The Pulpit Commentary — Habakkuk — Section 42

faith. 2. Others have to pass through adverse scenes; and the faith that strengthens in prosperity will nlso sustain a.midst life's unfavourable influences, Resting in tho Lord and in the glorious assurances of his Word, his servants can outrido the severest storm, quietly ncqniescing e.nd bravely enduring, Ruskin remarks that there is good in everything in Go,l's universe, that there is hardly e. roadside pond or pool which has 11ot as much lnndsca.pe in it as a.hove it, the.t it is e.t our own will that we see in the.t despised stream either the refuse of the street or the image of the sky, that whilst the unobserv~nt me.n knows simply that the roadside pool is muddy, the great p11.mter ~ees beneath and behind the brown surface whe.t will t.ake him e. de.y'e work to follow, but he follows it, cost what it will, a.nd is amply recompensed, and that the great essential is a.n eye to apprehend and to e.pprecia.te the beautiful which lies about us everywhere in God's world. And this is whe.t we want spiritually-the eye of faith, and then shall we see, even in the most opposite of the experiences which meet us in life, God's gracious operation, and the vision shall thrill us with holy joy, "The just shall live by his faith." This life of faith is a life characterized by true blessedness. 'l'here can be no real happiness whilst we are opposing our will to the will of God; but if our will is renewed by his grace, if we are trusting in the Saviour and following him along the we.y of obedience to the Divine authority e.nd of resigna- tion to the Divine purpose, then amidst all the changing scenes of our life our pee.ea she.II flow like e. river, and we shall experience joy lasting 8.f:I God's tbrone.-S. D. H. Vers. 6--8.-0ovetousness. In the remaining portion of this chapter the propliet dwells upon the sins prevailing amongst the Cbe.ldee.ns, and indicates the misery these should entaiL His utterances, ta.ken together, form a se.tirice.l ode directed against the Chaldee.ns, who, though not named, are yet most clee.rly personified. In the general statement respecting them in ver. 5 allusion is made to their re.pa.city, and the first stanza in the song is specially directed to this greed, which was so characteristic of that ne.tion. 'l'be words of the prophet suggest to us respecting the sin of covetousness, that- I. IT IS UNSATISFYING IN ITS NATOJtE. It is compared (ver. 5) to He.des e.nd death, that cre.ve continually for more. "The covetous man is like Tantalus, up to the chin in we.ter, yet thirsty." Necessarily it must be so, for "a. man's life consisteth not in the e.bnndance of the things that he possesseth" (Luke xii. 15). Wealth can only yield satisfaction in proportion as it is e.cquired, not for its own sake, but to be consecrated to high aud holy purposes. George Herbert singe- •• Be thrifty, but not covetous. Get, to live 1 Then Jive and use it: else it is not true That thou he.et ~otten." II. IT LEADS TO INJUSTICE A!<D OPPRESSION, The covetous man "increaseth that which is not his" (ver. 6). He disregards the rights of others. He uses all who come within hie power witb a view to hie own aggrandizement. Self is the primary con- sideration with him, and influences all his movements. "He oppresseth the poor to increase his riches," a.nd •out of their grinding poverty and want he grows fat. He is ree.dy to te.ke any mean advantage so as to add to hie own·etores. He demands heavy security of the debtor, e.nd exacts crushing interest, and "ladeth himself with thick cle.y" (ver. 6), i.e. "loe.deth himself with the burden of pledges." III. IT INCURS &UBE RETRIBUTION. Whether this sin is committed by individuals or ne.tions, it is alike "woe" unto such; for there she.II assuredly follow Divine judg- ments. Habakkuk represents the ChaldeanR as one who had gathered men e.nd nations into his net (eh. i.14-17), and e.s he.ving "spoiled ma.ny nations" (ver. 8), and Jeremiah confirms these representations of their re.pa.city by describing them e.s "the hammer" (l. 23) a.nd the destroyer (li. 25) of the whole earth; and thoy also declare that there should overtake them certain retribution for the wrongs the.v had thus done aud the sorrows they bad thus occasioned, and that the spoiler ahould be at length spoiled (vere. 7, 8). In the destruction of th~ Chalde~n empire by th~ Medes e.nd Persians we he.ve the fulfilment of the threateumgs, whilst, at the same time, we hee.r the voice of God speakiug to us in the events of history an<l saying, "'l'ake heed, e.nd beware of covetousne86 l "-S. D. H. llll, II. 1-20.] THE BOOK 01<' llABAKKUK. 39