Christ in the Scroll of the Twelve

Nahum & Habakkuk

Nahum
The book of Nahum is a prophecy of the judgement of God against Nineveh and Assyria. It is a good book, but I don’t see anything about Messiah.

Habakkuk
Habakkuk ministered shortly before the Babylonian captivity. This is an interesting book

1:5  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

In the context of Habakkuk, God is speaking of what he will do in Judah through the Babylonians. And Habakkuk actually stumbles over this himself.

Paul quotes this in his sermon in Acts 13 (v 40-41) and says it applies to Christ:

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

If you wonder why Paul’s quote is different than ours above it is because he is quoting from the Septuagint (or LXX; Greek version of the Old Testament):

Behold, ye despisers, and look, and wonder marvelously, and vanish: for I work a work in your days, which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you.

Paul uses this passage as the conclusion of his sermon. And in this sermon he makes no reference to Babylon. So, what is the work which Paul says God will do that they will not believe? As Paul said just before his quote, Acts 13:37-39

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

It would appear that while Habakkuk is referring to the Babylonians, this verse finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ


Habakkuk was distressed by this revelation from God (regarding Babylon), so he decided to wait upon God for understanding. And God spoke again:

2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

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.

Let me provide the Septuagint for this passage also. As we shall see it is relevant:

2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.
3 For the vision is yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not tarry.
4 If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith.

If fulfilled is the theme of the New Testament (see here) the just shall live by faith is the foundation of the gospel! Paul quotes this verse three times in the New Testament:

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

All four times this phrase occurs in the Bible it is translated, the just shall live by faith. When I read this I hear, Righteous people shall live their lives by faith. But this doesn’t seem to be relevant to Paul’s contention that we are justified or declared righteous by faith and not by works. However, every time this phrase occurs in the Greek the word order is the same, the just by faith will live. When I read it this way I hear, The one who is righteous by faith will live. Which is exactly what Paul is saying and why he quotes this: We are declared righteous by faith in Christ.

Adam Clarke acknowledges this:
“It is contended by some able critics that the words of the original text should be read: The just by faith shall live; that is, he alone that is justified by faith shall be saved: which is also true; as it is impossible to get salvation in any other way. This last meaning is probably the true one.”

All three times Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted in the New Testament it is clear he is using the LXX, so why does he never include my? Y’know, the just by my faith shall live? Ultimately, I don't know, but I believe the my faith of Habakkuk is equivalent to the faith of Christ of Paul. As we read in Philippians 3:9 for example, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Hebrews 10:36-39 has the fullest quote from Habakkuk:

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

This understands Habakkuk 2:3-4 as strongly referring to Christ. The Hebrew has, it will surely come, it will not tarry, but the Septuagint translates it as he will surely come, and will not tarry. And Paul understands this to be Christ: Christ will come again and will not tarry. So away with those who say, “If the Lord tarry...” There's no delay, He is coming and right on schedule!

Finally, Paul here includes the phrase, if any man draw back because that is why he was writing to these people, they were thinking of going back to Judaism. God has no pleasure in the one who draws back. Faith in Christ is not merely a one-time-now-I’m-good-to-go thing; to believe in Christ to the saving of the soul is to believe to the end.

All this talk about faith. What is faith in Christ? What does it look like? I wrote about this here and here To believe in Jesus is to believe that he is the Son of God, the Christ, who died for you, rose again, and is now Lord, and to trust him to forgive your sins and restore you to God.


3:13  Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.
I believe salvation with thine anointed refers to Christ.

Adam Clarke said, “The sense is very far-fetched when applied to Jesus Christ.” I am usually a fan of Adam Clarke … but hey, everybody makes mistakes!

John Gill, “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of that people, even for salvation with thine anointed,.... Or, "thy Messiah"; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret of Messiah the son of David; and read and give the sense of the words thus, "as thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, by bringing them into the land of Canaan, so do thou go forth for salvation with thy Messiah.'' ”

John Calvin, ‘Thou wentest forth, he says, 'for the salvation, for the salvation of thy people...’ He adds, ‘with thy Christ.’ This clause still more confirms what Habakkuk had in view - that God had been from the beginning the deliverer of his people in the person of the Mediator. ”

I admit, few commentators agree with me on this ... Gonna be some red-faced people in that Day!

the one who is righteous by faith shall live