The Pulpit Commentary — Habakkuk — Section 23

ever mischief men design to inflict upon his people, he purposes to bring good out of it; and his counsel shall stand. III. RE REGARDS HIS HOLINESS AB AN OCOASION FOR PERPLEXITY, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, e.nd boldest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the me.n that is more righteous than he?" Jehovah is the Holy One. His holiness is essential, underived, indestructible, reflected in all consciences. He is of" purer eyes than to behold evil." His eyes do behold iniquity. There iR no sin that comes not wit.hin his glance. What the prophet means, I presume, is-'l'hou art of" purer eyes" than to behold iniquity with satisfaction. It is that "abominable thing" which God l11~tes. Now, this holiness was the occasion of perplexity to the propbet. As if he had said, "Since thou a.rt holy, why allow such abominations to take place? why permit wicked men to work such iniquities, and to inflict such sufferinii; upon the righteous?" This has always been a source of perplexity to good men. That a holy God, who has the power to prevent such iniquities, should allow them to occur, abound, and continue, is one of the great mysteries of life. CoNOLUSION. Let us, in all our troubles, like the prophet, look to the Everlasting One, and bold firmly the conviction that, notwithstanding the abounding of evil in the world, He is the Boly One, and is of " purer eyes" than to approve of wickedness. "Courage, brother, do not stumble; Tbough thy path be dark as night There's a star to guide tbe humble; Trust in God, and do the right. "'Let the road be rough and dreary, And its end far out of sight; Foot it bravely, strong or weary: Trust in God, and do the right. "' Perish policy e.nd cunning, Perish e.11 that fears the light; Whether losing, whether winning, Trust in God. and do the right. ,. Trnst no party, sect, or faction ; Trust no leaders in the fight; Bnt in every word and action Trust in God, and do the right. " Simple rnle and safest guiding, Inward peace and inward might, Star upou onr path abiding : Trust in God, e.nd do the right. "' Some will hate thee, some will love thee, Some will flatter, some will slight ; Cease from man, e.nd look above thee : Trust in God, and do the right." (Norman McLeod.) D.T. Vel'I!. 14-11.-Bapa,cwus selfishness in power. "And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over tbem. They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad," etc. In Nebuchadnezzar you have rapacious selfishness in power. He is here represented by implication as treating the Jewish people as a fisherman treats the fish in the sea. His aim is to catch them by "angle," "net " and "drag " and turn them to his own vile use. " These figures are not to be interpreted with ~uch speciality as that the net and fishing-net answer to the sword and bow· but the hook, the net, and the fishing-net, as the things used for catching fish, refer' to all the means which the Chaldeans employ in order to subdue and destroy the nations. Luther interprets it correctly. 'These hooks, nets, and fishing-nets,' he ~ays, 'are nothing more than his great and powerful armies, hy which he gained CIH, I. 1-17.) THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK. 21