Habakkuk and Modern Idolatry
The following is a sermonette of Habakkuk 2:18-20 (ESV) as presented at the Canby Christian Church Men's Huddle on March 21, 2026.
Introduction
Good morning, gentlemen! If you have your bibles, please turn to Habakkuk chapter 2, verses 18 through 20. If you don't have a bible, you should be able to find one under the chair in front of you, unless you have been brave enough to sit on the front row.
As we've been working through Habakkuk together these past months, we've seen the prophet wrestle with God over justice, and we've heard God's response through the five woes against Babylon—judgment against their greed, violence, injustice, and drunkenness. Today we come to the fifth and final woe, the climax of God's judgment oracle: idolatry.
History is full of men who built impressive idols and discovered too late that there was no breath in them. Howard Hughes was one of those men—he had everything our culture tells us to chase—more wealth than most nations, world aviation records, Hollywood studios, political influence, and the most beautiful women of his era. By every outward measure, his life was overlaid with gold and silver. But he died alone in a darkened room, emaciated, paranoid, and isolated—having sacrificed his relationships, his health, and his peace on the altar of his own ambitions. All that gold and silver, and no breath in it at all.
Jim Carrey, when presenting at the 2016 Golden Globes—introduced as "Two-time Golden Globe award winner" to a room full of what the media calls "the Hollywood Elite"—said this:
"I am two-time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey. You know, when I go to sleep at night, I'm not just a guy going to sleep. I'm two-time Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey going to get some well-needed shut-eye.
And when I dream, I don't just dream any old dream. No, sir. I dream about being three-time Golden Globe winning actor Jim Carrey. Because then I would be enough.
It would finally be true. And I could stop this—this terrible search for what I know ultimately won't fulfill me."
Our verse for today reads:
"What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him."
Here Habakkuk records God's final word to Babylon: despite their military might and apparent success, their reliance on lifeless gods exposes their fundamental weakness and guarantees their destruction.
AND, this passage reveals God's timeless view of idolatry that speaks directly to us today: we are made by the Creator, to worship the Creator, not the created.
The singular point I hope to make with each one of you, that...
I. The Futility of False Trust (v. 18-19a)
Let's dig in and try to understand this fifth woe:
God asks a devastating question: "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it?" Remember, Babylon wasn't just militarily powerful, they had elaborate temples, with gold and silver-covered statues. They performed rituals believing they could "awaken" these gods, and receive divine guidance. And, their victories seemed to validate their gods' power.
But here's the irony God exposes: the maker ends up trusting in his own creation. Humans make gods, then ask those gods for help. It's the fundamental foolishness of idolatry.
What is God's view of Idolatry?
Notice God calls idols "a teacher of lies". This is crucial. Idolatry isn't just foolish or ineffective—it's actively deceptive. It leads people away from truth and meaning. When people worship what they've created instead of the Creator, they're living in self-deception.
How does this apply to us?
God's perspective on idolatry hasn't changed. An idol is—anything we elevate to a position of ultimate importance—anything we serve, that shapes our decisions, that we sacrifice for above all else—above God. The second commandment tells us not to bow down to idols or serve them (Exodus 20:5). Likewise, Jesus gave a new command to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. So how do we as men apply this?
Well, let's talk about money and career: When we SACRIFICE family time, church community, and personal integrity to climb the ladder or accumulate wealth, we're trusting in our own creation—our success, our portfolio—just like the Babylonian idol-maker. We're asking these things to provide security, identity, and purpose.
Let's talk about sexual sin: When a man views pornography, he is literally bowing down and serving that image. Like the Babylonian seeking an encounter with his idol, he's seeking fulfillment from something chosen, something silent and lifeless. He's trusting his own desires over God's design.
When we obsess over social media and public opinion: We check our phones constantly, we're asking silent screens to tell us we matter. Like the ancient Babylonian calling to wooden and stone idols, we're calling to our curated personas: "Tell me I'm valuable! Show me I'm significant!"
It can even be true of sports, hobbies, or entertainment: When these good things become ULTIMATE things—when we'll skip church for the game, neglect our families for our hobbies. When we know more about our favorite team than Scripture—we've crossed into idolatry.
God's perspective through Habakkuk reveals a timeless pattern: people create or choose something they believe will give them what they need, invest it with ultimate importance, then serve it. Whether it's a Babylonian gold statue or a modern career ladder, the spiritual dynamic is identical—we continue to forget—we are made by the Creator, to worship the Creator, not the created.
II. The Reality of Lifeless Idols (v. 19b)
Continuing in verse 19: "Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it." Impressive Babylonian idols covered in precious metals, looking valuable and glorious. The word "behold" is like saying, "Look closely at this!" God is telling Habakkuk and Israel: Don't be impressed by Babylon's power or elaborate religion. Underneath all that gold and silver, their gods are empty—no life, no breath, no spirit.
This language of "breath" here isn't random. Habakkuk is making a deliberate connection to creation. In Genesis 2:7, Moses recorded: "Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."
Who breathed that life? God—specifically, Christ the Word, through whom all things were made (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16). Jesus is the Creator who gave us the breath of life.
Here, God is showing both ancient Israel and the Babylonians a fundamental truth: no matter how impressive something appears, if it's not the living God, it has no breath—no life-giving power. Babylon might look unstoppable, their gods might look magnificent, but they're trusting in things that cannot save.
This comforted Israel in their suffering, and warned Babylon of coming judgment. But it also reveals something deeper—God alone is the source of life. Only He can truly create. Everything else is derivative, dependent, and ultimately powerless without Him.
Our modern idols—no matter how attractive, how promising, how golden they appear—have no breath in them. They cannot give life... they cannot give you life.
That career you're chasing—does it breathe life into your soul, or do you feel empty as you chase the next promotion?
That relationship you're hoping will complete you, make you whole, will be the one that changes everything for you—no human being can breathe eternal life and the purpose you were created for into your heart.
The possessions you collect or desire—the house, the car, the toys—how many men have gotten exactly what they wanted, and remained unfulfilled, lonely, or worse?
This is God's view of idolatry, revealed through Habakkuk—it's not just worthless, it's self-deception. When we worship idols, we're essentially worshiping ourselves—our own desires, our own wisdom, our own creations. We're saying, "I know better than God what will make me happy, secure, and fulfilled." That's not just foolish; from God's perspective, it's rebellion and spiritual death.
I know something about this myself. For years I suffered in a job that paid well—my evenings, weekends, even vacations weren't really mine. I accepted it all because I had to prove to myself and my wife that we didn't have to worry about anything. It was important that my boss and peers never questioned my willingness to drop everything for the good of the company. My work, and my reputation were my idols. And I was so very, very miserable.
In this kind of suffering I heard God telling me it was time to depend on him, through my wife telling me, "I want my husband back." When you place the course of your life in God's hands you will understand the words of Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". I don't have the money anymore, but in His hands I have life, more abundantly.
This is why we desperately need the gospel. We cannot create our own salvation, breathe our own life, or manufacture our own righteousness. IT CAN'T BE DONE! We need the living God—the Creator who made us, who knows us, and who alone can satisfy that longing in ways we may not expect, and likely are unable to imagine.
III. The Supremacy of the Living God (v. 20)
The whole passage has been building to this moment, verse 20. Here, Habakkuk declares the glorious truth—"But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him." For Habakkuk and his original audience, this was incredibly significant. While Babylon had their elaborate idol temples, the LORD—the covenant God of Israel—was truly present in His temple in Jerusalem. Not as a lifeless statue, but as the living God. Despite Israel's suffering and Babylon's apparent victory, God is declaring: "I am alive, I am present, and I am sovereign".
Notice the powerful contrasts Habakkuk has built:
- Idols are silent and dead; the LORD is alive and present
- People try to awaken idols ("Awake! Arise!"); we must be silent before God
- Idols are overlaid with gold and silver; God dwells in His holy temple
- Idols have no breath; God is the source of all life
The command is: "let all the earth keep silence before him." This isn't just Israel—it's "all the earth," including mighty Babylon. God is declaring His universal sovereignty. The appropriate response to the living God isn't to command Him or manipulate Him as pagans tried with their idols, but reverent awe—where we set aside our own thoughts, agendas, and self-made solutions to focus on His greatness and glory.
And it is here where the passage anticipates the gospel—through ultimate deliverance from false worship. The contrast between dead idols and the living God points forward to Christ as the true temple and the one who delivers us from idolatry to serve the living, our loving, God.
Through Christ's death and resurrection, God has fulfilled His promise to dwell with His people permanently. The Holy Spirit now lives in believers (1 Corinthians 6:19). God isn't just in a distant temple in Jerusalem—He's available to live in you through faith in Jesus Christ.
This is the ultimate answer to idolatry: we don't need lifeless substitutes when we can have the living God Himself dwelling in us, breathing His life into our dead spirits, transforming us from the inside out.
When was the last time you were truly silent before God? Not praying your wants, but simply sitting in reverent awe of who He is?
We live in a noisy world, constantly stimulated, constantly distracted. The same screens that tempt us toward idolatry also rob us of silent communion with our Creator. God calls us to stillness, to wonder, and to worship. He deserves our first attention, our best time, our whole hearts—not leftovers, after we've served our idols all week.
Conclusion & Gospel Invitation
Habakkuk recorded this final woe to show Israel—and us—that despite appearances, God is sovereign and idolatry is futile. But not just futile or ineffective—it's deceptive, leading us away from the only One who can truly give us life.
God exposes our idolatry in order to call us back to an understanding that we were made by the living God, to worship the living God, not these idols we chase which are lifeless substitutes for the living God who breathed life into us, and who offers us real relationship through Jesus Christ.
Some of you here this morning may be new to Christianity or exploring faith. If that is you, here's the good news: You don't have to keep chasing "things" that don't bring you deep, meaningful life. You don't have to manufacture your own meaning or create your own righteousness. Jesus Christ—the living God who became flesh—died on the cross to forgive your sin, and rose from the dead to give you eternal life.
For those of us who know Christ—be vigilant for what you might be serving that's robbing you of time with your family, genuine relationships, and communion with your living God.
Let's pray.