My Thoughts on Habakkuk 2:4 and Its Citation in the New Testament


Habakkuk 2:4 is the first time that the phrase "the just shall live by faith" is used. In the KJV, it's termed as just while modern versions use "the righteous" which is just as synonymous. A fuller context will tell us the following about the just living by faith in Habakkuk 2:3-5:

2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. 5 Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: (KJV) 
2 And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” (ESV) 

The context focuses on the sin of arrogance. It feels good to be arrogant. Arrogance is probably the most affordable drug known to man. I'd call it arrogance is the most affordable opium known to man. Opium is not very easy to come by. Shabu and cocaine take time to produce. Buying drugs from a drug dealer can be very difficult especially if you've got buy-busts going on. Arrogance is very well-seated in the human heart. All a person needs to do to get high without sniffing illegal drugs is to get a dose of arrogance. Arrogance means trying to feel high. Some arrogant people don't even have much as Proverbs 13:7 said. Proverbs 25:14 has arrogant people boasting yet they have nothing to brag about. Yet, this arrogance can make a poor person feel like he's already rich (hence remaining poor) or this arrogance can make a rich person become poor. People lose their money when they become drug addicts. People also lose a lot of money when their arrogance is at an all-time high. The statement of transgressing with wine (or as the ESV puts it as wine as a traitor) really makes you think how arrogance can be compared to being drunk. A drunk man spews out many words. An arrogant person does the same. It's really not so uncommon that some arrogant people like to get drunk to show off or to feel good about themselves. 

Meanwhile, the righteous are declared to live by faith in contrast to the arrogant man. The NIV's rendition is that the righteous lives by faith. The Apostle Paul quotes a portion of Habbakuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17 (which also talks about the arrogance of sinful man), Galatians 3:11, and presumably in Hebrews 10:38 since I believe Paul wrote Hebrews. What does faith mean? Faith in the New Testament is pistis which the word pisteon (believe) is related to it. Faith means trusting in someone or something. The righteous person, as God declares, lives by faith. This is not blind faith but a faith that chooses to trust God in contrast to self. the contrast has been with the arrogant man who is described to be never satisfied. When Romans 3:10-19 says that none is righteous, it's because we're all so tainted by our arrogance by default. How do you get out of the categories written in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 of being unworthy of becoming part of God's Kingdom? It requires faith in Jesus Christ alone to be saved from such unrighteousness to righteousness. 1 Corinthians 6:11 describes the miraculous turn from unrighteousness to righteousness as a result of receiving Jesus. This is true righteousness in God's eyes and not righteousness, humanly speaking. I don't deny we've got people who are righteous, humanly speaking, but such people are still wicked in God's eyes in one form or another. It's like a person can be living a decent life yet no idolater can enter Heaven. God's standards are much higher and only He can make one truly righteous. 

The KJV Study Bible also mentions six kinds or expressions of faith. Jude 3 refers to the Christian faith. Saving faith is trusting in Christ and Him alone for salvation (Acts 16:31). Justifying faith is the believer's reliance on the fact that God has declared one righteous (Genesis 15:6). Indwelling faith is trusting God's Word in and through us (Galatians 2:20). Daily faith is that day-by-day depended on God which is part of the sanctification process (2 Corinthians 5:7). The righteous live by all these kinds of faith. It's very easy to say that one has faith but if it has no works, then it's good as dead. James 2:14-26 makes it vocal that any faith that doesn't produce good works should be rejected as a sham. Hebrews 11 shows us the results of faith or the hall of faith. The hall of faith in Hebrews 11 wouldn't make sense if faith in God didn't result in good works. Abel couldn't offer an excellent sacrifice more than Cain if he didn't have that faith in God first. Noah wouldn't build the Ark or be obedient to do so if it wasn't faith. Abraham wouldn't embark on his journey to a strange new land if he didn't have faith. Faith that starts to trust Christ for salvation trusts Christ in sanctification. This faith isn't perfect yet but it's being perfected as proof of genuine faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it's impossible to please God without faith. Any true faith that puts its trust in Christ alone for salvation will result in a changed life that will grow as one lives by perfecting that faith in Christ.

The same faith kept itself strong even beyond the apostles. The Old Testament and the apostolic writings were compiled by early believers even before Rome formed its council. Centuries of persecution by the Roman Empire didn't stop Christianity. The rise of both the Roman Catholic institution and Islam didn't stop Christianity. There were already martyred Christians even before Martin Luther came out centuries later. The Reformers didn't want to be called reformers, they just wanted to be biblical. That should be the stand of what it means to be a righteous man living by faith.

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