Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Let us turn to Habakkuk, chapter two. What is this chapter about? It speaks of God's response to the prophet Habakkuk. Therefore, the theme of this chapter is that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD.

The Prophet Must See How God Answers His Questions

Let me tell you, some people deliberately question God to see how He will answer. Let us read this, and you will understand. I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. (Habakkuk 2:1)

This statement is somewhat impolite, but God does not mind. However, the prophet feels justified, thinking that those who should not be killed have been killed, while those who should be killed are prospering. Let me tell you, do not be surprised that Habakkuk has such questions, as we often have similar questions. For example, we see those who do not believe in the Lord seeming to prosper greatly! And those who commit heinous crimes, harming so many people, end up with thriving businesses and sitting in high positions! We are very perplexed.

There was once a Christian entrepreneur in the high-tech industry. As he continued his business, it deteriorated, and he struggled. Previously, he was ranked high among similar products, but competition was fierce, and he fell behind. As a result, he proclaimed a slogan: Return to Glory. You should know that he is a Christian, but his competitors are not believers. Yet, these non-believers were doing quite well! The competition was fierce, I tell you!

Even now, when we see these things, we are perplexed, wondering why, as God's people, we are not doing as well as those who do not believe in God. We have many such questions. The environment in which the prophet Habakkuk found himself is not much different from ours. Therefore, we often feel justified, thinking that these things are clearly wrong! So, some people ask God: God, explain this to me, let me see what you have to say to me.

Let me tell you, you may have a similar reaction when you hear these words, saying: Teacher, I also have such confusion inside. If you are also confused, then that is right! Now we are talking about: that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. After hearing this, you will understand that this is called that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. Before, we did not recognise God's actions nor understand how God operates. We really need to learn!

Habakkuk has such confusion, and so do we! God's response to Habakkuk is also a response to us. What did God say? God said: that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. So, when you see these phenomena, do not be confused. I tell you, the righteous will live by his faith. No matter how evil this world is, those who fear God and trust in God will not be put to shame! Even if you do not understand, you must believe.

This is about the prophet wanting to see how God responds. Next, let us look at this verse: Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. (Habakkuk 2:2)

Habakkuk wrote this sentence with a bit of emotion. Then the LORD replied Who is He? It refers to the LORD God. God said to me: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. The LORD thought: Do you not have confusion? I want you to write this matter on the tablets. That is, to take a thick pen, use a large brush, and write large characters on the tablets so that people can easily read it. It means that you do not need excellent eyesight, not even 1.5 vision, even 0.7 or 0.8 vision is easy to read! From a distance, wow! It is written on the tablets like a big sign.

You should know that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD. But after reading it, people do not understand what the knowledge of glory is? I tell you, the knowledge of glory is that many fall and many rise. Do not just see the wicked prospering for a while, for God will surely judge them later. Then you will see that some have risen and then fallen again.

In our generation, what happened to those big brands from seven or eight years ago? People shake their heads when they hear those brands, why? They have become unfinished projects, many unfinished projects, very miserable! This is the glory of the LORD God. Never think that the wicked are so prosperous. They are climbing high to jump down! The higher the wicked climb, the more severely they will fall when they jump, this is God's glory! So write it on the tablets. Let us see how God responds.

What God Has Determined Will Be Fulfilled Without Delay

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.(Habakkuk 2:3)

Carefully observe what God has determined. If you live with a strong human logic, you will eventually suffer retribution. It is just that people do not live long enough to understand God's actions. If we go back to 2016, my goodness! Those real estate companies were all thriving, acquiring land and creating many land kings. Land kings are those who sell land at the highest prices, paying more money, not really becoming kings.

Let us not talk about anything else. How many people believed that Shenzhen's real estate would be halved in value? At that time, many people only believed that it would rise in the future. Our brothers and sisters should know that fortunes change, and nothing only rises and never falls. It is all a cycle! Some people bought at high prices and were trapped. After the halving, they will never recover in their lifetime.

So I tell you, you will often see that what God has determined will not be delayed. My goodness, housing prices rose sharply and then fell sharply, driving people crazy. Many people saw housing prices rising and thought they would make a profit by buying, but what happened later? Facts proved they were all wrong, and what God has determined will be fulfilled. The first emperor of Qin, what a sight! Just like Qin Huang and Han Wu, Tang Zong and Song Zu, all were extremely glorious, but in the end, the dynasty collapsed before the second generation!

The Qin Shihuang's set of ruling principles was similar to those of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires, all very violent. What happened in the end? Actually, I tell you, God reigns in the kingdoms of men. And the Babylonian emperor ate grass like cattle and went mad for seven years, after which God restored his throne. Did not God have the last word? This happened during the time of Daniel.

People, have faith in God! Do not just look at a small fragment and think about what will happen. If you cut off the small fragment of Joseph being sold into Egypt, you would think that Joseph was cursed, because Joseph was arrogant. And you think Joseph should have kept his dreams to himself! He had to share them with his family, but he did not know that this was the knowledge of the glory of the LORD God? People do not know, and they see a small fragment and think: Oh dear! Not good. How do you know it is not good?

Who goes to a place and immigrates for thirteen years, and then becomes prime minister after thirteen years? That is a great miracle! I tell you, this is God's work. Joseph was sold into Egypt and became the prime minister of Egypt thirteen years later; David was hunted down for thirteen years and then became the king of Israel. You say, teacher, is this number thirteen special? I also find it a bit special, but in fact, let us not be superstitious about these things.

Samuel succeeded the old Eli in leading the worship in the temple. After twenty years, the hearts of the Israelites turned back to God. I tell you, we always hope that Samuel will anoint us, wanting to be the king of Israel. There is no such thing! Some people always think: I was sold into Egypt, and God will use me to save my family, and I will see my father next year. But the reality is miserable!

But I tell you, all who have faith see the future through spiritual eyes. If people have no hope for the future and only look at the present and the past, you are not worthy to be a Christian. I tell you, what God has determined will be fulfilled, nothing will not be fulfilled! People use worldly logic to build a Babylonian empire, and no matter what they build, God will surely destroy it!

Especially those who are violent and shed blood, oh my! I tell you, the real estate business is not easy to do, why? They not only have competitors outside, but they also have to seize territory inside and solve these nail households. I tell you, those methods are very crude! It is said that a real estate developer in a large city used all kinds of mafia tactics to acquire those lands, making the nail households miserable.

At that time, you saw this shedding of blood, feeling injustice, but what happened later? These people were all miserable, God just delayed the retribution for a while. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. This is the disaster that will come to those people, the retribution for those evildoers and bloodshedders, I tell you, it will surely be fulfilled! Observe carefully, the end of these evildoers is very miserable.
Therefore, people's vision should be farther. Can you see through spiritual eyes, not just looking at the present, but seeing the future? If you can see the future, you will know what it means to recognize God's glory!

Although Habakkuk is a prophet, but he seemed a bit like an after-knower. Why is the after-knower confused? Because this prophet has a shorter vision. But thank God, when he wrote the second chapter, God said these words to him, answering his confusion. He felt as if God had not answered, but he began to ponder this matter. What God has determined will be fulfilled without delay, so everyone must not avenge themselves.

Look to God, and always remember that God will never mess up, nor will the devil mess up. It is we who mess up! This is what God has determined and will necessarily be fulfilled. Observe these spiritual laws carefully, and know that the knowledge of God's glory and the laws that God has determined are very powerful and will surely be fulfilled. It is normal for some to be fulfilled in a few years, some in a few decades, and some in a few hundred years, because to God a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years. Therefore, we people must not be confused and must have faith in God!

God's determined spiritual laws, whether you like them or not, as long as you study history, you will see the instructions of the glory of the LORD. Therefore, later these countries, like the Qin Dynasty, collapsed before the second generation. The first emperor of Qin thought that the world they had conquered could last for ten thousand generations, but it only lasted for two generations. By the time of Qin Shihuang's son, Qin Ershi, the Qin Dynasty was over. Still waiting for ten thousand generations? It was useless! As a result, the Qin Dynasty was destroyed.

Later, the Han Dynasty rose, and the Han Dynasty was a more benevolent dynasty, while Qin Shihuang played with tyranny, managing extremely harshly, resulting in the collapse of the dynasty before the second generation. In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, listened to the advice of these counselors and adopted a more gentle management policy, resulting in the dynasty continuing to the Eastern and Western Han Dynasties. Therefore, do not think that Qin Shihuang's stuff can last for a long time! He could defeat the six kingdoms and unify the world, but the dynasty collapsed before the second generation, and Qin Shihuang himself died before the age of fifty, very miserably! Why? Because he was seeking the elixir of immortality.

The Earth Will Be Filled with the Knowledge of God's Glory

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.(Habakkuk 2:14)

How to understand the earth? You need to adjust your understanding of glory. The knowledge of the glory of the LORD, the power of God, will fill the whole earth! Do not think, wow! I ran to Myanmar, I am in Kokang, I know the highest leader in Myanmar, and I can engage in telecom fraud here. I ask you, can engaging in that stuff last long? Deceiving and swindling, and still feeling that the business is very big! Now do you see the knowledge of the glory of the LORD? In the end, these people are destroyed.

When those people, those telecom fraud leaders, were arrested and transported to the great eastern country, oh my goodness! They were all disheveled. In the past, they were like a few small grasshoppers, trying to stop a chariot with their arms, thinking they were very powerful! If you engage in telecom fraud, even if the great eastern country does not deal with you, God will kill you! You must also know the spiritual laws, and know what lasts long and what does not last long? But people's vision is too short, and they do not know that God has appointed times for doing things.

People who engage in telecom fraud are very arrogant, extremely arrogant! Because in the telecom fraud park, they raised thousands of soldiers, almost like a king. You think it is powerful to raise thousands of soldiers among the common people; or you think it is powerful to raise hundreds of gangsters, but what is the point of raising thousands of soldiers? Were Babylon and the Assyrian Empire arrogant? Extremely arrogant, and then they were destroyed. Was Babylon strong? Very strong! My goodness, when you talked about Babylon at that time, it was simply an empire! What happened in the end? The result was over!

When people look at the affairs of this world, you may see injustice, you may see things that should not have happened, and you think, how did it happen? I remind you again: God will not mess up, nor will the devil mess up! People must know that behind this injustice, there must be its spiritual principles.

Everyone must recognize the glory of the LORD God. Do not think that wealth and glory are the glory of the LORD God, your glory is different from the glory of the LORD God! The glory of the LORD God is: many fall, many rise; God sends disasters and executes judgment; digs pits and buries people; many people fall into these pits.

Many people rise, many people are blessed, this is a very miraculous thing, but the problem is that people do not believe it, so dynasties change in this world, and human history is actually the knowledge of God's glory. I tell you, Emperor Chongzhen became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he was the most diligent emperor, but diligence was useless! Diligent and diligent, he hanged himself on the crooked-neck tree on Meishan, which is the top of Jingshan Park. If you go to Beijing for tourism, you should go to see the crooked-neck tree in Jingshan Park, where Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. Alas! Very miserable!

What did Chongzhen do? He felt that he was the Emperor of Ming, and he could revive the Ming Dynasty, but it did not work! Just because he did one thing, downsizing, and Li Zicheng was downsized, and Li Zicheng later rebelled, became a rebel king, and overthrew the Ming Dynasty! You should know that Chongzhen, you should not have downsized at that time! If you let Li Zicheng have a bowl of rice to eat, he would not have rebelled.

I tell you, to recognize the knowledge of God's glory, the power of God fills the whole earth. As long as you observe the events in history, you will find that it is all the knowledge of God's glory! This is what Daniel later said, that God reigns in the kingdoms of men. When you see an evil person, you say: God, why do you not punish him? Do you think God will not punish him? Surely punish! Then why did God punish Chongzhen? Because he always wanted to rely on his own strength to reverse the decline of the Ming Dynasty. Actually, I tell you, many things are under God's control.

Do not say that the Han Dynasty invented a term called wu wei er zhi, which means to govern by doing nothing, without interference, but keep doing this and doing that, and the result is pretty good! And like Emperor Chongzhen, he used too much force, using all his strength, resulting in the destruction of the Ming Dynasty! So I tell you, some things really do not work just by your efforts, do not learn from Emperor Chongzhen, thinking that you have the ability, what is your ability compared to God's glory? Can you determine the development of things?

I advise you, if you want to prove your ability, you can only prove that your ability is not good. You may say: Teacher, is that really the case? Then let us try it. For example, a child is admitted to university in his teens, and feels very powerful. Parents celebrate and hold banquets in the village, and then send him to university. As a result, after graduating from university, he finds that he cannot find a job, and later, in his thirties, he comes to me and says: Teacher, can you help me do some career planning? Who can determine their own destiny by their own ability?

What do they mean by My fate is up to me, not up to the heavens? Is it really so? Can you prove it to me? You keep thinking My fate is up to me, not up to the heavens, and you’re practically growing hair on your face! Growing into a very uncomfortable state. People must recognise the glory of God; the knowledge of the glory of the Lord must fill the whole earth, and it must be reflected in everyone.

Try to use the logic of a strongman, this brutal method, and see what happens. Let me tell you, the logic of a strongman must be in opposition to God. Not only can your arm not twist your thigh, but your thigh can’t even twist God’s little finger! Stop arguing and choose to obey God. Surrender. You must know that I am not capable, but my God certainly is!

Some people are arrogant! My goodness, celebrating birthdays, holding lavish banquets, and then a few weeks later, they get checked and find they have cancer! They die within a few months. What are you being arrogant about? Some people become arrogant when they have a little money. Don't be arrogant! In fact, I tell you, all the people on earth must stand in awe before God, be silent before God, because no one can resist the actions of God. Never go against the works of God.

Let me make another suggestion: there are Ten Commandments in the Bible, and none of them can be violated! That is the absolute bottom line. If you observe, you will know now? The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth!

If you want to rely on your own ability, you are living under a curse. If you want to rely on God’s blessing, how wonderful that is! Why are we arguing with God? Stop jumping around, thinking you are so great. When the flood comes, you have no way to deal with it! When the tsunami comes, you have no way to deal with it! Some people are just arrogant, but they are not qualified to be arrogant. People must recognise God!

No Matter How Evil This World Is, the Righteous Shall Live by Faith

See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness (Habakkuk 2:4)

Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? (Habakkuk 2:13)

No matter how evil this world is, rest assured that if God does not allow it, not a single hair will fall from your head! Do you understand? No matter how evil this world is, the righteous shall live by faith.

Many years have passed since Habakkuk, but Habakkuk saw these things and always felt that these things should not have happened, but in fact, they should have happened. So what did Habakkuk see that should not have happened? That is, the Babylonian Empire was very brutal, but very powerful, and conquered cities and territories, and was about to destroy the Kingdom of Judah! He felt that this Kingdom of Judah must be stronger than the Babylonian Empire. Was that actually the case? Actually, it was not.

God warned the Kingdom of Judah again and again, from the king to the common people, from the royalty to the wealthy merchants, warning them not to act violently! What happened? They did not listen. In Jerusalem and Judah, those with power and influence oppressed the people as a daily routine! Kingdom of Judah, aren’t you also acting violently? But the Chaldeans of the Babylonian Empire, they are much more powerful than you.

Seeing that the Kingdom of Judah was about to be destroyed, Habakkuk was quite anxious, feeling that these were God’s people, weren’t they? But have you acted according to God’s words? So, this world is very evil, but is it really evil? In fact, I tell you, retribution is deserved! The righteous shall live by faith, do you understand? I ask you, in the entire land of Judah, are there people with faith? Yes, including Daniel. Later, these people with faith were taken captive to Babylon, but Daniel became the prime minister in Babylon. Isn't that amazing?

But Habakkuk could not understand it at that time. Not only did he not understand, but he also did not believe in God, so he had a lot of confusion, that is, he did not know that the righteous shall live by faith. Our brothers and sisters must know, what is a righteous person? It is a person who trusts in God. Being justified by faith is called justification by faith. God will surely protect you. Our brothers and sisters must turn back from these situations that violate God’s word. Never say: God, where have you gone? God will also ask you: Where have you gone?

Don't misunderstand, no matter how evil the times, a person who trusts in God will live because of his trust in God. This time your faith must be lifted up. If you want to find a job, rely on God. I tell you, even if there is no job, God can create a job for you. I absolutely believe this. One of our sisters lost her job the year before last. What to do? In fact, it is very miserable after losing a job, no money! Why no money? Because her father needed medical treatment, she needed to give money, her brother wanted money, and she also gave money, so she did not save any money. Ah, very miserable!

She had no job. Later, the pastors among us suggested that she learn a technical skill or craft. What happened? After studying for a few months, she found a job, and recently she was poached by a headhunting company and her salary doubled. You think, in this day and age, it is good enough if you don’t lose your job, let alone get a salary increase. How can there be such a good thing? But that is the reality!

While we were shepherding this sister, we constantly built up her faith. When her faith came, God’s grace came. So stop relying on your own strength, stop being like a praying mantis, raising a claw, and then a train comes and crushes you to pieces? Even a hundred people, dozens of people, you can’t stop the train! We can’t do it by ourselves, let’s trust in God! Once you believe in God, many confusions will be resolved. Do you think it is really so?

Once a person has no faith, the future is bleak; once you believe in God, God will protect you. If you believe in God, God will consider you righteous, and the righteous shall live by faith. So, in Judah and Jerusalem, are there righteous people? Yes! Did God protect them? He protected them! Besides Daniel, there are many others! Daniel’s three friends were also among them. So our brothers and sisters must be careful not to be an unbelieving person. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. You must believe in God.

Everything in the World Is Vanity

Everything in the world is vanity. So, do you say that those who believe die? They die! Daniel is not alive now either. There are no people over two thousand years old on earth, nor are there people over a thousand years old, maybe not even five hundred years old. They have all become vanity! Your love, your hate, have all become vanity.

Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? (Habakkuk 2:13)

If you want to know the knowledge of the glory of God, first you must know that many things are vanity. So, what happens when the people’s hard-earned gains are burned by fire? There is no solution, no meaning. Whether they are burned or not burned, it’s the same. Why do people take these things too seriously? The nations' hard-earned gains, whether gained from war, snatched, stolen, or however they were obtained, all return to vanity!

I tell you, if your view is the same as God’s view, and your view is based on knowing the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, then your view is extraordinary! You will think that these are all vanity, and everything that God does, these hard-earned gains of the people are burned by fire, isn't it from God?

Recently, a big fire burned many mansions. So what? Who told you not to think it was vanity? You still expect it to provide for your retirement, to live on, or to invest in? If you look at problems with God’s perspective, many problems will be solved. This matter is not important! That matter is not important! These matters are not important! But I trust in my God, and by faith I live!

If a person does not think that everything in the world returns to vanity, it is difficult to be blessed. Why can one be blessed by returning to vanity? Because when you return to vanity, you will not be disturbed by these things. You will take God as your inheritance, take God as your asset, and take God as everything you have. I must tell everyone that my colleagues and I are living by the grace of God, not because of anyone’s money. God provides for us!

How does God provide? Can I tell you how God provides for us? The Apostle Paul said, With my own hands I have provided for my needs and for the needs of my companions. And that is indeed the case. A blessed person cannot become poor! A blessed person prospers in whatever he does! Otherwise, try it and see.

So, people are not living for these things. Some people love money and become enemies of God. When the knowledge of God’s glory comes upon you, you will stumble and fall into a pit. Some people like to say arrogant words, their words are very hurtful, ah, their mouths are unforgiving. If your mouth is unforgiving to people, then you must give way to God, right? If your mouth is unforgiving to people, what can you solve? What are you fighting for? You are fighting for vanity. Isn't there a popular internet term now? When people's mouths are unforgiving, they fight for nothing. What's the point?

Why don’t people live happily? Why do they fight and struggle with others all day long, fight with heaven, fight with earth, fight with people, endlessly? What is endlessly fun about it? Try fighting with God? I'll let you have endless fun, it will be a tragic ending. Isn’t this how the tragedies of this world are produced?

Never use the logical system of a strongman, don’t think that a good person is always bullied, and a good horse is always ridden. Many people think so, but that’s not the case. Those who trust in God will surely receive grace. If God wants to protect you, who can bully you? If you want to protect yourself, you cannot protect yourself. If you still do not know the knowledge of God’s glory, that’s really terrible!

So, everything in the world returns to vanity. This is the instruction of the glory of God. Do you have the glory of God? If not, you always want to protect yourself, but you cannot protect yourself. What you say does not count. I often say: When you can defecate and when you can urinate, what you say does not count. What are you so great about? Isn’t that organ growing on your body? Growing on your body, but what you say does not count, so what can you say counts? Fighting with people on earth, struggling with people, and in the end, you make yourself so miserable. What are you struggling for? Ah! It’s just that you don’t have the knowledge of God’s glory.

The glory of God is great and awesome, and full of power. God will surely protect His people! Let His people, no matter where they are, even in this place where they are sojourning, live out glory and prosperity! Can brothers and sisters trust in God? Can you be a person who trusts in God? Let’s not tear at others, fighting back and forth. When we really get on the stage, we don’t know who will knock whom down. If we are evenly matched, then let’s not go up! Sometimes even if you win the championship, you are beaten black and blue. Ah! These vain things are all disasters!

Pursuing These Empty Things Is a Disaster

People must recognise God, and the knowledge of the glory of God. When people have this knowledge, wow, it's amazing! With this knowledge, God is with you, and whatever you do prospers. Never hold on tightly to these vain things, empty things. Some people like to reason and make themselves very miserable. I tell you, these are actually disasters!

For example, in this country now, tariffs are added today, tariffs are added tomorrow, and tariffs are added the day after tomorrow. What is it all for? It’s all for money! Everyone thinks money is good. When they mention the world’s richest person, they think: Wow, that’s so great! But is it really good? I don’t think it’s good! I don’t think that stuff is meaningful! Some people may think: Why do you sound like Jack Ma? Because I don’t love money. What do I need so much money for? All these things are disasters!

Let’s talk about how many trillion-dollar empires have fallen? Building a trillion-dollar empire, building airplanes, building houses, it's not a joke, what’s the end result? Some people jump off buildings, it’s meaningless! Read this scripture: Indeed, wine is treacherous; an arrogant person is never at rest. His appetite expands like the grave, and like death he is never satisfied. He gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. (Habakkuk 2:5)

Look, some people destroyed this country, and then included it in their territory, bang! The Chaldeans destroyed that country again, and included it in their territory again. Isn’t that how history is? What can you gain? It’s as if you are very great, and you want to establish great achievements, and you want to have your name recorded in history for thousands of years. What are you doing? Who cares about you now? You ask the young people born after 2000: Do you know Qin Shi Huang? I don’t know! You ask him: Do you know Emperor Gaozu of Han? I don’t know! He only knows himself.

People, for money, for power, for glory, expand their territory and establish kingdoms. Where do they all end up? They are all gone. So what is the benefit of killing people, shedding blood, violence, building cities with blood, accumulating money, poisoning people with alcohol, and worshiping idols? In the end, it all becomes dishonor, all are disasters!

Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself rich by extortion! How long must this go on?” Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not spring up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you— for you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! (Habakkuk 2:6-12)

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.(Habakkuk 2:15-17)

This is the work of God. These people are very rampant, thinking they are glorious, but now they have become disgraced! The Qin Dynasty died in less than two generations, and Babylon died in three generations. Daniel was still there, but the emperor was gone. Daniel first served the emperors of Babylon, and later the Persian Empire destroyed Babylon, and Daniel served the emperors of the Persian Empire again. So Daniel served three dynasties for four generations.

The world has suffered under Qin for a long time, violence cannot solve the problem! If we look closely, the history of our generation is also like this, and then what do people rely on violence to do? Carve idols. What is the benefit of people carving idols? What is the benefit of cast idols? What is the benefit of relying on these dumb idols? What is the benefit of talking to these puppets? There are all disasters.

Later, the emperor of Babylon built a very tall idol and asked people to worship it, but those of God’s people did not worship it. They threw these three people who did not worship, Daniel and his good friends, into the furnace, but they were not burned to death. After coming out of the furnace, they continued to be officials in the Babylonian kingdom. Ah! The glory of the Babylonians has become shame, so what is this called? This is called the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

You and I must begin to have the knowledge of the glory of God, and we must know the glory of God. The glory of God is different from the glory of the world. The glory of God turns the glory of the world into shame. God’s people receive God’s glory. This is what Habakkuk heard in God’s response.

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

That is, you better shut your mouth before God, don’t talk nonsense, you must recognize God! We will share this to this point. May God bless everyone, goodbye brothers and sisters!