THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Neal Pollard
Neal Pollard
Ten times, the Holy Spirit through Habakkuk uses the Hebrew term eres in three short chapters. Primarily, the word is translated "earth" although it is also translated "land" a few times in this short prophesy. The significance of its repeated use seems to be as part of God's explanation to Habakkuk for why Judah was being punished by the more wicked Babylonians (1:5-17) because of their national sins as God's people (2:4-19). Habakkuk's vantage point was as one upon the earth who could not see nor fully know heavenly things. God explains to Habakkuk that He alone has a perfect vantage point of both heaven and earth. Being God, He was interacting into the affairs of the earth exactly as He should. Ultimately, Habakkuk recognizes this and glorifies the sovereign God whose ways he trusts and accepts. The contrast between heaven and earth is best seen in the pivotal verse of the book. Habakkuk says, "But the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him" (2:20).
While this is an appropriate call for us to be reverent when we worship God, let us not miss Habakkuk's bigger point here. This is a call for us to have faith in God's will and ways in all aspects of our lives, and through such faith live (cf. 2:4). God made the earth. He rules over the earth. He judges those that live upon the earth. We may not always understand why God wants us to do what He says or live as He has instructed. However puzzling life may be for us in living the Christian life, let us be just and live by faith! God's wisdom, ability, and actions, compared with our own, are the difference between heaven and earth! Then, come what may, we can conclude with Habakkuk, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength..." (3:18-19a).
While this is an appropriate call for us to be reverent when we worship God, let us not miss Habakkuk's bigger point here. This is a call for us to have faith in God's will and ways in all aspects of our lives, and through such faith live (cf. 2:4). God made the earth. He rules over the earth. He judges those that live upon the earth. We may not always understand why God wants us to do what He says or live as He has instructed. However puzzling life may be for us in living the Christian life, let us be just and live by faith! God's wisdom, ability, and actions, compared with our own, are the difference between heaven and earth! Then, come what may, we can conclude with Habakkuk, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength..." (3:18-19a).
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