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"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour"

Text: Habakkuk 2:15

THE FOURTH WOE

The fourth woe was pronounced on the Chaldeans for the way they pursued perversity. Violence, cruelty and pride were already so badly associated with the Chaldeans, yet they were still inclined to yet another evil!

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour,
Pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on his nakedness!
You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also- drink!
And be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the LORD’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory.”
Habakkuk 2:15-16

1. “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour”

a) A graphic description is given of how “a neighbour” is introduced to drinking.

b) There is coercion involved.

c) Pressure is applied to make a neighbour (a friend) drunk.

d) The reason is to perversely see “his nakedness!”

2. “You are filled with shame instead of glory”

a) Some think of getting drunk as “glory”.

b) This is perverse thinking.

c) There is no glory but shame.

Exposing people’s nakedness does nothing but bring great dishonor.

3. “The cup of the LORD’S right hand will be turned against you”

a) The cup of the Lord can be understood in two ways:

i) It is a cup of blessing.

ii) It is a cup of great bitterness… for it is a cup of judgment.

b) The latter will be true to those who pursue such perversity.

i) The Lord will have to turn against the Chaldeans whom the Lord has raised up.

ii) They will be severely chastised for their perversity.

4. “And utter shame will be on your glory”

a) The Chaldeans had won great fame (“glory”) in their conquests.

b) But because of their perversity their name would now be badly tarnished by “utter shame”.