Bible Economics (Justice,Greed,Tax)

Economics, the Prophet Habakkuk, and America

[Here’s part of a recent comment, dealing with American economic oppression around the world and the Biblical implications of that.]

“One thing that some of us who are concerned about the collapse of the global economy can say, which supporters of the war in Iraq probably can’t say, is that we hope we are all wrong. We hope we are misled, we hope we are off-track. We wish years of peace for us all, rather than logic kicking in, whereby this nation-state will reap what it has sown. A nation can’t go around splintering everyone else’s economy worldwide without eventually getting it all back in spades.

Then the commenter references the following passage from Habakkuk as proof of that assertion.
Habakkuk 2:5-14

Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, so that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.

Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, even mockery {and} insinuations against him and say, ‘ Woe to him who increases what is not his– for how long– and makes himself rich with loans?’

Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, and those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. Because you have looted many nations, all the remainder of the peoples will loot you– because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants.

Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself. Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework. Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with violence!

Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts that peoples toil for fire, and nations grow weary for nothing?

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

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