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Minor Prophets, Part 2: Babylonian Crisis

  1. Lesson One
    Nahum
    23 Activities
    |
    3 Assessments
  2. Lesson Two
    Zephaniah
    22 Activities
    |
    3 Assessments
  3. Lesson Three
    Habakkuk
    19 Activities
    |
    4 Assessments
  4. Lesson Four
    Joel and Josiah
    24 Activities
    |
    2 Assessments
  5. Lesson Five
    Interpreting Prophecy
    34 Activities
    |
    7 Assessments
  6. Course Wrap-up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

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Minor Prophets, Part 2: Babylonian Crisis Habakkuk In | “You Are the Unrighteous” Part 2
Lesson 3, Activity 12

In | “You Are the Unrighteous” Part 2

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The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them. 
Habakkuk 2:17 ESV

This is part of God’s response to Habakkuk’s second question:

Why are you silent when the wicked abuse the righteous?

In the passage above God says, in effect, “Who said you were the righteous ones? This isn’t a case of the righteous being abused by the unrighteous. This is unrighteous-on-unrighteous crime, and I’m going to allow it—for a time. Remember your own crimes against your neighbors.” 

Leading up to this passage, Habakkuk offers a long line of woe oracles (Habakkuk 2:6-16), listing evils that Judah associated with its enemies. In this last verse, Habakkuk turns and points the finger at God’s chosen people. This is something like the scene in 2 Samuel 12:7, where the prophet Nathan turns David’s own judgment against him following the murder of Uriah, saying, “You are the man!” Here, God says, “Judah, you are the unrighteous!”

God is going to destroy Babylon eventually, but today He will use this empire to teach His people the cost of infidelity, and the degree to which they have become like their enemies.