Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Outlines of James

Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament 
James by Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell
I. Greetings (1.1)
II. Statement of the Three Key Themes  (1.2-11)
     A. Trials in the Christian Life (1.2-4)
     B. Wisdom (1.5-8)
     C. Riches and Poverty (1.27)  
III. Restatement of the Three Key Themes (1.12-27)
     A. Trials/Temptations in Relation to God (1.12-18)
     B. Wisdom in Areas of Speech and Obedience (1.19-26)
     C. The "Have-Nots" and the Responsibility of the "Haves" (1.27)
IV. The Three Themes Expanded  (2.1-5.18)
     A. Riches and Poverty (2.1-26)
          1) Favoritism Condemned (2.1-13)
          2) The Problem of Faith without Works (2.14-26) 
     B. Wisdom and Speech (3.1-4.12)
          1) The Power of the Tongue (3.1-12)
          2) Wisdom from Above and Wisdom from Below (3.13-18) 
          3) The Misuse of Speech in Quarrels and Slander (4.1-12)
      C. Trials and Temptations (4.13-5.18) 
          1) Planning apart from God's Will (4.13-17)
          2) Responding to Oppression (5.1-12)
          3) Anointing Prayer for Serious Illness (5.13-18)
V. Closing (5.19-20)   
 -------------------------------------------------------------- 
The Pillar New Testament Commentary
The Letter of James by Douglas Moo
I. Address and Greeting (1.1)
II. The pursuit of Spiritual Wholeness: The Opportunity Afforded by Trials (1.2-18)
III. The Evidence of Spiritual Wholeness:  Obedience to the Word (1.19-2.26)
IV. The Community Dimension of Spiritual Wholeness: Pue Speech and Peace, Part 1 (3.1-4.3)
V. Summons to Spiritual Wholeness (4.4-10)
VI. The Community Dimension of Spiritual Wholeness: Pure Speech and Peace, Part 2
VII.  The World View of Spiritual Wholeness: Undersaning Time and Eternity (4.13-5:11)
VIII. Concluding Exhortations (5.12-20)    
 --------------------------------------------------------------
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 

James by J Ronald Blue

Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). Vol. 2: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (818–819). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
I.      Stand with Confidence (chap. 1)
      A.      Salutation and greeting (1:1)
      B.      Rejoice in diverse trials (1:2-12)
      C.      Resist in deadly temptation (1:13-18)
      D.      Rest in divine truth (1:19-27)
II.      Serve with Compassion (chap. 2)
      A.      Accept others (2:1-13)
      B.      Assist others (2:14-26)
III.      Speak with Care (chap. 3)
      A.      Control talk (3:1-12)
      B.      Cultivate thought (3:13-18)
IV.      Submit with Contrition (chap. 4)
      A.      Turn hatred into humility (4:1-6)
      B.      Turn judgment into justice (4:7-12)
      C.      Turn boasting into belief (4:13-17)
V.      Share with Concern (chap. 5)
      A.      Share in possessions (5:1-6)
      B.      Share in patience (5:7-12)
      C.      Share in prayer (5:13-20)
 --------------------------------------------------------------  

The Bible Exposition Commentary  
Warren Wiersbe
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Heb 13:20). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Key theme: Spiritual maturity
Key verse: James 1:4
The Marks of the Mature Christian:
I.      HE IS PATIENT IN TESTING—chapter 1
      A.      Trials on the outside—1:1–12
      B.      Temptations on the inside—1:13–27
II.      HE PRACTICES THE TRUTH—chapter 2
      A.      Faith and love—2:1–13
      B.      Faith and works—2:14–26
III.      HE HAS POWER OVER HIS TONGUE—chapter 3
      A.      Exhortation—3:1–2
      B.      Illustrations—3:3–12
      C.      Application—3:13–18
IV.      HE IS A PEACEMAKER, NOT A TROUBLEMAKER—chapter 4
      A.      Three wars—4:1–3
      B.      Three enemies—4:4–7
      C.      Three admonitions—4:8–17
V.      HE IS PRAYERFUL IN TROUBLES—chapter 5
      A.      Economic troubles—5:1–9
      B.      Physical troubles—5:10–16
      C.      National troubles—5:17–18
      D.      Church troubles—5:19–20

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Notes on James 2 0 1 2 E d i t i o n

Dr. Thomas L. Constable
http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/james.pdf
I. Introduction 1:1
II. Trials and true religion 1:2-27
A. The value of trials 1:2-11
B. The options in trials 1:12-18
C. The proper response to trials 1:19-27
III. Partiality and vital faith ch. 2
A. The problem of favoritism 2:1-13
B. The importance of vital faith 2:14-26
IV. Speech and divine wisdom ch. 3
A. Controlling the tongue 3:1-12
B. Controlling the mind 3:13-18
V. Conflicts and humble submission ch. 4
A. Interpersonal and inner personal tensions 4:1-10
B. Self-exaltation 4:11-12
C. Self-reliance 4:13-17
VI. Money and patient endurance 5:1-18
A. Warnings for the rich 5:1-6
B. The proper attitude 5:7-12
C. The proper action 5:13-18
VII. The way back to living by faith 5:19-20
----------------------------------------------------
Tyndale concise Bible commentary

Hughes, R. B., & Laney, J. C. (2001). Tyndale concise Bible commentary. The Tyndale reference library (679). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
I.  GREETING (1:1)
II.  EXHORTATION: BE JOYFUL IN TRIALS (1:2–27)
      A.      The Purpose: Maturity (1:2–4)
      B.      Desire for Insight: Asking in Faith (1:5–11)
      C.      The Essential Insight: The Character of God (1:12–18)
      D.      The Practice of Maturity (1:19–27)
III.  EXHORTATION: BE IMPARTIAL (2:1–26)
      A.      Implications of Partiality (2:1–13)
      B.      The Practice of Impartiality (2:14–26)
IV.  EXHORTATION: BE MATURE IN SPEECH (3:1–4:12)
      A.      The Tongue as a Revealer of Maturity or Immaturity (3:1–12)
      B.      The Practice of Maturity (3:13–18)
      C.      The Source of Immaturity (4:1–12)
V.  CONDEMNATION: ATTITUDES AND END OF THE RICH (4:13–5:6)
      A.      Arrogance of the Will (4:13–17)
      B.      Judgment on the Rich (5:1–6)
VI.  EXHORTATIONS: MATURE ENDURANCE (5:7–20)
      A.      Patient Endurance (5:7–11)
      B.      Arrogant Oaths (5:12)
      C.      Sharing in Prayer (5:13–18)
      D.      The Essence of the Letter (5:19–20)

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New Bible Commentary

Peter H. Davids

New Bible commentary: 21st century edition. 1994 (D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer & G. J. Wenham, Ed.) (4th ed.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.

1:1  Greeting
1:2–27  Opening words

1:2–11  First part: testing, prayer and wealth

1:12–27  Second part: testing, gifts, and listening and doing

2:1–26  Testing through generosity

2:1–13  Partiality and love

2:14–26  Generosity and faith

3:1–4:12  Testing through the tongue

3:1–12  The evil in the tongue

3:13–18  The antidote for the tongue

4:1–10  The source of evil and its cure

4:11–12  Concluding appeal

4:13–5:6  Testing through wealth

4:13–17  The test of the wealthy

5:1–6  Testing by the wealthy

5:7–20  Conclusion

5:7–11  Summary on patient endurance

5:12  Oaths

5:13–18   Prayer for health

5:19–20   Purpose statement

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A Devotional Commentary on the Book of James

by Paul G. Apple, Revised April 2008

http://bibleoutlines.com/library/pdf/james.pdf

I. Character of Faith

A. (1:1-12) Persevering under Trials Will

B. (1:13-18) Progress of Temptation

C. (1:19-27) Planting the Word Word

D. (2:1-13) Personal Favoritism Works

E. (2:14-26) Performance of Faith

II. Control of Faith

A. (3:1-12) Power of the Tongue Words

B. (3:13-18) Portrait of Pure Wisdom Wisdom

III. Conflicts of Faith

A. (4:1-12) Perversity of Pleasures Worldliness

B. (4:13-5:6) Pride of the Rich Wealth

IV. Consummation of Faith

A. (5:7-12) Patient Endurance Wait

B. (5:13-20) Prayer and Restoration Wholeness

---------------------------------------------------------

“Analysis of James”
James Van Dine
I. Salutation: James writes as a servant to dispersed Jewish Christians. 1:1
II. Prologue: Believers must respond to trials as God’s method of character
development. 1:2-20
A. Trials provide opportunity for the purifying of faith. 1:2-8
B. Trials remind one the frailty of human existence. 1:9-11
C. Trials hold the promise of eternal reward. 1:12-18
D. Trials must be encountered with proper behavior. 1:19-20
III. Body: Appropriate Christian conduct must be cultivated. 1:21–5:6
A. General Instruction: The innate word must be received and acted
upon. 1:21-27
B. Specific Application: Christian conduct must be consistently &
concretely cultivated. 2:1–5:6
1. Instruction on faith and works. 2:1-26
a. Faith with partiality is a perversion. 2:1-13
b. Faith without works is dead. 2:14-26
2. Instruction on dissension and harmony. 3:1-18
a. The tongue untamed is destructive. 3:1-12
b. Works of wisdom are constructive. 3:13-18
3. Instruction on pride and humility. 4:1-17
a. Pride promotes strife between believers. 4:1-6
b. Humility prompts the support of God. 4:7-10
c. Pride judges a brother. 4:11-12
d. Arrogant boasting is evil. 4:13-17
4. Instruction on wealth and fraud. 5:1-6
a. Wealth horded is corrupt. 5:1-3
b. Wages withheld are redressed by the Lord. 5:4-6
IV. Epilogue on the opportunities presented in difficulty. 5:7-20
A. Personal suffering presents opportunity to develop patient
endurance. 5:7-12
B. Personal difficulties present opportunity to experience God’s
deliverance. 5:13-20
----------------------------------------

“James: Introduction, Outline, and Argument”

I. Salutation (1:1)
II. Enduring Trials (1:2-18)
A. Summary/Main Theme: The Testing of Faith (1:2-6)
B. Specifics (1:9-18)
III. Applying the Word: Faith Within the Church (1:19–3:18)
A. Summary/Main Theme: The Obedience of Faith (1:19-27)
B. Specifics (2:1–3:18)
1. Partiality Vs. Obedience (2:1-13)
2. Passivity Vs. Obedience (2:14-26)
3. Speech and Obedience (3:1-12)
4. The Wisdom of Obedience (3:13-18)
IV. Witnessing to Divine Providence (4:1–5:20)
A. Summary/Main Theme: The Reward of Faith (4:1-10)
B. Specifics (4:11–5:20)
1. Avoiding Worldly Influences (4:11–5:6)
2. The Patience of Faith (5:7-12)
3. The Prayer of Faith (5:13-20)


Pt. 3 Habakkuk 2.5-20 - The Prophet’s Pronouncement - 090208AM@TBC



Review and Overview
1 Segway
      Habakkuk

2 Background
A. Title - “an oracle” that was “a burden”   (1:1)
B. Timing   Manassah, Josiah, or Jehoiakim
Clues (1:2, 5, 6 & 3:19)
1.5 a work, which you will not believe…utterly astounding...
1.6 Chaleans, which marches through the breadth of the earth
3.19 To the chief Musician.
           Geography and History of Habakkuk’s Time
620 BC—Babylon (Chaldeans) becomes independent
612 BC—Babylonians and Medes destroy Nineveh
609 BC—Babylonians defeat the Assyrians at Haran
605 BC—Babylonians defeat Necho II of Egypt at Carchemish
605 BC—Jerusalem defeated and exile begins (Daniel)
597 BC—Jerusalem defeated (Ezekiel probably taken Ez 1.2)
588-86 BC—Jerusalem burned & temple 
2. Early in the Babylonian rise to power (625-612 BC)

 C. Overview of Habakkuk series
1.1-11  “The Prophet’s Plea” -
1st prayer & God’s response
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.12-2.4 “The Prophet’s Puzzle” -
2nd prayer & God’s response
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5-20  “Prophet’s Pronouncement” -
The five “woes” pronounced
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.1-16  “The Prophet’s Prayer” -
Prayer in response to God
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.16-19  “The Prophet’s Praise” -
The chorus or closing hymn

D. Review
 1.1-11  “The Prophet’s Plea”
1st prayer and God’s response
Habakkuk: Why don’t You do something about Judah’s wickedness?  (2-4)
God: I am going to use the Chaldeans to punish Judah.
(5-11)
 Application:  Acts 13.40-41“Beware therefore”
Paul uses Habakkuk to warn against presumption and complacency. 

 1.12-2.4 “The Prophet’s Puzzle”
2nd prayer and response
Habakkuk: Why do You look and hold Your tongue?
God: The appointed time is coming. The Just shall live by faith.
  Application:  “The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38
3. Overview
“The ‘woes of judgment’ are not a particularly common theme in evangelical preaching today…”
——Jonathan Lamb in From Why to Worship:
A Journey Through the Prophecy of Habakkuk

 Big Idea: God will certainly punish the sins of unbelief and  pride.

 2.5-20  “Prophet’s Pronouncement” The five “woes” pronounced
Introduction
Woe #1 - Ambition
Woe #2 - Greed
Woe #3 - Violence
Woe #4 - Contempt for others
Woe #5 – Idolatry/Self trust

4. Stand, Read text, and Pray
      Habakkuk 2:2-20 (nkjv)
4 “ Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
5 “ Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man,
And he does not stay at home.
Because he enlarges his desire as hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
————————————————————————-   .
1.
Woe to him who increases
What is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,

Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
————————————————————————-   .
2.
9 Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!
10 You give shameful counsel to your house,
Cutting off many peoples,
And sin against your soul.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
and the beam from the timbers will answer it.
————————————————————————-   .
3.    
12 Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
14 For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
As the waters cover the sea.
————————————————————————-   .
4.   
15 Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
Pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on his nakedness!
16 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.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.
————————————————————————-   .
5.  
18 “ What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ 
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ 
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, 
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 “ But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

Introduction to Song
4 “ Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
5 Indeed, because he transgresses by wine,
He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home.
Because he enlarges his desire as hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,

A. Background of Daniel five
5.
Wine
The dominant metaphor, however, relates to the treachery of an addiction to wine, that knows no limit of fulfillment and to which all other interests are sacrificed.  

Daniel 5    The fall of Babylon described
Drunkeness and idolatry
 1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.


Pride and idolatry
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the fingers[c] of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
The End
MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;
27 TEKEK: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;
28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”

30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
————————————————————
B. unquenchable desires of Babylon
Because he enlarges his desire as hell,
And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied,
He gathers to himself all nations
And heaps up for himself all peoples.

We have jokes about the undertaker never having a slow time, that humor relates loosely to the picture painted here of the Babylonian’s unquenchable desire..
Sheol is sometimes personified as a hungry beast (Proverbs 27:20; Isaiah 5:14; Habakkuk 2:5) with an open mouth and an insatiable appetite.  —-Chris Church .. "  ——-Entry for 'SHEOL'". Holman Bible Dictionary.
Ecclesiasties5:10     
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
C. Sheol—a word study / doctrinal note

Quick doctrinal note about Sheol, sometimes translated “Hell”

Sheol    lwaX 07585  Sh@'owl- sheh-ole' —sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit; the underworld; Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead  (65 times)
KJV translates it as “grave” 31 times, “hell” 31 times, and “pit” 3 times.
ylt, nasb, esv—sheol; kjv, nkjv—hell; niv, nlt—grave

The word “Hell” is commonly used in English to refer to where the wicked go after they die.
NET Glossary: in biblical usage, the place where the dead go, but "Sheol" can have different categories of meaning:
(1) death in general, (2) the grave, or (3) the realm of the departed spirits, generally the wicked (in the Bible when the righteous go to Sheol, the meaning is usually death or the grave)
“... in the Old Testament the term “hell” was a poor choice of words with which to render the Hebrew term Sheol.
Sheol spoke of the abode of the dead with only a vague reference to the pain or pleasure experienced in this existence. There was a hope of life after death, but this was greatly clarified after the coming of our Lord.
The New Testament term most often used to render the Hebrew word Sheol was the Greek word, Hades. As is seen by its usage in the New Testament, Hades has the same general reference to the abode of the dead, whether righteous or wicked. See Luke 16.19-31  —Bob Deffinbaugh in Fundamentals of the Faith, “A Hell to Shun” Bible.org

death    twm 04194 Maveth maw'-veth   death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead (155)

D. The character of the song

6c. Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,

proverb   lXm 04912 Mashal  maw-shawl'--proverb, parable; proverb, proverbial saying, aphorism ; byword (39)
The song (māšāl) is any form of poetical composition in which parallelism is the principle of construction. It may denote a parable, proverb, ode, or a dirge such as the doleful lamentation recorded here.    ——Ron Blue in the Bible Knowledge Commentary

Taunting riddle 
 hcylm  04426 M@liytsah  mel-ee-tsaw' —satire, mocking poem, mocking song, taunting, figure, enigma (2)  Pr 1:6   To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
  hdyx 02420 Chiydah khee-daw'riddle, difficult question, parable, enigmatic saying or question, perplexing saying or question; riddle (dark obscure utterance); riddle, enigma (to be guessed) (17)
ylt—A moral of acute sayings; kjv—taunting proverb; nasb—taunt-song;  nkjv—taunting riddle; esv—scoffing and riddles; niv—ridicule and scorn; nlt—mock

Proverbs 1.6 uses all three words without the negative connotation
                      6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
                 The words of the wise and their riddles.
“...6a introduces an oration exposing the Babylonians as an object lesson (masal) by means of compressed and allusive speech (melîsāh hîdôt).”   
——Carl Armerding in Expositor’s Bible Commentary
 E. Structure of the song
Five Strophees
A refrain after the 1st and 4th .
A promise that explains the threat ends the 3rd and 5th.
Each woe contains three verses that contain...
A pronouncement of the sin in the first verse
An exposition of the sin in a taunting manner
A Promise of Retribution

 strophe[stroh-fee]
4. (in modern poetry) any separate section or extended movement in a poem, distinguished from a stanza in that it does not follow a regularly repeated pattern.
Dictionary.com Unabridged - Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

 #1 Woe—Greed  (6-8)
Woe 6 Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Taunt 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Retribution 8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.

1-A. Pronouncement of Woe (greed)
6—Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Woe   ywh 01945 Howy hoh'ee ah!, alas!, ha!, ho!, O!, woe! (48) (Isaiah 21x’s )
“Woe,” meaning “clamity,” and denoting the disastrous punishment that was to come upon the wicked foe.  ——Merrill Unger

increases what is not his    niv, nlt—weathly/rich by extortion

loads himself with many pledges
loads   dbk 03513 Kabad kaw-bad' --(Hiphil) to make heavy; to make heavy, make dull, make unresponsive; to cause to be honoured  (109)
pledges   tytb[ 05671`abtiyt ab-teet' —weight of pledges, heavy debts (1)
Ykt—multiplying to himself heavy pledges; nkjv, esvloads himself with pledges; kjvladeth himself with thick clay; nasbmakes himself rich with loans; niv—makes himself wealthy by extortion; nltbecome rich by extortion

Even though the Babylonians had stolen the wealth by force, the picture here is that their victims were really viewed at creditors.  The more the Babylonians stole, the more they became like someone hopelessly in debt.  This had a much worse connotation, because people were put into slavery or imprisoned because they owed money.

Mark 10:24 ...But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

1-B. Painful taunt song (greed)
7—Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Creditors rise up suddenly 
Creditors    $Xn S-05391/TWOT-1430,1430b Nashak naw-shak'--(Qal) to bite; to give interest
...a verbal form derived from a noun signifying monetary interest. These “creditors” are defined as “the peoples who are left: (v. 8) 
——Carl Armerding in Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Ylt—usurers; kjv—that shall bite thee;
nasb—creditors; esv, niv, nlt—debtors

Oppress
[wz S-02111/TWOT - 540 Zuwa` zoo'-ah --(Pilpel) to shake violently; to cause to tremble
ylt—those shaking thee; kjv—vex; nasb—collect; nkjv—opress esv, niv—make your tremble; nlt—take all you have

It is instructive to see how the Bible calls those who are victimized and stolen from creditors.

1-C. Promise of Retribution (Greed)
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

the remnant of the people
Speaks of the people in all those countries that were not killed or dragged off into captivity.

Be sure your sins will find you out.

 1-D. Application:  (greed)
The desire for riches and trust in riches are a trap.
   1 Timothy 6:9 & 17

   1 Timothy 6.9-10
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
6.17
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.


#2 Woe—(ambition/false security)  v. 9-11
9 Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
10 You give shameful counsel to your house, cutting off many peoples, And sin against your soul.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
and the beam from the timbers will answer it.

2-A. Pronouncement of Woe (ambition/ false security)  v. 9
9 Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house,
That he may set his nest on high,
That he may be delivered from the power of disaster!

covets   [cb 01214/twot-267  Batsa`  bä·tsah' --(Qal) to cut off; to stop; to gain wrongfully or by violence
evil gain   
[r 07451/twot-2191a,2191c Ra` rah --bad, evil (631)
[cb S-01215/twot-267a Betsa` beh'·tsah --profit, unjust gain, gain (profit) acquired by violence

House ...apparently used here in the sense of dynasty (cf. 2  Sam. 7.11, 6)  ——Merrill Unger

Nest on high
“Here the Babylonians are compared to a bird, perhaps an eagle, that builds its next in an inaccessible high place where predators cannot reach it.  ——NET Bible notes
Job 39.27

Nebuchadnezzar and the Neo-Babylonian builders erected high towers like the Babel founders (Gen. 11.4), seeking to every means to perpetuate their name and power against destruction.
—-Merrill Unger

2-B. Painful taunt song (ambition/ false security)  v. 10
10 You give shameful counsel to your house, cutting off many peoples,     And sin against your soul.

Shameful   tXb S-01322/twot-222b Bosheth bo'·sheth --shame; shameful thing
Counsel    #[y S-03289/twot-887 Ya`ats yä·ats' --(Qal) to advise, counsel, give counsel, consult ; counsellor (participle)
ylt—counselled a shameful thing to; kjv—consulted shame to; nasb—devised a shameful thing for; nkjv—give shameful counsel to; esv—have devised shame for; niv—have plotted the ruin of; nlt—shamed your name
Sin against your soul
ylt—sinful is thy soul; kjv—hast sinned against thy soul; nasb—sinning against yourself; nkjv—sin against your soul; esv, niv, nlt—have forfeited your life (lives)
Proverbs 8.36 
But he who sins against me [wisdom] wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me [wisdom] love death.
Proverbs 20.2
The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

When we sin, we are just hurting ourselves.


C. Promise of Retribution (ambition/false security)  v. 11
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
and the beam from the timbers will answer it.

“The stones and timber with which the houses and palaces were built had been obtained through plunder and injustice.”
—Ron Blue, Bible Knowledge Commentary
Even if there was nobody else, the very presence of the building materials would be evidence against the Babylonians.
 D. Applications: (ambition/false security)
Watch out for the “Grab all you can,” “Look out for number one,” attitude.
  Luke 20.17-21     Parable of the Rich Fool
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

#3 Woe—(violence)
12 Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
As the waters cover the sea.

3-A.Pronouncement of Woe (violence)  v.12
12 Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed,
Who establishes a city by iniquity!

12.
Iniquity    mx S-0255/twot-678a   Chamac  khä·mäse'--violence, wrong, cruelty, injustice; a violent man    (59)

Might does not make right.

3-B. Painful taunt song (violence)  v.13
13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts
That the peoples labor to feed the fire,
And nations weary themselves in vain?
13.
Lord of hosts
Literally “Lord of armies”  It expresses the Lord’s sovereign rule as king and commander...associated with militant judgment…
(284) Isa 1-39—56;  Jre—82; Zech—53; Mal—24
——Carl Armerding in Expositor’s Bible Commentary
YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – “Hosts” means hordes, both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that he is able to accomplish what he determines to do.
——http://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html
Isaiah 13:4 
The noise of a multitude in the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts musters The army for battle.

Labor to feed the fire
yltare fatigued by fire; kjvlabour in the very fire; nasbtoil fo rfire; nkjvlabor to feed the fire; esvlabor merely for fire;  nivlabor is fufel for  the fire; nltwill turn to ashes
weary themselves in vain  (for nothing)
Jeremiah 51.58  prophesying the destruction of Babylon
58 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
      “ The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken,
      And her high gates shall be burned with fire;
      The people will labor in vain,
      And the nations, because of the fire;
      And they shall be weary.”

Those who build with wood, hay, and stubble are wasting their time, regardless of how permanent and invincible they seem at the time.

The Lord of Hosts will see to it that nothing comes of it.

“Although sin inevitable produces its own destructive consequences, the book of Habakkuk reminds us that God’s active judgment is also at work—if not immediately, most certainly in the future.”          —Jonathan Lamb, in From Why to Worship

3-C. Promise of Retribution (violence) v. 14
The glory of Babylon will be replaced by the glory of the LORD
14 For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.

This is a phrase that was also used a number of times in the OT, especially by the prophet Isaiah.

Numbers 14   (After Moses plead with God to spare the Israelites)
20 Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; 21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD— 22 because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, 23 they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.

3-C. Promise of Retribution (violence) v. 14 cointinued

Psalm 72    (a psalm of Solomon)
 18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
         Who only does wondrous things!
 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever!
         And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
         Amen and Amen.

Isaiah 6   (Isaiah’s vision)
 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:
      “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
      The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Isaiah 11   (speaking of the millennial reign of Christ)
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.

Babylon’s destruction, a type of the destruction of Gentile world power (Dan. 2:36-45; Rev. 17:1-18:24) that will precede the establishment of the Kingdom over Israel (Acts 1:6) and the nations, thus foreshadows Israel’s final restoration and the millennial reign of the Messiah.               ——Merrill Unger


14.
knowledge   [dy S-03045/twot-848 Yada` yä·dah' --(coorespnding to Grk oida) to perceive, to acquire knowledge, to know, to be axquainted

3-D. Applications:  (violence)

Ruthless power accomplishes nothing that lasts.

Ecclesiates 2:11      Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

#4 Woe: (contempt for others)
15 Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness!
16 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.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.


4-A. Pronouncement of Woe (contempt for others)
15
Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk that you may look on his nakedness!
pressing him to your bottle  
yltpouring out thy bottle; kjvputtest thy bottle to him; nkjvpressing him to your bottle; niv—pouring it from the wineskin; nltyou force the cup on them;
nasbmix in your venom; esvyou pour out your wrath

The sin described in verse 15 is deplorable in a large part because of the total lack of respect for another person.  It shows complete disregard and contempt for others.
The prostrate condition of the drunken man is a figurative representation of the overthrow of a conquered nation (Nah. iii.11) and the uncovering of the shame a figure denoting the ignominy that has fallen upon it (Nah. Iii.5; Isa. xlvii.3).         ——C.F. Keil in Commentary on the OT in Ten Vol.
(This also reminds us of one of the many dangers of becoming drunk or high).

4-B. Painful taunt song (contempt for others) v. 16
16 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.

shame instead of glory
ylt—shame without honour; kjv—shame for glory;
 nasb—disgrace rather than honor; nkjv, esv, niv—shame instead of glory; nlt—your turn to be disgraced
exposed as uncircumcised
ylt—be uncircumcised;  kjv—let thy foreskin be uncovered; nasb—expose your own nakedness; nkjv—exposed as uncircumcised; esv—show your uncircumcision; niv, nlt—(drink and) be exposed;
“The institution of circumcision is detailed in Gen 17 as the [physical] sign of Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham…”  
—TWOT
“Circumcision was a spiritual act as well. Egypt, Edom, Ammon. Moab—and Judah!—all practiced circumcision of the penis, but not the heart (Jer 9:25–26 [H 24–25], see Bright, Jeremiah, AB, p. 78). Hence, Israel was commanded to circumcise the foreskin of the heart (Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4;cf. Rom 2:28–29).”                                 —TWOT
Deuteronomy 10.16  Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
Rom 2:28–29 
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Colossians 2.11 In Him [Christ] you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ

They would be shamed and their true nature would be demonstrated.

utter shame
Lit. “to throw up”   Note the word play.

4-B. Painful taunt song (contempt for others) v. 16

cup of the LORD’s right hand
 Jer 25
15 For thus says the LORD God of Israel to me: “Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. 16 And they will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”
27 “Therefore you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Drink, be drunk, and vomit! Fall and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.”’ 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall certainly drink! 29 For behold, I begin to bring calamity on the city which is called by My name, and should you be utterly unpunished? You shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,” says the LORD of hosts.’

Lamentations 4
   21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
      You who dwell in the land of Uz!
      The cup shall also pass over to you
      And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

       22 The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished,
      O daughter of Zion;
      He will no longer send you into captivity.
      He will punish your iniquity,
      O daughter of Edom;
      He will uncover your sins!

4-C. Promise of Retribution (contempt for others)
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you,
And the plunder of beasts which made them afraid,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it.

17.
violence done to Lebanon  (historical reference?)
“It had suffered the ruthless removal of timber for Babylonian buildings and the destructive slaughter of beasts that lived in the forests.”  ——Ron Blue in the Bible Knowledge Commentary

Isaiah 14.7
3 It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you [Judah] rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you [Judah] were made to serve, 4 that you [Judah] will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say:
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
      They break forth into singing.
       8 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you,
      And the cedars of Lebanon,
      Saying, ‘Since you were cut down,
      No woodsman has come up against us.’

What they did in the forests of Lebanon is mentioned to represent the way they had destroyed many places.
It is interesting to note the mention of trees and animals. It is a reminder that we should respect God’s creation and be good stewards.

4-D. Applications:  (contempt for others)

Treat others with honor and respect.

Proverbs 14:21  He who despises his neighbor sins;
      But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
1 Corinthians 11.22
 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
Proverbs 19.17; Psalm 41.1; Isaiah 1.17; Luke 14:13-14


#5 Woe—(idolatry/self trust)
18 What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ 
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.
20 “ But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

A. Painful taunt —(idolatry/self trust) v.18
18 What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
18.

Image   Exodus 20.4a You shall not make for yourself a carved image

trust  
We would probably never be so simple and crass as to worship a statue or image. But we often put our trust in our abilities, society, technology, and medical advances.

Teacher of lies  
It is more a function of spiritual sight than intellect.
When people stop believing the truth, they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” 
——G.K. Chesterton, English writer
Isaiah 44.
     16 He burns half of it in the fire;
      With this half he eats meat;
      He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
      He even warms himself and says,
      “ Ah! I am warm,
      I have seen the fire.”
  17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
      His carved image.
      He falls down before it and worships it,
      Prays to it and says,
      “ Deliver me, for you are my god!”
   18 They do not know nor understand;
      For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see,
      And their hearts, so that they cannot understand.
       19 And no one considers in his heart,
      Nor is there knowledge nor understanding to say,


B. Pronouncement of Woe (trusting dead images)  v. 19
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ 
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.

The ritual of “opening the mouth” was employed in Babylon to transform a wooden image, decorated with gold and precious jewels, into the physical embodiment of the god.  The incantations of the priests proclaimed to the god, “From this time forth you shall go before your father Ea.”  Ceremonial processions then take place, the mouth of the image is washed repeatedly (fourteen times in all), and food and drink are presented.  After an evening of sacrifices the priest opens the eyes of the image with a wand of tamarisk, and then the “god” is enthroned within the temple and dressed with the insignia of office.  
—— The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament

mute idols  il-lame'   el-eel' 
...in the phrase “idols that cannot speak”: phonetically it evokes a nonsensical babble (elîlîm illemîm; cf. Isa 28:10, NIV mg.)

no breath at all  The OT makes an issue of this fact in several places. Psa. 135.17; Jeremiah 10.14,17;

Jeremiah 10
       8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;
      A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
       9 Silver is beaten into plates;
      It is brought from Tarshish,
      And gold from Uphaz,
      The work of the craftsman
      And of the hands of the metalsmith;
      Blue and purple are their clothing;
      They are all the work of skillful men.
       10 But the LORD is the true God;
      He is the living God and the everlasting King.
      At His wrath the earth will tremble,
      And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.

C. Promise of Retribution (silenced before the living Lord)   v. 20
20 “ But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

But
#1 v. 8  in all seven—Because
#2 v. 11  ylt, kjv, nkjv, esvfor
#3 v. 14  in all seven—for
#4 v. 17  ylt, knv, nasb, nkjvfor
#5 v. 20  except for ylt—but  
“The last stanza is unique. In the other four “woe” stanzas each concluding verse starts in the Hebrew with “for” (ki, vv. 8,11,14,17). However, verse 20 ovens with “but.” The contrast is marked and the climax is marvelous.”  
——Ron Blue in the Bible Knowledge Commentary
the LORD is in His holy temple

This phrase envisions the Yahweh of Hosts appearing as the Judge of the Nations. 

They sit silent before him awaiting his judgment.

Psalm 11
4 The LORD is in His holy temple,
         The LORD’s throne is in heaven;

         His eyes behold,
         His eyelids test the sons of men.
 5 The LORD tests the righteous,
         But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

keep silence     hoh S-02013/twot-511 Hacah   hä·sä' —(Piel) command to hush, keep silence, be silent, hold peace, hold tongue, still
jkv, nkjv, esvkeep silence; ylt, nasb, niv, nltbe silent
5-D. Applications:

We must always strive to remember God’s
eternal power, preservation,
and providence in history.

Romans 1.20-21
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

2 Peter 3
 1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us  the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.


Conclusion:
 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:
"Consider your ways!”
Micah 1:5 & 7 (KJV)