44 However, he did not want to pass over the history of Enoch, who was the seventh from Adam, as it is particularly excellent, although he is also very short in it. For with the others he only puts the names and number of years; Enoch, however, he paints in such a way that it seems that he did not pay attention to the other patriarchs and obscured them, as it were, as they were godless or were not respected by God. For did not Adam, Seth, Kenan and their descendants also walk before the Lord? Why then does he praise such things of Enoch alone? Or is Enoch so taken up by God that the other patriarchs are not with God and live? But now they are certainly alive and we will see them shining in the greatest glory on the last day.
45 Why then does Moses prefer Enoch to them, and why does he not praise others who, although they were not taken away from God but died, also lived a godly life? We have also heard from Enos above that great things happened in his time, namely, that they were called to be gods.
The people of Enoch, who had begun to call on the name of the Lord, that is, God's word and the right service of God had begun to grow again and to come into pregnancy; therefore, at that time, they also walked divinely. But why does Moses not say this about Enos, but says it about Enoch alone? Because these are his words:
Enoch was five and threescore years old, and begat Methuselah. And after he begat Methuselah, he continued in a godly life three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters; so that all his days were three hundred and five and threescore years. And while he lived a godly life, God took him away, and he was seen no more.
46) That he says he led a godly walk or life is not to be understood in the same way as the monks understand it, that he hid himself in a corner and led a monastic life there; but the whole patriarch is to be placed on a lampstand or, as Christ says Matth. 5:14, 15, on a mountain, so that he may shine in the public ministry.
(47) As Jude also praises him in his epistle. "He says, v. 14, 15, "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, has spoken of such, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with many holy ones continually, to execute judgment upon all, and to punish all their ungodly, for all the works of their ungodly doings, that they have been ungodly, and for all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Where Judas got this from, I do not know, but it is likely that the patriarchs' holy sayings and works have remained in people's memories and have been passed on from one to the next; perhaps they wrote them themselves. So now Moses publicly praises this preaching ministry and lifts up the God-fearing Enoch like a bright sun above all other teachers and patriarchs in the first world.
48 From this we see that in Enoch there was a peculiar defiance of the Holy Spirit and an excellent good courage, so that with the highest confidence and boldness he stood alone before the other patriarchs against Satan and the Church of the Cainites.
has. For as I have said above, to walk godly is not to run into a wilderness or to hide in a corner, but to come forth according to one's profession, and to lie down against the iniquity and wickedness of Satan and of the race, confessing the seed of the woman, condemning the religion and pretensions of the world, and preaching of another life after this by Christ etc.
(49) Such was the status of the pious Enoch three hundred years as the highest prophet and high priest, who had six patriarchs for teachers. Therefore Moses praised him as the best disciple, who had been instructed and taught by many excellent masters, and had been so graced and adorned by the Holy Spirit that he had been a prophet of all prophets and a saint of all saints in the first bet. Thus Enoch is first of all great because of his profession and preaching ministry.
50 Secondly, it is also praised before others because God wanted it to be an example for the whole world to comfort and strengthen faith in the life to come. Therefore, this text should be written in letters of gold and deeply engraved in the heart.
(51) And here is shown once more what it means to walk before God, that is, to preach of another life than this; to teach of the seed that is to come, how the serpent's head is to be crushed and Satan's kingdom destroyed. For this was Enoch's sermon, who was a husband and a householder, had a wife and children, governed his household and provided food through his work; lest one think of a monastic life, which seems to be a godly walk before God. Since the pious man had lived three hundred years after Methuselah was born in the highest devotion, faith, patience and innumerable crosses and misfortunes, which he overcame through faith in the future Seed, he was no longer seen.
52) Here consider how weighty and significant these words are; he does not say, as he has done of other patriarchs, "He has died," but, "He is no longer seen.
which all teachers have diligently noted as a certain proof of the resurrection of the dead. In Hebrew it is interpreted recently, but very emphatically; for thus it is written, "And Enoch walked with God," veenennu, "and not he," thus indicating that he was lost or disappeared unexpectedly and contrary to all the other patriarchs' opinion, and was no longer among men.
Therefore, his father and grandfather will undoubtedly be greatly shocked at the loss of such a great man. For they knew with what diligence and earnestness he had taught the fear of God and how much he had suffered for it. How do you think they must have felt, having lost so suddenly such a man who had testified to his piety before God and man?
(54) Now give either an eloquent poet or orator, who could act this text as it is worth, and as it should be acted upon. Enos, Seth, and all the other patriarchs do not know where Enoch has gone; therefore they seek him, his son Mechusalah seeks him, the other children and children's children seek him. And because the Cainites were suspicious of wickedness, they may have thought that Enoch was slain by them, like Abel, and buried secretly, until they were finally told by God's revelation through an angel that he had been saved by God Himself and placed in Paradise. They did not learn of this soon after the first day or the next, but perhaps after many months or years. However, they lamented the misery of this holy man as if he had been slain by the Cainan hypocrites. For this rule and order is always kept, that before consolation comes, one always feels the cross and suffering first. For God comforteth no man but they that mourn, neither quickeneth any but they that die, neither justifieth any but sinners: for out of nothing he maketh all things.
55Therefore it must have been a very great cross and suffering of the holy patriarchs, that they had lost the man and could see him nowhere, who had been the whole
He had ruled the world with wholesome and healthy teachings and had done many good things throughout his life. Because they mourned and grieved over the fall of the holy man, they were comforted and it was revealed to them that the Lord had taken Enoch away. We have no such text from any man, except from Elijah alone. So God soon wanted to testify and prove in the first world with a public example that he had prepared another life for his saints, in which they should live with him.
(56) The Hebrew word lakach does not mean, transtulit, has accepted, as it reads in our translation, but: He took unto Himself; and these are the words of life, which God hath revealed by an angel unto Enoch's father, and unto all the generation of the saints, that they might have comfort and promise of eternal life, not in word only, but also in work, as they had of Abel before. For how sweet and comforting do you think this sermon was to them, when they heard that Enoch did not die, nor was he slain by the wicked, nor was he taken away by Satan's cunning and deceit, but was taken up by the living and almighty God Himself?
57 And this is the special decoration that Moses wanted to show in this chapter, namely, that the Almighty God does not take to Himself geese, nor cows, nor wood, nor stones, nor dead men, but Enoch himself; to show that a much better life is reserved and appointed for men than this one here, which is full of all misery and unhappiness. For even though Enoch is a sinner, he passes away from this life in such a way that God gives him another and eternal life, because he lives with God and God takes him to Himself.
(58) Enoch therefore walked before God, that is, he was a faithful witness in this life, that after this life men should live in an eternal life for the sake of the promised seed. For this is the right life before God, not the natural life, which is subject to voluptuousness.
is thrown. And as Enoch preached these things continually, so God also fulfills and makes true in him this sermon, that we should believe and certainly believe that Enoch was a man, like us, born of flesh and blood, like us, taken from the fleshly Adam to God, and now lives a divine, that is, an eternal life.
59 Before the same generation of holy fathers knew this, it must have been terrible to hear that Enoch, such a holy man, had gone away and disappeared in such a way that no one knew where he was or how he had perished. Therefore, the dear parents and forefathers were in great distress; but afterwards they were again excellently rejoiced and comforted, since they heard that their son lived with God Himself and was transferred by God into an angelic life.
This comfort God shows to Seth, who was the highest prophet and high priest of the time, "after his father Adam had already slept seven and fifty years in the faith in the giving seed and he was now in the eight hundred and sixty years old. The same, when he is now old and well-bedded, and therefore without doubt (assured in faith in the giving Seed) waits with great desire for the redemption of his body and desires to be gathered to his people, he dies with great willingness shortly thereafter, namely, after two and fifty years; which will have been a short time for him and the holy old man will have made his will in it, visited his sons and children's children, preached and admonished them that they should persevere in the faith of the promised seed and hope for an eternal life, to which Enoch, his son and their father, would be taken up and now lived with God. In this way, the holy old father stayed among his own throughout the time, blessed each one especially and took leave of them, comforting and teaching himself and them in joy and in old age.
61, If I should die within six moons, I would hardly have time enough to make my will; for then I wanted to teach the people what the summa would be mei
I wanted to admonish them and urge them to persevere in this, and as much as I could see and think for myself, I wanted to warn them and admonish them that they should beware of the doctrine. This could not be directed to a day or a month. Therefore, the fifty years that Seth lived after Enoch was taken up were a very short time (for spiritual people have a much different way of reckoning their time than the children of this world), in which he taught his people of the glorious comfort that after this life there was hope for another, which God revealed in taking Enoch, who was our flesh and blood, to Himself.
62 Therefore do not follow your lusts, but despise this life and hope for a better one. For where is trouble and misfortune that is not in this life? How many diseases, how many great dangers, how many terrible accidents it is subjected to! That we remain silent about the highest misery, namely, the spiritual misery, so' the conscience exercises and plagues, as there is, the law, the sin and the death itself.
(63) What is it, then, that you desire this life so fervently, and it seems that you cannot be satisfied with it? If God would not let us live for the sake of praising Him, thanking Him and serving our brethren, we should shorten it for ourselves. Therefore, let us diligently render this obedience to God, and hasten with sighs to the righteous life to which my son and your brother, Enoch, is admitted by God Himself. Such and such will have been taught by the holy old man after the recognized consolation. And no doubt, after they understood that Enoch had been taken up to immortality by the Lord while still alive, they would have wished that they could also be redeemed from this miserable life in the same way, or even through death.
64 If the holy fathers had such a great desire for the life to come for the sake of Abel and Enoch, who they knew lived with God, how much more should we, who have the Prince of life, the Lord Christ, do so?
Himself? as Peter calls Him in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 3:15; in whom they believed that he would come, but we know that he appeared and went to the Father, that he might prepare the place for us, and sit at the right hand of his Father, and represent us. Should we not sigh for the things to come and be hostile to these temporal things? For it was not Enoch or Abel who showed us the hope of a better life, but Christ himself, who is the Prince and Lord of life. Therefore, we should generously despise this life and this world and sigh with all our hearts, longing for the future honor and glory of eternal life.
But here we feel how great is the weakness of our flesh, which rages and rages with diligence and love for temporal things, but does not look forward at all to the most certain life to come. For how could it not be certain, since we have so many witnesses to this, Abel, Enoch, Elijah, even the head and first fruits of the resurrection, Christ Himself, 1 Cor. 15:20, 23. Therefore the godless Epicureans find it well worth their while that God and man are enemies to them; and our own flesh is also worthy of this, which often tempts us to an Epicurean nature, because we drown so deeply in temporal concerns and so surely despise eternal goods.
(66) Therefore, we should keep these words in mind and take them diligently to our hearts, that Enoch was not taken away by a patriarch or an angel, but by God Himself. For this is the comfort which made the death of the holy patriarchs easier and gentler, so that they also departed from this life with joy. . For they saw that the seed which was promised to them, even before he came, would lie with Satan in the field, and would bruise his head in Enoch. They also had such hope of themselves and all their faithful descendants, and most surely despised death, as not being death but only a sleep from which they would awake again to eternal life. For to the faithful, death is not death but sleep. For if the terror, the sting and the power of the
death is gone, it cannot be called death. Therefore, the greater and stronger faith is, the weaker death is; but the weaker faith is, the more violent and bitter death is.
67 And our sin is held up to us here once again. For if Adam had not sinned, we human beings would not have died, but, like Enoch, would have been taken up from this natural life to a better and spiritual one without any fear or sorrow. But because we have now lost life, this history shows us that we should not despair of the restitution of paradise and life. The flesh cannot be without pain and suffering, but when the conscience is satisfied, death comes to us like a swoon, through which we pass into rest. But in the innocent nature also the flesh should not have felt pain; for we would have moved away as through a sleep, from which, as soon as we awoke, we would have been in heaven and an angelic life. But because the flesh is corrupted by sin, it must die and be erased by death. Thus, perhaps Enoch fell asleep on a green lawn in prayer and ascended in sleep from God without pain and death.
(68) Therefore, let us remember this text, which Moses did not want to pass over, but to show it as a special history of the first world. For what more excellent thing could have happened than that a corruptible sinful man, born of flesh and blood and defiled and corrupted by sin, should thus overcome death and yet not die? Christ is a man and righteous, but our sins make him subject to the most bitter death, from which he is redeemed on the third day and rises to eternal life. Therefore this is a special thing with Enoch, that he does not die, but is raised without death into a spiritual life.
69) The rabbis are a common enemy, because what is especially good in the Scriptures, they falsify in the most shameful way. As they do here of Enoch much useless gossip, that he may well have been pious and holy.
but was very much inclined to carnal pleasures. Therefore, God had mercy on him and prevented him with death, so that he would not sin and be condemned. Dear, does this not mean that the text is masterfully falsified? For what is it necessary to say of Enoch alone that he had evil inclinations, as if the other patriarchs had not also had and felt them? And why do they not pay attention to the fact that Moses says twice that he walked before the Lord? This is indeed a testimony that he did not dwell on his temptations, but overcame them, strong in faith. But when the Jews speak of evil inclinations, they mean fornication, avarice and similar movements. But Enoch undoubtedly lived in severe temptations and felt the stake with Paul, 2 Cor. 12, 7, and fought daily against the old serpent. Finally, however, when he had been afflicted and weighed down with all kinds of temptations, the Lord called him to depart from this life and enter into a better one.
(70) But what kind of life he now lives in, we, who are still flesh and blood, cannot know. But we have enough to know that he was also taken up with the body, which the patriarchs undoubtedly knew from the revelation, and who needed such comfort when they also died. We know this much, but what Enoch did, where he was and what kind of life he led, we do not know. We do know that he is alive, but not in this natural life, for he is with God, as the text clearly says.
Therefore, this is a remarkable and excellent history by which God wanted to assure the first and initial world and make certain the hope of a better life after this one. Afterwards, in the other world that had the Law, He gave the example of Elijah, who was also taken away by the Lord in the presence and appearance of His servant Elisha. But we are in the New Testament as in the third world, and have much clearer example, the Lord Christ our Savior Himself, who went to heaven with many other saints. For
God wanted the world to bear witness to the resurrection of the dead at all times, so that He could lead our hearts and minds away from this stinking and utterly miserable life, in which we serve God as long as it pleases Him, with obedience in all kinds of worldly offices, and especially by instructing others and bringing them to the fear and knowledge of God. But we do not have a permanent city here, Hebr. 13, 14. For Christ went to the Father to prepare a place for us, Joh. 14, 3.
(72) As we may now find among us those who consider such teaching ridiculous and unbelievable, there is no doubt that this history, at the time it happened, would have been considered foolish and mocking by the majority of people. For the world always keeps its kind. That is why such histories are written in the holy scriptures by divine counsel and will, and are written for the saints and believers to read, understand, believe and follow. For they obviously prove the victory over death and sin, and also show certain comfort in the overcoming of the law, wrath and judgment of God on Enoch. Therefore, pious and God-fearing people could not have anything more lovely, nor more pleasant, than such histories.
But in the New Testament, God's mercy is quite exuberant. For although we do not reject such histories, we have much greater ones, namely, the Son of God Himself, who ascends to heaven and sits at the right hand of His Father. In him we see that the serpent's head is completely crushed and that life is restored, which we lost in paradise. This is much more and greater than that Enoch and Elijah were taken up, and in this way God wanted to comfort the first world and the other world that had the Law.
74 This, then, is the main doctrine held out to us in these five chapters, namely, that men died and came to life again. For through Adam they all died, but those who believed came to life again through the promised seed, as the story of Abel shows.
and Enoch testifies. In Adam, Seth and others death is clearly indicated, because it is written: "And died". But in Abel and Enoch is shown the resurrection of the dead and an immortal life. To this belongs all this, that we should not despair in death, but consider it certain that those who believe in the promised seed will live and be taken up to God, whether out of water or fire, or from the gallows, or from the grave. Therefore we want to live and shall live in an eternal life, which is after this life, through the promised Seed.
Fourth Part.
Of Lamech and his son Noah.
V. 28, 29: Lamech was an hundred and two and fourscore years old, and begat a son. And called his name Noah, saying, He shall comfort us in our labour and our labours upon the earth, which the Lord hath cursed.
Genesis 75 touches only incidentally on the history of the name of Noah, which is nevertheless worthy of careful consideration. Lamech had already lived when Enoch was taken away from this life into another and immortal one. Because of this, God showed such honor and such a glorious miracle that He took Enoch, a man like us, and from a lowly and despised state (for he was a husband and a householder who had sons, daughters, servants, fields and cattle) into an eternal life: then the holy fathers became full of courage and joy and came to think that the joyful day of fulfilling the promise was now near at the door. For God, by receiving Enoch to Himself alive, had shown them His grace and mercy in a special way.
76) Just as Adam and Eve, after God had made the promise to them, had come to hope that Cain would be the same promised seed, because they saw that he was a man, as they were: so also I consider that Lamech from
He said, "He will comfort us and help us out of the misery of this life; now the original sin and the punishment for it will cease, and we will be restored to our perfect righteousness; the curse that the earth bore because of Adam's sin will also cease, along with all the misery and suffering that has come upon the whole human race because of sin.
Thus, when Lamech sees that his grandfather is moved into paradise without any sorrow, without sickness and death, he thinks that it exists that the whole paradise follows, considers that Noah is the promised seed that will restore the whole world; for he clearly insists that the curse should be taken away. Now the curse or punishment of sin cannot be taken away unless the original sin itself is taken away.
Therefore the rabbis, the harmful and cursed corrupters of the Scriptures, are worthy to be hated. For they falsify and pervert this text thus: He will give us rest from the works and labor of our hands, that is, he will show us an easier way to build the earth, namely, that it can be plowed with oxen harnessed together and does not have to be dug with human hands, as has been the practice until now. Now I am surprised that Lyra also accepts this opinion and follows them, who should know the usual way to falsify the Scriptures, which the Jews use everywhere, namely, that they draw what is spiritual only on the physical, that they have fame with men. For what can this holy patriarch be accused of more unreasonable than that he should rejoice over his son Noah's birth for the sake of this benefit, which belongs to the belly?
79 For his heart was troubled with another sorrow, namely, the wrath of God and death with all the other miseries of this life, which he hoped Noah would put an end to, so he leaped for joy, proclaimed good things beforehand, and put others off on this hope. But for the plow and cattle and other small things, so to this
He did not worry, as the blind Jews rave; but he hoped that his son Noah would be the future seed, who would bring back the previous state in paradise, in which there had been no corruption. But now, he says, we feel the curse even in the work and deeds of our hands, that the earth bears thorns and thistles, even though it is built with the greatest diligence. But now a new and blessed time will come, and the cursing of the earth, so that we are punished for sin, will cease, because sin will cease. This is the right understanding and opinion of this text.
But the pious father is deceived and mistaken. For the honor of bringing back all that we lost in paradise should not belong to a man's son, but to God's son. Therefore the rabbis are foolish. For although the earth is not dug with hands, but plowed with animals, the work of hands has not yet ceased, and the taking away of Haystack pointed not to a bodily comfort, which would serve the belly and be pleasant, but to the redemption from sin and death. Therefore Lamech also hoped that everything would be restored to the first state through Noah; for he saw that the beginning of such change had already taken place in his grandfather Enoch, and was certain that the redemption and restitution of all things was now at the door. As Eve also said when she gave birth to her first son, "I have overcome the man of the Lord," that is, the one who is to cancel the punishment that lies on us because of sin and restore us to the first estate. As Eve was deceived at that time, so here, out of great desire that the world would be set right, the pious Lamech is also deceived.
81. And these examples show how sincerely the holy patriarchs desired, hoped for, and sighed for this redemption. For though they may have erred, as Eve miscarried with Cain and was deceived, yet this desire for redemption is of the Holy Spirit and indicates that they had true and abiding faith in the promised Seed; and
That Eve calls her son Cain, Lamech his son Noah, these are words, as St. Paul calls it Rom. 8, 22, to the anxious and longing creature, which thinks that there is the resurrection of the dead, redemption from sin and restitution of all lost goods. Therefore this is the simple and right opinion: that after Lamech, the grandson, sees that his grandfather Enoch is taken away from this misery, fear and work of original sin with certain meaning and indication of a future life, and a son is born to him, he calls him Noah, that is rest. For he hopes that through him redemption from the curse of sin and sin itself shall come to pass. This interpretation is according to faith and affirms the hope of resurrection and eternal life.
Therefore, you can see from this how terribly ungrateful the present world is, because these most holy people, of whom we are not worthy to wipe their shoes, show such a great desire of the future life everywhere. But how far is it from each other to have a thing and to desire it? These patriarchs were the holiest of men and adorned with the highest gifts, as the true heroes of the whole world: nor do we see that the highest desire for the future Seed, the Lord Christ, was with them; whom they considered the highest treasure, hungered and thirsted after him, and burned with love for him. But we, who have Christ among us, given, bestowed and glorified, sitting at the right hand of God and representing us, despise him and consider him much less and less worthy than any other creature. O sorrow upon sorrow! O sin upon sin!
Therefore we see how unequal the world has been at all times. The first world is the best and holiest, in which are the noblest gems of the whole human race. After the Flood there were also some glorious and great men, patriarchs, kings, prophets, who, though they are not like the patriarchs before the Flood, are seen to have a special desire for Christ, as Christ Himself says in Luc. 10:24: "Many prophets and kings desired to see,
which ye see, and have not seen." But our time, which is the time of the New Testament, in which Christ came, is, as it were, the shell and basic soup of the world; for it holds nothing less than Christ, since the former world had nothing more noble nor more precious than this treasure.
What is the cause of this misery? Our dear holy flesh, the world and the devil. For we soon tire of the present, as it is said and true: What is strange, always makes love; what is mean, is soon despised. And as a poet says: Minuit praesentia famam. (In reality, nothing is so beautiful as we see it in our thoughts.) As far as revelation is concerned, we are richer than the patriarchs; but they held much more dear also a much lesser revelation and were, as it were, lovers of this bridegroom. But we are the fat, full, horny, thick and strong servant, Deut. 32, 15; because we have the word abundantly and are too abundantly showered with it.
(85) As the first world was the best and holiest, so the last is the worst and most wicked. Since God has not spared the first world, but has also corrupted the other world, destroying one monarchy after another, one empire after another, what do we think will happen to the last world, which most certainly despises Christ, the comfort of all the Gentiles, as he is called in Haggai 2:8, who nevertheless imposes himself on us through his word and the dear sacraments, to such an extent that we grow tired of him and are disgusted with him?
V. 32. Noah was five hundred years old and begat Shem, Ham and Japheth.
This also is very briefly spoken, but Moses does according to his way, and sums up great and important things with very few words, from which an industrious reader does not pay attention. What is it then (someone might say) that Noah only begets children in his five hundredth year? It must be either a special and great temptation, so he had the marriage so long without children, or must be the highest chastity, so he
has been able to abstain from a woman for so long, which seems more likely to me. Of the Papists' shameful chastity I say nothing here; of ours neither. Look at the prophets and apostles, item, the other patriarchs also, who were undoubtedly chaste and holy people: but what were they compared to this Noah, who is a man and yet lived chastely for five hundred years without marital status?
In our time you will hardly find one in a thousand who abstains from wives until his thirtieth year. But Noah, having lived so many years without a wife, finally entered into matrimony and begat children. This is a certain proof that he was capable of marriage before that time, but for some reason he abstained from it.
(88) Therefore, first of all, he had a special gift for keeping chastity and an almost angelic nature, for it seems impossible for a man to live five hundred years without a wife. This also indicates that Noah had great displeasure with the world. For why else would he have abstained from marriage, but because he saw that his cousins had all become tyrants and filled the world with injustice and violence? That is why he thought he would rather be without children altogether than have them so advised. And I also think that he would never have taken a wife if he had not been admonished and commanded to do so either by the patriarchs or by an angel. For he that abstaineth from matrimony until the five hundredth year, shall also abstain therefrom in the remainder of his life.
Thus Moses indicates very great things in short words, and (an unskilful reader does not pay attention to this) since he seems to speak nothing of chastity, he praises Noah's chastity above all the chastity of those who were in the first world, so that he almost sets him as an example of angelic chastity.
90 The Jews lie here, as is their way, and pretend that Noah abstained from marriage because he knew that God would destroy the world with the flood: so he, like the other patriarchs, was now in time, about the hundredth year of his life.
or even less, he would have filled the world almost within four hundred years and God would have had to destroy him with his entire family. Then they also invented that Shem was called the firstborn because he was the first to be circumcised.
In sum, the Jews distort everything and direct it to their carnal mind and glory. If this is the reason why Noah abstained from marriage, why did not the other patriarchs also abstain from marriage and childbearing? Therefore they are stale and loose lies. Why do they not rather insist that this was a special gift to Noah, that he, since he was a man, abstained from married life for so many years? Therefore, such examples of such great chastity are not found at any time.
(92) The papists are annoyed that Moses so often says of the patriarchs that they begat sons and daughters, and say that the first book of Moses about creation is a book in which there is nothing more than that the patriarchs loved their wives too much; and they consider it a shameless thing that Moses so often and diligently remembers this. But the impure hearts cannot leave even the highest chastity unblasphemed.
For if you want to see good examples of chastity, read Moses, who says of the patriarchs that they did not enter into marriage until they were well advanced in years. And among these, Noah shines like a bright star, abstaining until the five hundredth year. You will not find such examples of such high chastity in the papacy. For although some of them do not sin in their bodies, they have nothing in their hearts but impure and shameless thoughts, and this is the punishment for despising the marriage state, which God has ordained as a remedy for the corrupt nature.
(94) But that Noah abstained was for another cause. For he did not condemn the married state, nor did he consider it an ungodly state, nor did he reproach it, but he saw that the children of the patriarchs, who had been before him, were wicked.
They have gone to the ungodly race of the Cainites. He could not suffer such children, but waited in the fear of God for the end of the world. But that he nevertheless entered into matrimony and begat children, he undoubtedly did out of special admonition and command of God.
Now here is the question: How the sons of Noah succeeded one another, and this is worth asking, so that one may have the account of the years of the world all the more certain. Now it is the common opinion that Shem is the firstborn, because here his is thought to be the first. But the Scriptures enforce that Japheth is the firstborn, and Shem the next, and Ham the third. And this is proved thus: Two years after the flood Shem begat his son Arphachad, but Shem was then an hundred years old, Gen 11:10. Therefore Shem was old in the flood at eight and ninety years. But Noah was old when Shem was born, four hundred and eight and ninety years. Japheth was older than Shem, Gen 10:21, so it follows that Ham alone, the youngest brother, was born in the five hundredth year of Noah.
96. but Shem is preferred to Japheth not because he was first circumcised, as the Jews lie, seeking only carnal honor and glory, but because through him Christ, the promised seed, should come. And just in this way Abraham, the youngest son, is preferred to his brothers Haran and Nahor.
97) But how does this rhyme with the text that says that when Noah was five hundred years old, he begat Shem, Ham and Japheth? So it rhymes: if you turn the preterite into a plusquamperfectum and thus say: Since Noah was five hundred years old, he had begotten etc. For Moses does not say what year each one was born, but sets a year in which he says that these three sons were born to Noah. Thus the scripture unites at the very best.
98 And so Moses now concludes this fifth chapter with a very beautiful and noticeable example of chastity, that Noah was only as a
Before that, however, he was holy and chaste, and abstained from being married because he was angry that the youth of his ancestors had fallen into Cainian wickedness. But he is obedient to God when he calls him to be married, even though he could have lived fully without a wife and chastely.
So Moses describes the first and initial world through these five chapters with short and few words, but so that one can easily see that the first world was the holiest and a right golden time, of which the poets also say and have it without doubt from the tradition and teaching of the fathers.
When sins became strong and prevalent, God did not spare the first world, but destroyed it with the flood, just as He did not spare the others who were under the law. For because of idolatry and unrighteous worship, not only was one monarchy after another abolished, but God's people themselves, after many misfortunes and imprisonments, were finally completely devastated and destroyed by the Romans.
Our present world, which is the third world and yet a world of grace, is so full of blasphemy and abominations that it is impossible to speak them out with words or to reach them with thoughts; therefore it cannot be punished with bodily and temporal punishment, but it must be punished with eternal death and eternal hellish fire, or, that I speak thus, with the deluge of fire. For this is prophesied by the colors on the rainbow. The first is a watery color and means that the first world is punished with the deluge because of sin and fornication. The middle color is yellow, because God avenged the idolatry and godlessness of the middle world with various plagues. The third and highest color is fire, which will finally consume the world with all unrighteousness and sins.
Therefore, we must pray that God may rule and keep our hearts in His fear and make us full of faith and trust in His mercy, so that we may joyfully await our redemption and the punishment and judgments of the ungodly world, Amen! Amen!