In reminding us of how essential faith is to our maintaining Christian integrity and proving worthy of eternal life in the promised new order of righteousness, the apostle Paul quotes a further statement by God in the prophecy of Habakkuk. In that prophecy God first speaks of the one who is swelled up with pride, self-importance and self-confidence, having no faith in Jehovah. So this one is not an upright soul, not upright toward the one true and living God. After taking note of such a soul, Jehovah makes the statement that is quoted by Paul: “But my righteous one will live by reason of faith.” (Heb. 10:38; Hab. 2:4) Such faith induces the “righteous one” to be faithful, upright.

Nineteen centuries ago Paul took occasion to warn the Christianized Hebrews of such a danger, by adding the further quotation from Habakkuk’s prophecy, saying: “And, ‘if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’”​—Heb. 10:38.

14. What order does Habakkuk 2:4 follow in making the contrast between two different persons, but how does Paul reverse the order in Hebrews 10:38?

¹⁴ In Habakkuk’s prophecy, according to the early Greek translation, the Septuagint, Jehovah says: “If anyone draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him. But the just shall live by faith in Me.” (Hab. 2:4, Thomson’s translation) The one losing faith and drawing back gains Jehovah’s displeasure. This one is contrasted with the Christian who holds fast his faith in Jehovah and gains eternal life. In making his quotation Paul reverses the order of the two parts of Habakkuk 2:4. Paul puts the last part first.

15. Thus Paul gives us what cautioning, so appropriate in view of what test looming up before us?

¹⁵ Paul does this in order to caution us who have the Christian faith for the time being, for even now there is the danger that some of us may shrink back and fall away. “Consequently let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.” (1 Cor. 10:12) As the world under Satan gets more dictatorial, the pressure upon us increases. As we see the tremendous final test of our faithfulness looming up before us at the approach of the “great tribulation,” we might decide not to face it. We might lose faith and confidence in God. So we shrink back. We cease to endure trial.

16. How does a person who is unbelieving toward God act rashly?

¹⁶ Quite appropriately the Latin Vulgate version of Habakkuk 2:4 reads: “Behold, he that is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself: but the just shall live in his faith.” (Douay English Version) The Roman Catholic The New American Bible indicates that the Christian is “rash” in giving up his faith because of the mounting difficulties that he sees just ahead, so that he breaks his integrity toward God. It reads: “The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.”

17. What can be said about one’s being “rash” in marching right on in faith toward the “great tribulation”?

¹⁷ The Christian who marches right on in faith toward the “great tribulation” is not “rash” in doing so. The real rash one, the person swollen up with self-confidence, is the one who through disbelief toward God Almighty becomes a quitter. The quitter stops short of the reward, the fulfillment of God’s promise to the faithful. Jehovah God has no pleasure in quitters.