Homilist Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Whether the man whose soul here is represented as "lifted up," refers to the unbelieving Jew, or to the Babylonian, is an unsettled question amongst biblical critics; and a question of but little practical moment. I. A good man is a HUMBLE man. This is implied. His soul is not "lifted up." Pride is not only no part of moral goodness, but is essentially inimical to it. A proud Christian is a solecism. Jonathan Edwards describes a Christian as being such a "little flower as we see in the spring of the year, low and humble in the ground, opening its bosom for the beams of the sun, rejoicing in a calm rapture, suffusing around sweet fragrance, and standing peacefully and lowly in the midst of other flowers." Pride is an obstruction to all progress and knowledge and virtue, and is abhorrent to the Holy One. "He resisteth the proud, but gives grace to the humble." II. A good man is a JUST man. The just shall live by his faith." To be good. is nothing more than to be just. 1. Just to self. Doing the right thing to one's own faculties and affections as the offsprings of God. 2. Just to others. Doing unto others what we would that they should do unto us. 3. Just to God. To be just to self, society, and God, this is religion: III. A good man is a CONFIDING man. He lives "by his faith." This passage is quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; it is also quoted in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 10:38). (Homilist.). Parallel Verses KJV: Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.WEB: Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith. |
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