But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.
But the Lord - Yahweh; in striking contrast with the idols.
Is in his holy temple - "His place" (Isaiah 26:21, "Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place), heaven (Psalms 11:4, "The Lord is in His holy temple;" Jonah 2:7; Micah 1:2). The temple at Jerusalem is a type of it, and there God is to be worshipped. He does not lie hid under gold and silver, as the idols of Babylon, but reigns in heaven, and fills heaven, and thence succours His people.
Let all the earth keep silence - in token of reverent submission and subjection to His judgments (Job 40:4; Psalms 76:8, "Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still;" Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13).
Remarks:
(1) The true attitude of the servant of God, when he is in perplexity and doubt concerning the dealings of God's providence, is to stand in patient waiting on God, until He is pleased to dissipate all mists by the clear manifestation of Himself to the soul. After we have prayed to God we must not unbelievingly forget to be on the watch for the answer; but with all earnestness observe thoughtfully what answers God gives us by His Providence, His Word, and His Holy Spirit.
(2) No praying, waiting soul is ever left without an answer of peace soon or late. The petition may be put off for long, but it will be granted at last. So God answered the watching prophet, directing him to write the vision which was now about to be revealed, so plainly that the reader might at once decipher and understand it. The minister or layman who desires to impart the Word of God to others ought to "use great plainness of speech" (2 Corinthians 4:12). Moreover, he who has received from the Spirit in his own soul the joyful message of reconciliation with God, and deliverance from all spiritual enemies, should lose no time in clearly delivering the same good news to all around him.
(3) As the fulfillment is still future, and reserved for the "appointed time" (Habakkuk 2:3), it has been preserved for the good of the Church in the written Word, instead of being subjected to the risks necessarily attending oral tradition. Though the event be distant, it is enough for the assurance of faith to know that God hath "spoken" it, and that therefore it cannot "lie." The believer in calm confidence waits for it, however long it may seem to "tarry." Really the Lord's coming for the deliverance of His people from all their foes does not tarry, but will "surely come," without the delay of a moment beyond the time required for the ripening of God's all-wise, all-loving plans. It would be no real gain of time to cut down the harvest before the full grain in the ear is ripe. Nor will the Lord come, and the heavenly reapers thrust in their sickle, until at the world's great harvest, the fruit of the godly shall have been all brought to maturity. To do so prematurely would be to retard, not to hasten the blessed consummation (Matthew 13:28-30; Mark 4:28-29).
(4) Undue "lifting up" of the "soul" tends to "drawing back" in the religious walk (Habakkuk 2:4). "Faith" is the only principle whereby any man can be accounted "just" before God. From first to last, salvation is of grace, not of works. The soul, instead of being "lifted up," must be abased to the dust, before the life of faith can begin. So also, in the continued walk of the child of God, the only guarantee of a fruitful life, and of perseverance unto the end, is that he cast away all self-sufficiency, and "live" spiritually by faith alone.
(5) Proud contempt of others, and insatiable covetousness, are sure, as in the case of the Chaldean invaders, to bring down at last the vengeance of God (Habakkuk 2:5). Unjust increase of gains ends in "woe" (Habakkuk 2:6). They who defraud others of their possessions shall ere long loss their own. Meanwhile, what avails their gain? They are only loading themselves "with thick clay" (Habakkuk 2:6). They are becoming more earthy. Clogged with the thick day which they make their chief good, they find their journey through life the more anxious and wearisome. While they wrong their neighbour, they do an infinitely greater wrong to their own souls (Habakkuk 2:10); and, while "consulting" their own glory, they bring on themselves everlasting "shame."
(6) Often even in this life the biter is bitten, and the spoiler spoiled by those who have suffered by his injustice, or violence (Habakkuk 2:7-8). Then, too, "covetousness" proves a deadly "evil," not only to the covetous man himself, but also to his house. The idolater of mammon fancies he can "set his nest" so "high" as to be beyond "the power of evil." But the castle which in imagination he builds proves as vain as the tower of Babel did to its impious builders. The very wealth which he accumulates in selfishness testifies and "cries out" against him before God (Habakkuk 2:11). The hand of "the Lord of hosts" is plainly marked in the way in which the service of the world is made its own punishment. No slavery can be a harder drudgery than that of those who "labour and weary themselves for" what proves to be mere a "vanity" (Habakkuk 2:13). The highest aims of the mere worldling end not only in disappointment, but in the awful "fire" which never is quenched. "Riches profit not in the day of wrath; but righteousness delivereth from death" (Prov. 11:41 ; and "whose hearkeneth unto the Lord shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Proverbs 1:33).
(7) Whereas all earthly glory is transitory, "the glory of the Lord" is abiding, and the day is coming soon when "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of" it. Then shall all Babylon-like violence and wrong cease, and the "peace" of Israel and of the Church shall be "as a river," and their "righteousness as the waves of the sea" (Isaiah 48:18).
(8) A special woe is pronounced on them who not only drink themselves, but put the bottle to their neighbour, so as to "look on" his shame (Habakkuk 2:15). This woe also applies to those who tempt others to participate in the intoxication of sin of any kind whatsoever-covetousness, lust, or ambition. All sin brings with it its own retribution. They who commit "violence" shall suffer "violence" (Habakkuk 2:17): they who do deeds of "shame" shall be put to eternal shame (Habakkuk 2:16).
(9) All idolatry convicts its dupes of the profitless nature of their "trust" (Habakkuk 2:18). But the Lord "Yahweh, in His holy temple" above, is the sure confidence of His people. They have continual access to Him there through Christ, who is exalted by the right hand of the Father, and who ever liveth to make intercession for us. "Let all the earth keep silence" in reverent submission to His will and His judgments.