The Striking Contrast Between the Proud and the Righteous (Part 2) -- The Thirsty Proud Man -- Habakkuk Lesson 9

To drink or not to drink; that is the question. Is it?

Not really, but it seems to be a question Christians deal with on a regular basis. My husband once had a (disillusioned) Presbyterian involved in ministry tell him, "Man, you should become a Presbyterian so you can drink." That man is no longer involved in ministry. To say that 'I should be _______ SO THAT I can do anything' is legalism at its core. To imagine that there are those involved in ministry, (really good ministries) who think this way is disturbing. I'll leave it at that because this post is not about whether a Christian CAN drink or cannot drink alcohol. 

We are looking at the proud Chaldean who, in our next passage of Scripture in Habakkuk, can represent the proud of all ages. Proverbs 16:18 says pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. The proud Chaldean and any proud one must know that his destruction is sure. We saw last time that the soul of this proud one is not right within him. What else describes this proud one?

Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him...Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, so that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations and collects to himself all peoples. (Habakkuk 2:4-5)

God's Word establishes the fact that there are two kinds of people in the world--the saved and the unsaved, the wicked and the righteous. Only two. We have been focused on the contrast between the proud (wicked)  and the righteous man from verse 4.

What else can be said about the proud man? He is cursed because he wanders from God's commandments (he has no heart for God or His ways--Psalm 119:21). Disobedience is arrogance against the Lord! (See Jeremiah 50:29.) God only knows the haughty man from afar (Psalm 138:6), not in any intimate sense. 

Listen to the description of this kind of man from Proverbs 30:13-14. There is a kind--oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance. There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords and his jaw teeth like knives, to devour the afflicted from the earth and the needy from among men. This is a perfect picture of what some today might label 'narcissism'. This proud one will one day be abased and humbled, unless he repents before the Lord (Isaiah 2:11-12,17), for the Lord will have His day of reckoning. Pride is Satan's arena (Isaiah 14:13-16 and Ezekiel 28:17). Just as sure as he was cast out of heaven so, too, shall the wicked return to Sheol (Psalm 9:17). 

Isaiah 5:14--In the parable of the vineyard, the Lord speaks about how His people go into exile for their lack of knowledge. Therefore, Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; and Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din of revelry and the jubilant within her, descend into it. 

The soul of the proud one is not right within him. Literally, this then says: Yea also (how much more) he transgresseth by wine. The verse is literally talking about wine, but it also symbolizes for us a spiritual picture of the proud man. 

The proud man is literally intoxicated with himself, and feeds his fleshly desires by gaining more control and power over others.

Christians have been commanded to not get drunk with wine in Ephesians 5:18. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) The contrast in the verse is: Do not get drunk...but be filled...with the Spirit. Biblehub.com broke down this verse: Do not get intoxicated on wine which leads to reckless indiscretion, wantonness, profligacy, wastefulness. In its context Paul just talked about being careful to walk wisely making the most of our time because the days are evil. Therefore, it is implied that getting drunk with wine, among other things, is a waste of the believer's time. 

Romans 13:13--Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Here, drunkenness is associated with rioting. 

2 Peter 2:18--For when they (false prophets) speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. (KJV) For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error. (NASB)

2 Peter 1:4 says the believer is a partaker of the divine nature, "having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." Lust is described by one commentator here as evil desires, passionate longing, base appetites that long to be satisfied, but because of restlessness can never be satisfied. John says in 1 John 2:15-17 that the lusts of the world are passing away.

Wantonness is unbridled lust, excess, or licentiousness. It can mean filthy. Profligacy can mean reckless extravagance or wastefulness in the use of resources or licentious or dissolute behavior. 

Proverbs 20:1--Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it (deceived by it) is not wise. Wine is a mocker, literally 'makes one stammer senselessly or speak barbarously'. It imitates one's voice in sport and describes a frivolous and impudent person. It is one who despises scoffingly the most sacred precepts of religion, piety, and morals. The mocker is somebody who is hostile to a life of righteousness and ridicules anyone who opposes him. This mocker has succumbed to the wine's influence or the influence of 'spirits' other than that of the Spirit of God. Even without speaking a word, too much alcohol can lead to sinful behaviors that "mock" the righteous, virtuous life God calls us to live. 

Do not get drunk...Instead, be filled with the Spirit. One of the words that describes 'be filled' is 'satisfy'. Instead, be filled (get your satisfaction from) with (a relation of rest) the Spirit. Instead of feeding our restlessness, God wants His children to rest in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-24  Interestingly, Galatians 5, from verses 13 to 24 is speaking about this very subject. The believer is called to freedom! Walking by the Spirit enables the believer not to carry out the desires of the flesh. Those led by the Spirit are not under the Law (which would have been a great response to our Presbyterian friend above--also, please note I don't lump all Presbyterians into this mindset!). Here's what I want the readers to see: The deeds of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit. 

Deeds of the flesh: Immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, facts, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. Paul says by the Spirit: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When we think about the 'drunkard', a multitude of verses from Scripture might come to mind. We may have first-hand experiential knowledge of the characteristics of one who might be considered a drunkard. When we see pictures in our mind with what we associate with drunkenness, we easily identify deeds done in the flesh. 

Looking back at our passage in Habakkuk, it says that wine betrays the haughty man, so that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations and collects to himself all peoples (verse 5).

The proud man, given over to wine, intoxicated with power and greed, is moved to roam the earth and swallow up nations (wanting more and more power). The proud man needs to control! His appetite for spoil is as insatiable as Sheol and death which cannot be satisfied. This was the perfect description of the Chaldeans. 

1 Peter 4:2-3 says the believer is to no longer live in the flesh for the lusts of men but for the will of God. Peter says that the time already past is sufficient for us to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. Verse 4--In all this, they (those you once ran with) are surprised that you DO NOT RUN WITH THEM into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you.

Wine can be associated with blessing or judgment in the Bible. In regards to the latter, many places throughout Scripture wine is associated with Babylon. It is also associated with God's judgment--judgment that is sure to come for the proud who stand in rebellion against God and His Word. They will drink every drop of His wrath down to the dregs. Psalm 75:8--For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. 

The Chaldeans were given over to the treachery of much wine. Filled with pride and wine (no self-control), they were thirsty for power and conquest. Restless (the inability to be satisfied or content), their desires revolved around going forth to destroy. Just like Sheol (the place they were heading, that place of the departed dead), their desires to swallow up all would continue to leave them unsatisfied wanting more and more. The proud one, characterized by his drunkenness, constantly seeks greater thrills and achievements to feed their ravenous egos.

You will remember that young Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank. This teenager wasn't trying to be difficult but obedient. Daniel's humility is seen in his submission to the Lord his God, the one who controlled his circumstances.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon was out strolling around on the roof of his royal palace one day. He mused, "Isn't this Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?" Wow! Can you say proud, arrogant fool? But some today might characterize this as a strong, healthy self-esteem. Why, he should be proud of all his accomplishments! No. This is the epitome of "I did it my way, and I declare all of my own creation, good!" God knew how to cut him right down to size, however. While the word was in the king's mouth, God declared the king's sovereignty null and void. This haughty ruler soon finds himself driven away from mankind dwelling with the beasts of the field on his hands and knees eating grass like the cattle. His body was drenched like the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws (always paints a vivid picture in my mind). God said he would remain in this state until this king (small 'k') recognized that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it (sovereignty) on whomever He wishes. 

Twenty years after old Nebby's humbling encounter with God Most High, his grandson becomes king. In Daniel 5, we see Belshazzar's story coming to an end shortly after one fateful night of feasting. This is a story that would make the pluckiest of all nobles weak in the knees. It is the stuff of which The Twilight Zone was made.

Allow me to digress for a moment. One day when I was a small girl, my mom was outside digging a ditch with a hoe. She accidentally caught her large toenail with the hoe and ripped it right off. The blood that was everywhere left a looming impression on me, but it must have done so with my mother as well. That night, I woke up from a nightmare. The nightmare has long since faded from my mind while what happened next is vividly etched in my memories. I was taking my normal path to mommy and daddy's room to gain an invitation to join them once I explained the awful trauma I had just experienced.

This time, however, the worst trauma was to come! My mother, with her bandaged toe under the covers, must have been in a dream state herself. Asking me why I was standing by the bed, I replied with the familiar, "I had a nightmare." I did not receive the familiar response. "Oh, it was just the bloody red finger!" WHAT????? It must have been my wailing that actually did wake her up. 

This story in Daniel 5 always take me back there. Belshazzar held a feast for a thousand of his nobles. They were drinking wine, perhaps crying in their cups reminiscing over the good old days. There was a day when Babylon was conquering other nations instead of being threatened with annihilation from the Persians. In fact, those were the days when their spoil was grand (theft). Ah, yes, bring me the vessels seized from the temple. Perhaps my wine would taste better out of the gold and silver vessels Pappy took (aka, STOLEN FROM GOD!!!) from the temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to share his wine with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. To him, these vessels showed off all that his kingdom represented. Scripture says they drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. 

Scripture says, "Suddenly." This is what makes you gasp in the horror flicks when something happens we don't see coming. Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. (Cue the scary music.) The king's face grew pale, and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. 

Long story short, they called for Daniel to interpret what had just happened. Daniel's abridged version: Your grandfather was a man whom men feared and trembled before him. He killed and spared whomever he wished. His heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly and the Lord saw fit to greatly humble him. Come on, Belshazzar, surely you know the story. As his grandson, you did not learn the lesson as you should have. You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought his sacred vessels into your palace and made them as common drinking vessels for your own pleasure! If that wasn't bad enough, you have praised gods that aren't really gods at all made from silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (all things the God of heaven created!) You have failed to glorify the God who holds your very life in His hands. This hand you have seen was sent by that God to send you an important message.

The message is Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin which means God has numbered your kingdom and has put an end to it. You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians. You are done, Belshazzar!

Belshazzar, perhaps thinking he could win enough favor to reverse this ominous message, clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck issuing a proclamation that he now had the authority as the third ruler in the kingdom. Daniel could never be bought with gold, and neither could his God.

That same night...Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom. History relates that the invasion by Cyrus the Great, king of Medo-Persia, was made possible because the entire city was involved in Belshazzar's great feast. 

Ancient history reveals that beer was the major beverage among the Babylonians, and that they worshipped a wine goddess and other wine deities. Beer and wine was used regularly in offering to their gods. 

Jeremiah 51 speaks about Babylon's horrific judgment. Verse 7 says: Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are going mad. And in verse 57 God says: "I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, that they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up," declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.

Mystery Babylon the Great is seen one last time in the future, right before the end of history as we know it. 

Revelation 14:8--And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."

Revelation 17:1-2 talks about the "judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." She is described as sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns clothed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Verse 6--And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. John wondered greatly when he saw the vision of this woman. 

Revelation 18 we see she will fall. She is the dwelling place of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. All the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality. Heaven cries for all to come out of her so that they will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues. Her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Her sins have piled up as high as heaven because she shook her fist in the face of God clear back in the beginning at the Tower of Babel. (I've done a lot of blogging on this earlier, so I won't go into it here.) She will be paid back as she has paid by giving back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT AS A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.' For this reason in one day her plagues will come. This happened before, and it will happen in even greater measure in the day of the Lord for the Lord God who judges her is strong. (Revelation 18:1-8) The cup in the hand of Mystery Babylon represents its intoxicating culture and the spirit of the times. 

There is a way of life and a way of death. The way of life is lived by the just, the godly, righteous man (the just Israelite in Habakkuk). It is life lived through faith in God. The way of death is seen in the proud, haughty, puffed up Chaldean who is dishonest, drunk, and dissatisfied. His "faith" does not save; it leads to death because the object of his faith is himself and his false gods.