Habakkuk 2:4

Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:4

In chapter 1, Habakkuk asks God two questions: Why is God not punishing the sin of the people (Habakkuk 1:2-4) and then when God is planning to execute punishment, why is He going to use an unjust nation for His purposes (Habakkuk 1:12-13)? Today’s verse and verse 5 are a portion of God’s answer to Habakkuk’s second question, and these two verses contrast the just and the wicked. The Hebrew word for just can also be translated as righteous, upright, or innocent with a status of being justified before God.

The apostle Paul later quoted this verse in Galatians 3:11 where he says, “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall live by faith.”  Paul explained that our works cannot save us and that, apart from Christ, we are under the curse of the law (Galatians 3:10). However, Christ has redeemed us, having become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). 

We can never justify ourselves before a holy and righteous God, but by placing our faith in Christ Jesus, we can stand before God clean from sin, because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  Praise God that by His grace we have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Pastor Jeff Mericle