READING TIME: 1 MINUTE
August 26, 2019
David, what does Habakkuk 2:4 (the just shall live by faith) mean in its original context?
Habakkuk is concerned that God could use the sinful Assyrians, to purge His people. He goes to the Lord to complain, but God’s answer nullifies the complaint: “The just shall live by faith.” Relax, Habakkuk. I may use a dirty vessel to clean my nation, but I am still fair. Those within the nation who put their faith in Me shall live. The just shall live by faith. Though the nation may be swept downstream, those individuals who swim upstream, by faith, will be saved.
So, Habakkuk was addressing the faithful remnant in Israel and telling them how to face a looming invasion by having faith that God is working in and through that event. In other words, he was calling upon Israel to live by faith and to continue to trust God in the face of a terrible vision (Habakkuk 2:1-3) regarding a future invasion by Babylon (Habakkuk 1:5-11).
Sources Used
Anderson, David R. Free Grace Soteriology: 3rd Edition. Grace Theology Press, 63.
Bing, Charles C. Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages. Grace Theology Press, 51.
Dillow, Joseph. Final Destiny: The Future Reign of The Servant Kings: Fourth Revised Edition. Grace Theology Press, chapter 13; footnote 580.
