Injustice in high places!

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Sermon Title:

“Injustice in High Places : The Power, the Payback, and the Praise”
Text: Habakkuk 2:6–14

I. THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE (Habakkuk 2:6)

Key Point: God empowers the oppressed to use their voices for truth and justice.

Scripture Insight:
God’s response to Habakkuk begins with a “woe”—a divine warning.
In Habakkuk 2:6, God warns:

“Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion!”
Paraphrased: Woe to the thief who thinks his wealth will protect him—his greed will become his grave.

Where else do we see “woe” statements?
Jesus also used them in Matthew 23, speaking seven woes to the scribes and Pharisees—religious leaders who abused power and neglected justice. God consistently warns those who exploit others—religious or political, ancient or modern.

Illustration:
Think of the voices that once trembled but now roar: From Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" to Malala Yousafzai’s speech at the U.N. after surviving a gunshot to the head for seeking education. The power of the people is ignited when God places His Word in their mouths.

Application Question:
What injustice is God calling you to speak up against?

II. DESTROYED BY THEIR OWN DEVICES (Habakkuk 2:6–11)

Key Point: Injustice boomerangs—what oppressors do to others comes back to them.

Paraphrased “woes”:

• Habakkuk 2:6: Woe to the greedy thief—your victims will rise against you.
• Verse 9: Woe to the schemer who builds safety through corruption—your very walls will cry out against you.
• Verse 12: Woe to the empire built on bloodshed—your foundations are soaked in injustice, and they will crumble.

Question: Why is Israel being attacked by its enemies (v. 8)?
Answer: Because they too were guilty of bloodshed and violence, and God allowed them to be judged by the very methods they once allowed or ignored. This is a hard truth: sometimes, God uses our enemies to expose and correct our own injustices.

Bible Tie-In:

“All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” – Matthew 26:52

Modern Example:
In the Watergate scandal, President Nixon authorized secret wiretaps to spy on opponents—ironically, it was the evidence from those very wiretaps that brought about his resignation. The sword he drew became the sword he fell on.

Reflection Question:
Have you seen someone undone by the same tactics they used to harm others?

III. GOD WILL GET THE GLORY (Habakkuk 2:12–14)

Key Point: In the end, God’s justice and glory will reign.

What promise does God mention in verse 14?

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Answer: The promise is that no matter how dark injustice gets, God’s glory will be known and seen everywhere—completely, thoroughly, eternally.

Illustration:
Think of the fall of apartheid in South Africa—after decades of racial oppression, truth and reconciliation prevailed. Justice may have taken time, but God’s glory outlived every tyrant.

DISCUSS THE MEANING: APPLICATION TO OUR LIVES

1. Why is it important to maintain hope that God will punish injustice?

Because if we lose hope in God’s justice, we may try to take revenge ourselves—or wor

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