• The book of Habakkuk continues to be discussed
• Discussion of pronouncing the name "Habakkuk"
• Recap of last week's sermon on the problem of evil and God's sovereignty
• Background information on the prophet Habakkuk, who wrote around 600 BC in Judah before the Babylonian exile
• Habakkuk sees injustice and evil happening globally and locally due to the actions of foreign oppressors and local leaders
• The book of Habakkuk is a poetic dialogue between God and Habakkuk's complaints and responses
• Reading from Habakkuk 2:2-20, where God responds to Habakkuk's second complaint about using an evil people (Babylonians) to punish the people of Judah
• Explanation of God's response in Habakkuk 2, which emphasizes patience and trust in God despite apparent injustices
• Disgrace will cover someone's glory due to their violence towards Lebanon and destruction of animals
• The Lord is in his holy temple, and all the earth should be silent before him
• A story about a father and son walking through a park illustrates two different paths leading to the same destination
• Chapter 2 helps reveal that God's goal is His glory and our experience of it
• Two avenues are used to reach this end: a survey of history from beginning to new beginning, and a comparison with lesser or misplaced glories (idolatry)
• The Bible verse "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as waters cover the sea" from Habakkuk is discussed.
• The concept of the "knowledge" in Hebrew is explained to have a depth and intimacy, referring to a relational characteristic and a covenant with God.
• The glory of the Lord is described as the public display of God's holiness, perfection, and righteousness, including His distinctness and set-apartness.
• Holiness for both God and humans is discussed as an ontological and existential reality, involving being changed and transformed by experiencing the glory of God.
• The goal of this transformation is to change the world, making it "filled" with the knowledge of God's glory.
• The glory of God will be everywhere
• God's goal in creation is for him to be glorified
• It's not about us, but rather God's glory and worship
• History is about God's going public over the whole earth that we might experience him
• We are created to have a relationship with God, and when we make it all about him, we find our joy and purpose and meaning and power
• The glory of God is the human being fully alive
• To live as a human being fully alive is to live for the glory of God
• Anything else in life that is not centered on God's glory is a cheap substitute or lesser glory.
• The dangers of consumerism and its tendency to lead to dissatisfaction
• The pursuit of status, position, and power as a lesser glory that can corrupt and lead to ruin
• The misuse of authority and power, including the abuse of government, church leadership, and parental authority
• Taking advantage of people, particularly in exploitative relationships or behaviors
• Reducing others to mere tools for one's own purposes, rather than valuing them as ends in themselves
• The lesser glories exchanged for the greater glory of God
• Idolatry and placing human creation in the place of God
• God's desire to have his people reflect his glory
• Humanity's rejection of God and choosing instead their own desires
• God's promise and redemption through Abraham, Israel, and ultimately Jesus Christ
• The culmination of God's revelation in Jesus Christ and its continuation through the church
• The return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth
• The glory of God being present with man, and the new Jerusalem coming without a temple
• Waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled, even when it seems delayed or challenging
• Living by faith in a world filled with evil and injustice
• Turning from lesser glories to experience the majesty of God's greatest glory