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16th March 2026
MondayReflection
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'Rachel Schmoyer'
I think my church, Whitehall Bible Fellowship
Church, is wonderful although I'm a bit biased
since my husband is the pastor.
My day job (really, my 24/7 job) is mum to our
four children. since 2008
"The Proud Chaldeans"
In the book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk asks God when He will punish his wayward people.
God answers that He will bring the Chaldeans to conquer them.
Habakkuk doesn't think it's fair for an enemy nation to win and tells God so.
God answers Habakkuk telling him that God has a plan for the Chaldeans to eventually be overthrown.
In the midst of God's answer to Habakkuk, in chapter 2 verse 4, God says:
And this is the message: 'Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.'"
In the context of the book of Habakkuk, God is comparing the proud Chaldeans who rely on their own strength to people like Habakkuk who realize that God is their strength.
At first it may not make sense for Paul to use a verse about the Chaldeans to talk about salvation, but it does make sense when we think about the issue of pride.
The Chaldeans were proud and dependent on their own strength which was no match for God's sovereign strength.
The same is true of salvation. You cannot rely on your own strength for salvation.
You must rely on God's strength through faith.
The only way to make your soul right is to live by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans is not the only time Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4
He also quotes it in Galatians 3:11
When Paul writes the book of Galatians, he is writing to remind the people that following the law does not give salvation.
Salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Again, he uses Habakkuk 2:4 to prove this point.
Galatians 3:11 says,
Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, "Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live."
Again this fits perfectly with Habakkuk's theme of pride.
If you think your righteousness stems from following the law, you are "a proud one" like the Chaldeans.
Salvation is not from the law, but from faith in Jesus Christ.
After Paul points out faulty pride by using Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans and Galatians, the writer of Hebrews uses Habakkuk 2:4 to give a picture of proper pride.
In Hebrews 10, the writer proves we can have the confidence to come before God because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice.
He also encourages God's people to have perseverance because of the confidence we have.
Right before the writer gives us examples of perseverance in chapter 11's Hall of Faith, the writer says in 10:38-39:
My righteous people, however, will believe and live; but if any of them turns back, I will not be pleased with them."
We are not people who turn back and are lost.
Instead, we have faith and are saved.
But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved."
Although we have no pride in ourselves that brings us to salvation, once we have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we are to live with proper pride, a confidence in Christ that pushes us to press on.
After all we have faith and faith means that we don't shrink back.
Once Habakkuk heard God tell him that "the righteous will live by faith," Habakkuk decided not to shrink back.
He praised the Lord and waited in faith for God to enact His justice.
Martin Luther, once he let go of his pride and came to Christ in faith, he did not shrink back at the Diet of Worms or when his life was in danger.
Martin Luther's proper placement of pride led him to change the world.
You, believer in Christ, you have accepted Christ's righteousness by faith for salvation so do not shrink back.
Live boldly. Change the world.
Be proud to be counted as one of God's people.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article is avaiable on request
Rachel Schmoyer
I think my church, Whitehall Bible Fellowship Church, is wonderful although
I'm a bit biased since my husband is the pastor.
My day job (really, my 24/7 job) is mom to our four children.
I have written devotionals for Light From the Word and The Quiet Hour.
My work will also soon be found in Highlights for Children and Thriving Family Magazine.
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