into this waiting the element of watchfulness. We are to look for further light, even here, upon the works and ways of our God, and we shall assuredly miss this unless we cherish the spirit of holy expectation. "Many a proffered succour from heaven goes past us because we are not standing on our watch tower to catch the far off indications of its approach, and to fling open the gates of our hearts for its entrance" (Maclaren).

3 . The attitude of trust. "The just shall live by his faith" ( Jeremiah 2:4 ). It is not in the process, but in the issue, that the wisdom and rightness of the Divine operations will be fully manifested, and for the issue we must trustfully wait. Tennyson sings—

"Who can so forecast the years,

And find in loss a gain to match?

Or reach a hand through time to catch

The far off interest of tears?"

In God's economy there is a gain to match every loss. Tears do bear interest; only we cannot "forecast the years," and see the gain; we cannot reach forth and seize in advance "the interest of tears." But however far off, it is there. We shall know more and more, even in the present life, as God's purposes concerning us develop, that all things are working together for our good ( Romans 8:28 ), whilst at length standing upon the heights of eternity, and gazing back upon the past and seeing in the perfect light, the perfect wisdom,, and the perfect love, we shall cry with adoring gratitude, "He hath done all things well!"—S.D.H.