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If these walls could
talk … what would they say? We often think of that hypothetical question
when we visit historic places. If the walls of Independence Hall in Philadelphia , for example
could talk, they would tell us about the founding of our nation – how the
Declaration of Independence was debated and approved; how the Constitution came
into being within that building. What if the walls of this church building
could talk? Would they speak of great Sunday services when the gospel went
forth boldly and souls were saved and lives were changed? Would they speak of
the beautiful weddings, somber funerals, and exciting baptisms that have been
conducted here in this room? What about the walls of your office, or the walls
of your home? What would they say? In many cases, we are glad to know that
walls cannot talk!
Here in our text today, however, we read of certain walls
that do talk, and what it is that they say. The walls belong to the proud
Babylonians and their king Nebuchadnezzar. He was a great builder. He built a
massive empire! He built a magnificent capital! He built a majestic palace for
himself and his family! But one day, the walls of all the he had built would
speak out.
The passage is part of a larger section of Habakkuk
concerning the judgment that was coming upon Babylon . Having been used by God as an agent
of judgment on the nation of Judah ,
Babylon itself
would be held accountable before God for its own transgressions in the militant
expansion of its empire. The nations that Babylon
had pillaged and plundered would see the empire fall, and when that day would
come, they would take up songs of mockery against their oppressors. There are
five of these taunt-songs recorded here in Chapter 2, each one beginning with
the word “Woe!” We looked at the first one last week, and this is the second.
In the final verse of this passage, the walls of
Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, and those of his entire empire, are given voice, and
the stones of the wall cry out, while the rafters of the framework answer back
in chorus. And what those walls say is as relevant to us today as it was 2,600
years ago when these words were first written. So what do those walls say when
they talk? Let’s look at our text and find out.
I. If these walls could talk, they would tell of the
resources by which they were built (v9a).
Fabric, as many of you know, is usually sold by the yard.
Every now and then, we go down to the fabric store near our house and buy some
for a craft project we are working on, and we take the big bundle of fabric
over to the counter and say, “I need two yards of this.” And we watch them
measure out the fabric and cut it, and then they attach a sticker to it with
the measurement and the cost. Thankfully, the folks at our local fabric shop
are generous with their cuts, and they usually cut a few extra inches longer
than we ask. But, if the shop was unscrupulous in their practices, they might
cut a few inches short or take the fabric into the back where we could not see
them cut it. Perhaps they might cut a yard and a half and charge us for two. That
happened a lot in the ancient world, and when it did, the Hebrew word that is
used here in the first line of verse 9 applied. Literally translated, it is
“Woe to him who cuts off an evil cut,” meaning that the fabric seller has taken
more than his share and cheated the customer. And so this phrase was often used
more generally for anyone who made a profit by taking unfair advantage of
others.
When it comes to the Babylonian empire, the pronouncement of
woe that is sounded against them is due to the “evil gain” by which they built
their house – their dynasty and empire. That’s what the first woe, in verses
6-8, was all about. The Babylonians had taken what was not rightfully theirs by
force and extortion, pillaging, plundering, and looting every nation it wanted,
because no power in the world was strong enough to stop them. They built an
empire nearly unrivaled in history, but it was all built on evil gain. In
Daniel 4, we read about how Nebuchadnezzar walked along the roof of his royal
palace, surveying his imperial capital. He saw the famed Hanging
Gardens , one of the seven wonders of
the ancient world, and the magnificent Ishtar Gate, which is preserved today in
the Berlin
museum. And he said, “Is this not Babylon
the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my
power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan 4:30). Well, in point of fact, it
was not, for he had built it all with
stolen goods and treasures from other nations, and on the backs of a labor
force dragged into captivity with violent and cruel torture.
If the walls could talk, they would tell of the resources by
which they were built. Cedar timbers would tell of how they were stripped from
the great forests of Lebanon .
Stones would tell of how they were pulled from the walls of great buildings
across the Middle East and transplanted to Babylon . Beams would speak of the blood and
sweat of those who were forced to put them into position, and the body count
which increased with Babylon ’s
campaign of terror in the world.
And these words serve as a warning to all who would build
for themselves homes, careers, lifestyles, and personal empires by evil gain.
Impressive as it all may be to the eye, every bit of it which was acquired by
evil gain, by illicit and unrightful means, will sing in a chorus of
condemnation against the builder in due time. The psalmist said, “Unless the
Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psa 127:1). Though
people may admire all of one’s accomplishments and monuments, if the walls
could talk, what would they say? Would they say that it had all been built
through a life of faithfulness, contentment, and generosity? Or would they say
that the house was built upon evil gain? If the walls of our lives could talk
they would tell of the resources by which they were built.
II. If these walls could talk, they would tell of the reason
for which they were built (v9b).
Like so many modern users of social media, many kings of the
ancient world never accomplished anything without sensing the need to inform
the world about it. Nebuchadnezzar was one of them. In the written material
that survives which is attributed to him, there is not a shred of humility to
be found. It is all a tribute to his own greatness. He said,
At the thresholds of the city gates
I stationed strong wild-bulls of bronze, and serpents standing erect. I dug its
moat and reached the bottom of the water. I built its bank … I had the bulwark
at the bank of the mighty wall built … like a mountain, so that it could not be
moved. In order … that the destroyer might not approach Babylon, I threw around
the city on the outer wall of Babylon a strong wall … and surrounded it with a
mighty stream of many waters like the fullness of the sea, and then I threw a
swamp around this. … I made its name great.[1]
Speaking of the palace of his father, Nabopolasser, which he
enlarged for his own estate and referred to as “The Marvel of Mankind,” he
said, “I built a structure … and I built very high in its tower a large chamber
… for my royal dwelling place…. I firmly laid its foundation in the bowels of
the earth, and I raised high its turrets like a mountain. … I beautified the
dwelling of my lordship.” Surrounding the palace were walls, 136 feet thick,
every brick of which was inscribed with Nebuchadnezzar’s name.[2] According
to one of his inscriptions, Nebuchadnezzar said that his purpose in all this
construction was “to make an everlasting name for his reign,” and he prayed
that his god Marduk would grant “life for many generations, an abundant
posterity, a secure throne, and a long reign.”[3]
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Woe to him who gets
evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand
of calamity!” Three reasons for Nebuchadnezzar’s unparalleled building spree
are couched in those words, each of which is also reflected in Nebuchadnezzar’s
own inscriptions. The first is found in the word “nest.” In building for
himself and his nation a “nest,” we see that one of his reasons for building
was personal pleasure. Surrounding himself with every comfort and luxury known
to man, surely he would have a place where he could live a life of pleasure and
leisure. There was nothing left to work for, because he had it all right there
in his palatial nest. Jesus spoke of this very mindset in His parable of the
greedy landowner, who built for himself bigger barns to store all of his grain
and goods, and then said to his soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for
many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (Lk 12:19).
Nebuchadnezzar not only built for personal pleasure, but
also for prominent position. He built his nest, and put it “on high.” His
palace was visible to all in the capital city, reminding everyone how important
and powerful he was. The infamous builders who built the tower of Babel there
in that very spot generations before him in Genesis 11 had said, “Come, let us
build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and
let us make for ourselves a name” (Gen 11:4). Nebuchadnezzar’s lofty perch was
built with a similar goal. The whole world would marvel and cower in fear at
one who inhabited such a lofty position of prominence.
But notice also that he built for permanent protection. His
aim was “to be delivered from the hand of calamity.” In Chapter 1, Babylon was likened to a
mighty bird which swooped down to devour its prey. And as the eagle builds his
nest high on the peaks of a rocky crag where no predator can destroy it and
devour its young, so Nebuchadnezzar sought to create for himself an impregnable
fortress immune from enemy attacks. Having pillaged the whole world, or all
that he knew of it at that time, he surely had to have a realistic fear of
retaliation at any given moment. Remember, it is only paranoia if everyone
really isn’t out to get you. In
Nebuchadnezzar’s case, it is likely that everyone really was out to get him! To protect himself and his posterity
permanently, he built this grand eagle’s nest high out of reach of his enemies.
Insulated from danger, surrounded with comfort, positioned
in a place of prominence – who would not want to inhabit a nest like this? But
when one resorts to evil gain to achieve it, there is this word of warning and
woe. If the walls of those great palaces could talk they would say that it has
all been for naught. No matter how secure, how well appointed, and how
prominent one’s ill-gotten nest may be, there is an inescapable enemy who will
be able to reach it and pull it down. The Lord says through the prophet
Obadiah, concerning another kingdom that was built in the same way, “Though you
build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there
I will bring you down” (Obad 4). Romans 8:31 says that if God is for us, then
who can be against us? But surely the converse is equally true – if God be
against us, then who can be for us? What could we build to protect ourselves
from the judgment that will befall us if we have secured and surrounded
ourselves with a nest built from evil gain? As Jesus said, “What does it profit
a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:36).
But, we might ask, does God not want us to have comfort and
ease? Does He not wish for us to be protected from harm? Does He not want us to
have honor and achievement? We must say clearly that in most cases there is
nothing inherently wrong with these things. In fact, when these things can be
achieved by means that honor the Lord, then they can be enjoyed freely as
blessings from His hand. But, in a world filled with sin and its destructive
effects, true comfort, true safety, and real honor is a rare experience. The
righteous, however, are content to live by faith and know that all this and
more will be ours according to the Lord’s own promise in our eternal dwelling
place of heaven. We need not scheme and scrounge to possess those things here
and now by illicit measures, for they will be ours freely forever in the Lord’s
good timing. Wait for the Lord, humble yourselves, and be content with the
provision of His grace. When you build your life in that way, if the walls
could talk they would testify to God’s glory and grace rather than to the shame
of a life wasted in sin.
And this brings us to the final word that the walls of Babylon would speak, if
they could talk.
III. If these walls could talk, they would tell of the ruin
by which they will be torn down (vv10-11).
A few years ago, we decided to give the office here a fresh
coat of paint and some new décor. We settled on a palette of browns to
complement some of the features that we could not change, and decided that some
sepia toned photographs of the church might look nice hanging on the walls. I
took my camera and went around and took some pictures of various things around
the property, and we had them processed and framed. I thought they looked
pretty good. I was proud of my work. A few days later, someone came in and
asked, “Who took the pictures?” I could feel the pride welling up inside of me,
and I said, “I did!” And this person said, “Well, in the future if you need any
pictures taken, there are people in the church who know what they are doing.”
I’ve put that behind me now, and I only think about every time I walk into the
office. My boasting of my photographic skills has become a source of
embarrassment and humiliation. But, this is a matter of relatively small
consequence in the grand scheme of things.
On a much greater scale, the things in which we glory in can
become our shame and ruin if we pursue them contrary to the will of God. The
mighty king Nebuchadnezzar gloried in all the he had built and all the expanse
of his empire. But when the walls of his kingdom began to talk, they testified
to the ruin and collapse of it all that was imminent. Glorious feats of
engineering and architecture that are written of still today; monuments of
grandeur that are imitated around the world in the present – in the estimation
of God, they are but shameful things because they were built by illicit gain
and the blood of innocent people.
When the walls begin to talk, they will declare it in
chorus: “You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many
peoples; so you are sinning against yourself.” They have sinned against the
Lord, glorying in themselves and their own achievements rather than giving
glory to God. So, all of the achievements and accomplishments – they are but a
shameful thing that has been devised. They have sinned against humanity,
building their empire by cutting off – that is, degrading and destroying – many
peoples. And they have sinned against their own souls. All that had been
attained amounted to nothing but spiritual suicide. Every stone in the wall and
timber in the framework is indicting the Babylonians of their threefold guilt.
If there were such a thing as a haunted house, surely this
one with the talking walls would be as horrifying as they come. The sleeping
king is awakened by the screams of those he oppressed from within the walls.
Every creak in the floor is a cry of revenge from the victims of his torture.
The sounds will “haunt him at night and hound him by day.”[4] In
time, the very walls of Nebuchadnezzar’s royal palace would speak. During the
reign of his son Belshazzar, on the evening of a drunken feast, a disembodied
hand appeared on those very walls and condemned the Babylonian Empire for good
with the message, “You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.”
That very night, the kingdom was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians. As
one writer put it so well: “A house built of tortured bodies and stark
skeletons is not too habitable. In the fray to erect a monument, they
constructed their own shameful mausoleum.”[5]
Another put it even more vividly: “In the creaking of the beams connecting the
timber … and in the grating of the cracking stone walls … one can hear an
awesome dirge, the stones intoning the chant, the beams responding in
antiphonal death song, until they also crash down into a heap of ruins and
ashes. … And so it goes, the glory of
this world.”[6]
And so it goes for all who build for themselves empires of
self-sufficiency and self-aggrandizement on the currency of ill-gotten gain. Build
what you will, but the walls will one day talk, and when they do, what will
they tell? Will they tell of lives live in humble, faithful, contentment and
hope in the Lord? Or would they tell of a wasted life pursuing self-centered
pleasure, the ruthless pursuit of prominence, and the harm done to others in
the process? If that is the case, then while there is still opportunity, you
can turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance and faith and be saved. He died
for you, taking the full measure of judgment for which the walls of your life
are crying out, and He rose again to make you part of the house He is building
by His grace and for His glory. This life is not all there is. There is another
one coming, and only the treasures that are laid up for that life will endure
beyond this world. All else will fall in ruins.
One of England ’s
most famous athletes in the late nineteenth century was the famed cricketer C.
T. Studd. He had it all! But he gave it all away, funding Christian ministries
around the world with his sizeable inheritance. He helped establish the Moody
Bible Institute in Chicago , furthered the work
of George Muller’s orphanages in England , and fueled the fledgling
ministry of William Booth known as the Salvation Army. At the age of 25, he
left for China to be a
missionary, later serving in India ,
and eventually pioneering the cause of Christ into central Africa .
At the age of 70, he died in Africa . And if
the walls of C. T. Studd’s life could talk, what would they say? They would
likely echo the words of his famous poem: “Only one life, twill soon be past,
only what’s done for Christ will last.”
What would the walls of your life say if they could talk?
[1] Cited in
Richard Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah (Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary; Chicago: Moody, 1991), 191.
[2] Ibid.,
191, 193.
[3] O.
Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum,
Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (New International Commentary on the Old Testament;
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 193.
[4] David
Prior, The Message of Joel, Micah &
Habakkuk (The Bible Speaks Today; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1998),
250.
[5] J.
Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible
Knowledge Commentary (ed. John Walvoord and Roy Zuck; Wheaton , Ill.
[6] Theo
Laetsch, cited in Patterson, 192. The italics represent my own rendering of
Laetsch’s Latin, “Sic transit gloria
mundi.”
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