In his second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln expressed his belief that the Civil War was the direct result of God’s providential justice, brought to bear against our nation in God’s appointed timing because of the offense of slavery.
The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
-Abraham Lincoln, from his second Inaugural Address
President Linoln’s words ring out with the cry of an Old Testament prophet pronouncing woe upon oppressors as he attributes both the evil of slavery and the scourge of war to the providence and judgments of God—even as he prays that it may speedily pass away. His address parallels the woes pronounced by Habakkuk in 2:6–17 in acknowledging God’s righteous judgment in sending “this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came,” and concluding from a posture of faith that “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (quoting Psalm 19:9).
The series of woe oracles in Habakkuk chapter two are God’s response to Habakkuk’s prayers of lament. They follow the call to live by faith (2:4), depending entirely on God in recognition of his faithfulness and living faithfully toward God—especially when circumstances are challenging. When we read these woes pronounced upon the various types of oppressors, we must read them from this posture of faith. Habakkuk’s complaints involved first, the wickedness within Judah, and second, the wickedness of the Chaldeans. The prophet was confused as to why the Lord allowed wickedness and injustice among his people in Judah, and after the Lord’s answer to his first complaint, he was alarmed that the Lord would use an evil nation to bring judgement. It’s interesting to note, in light of the two groups of wicked oppressors Habakkuk has been lamenting, that we aren’t told who, exactly, the woe oracles address. The first four woes begin with, “Woe to him who. . . ,” and then go on to describe the actions of the one who stands under judgement for his actions without naming the “him who.” David Firth explains that “although the woe oracles could be understood in the first instance as being directed against the Chaldeans . . . , the oracles can also be understood as addressing those who perpetrated the violence within Judah prompting Habakkuk’s initial complaint.” Firth also notes that, “Although it’s never stated that Yahweh is the one who will bring the punishments announced in these oracles, they gradually work toward a greater recognition of his involvement in the world.”
One more point of interest Firth brings attention to in the composition of the oracles is the terms in which they are written.
the terms used to introduce these woe oracles (“taunt,” “scoffing,” “riddles”) are drawn from the vocabulary of wisdom literature, not prophetic speech. Just as his prayers drew on the psalms, Habakkuk’s concern with God’s justice draws on the whole range of Israel’s traditions. Taking the posture of faith, these oracles draw especially on the wisdom tradition to suggest that Yahweh’s justice will be vindicated. As wisdom observations, they do not know exactly how this will happen, but they do understand that divine justice will be resolved, treating the oppressor as an object lesson of how justice is ultimately served.
6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,
“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
for how long?—
and loads himself with pledges!”
7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
and those awake who will make you tremble?
Then you will be spoil for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them.
This first woe concerns one who accumulates wealth unjustly, and could refer to both the wicked within Judah as well as the Chaldeans. Justice will come to “him” at the hands of those unjustly oppressed. The tables will be turned when the debtors will “suddenly arise, . . . awake, . . . [and] the peoples shall plunder” the plunderer who will in turn “tremble, . . . [and] be spoil for them.” This is the natural overthrow of injustice and a pattern that can be traced throughout history. In this way, though God’s providential hand stays invisible to a degree, his sovereign rule of the universe is surely behind it.
9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,
to set his nest on high,
to be safe from the reach of harm!
10 You have devised shame for your house
by cutting off many peoples;
you have forfeited your life.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
and the beam from the woodwork respond.
The second woe also deals with one who has gained by evil means, and then assumes the distance by which he separates himself from the “many peoples” he has “cut off” will keep him “safe from the reach of harm.” This also could refer to both the wicked within Judah and the Chaldeans. They believe the gain they have stolen from others can build a “nest set on high,” out of reach from possible retribution. Proverbs 15:27 “insists that those who are greedy for such gain bring trouble, not security, to their household.” And so instead of security, they will reap shame as the very stones and timbers in their homes will “cry out.” In this as in the first woe, their oppression “bears the seeds of its own downfall” (Firth). Justice will indeed be served and their lives will be forfeited for their evil deeds.
12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood
and founds a city on iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts
that peoples labor merely for fire,
and nations weary themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
The third woe speaks against the one who “builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity.” This is equally applicable to Jerusalem and the Chaldeans once again, from the many evil kings who reigned in Judah to the plundering of the nations by Babylon. In this oracle we see the first mention of the Lord’s involvement in the judgment of such wickedness. Habakkuk uses the title, LORD of hosts, which indicates Yahweh’s visible control over world events.
Introducing the divine title here is thus part of Habakkuk’s strategy for indicating a deeper reality at work in human history, a power greater than the oppressor. . . . Yahweh’s sovereign hand means the oppressors will end up toiling for even the basics (“fire” and “nothing”). Instead of the glory of the oppressor, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory. This glory is a display of God’s fundamental character, such as when he allowed Moses to see his glory and so announced himself as merciful, gracious, and just. . . . Habakkuk insists that Yahweh’s true character will ultimately be known by all, thus warning the oppressors of their imminent doom if they continue in their oppression (Firth).
15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—
you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,
in order to gaze at their nakedness!
16 You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.
Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision!
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter shame will come upon your glory!
17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them.
The fourth woe is directed against the one who desires to shame others. The Chaldeans brought shame to the nations they conquered, and in Judah the oppressors were shamefully exploiting the poor and the vulnerable. The LORD lets Habakkuk know in no uncertain terms that he will bring punishment to fit the crime. Those who brought shame will be shamed, those who made others drunk will drink from the cup of the wrath of the LORD, and those who did violence will be overwhelmed by the same. Firth points out that “the verb translated “show your uncircumcision” might also be translated “be reckoned as uncircumcised”: oppressors among the covenant community will be considered no longer a part of it. Yahweh, the one who holds the true cup of shame, will bring it upon them as an exact retribution for their crime.” The plunderers of the poor and of the nations will receive just judgment for their crimes directly from the holy hand of the Lord.
This must have been an encouragement to Habakkuk’s faith, just as it is to ours today. The Lord moves at his own speed when working out his purposes in history. Like Habakkuk, we may be impatient for the Lord to act against the injustice we see all around us. And yet, we must wait for his appointed time, entrusting ourselves to him and holding fast to what we know is true: though we do not see it now, there is coming a day when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Grateful 