Habakkuk 2:20
Habakkuk 2:20 brings to an end God’s response to Habakkuk’s argument against His choice of the Babylonians to discipline the southern kingdom of Judah. Now, verse 20 is a declarative statement which asserts that the Lord is in His holy temple, followed by a command which required that each and every one of the inhabitants of planet earth be silent because of the Lord’s presence. God’s intent is that His glory should fill the whole earth just as it has filled His temple and that man should know His glory fully. For this to occur, sin must be removed because God and His temple are holy. It is a place where no abomination can be practiced, and every thing in it leads to holiness of heart and life.
God Is In His Holy Temple
God is not found in any graven or molten images. Nor is He found in idols of wood and stone that are covered with gold and silver. He is in heaven, the habitation of his holiness, the place of his residence, where he sits on His throne and is seen and worshipped by the angels and glorified saints. His temple is described as being “holy” which means that it is set apart exclusively to manifest His personal presence to both human beings and angels.
The “temple of God” is no mere house of worship. The place of the Lord’s residence or “being” is heaven. God reigns in heaven, and fills heaven. God’s holy temple, therefore, is not in Jerusalem, but in heaven itself. The dramatic meaning of all this is simply that God has not abandoned his creation; he still sits upon the throne of universal authority and power. He is the Almighty and sovereign God who judges and rules over His creation.
God is on His Throne
From His throne, he surveys all the deeds, words, and actions of mankind. He observes the folly and stupidity of idol worshippers. He hears and answers the prayers of those who call on Him. In Psalm 139, the Psalmist recognizes that there is no place where he can flee from God. Verses 1-7 say:
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
and you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
A Living God
Unlike the lifeless, useless idols of the Babylonians, Yahweh is alive! He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and He resides in his majestic palace. Where the false gods of the Babylonians are silent, God calls on the earth in its entirety to be awestruck and silent when in the presence of a holy and sovereign God. Redmond states, “Habakkuk began his dialogue with the Lord in the form of a frustrated complaint about the state of affairs in Judah and God’s apparent silence about it. Now the prophet is hushed in reverential awe before the Lord in His temple.”[1] Chisholm notes, “This silence may very well be the prelude to his arrival in judgment (see chapter 3, as well as Zeph.1:7).”[2]
A Sovereign God
Yahweh is a living God. From His throne in his majestic palace, He rules the universe. Because He is alive, He alone has the power to save and deliver in times of need. Redmon writes:
He is enthroned in His temple. He is reigning over the universe He created. He is sovereign in all things. God is in control even when everything and everyone seems out of control. The whole world should be in silent reverence before His holy presence. The Lord’s presence in His temple means that He has not forsaken His people. His apparent silence should not be mistaken for abandonment of Judah (1:2). He will act to fulfill His purpose at the appointed time (2:3).[3]
The sovereignty of God is the fact that he is the Lord over creation; as sovereign, he exercises his rule. This rule is exercised through God’s authority as king, his control over all things, and his presence with his covenantal people and throughout his creation. His control means that everything happens according to his plan and intention. Authority means that all his commands ought to be obeyed. Presence means that we encounter God’s control and authority in all our experience, so that we cannot escape from his justice or from his love.
Keep Silence Before Him
What does it mean to keep silent before God? It is to stand in awe of him and reverence him. To be subject to him, and silently adore him. The sovereign majesty of God should leave us so awe-struck that there are no words to say and we just fall on our knees in complete worship of Him. It is a time for us to think about God and our relationship with Him. This silence before God is a silence of reverence as you experience His presence, of meditation as you shut out the world and ponder the goodness and grace of the Lord; of heart searching as you confess your sins to God and pray for His forgiveness; and of earnest expectation as you anticipate heaven coming down with glory to fill your soul.
A comparison of Habakkuk 2:18-19 with this command and the declarative statement which precedes in Habakkuk 2:20 indicates that the command to be silent implies that unlike the gods of the Babylonians, the God of Israel and Judah is living and teaches His subjects, both men and angels. Thus, every member of the human race should remain silent in order to listen to the Lord teach them.
A Hushed Expectancy of God’s Impending Judgment
Ultimately, the command for the inhabitants of the earth remain silent indicates a hushed expectancy of God’s intervention and impending judgment. God’s glory, revealed in His actions and character will be made known one day. In that day of judgment all people will submit and become obedient and honor Him as Lord. For His glorious presence will manifest His sovereignty to one and all. Philippians 2:10-11 says, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (ESV). May we say with the prophet Jonah, “When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple” (Jonah 2:7, ESV).
[1] Redmond, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, 184.
[2] Chisholm, Handbook on the Prophets, 440.
[3] Redmond, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, 184.
One Year Bible Reading Plan: September 11
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Praying, Meditating, and Journaling the Psalms:
Choose one of the following Psalms: One of the following Psalms: 11, 41, 71, 101, 131.
1: Read the psalm through in its entirety.
2: Take one verse at a time and pray the verse back to God as it applies to your life.
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4: Journal what you prayed about and the results of your meditation.
5: Move to the next verse. Continue through the entire psalm this way.
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Week 37: September 11-17
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