“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14
This glorious news is given to Habakkuk immediately after receiving the terrifying news from God that He is planning on destroying Jerusalem. Habakkuk begins his prophecy by crying out to God over all the sin and wickedness that is overflowing in Judah. He passionately prays and asks God why He is not doing anything about the perversity, violence, and injustice that is everywhere.
God responds by declaring to Habakkuk that is He is doing something about it. He is going to raise up Babylon and send them to destroy Jerusalem. That is not exactly what Habakkuk had in mind. Habakkuk has trouble wrapping his mind around the idea that God is going to use a pagan nation to destroy His people. Has God given up? Will there no longer be children of the Lord on the earth? Has God given the world to the wicked?
Then God declares that He will also bring judgment on Babylon for their wickedness. Both Israel and Babylon are being judged for the same thing: sin. God will not allow sin to reign. It is in this context that God declares that the whole earth will be filled with His knowledge and His glory just like the waters cover the sea. Sin and those who embrace sin will be destroyed.
Habakkuk was a contemporary of Isaiah and Isaiah uses this exact phrase in Isaiah 11:9 in describing the reign of Jesus Christ after defeating all His enemies. In this season of Epiphany, we remember that the magi, rulers form the east, recognized Jesus as the King of Kings at His birth. At His trial He was mocked as a King. He was crucified because He was a King. After His resurrection He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God taking His rightful place as King, the King of heaven and earth, both of which He is ruling now. I Corinthains 15:25 tells us that His rule has begun, and He must rule until all His enemies are finally defeated. His enemies are all those things that fight against the knowledge of the Lord and try to stop His glory from advancing on the earth.
Here are two wonderful things to consider. The first is that Habakkuk 2:14 is a declarative statement, not a wishful thinking. It will happen. The second is that it is happening now on the earth, this earth. The Lord will not allow sin to reign here.
As faithful Christians in America today we are a lot like Habakkuk wondering why God isn’t doing anything about the wickedness we see overflowing all around us. The message of Habakkuk is that God is doing something about it. Jesus is the ruler of this world and despite the growing tide of woke ideology, secularism, humanism, violence, sexual perversion, and antichristian rhetoric, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Faithful Christians can rejoice with Habakkuk who ends his prophecy with a hymn of praise declaring, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, the Lord God is my strength.”
His mercy endures forever!
Pastor Flynn