Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 2:1-20, Proverbs 29:18, Hebrews 10:32-39
Let’s be honest. Sin can be entertaining as a spectator sport. There’s a certain draw to the grit and gore of sin in the lives of other people, isn’t there? At first glance, Habakkuk 2 reads like a cage match to me. God calls out a series of sins, and we’re tempted to sit on the sidelines, cheering, while munching on popcorn.
“Woe to the thief and extortionist!” (v.6, my paraphrasing).
Get em, God! we cry.
“Woe to the crook in his big, fancy house!” (v.9).
Take him down a few notches! we say with a smirk.
“Woe to the murderers and crime bosses!” (v.12).
Make them pay! we heckle.
“Woe to the drug dealer, the keg provider, the predator!” (v.15).
Let ‘em have it! we roar.
“Woe to the mystic!” (v.19).
We’re right, and they’re wrong! we boast.
But wait—look again. This passage isn’t punctuated with the celebration of the “righteous.” There are no “Atta, girls!” for us here. God follows the woes with a dose of truth, one that makes my eyes drop to the floor and my knees weak:
“But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let the whole earth
be silent in his presence” (v.20).
The holiness of God is a spotlight none of us can bear. It isn’t just pointed toward the crooks and the cowards. It illuminates our sin, and then suddenly we don’t feel much like cheering anymore. Coming face to face with God’s holiness, His righteousness, we are silenced by the weight of our sin and our desperate need for mercy. Instead of screaming, “Woe to you!” our sin compels us to respond more like the prophet Isaiah:
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty”
(Isaiah 6:5, NIV).
We are a people prone to rebellion against the loving laws of God. We are more likely to obsess over our own reflection than the image of God we bear. We are selfish, self-reliant, and scared. We are shattered by sin, and there is not enough glue in the universe to repair us. And no matter how hard we try, we cannot clean ourselves up or drum up enough righteousness to stand before a holy God. Woe to us.
That’s the truth we must acknowledge before we can truly live out of the forgiveness and grace of our Savior, the grace we all need so desperately. Thank God, He gives it so generously to all nations and people groups (Titus 2:11). One day the whole earth will know the Lord’s glory (Habakkuk 2:14), but the ground will always be level at the foot of the cross. The gospel bids us to gather there—the thieves and the theologians, the swindlers and the savers, the predators and the preachers. We are all guilty, and our sin levels the playing field. But so does God’s grace.
We are sinners turned saints, orphans turned heirs. We were unrighteous, but now we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. Blessed are we! The new covenant silences us once again, but this time our mouths aren’t silenced in fear. Instead, we are made speechless by the goodness of our grace-giving God.
Erin Davis is an author, blogger, and speaker who loves to see women of all ages run to the deep well of God’s Word. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin chasing chickens and children on her small farm in the Midwest.
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38 thoughts on "The Five Woe Oracles"
Thank you Erin. May we dwell in our Jesus, making himself nothing that we could be called children of God, knowing our sin of self, the idol that draws us away from Him who gave us all. How incredible. Praise the name of Jesus!
Such a contrary message to the one we hear from popular culture today. I feel like I am confronted on a daily basis by a lot of self-help messages telling me the answer is “self love” and “self care”- it can sound so appealing. But as I read the words of Scripture I see my own brokenness and sin, especially when compared to the holiness of God- such a different message…
❤
Wow! So, so good! “We are more likely to obsess over our own reflection than the image of God we bear.” Ouch! How true is this! I don’t feel like I struggle with my physical appearance, but I do often struggle with caring way to much of what people think of me. When what I should be caring about is what they think of my God! Also, the line, “The ground will always be level at the cross.” I just love this so much! Happy Thursday sweet ladies!
Yes, caring so much about what people think about instead of obeying God and trusting God with my reputation. … I think that’s what God is wanting me to understand and do in this season
I’m with Kristen. May I never take for granted what Jesus did for me on the cross. And He did it knowing that I am a sinner, unclean, unrighteous, not worthy. May I never, never, never be flippant or complacent about sin, especially my own sin. “We are all guilty and our sin levels the playing field. BUT SO DOES GOD’S GRACE.”
Wow, just wow!
♥️Amen♥️
so true amen
We witnessed great sin, obvious sin, here in Pittsburgh this past weekend. I read daily news reports from around our nation and the world and there are many more blatant sins recounted there. Though I grieve over these ‘big and notorious’ sins, the sins that drop me to my knees most often are my own. I am oh so conscious of my own daily failings. (Let’s call them what they are : MY SINS) . I dare not think that because mine don’t make the front page of the newspaper that they are any less an affront to God. And I dare not think that the ones on the front pages of the newspaper are any less forgivable. God is faithful to forgive every one when we ask. What amazing grace and mercy! I, here in my house, don’t deserve it. They, on page one, don’t deserve it. But it is offered still just for the asking. He forgives and forgives and says “Now go and sin no more.” The log in my own eye falls out. And I can clearly see His great love for all His created. How can I look at others any less? How can I look at myself any more? Let us gather at the level ground of the cross and just be grateful. Then let us go and sin no more. Glory to His great name!
❤️
Me too! Seems I have been jumping head-first into certain sins and on a daily basis. Lord have mercy on me. . . truly the worst of all sinners.
I fully agree. We serve a great and forgiving God! May we be mindful and thankful of all God’s goodness and mercy as we enter this season of Thanksgiving.
Amen
Amen you are so right
❤️
I heard Dr. Charles Stanley say in a message something about people that they will ask God about this or that when they stand before Him. (I’m not sure if he was referring to an unbeliever.) However, I remember him saying, “You know what you’ll do? Nothing!” I believe he said that we will be on our face in the presence of the Holy God. He may have even said trembling! Yes, we look at others and use that to justify what we do. I want to be convicted and see how terrible and wretched I am, because then I can be in awe of God’s amazing grace and Jesus’ sacrifice and love. Until I see the depths of my sin and need, I can’t see the amazing Goodness and Gift of God. I remember my pastor’s wife standing before us on Good Friday’s service. She couldn’t speak without getting choked up. She said she never wanted to not be in awe of what He did! That’s my prayer too. Humble me, God for I am needy and a sinner that doesn’t always feel that bad. I can be haughty and proud. Pride comes before a fall and You resist the proud. Help me quickly, God! Help me to value others above myself, quit worrying, and do Your will. Please put a watch on my mouth and mind, so my words, actions, and thoughts are pleasing to You.
Praying this today!
Beautifully said. I stand in agreement with you. AMEN
I am copying this if I may . please to say as my prayer. Sometimes I feel I take the grace for granted because I was born in church and not than the “big” sin. I want to be in awe of Him and know deeply how much He has forgiven me
joining you in this prayer
Praying this with you today. Amen
Amen
Oh my goodness… it’s so easy to think or even believe that everyone else’s sin is bigger than ours/yours… that actually, we are saints compared to them..
Ha…!
But God..
He says … when it comes to heckling, shouting, accusing, judging, He says “..Let he/she who has not sinned cast the first stone…” (John 8:7)
Believing that your added negative comment to someone else’s rant, or thinking bad thought of someone.. just because, or walking by when you could have helped, shouting at the kids or the man across the road because, oh dear, he is moving at a snail pace and you need to get on… boasting, pride, and many many more, believing that these are ‘minor’ sins, and that ‘titled’ people ie crooks, swindlers, robbers, preditors, murderers, are the real sinners.. and that they need to be punished, sentenced, hung, drawn and quartered,
Maybe..
But this is not for us to sit in judgement, or, our personal decision to make (courts do that correctly… hopefully in the world)..
But God…He sees, from His holy temple our minor sins, our major sins, our ‘noone got hurt’ sins, our everyday sins… and He (still) is ready to pour grace and forgiveness over us through His son Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him.. We cannot EVER make things right with God, but God can make us right with Him.. and He does.. some may say at a cost… others will humbly approach the Father, via the cross, because it is there 1) we realise and recognise our sin and 2) right there at the cross, is where we meet, find and encounter God’s grace. God’s amazing Grace that opens our eyes to ALL that is on offer, through this amazing gift that is given/ afforded us by Jesus..
Indeed, what a blessing!
Amen.
Praying dear sisters that God turn His face to shine on you and yours.. happy Thursday!
Very insightful thanks for the words of wisdom.
Woe on me most High