Hab 2:18-19 | KingComments | STEP | The fifth and final ‘woe’ comes over Babylon because of the greatest of all sins: idolatry. This “woe” is pronounced in the second part of this stanza ( ). This evil is focused directly against the LORD Himself. The LORD is replaced by a self-made image. To powerfully indicate its utter worthlessness, the prophet asks what use an idol has ( ; ; ). Of course, an idol is of no use at all. The idol is “a carved” image that teaches lies. The idol is a “a teacher of falsehood” who promotes to his worshipers the delusion that he is God and can do what can be expected of the true God, while it is a void idol. How foolish it is to rely on something made by one’s own hands. An idol can be so overlaid with all earthly riches, it is and remains a dead thing, there is no life in it and life never comes into it ( ). Such a god can do nothing for anyone. It is supreme foolishness to call to dead matter in the expectation that there will be a reaction. Even worse is that by such worship of an idol the true God is denied. God does not give His glory to anyone else. He who despises Him will be despised by Him ( ). He pronounces His “woe” on those who call on an idol.

‏ Habakkuk 2:18-19

Fifth “Woe”

The fifth and final ‘woe’ comes over Babylon because of the greatest of all sins: idolatry. This “woe” is pronounced in the second part of this stanza (Hab 2:19). This evil is focused directly against the LORD Himself. The LORD is replaced by a self-made image.

To powerfully indicate its utter worthlessness, the prophet asks what use an idol has (Hab 2:18; Isa 44:9-10; Jer 2:11). Of course, an idol is of no use at all. The idol is “a carved” image that teaches lies. The idol is a “a teacher of falsehood” who promotes to his worshipers the delusion that he is God and can do what can be expected of the true God, while it is a void idol. How foolish it is to rely on something made by one’s own hands.

An idol can be so overlaid with all earthly riches, it is and remains a dead thing, there is no life in it and life never comes into it (Hab 2:19). Such a god can do nothing for anyone. It is supreme foolishness to call to dead matter in the expectation that there will be a reaction. Even worse is that by such worship of an idol the true God is denied. God does not give His glory to anyone else. He who despises Him will be despised by Him (1Sam 2:30b). He pronounces His “woe” on those who call on an idol.