V. 1. 2. And now, O Israel, hear the commandments and the statutes which I teach you, that ye do them, that ye may live, and come in, and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not do any thing that I command you, neither shall ye do any thing that I command you, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you.
In the fourth chapter of this book, Moses gives a beautiful, glorious preface to the Ten Commandments. As if I said to you, I will make a preface or give a rule that will serve as an admonition to you. Moses also says here, "Take care that you do not add to it or take from it. Moses has such a care, and it is well worth the care. For it is certain that when it comes to God's word or worldly law, even the best of ordinances, it is not kept by all means. Soon people come over it, who outsmart and master it. Therefore these words would be worthy to be written with golden letters on all walls. For
Moses wants to say: I would like to teach you something good, but you will not stay with it; see that you do not let yourselves be turned away from it.
2. the devil is our Lord God's monkey; he always has his logging roads and footpaths beside the paved way and the highway of the divine word, by which he deceives the people. This is what is happening now. Since one hears and knows what the gospel is, what Christ is, one still puts on and puts off as one pleases, as the fanatics and the sectarians do. So does the pope in Christendom; he carries his Decreta and Decretales to the preaching chair, and wants to master everyone, yes, God Himself. This is not to be; for nothing is to be added to the holy Scriptures, nor is anything to be taken from them.
3. listen, Israel, put your ears here, listen to what I am teaching you. Do not look at another; notice 1) what I teach you. This is an excellent preface, that he may bring the people
1) "merke" is missing in the Erlanger.
and keep on the right way. All words shall be written with large letters. This is his opinion recently, and this much he wants to say: No one teaches himself, nor another, but first hear me what I teach him.
4. "customs" and "rights", praecepta et judicia. I have it 1) gladly verdeutscht: praecepta, its "way", which is a common custom in the country. In Hebrew it is called chükka, which is now called ceremonies, in German: Weise, as an example, that one does not turn off the gate in some cities before seven o'clock. It is not a right, but a ceremony, a way. On the other hand, it is unwise if it is done without order, that is, not at the right time. So Moses divides his teaching into two parts, "ways" and "judgments," saying, "I will teach you, first, "ways," how to live; second, "judgments," how to judge.
5 "Wise" I refer to how one should live in worship, or how one should conduct oneself against God. Therefore, in the other Psalm, v. 7-, it is written: Praedicans praeceptum [id est],2 ) narrabo ceremoniam, "I will preach of such a way" how to live, that is, to believe in Christ. Summa, Moses wants to teach his audience a way how to live against GOD. After that "judgment", how to behave against man. "Law" is the secular regiment, the land law, city law, according to which the mayors and princes are to rule in external things, as it concerns house, court 2c. There "right" belongs to, as you Saxons have the Sachsenspiegel. Therefore one speaks: House right, woman right, daughter right. What more does a man want and need for this worldly life, than that he knows the art, how he should hold himself before God and men, that he knows to execute "wisdom" and "right"?
These two things Moses teaches abundantly. Hereby he draws the people to himself, but does not keep them in his person; he directs them away from him to Christ, that they may hear him, and look upon his dear and holy mouth. So shall we also do, and follow Mosiah in this, according to this.
1) namely in other places, e.g. Ps. 2, 7.
2) Added by us.
let the pope and the priests, as well as all kinds of spirits and teachers, speak what they want and cannot refrain from. For we are to be bound by the divine word, that is what we are to hear, and no one is to teach anything without God's word from his own head. So Moses binds them all to his mouth, and thus sets before all teachers his ways and examples. Again he condemns and contradicts all other pretensions, and says that he wants to teach alone, because he has good appearances and right. God has commanded him. Now, these two pieces are necessary, namely "wise" and "right". In the papacy they called it church pomp, and wanted to interpret it that way; but this word has been wronged.
7. "That ye should do them." This also belongs to it. For justice and wisdom are not presented to us for this reason, as if they were only secrets of wisdom, which one must speculate from the words of Moses, and then speak to the wind and speak in vain, or have glory and honor from them; as many before this time thought of them, and there are still a great many of them who make them dream of such things. But God does not want it to be so here, but that one should do it and live according to it; as in the first Corinthians [Cap. 4, 20] Paul also says: "The kingdom of God does not stand in words, but in power. Therefore this is how it should be done [Matth. 7, 21.]. We all boast of the gospel, but it is the doing that makes a Christian. So Moses says much with few words. This is also the right art to preach and to teach the people, so that they listen with benefit and get something out of it.
That you may live.
(8) Here he adds to it prophecy and promise. Promise that you will live and inherit the land if you keep the law. But forbiddance to the transgressors, as will be said below. He wants to say this much: I do not teach you only that you know it, but that you do it and live by it. If you do it, you will have land and people, happiness and prosperity; if not, you will be expelled from the land, as follows [v. 27]: If you do not obey, he will blow you up, as if you had not obeyed.
the wind blows away the dust or the chaff. These words are great and have the power to drive people away and cheer them up.
That you may come in and possess the land.
009 That is, that ye may have house, and estate, and wife, and child, and all manner of enjoyment. Again, if ye shall not obey, ye shall not only be cast out of the land, and driven out of house and home, wife and child, into misery, but ye shall also be miserably stabbed and slain. This is a strong admonition that makes the listeners diligent and cheerful, so that they do not hear God's word with sleeping ears, and never again remember that it is God's word, and they should do according to it. For this is how preaching should be approached and practiced, so that people listen diligently. But now they listen to the Ten Commandments and other sermons as if they were not obliged to listen, much less to do so; as was the case in the papacy of old, and still is, since it is thought to be only the word of men or the work of priests. But Moses wants to say here: Therefore it is preached that you should do it and keep it in all your life.
V. 2. You shall do nothing to it 2c.
010 See that ye keep the commandments which I give, and make them neither less nor greater. This is a big, strong word, which should be written with big letters, and is a thunderclap, so that it fends off all red spirits and false prophets, who are whimsical and have their own heads. For this text condemns all the doctrines of men, brings down heretics to the ground, and prophesies of their heart's recklessness that they reproach everything. But let no one follow them. Yes, if ten thousand prophets came and did not bring the law and the word of Moses, then conclude for certain that they are heretics.
With this text, Moses condemned all kinds of enthusiasts. And again, the text has made many prophets martyrs. For the prophets have punished Israel for idolatry from this text of the kings, and are
1) Here we have erased "not". In the issues: do not follow.
were all slain because of this punishment [Matt. 23:37, 1 Kings 22:24, Jer. 20:2]. For this was the way among the same people at that time: One preached this way, another that way, and then each pretended that they were not wrong, saying: Who art thou then? thinkest thou that thou hast the Holy Ghost alone with thee? From this text, I have set down many falsifiers, and Moses has put a pin in them here, over which they cannot.
This day this text is also hewing and thrusting about, and striking down all sects, all kinds of righteousnesses and pieties. Under the pope there are various ways, such as the preaching monks, Carthusians, Minorites, lay brothers, 2c., each has his own special way: one fasts to the saint, another to another, one runs to St. Jacob, another to the Grimmethal. He has forbidden all these ways here, and has given us only this one, namely: Believe in Jesus Christ and love him.
(13) They do not want to leave it at that, but [they] want us to accept the ways of the popes; if not, then one is burned over it as a heretic. But with these words we reject all our own devotion and human works, and should be slain over them as much as possible. Therefore this text is the shrine of all the godly who are unjustly slain. Abel was slain because he did not lead a way like Cain. This happened long before Moses preached these words, as it happens to us now. I will let Caesar do "right" as he pleases, but not a "way" shall he present to me in the things of God; for the Father in heaven has bound us to Christ's mouth, saying Matt. 17:5: "Him shall ye hear." So Moses also says here: "Do not add to it," that is, you should remain with the text of the divine word alone.
014 But if any man ask, What shall I do? Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets also had each his spirit, and wrote many books, which are not like one another, and Christ added and took much from them? To this therefore answer, That is not to add, if I cut out Mosiah's words, and explain them; if I keep only to his mind and opinion, then may
I can explain it with many words. Isaiah sticks to the ten commandments and the words of Moses; even if he has other people to whom he speaks and needs other words, that is not important. Isaiah, however, cannot speak of Pharaoh in Egypt, as Moses did; but he also had the very things he had to punish, but at a different time. Therefore, you will not find anything else in the prophets that rhymes with the Ten Commandments.
15 But this is what it means when someone wants to teach something different through reason. For example, we teach of Christ that he alone was made for us by the Father for righteousness, sanctification, redemption and reconciliation, 1 Cor. 1:30, but the papists come here and add to righteousness their piety, holiness and merit, as if one had to run to St. James. This will not compare together. To "put it" means to put something else and to extract it, as the devotees of the sacraments do; they let these words, "this is my body," remain in themselves according to the letter, but nevertheless take away the understanding, and interpret it differently; as that in the Lord's Supper there is not the true body and blood of Christ, but only the sign and meaning of the same. This is to drink away the true understanding, and instead to add another understanding to the words, for they would otherwise read. Otherwise there is no harm in using a hundred words; only that one and the true understanding remain. In short, one should bring no other understanding, but that one opinion and faith remain; without this it does not hinder at all, although other words are used. So the teachings of Moses and the prophets are the same, even though they did not use the same words. For the prophets also spoke, driven by the Holy Spirit [2 Petr. 1, 21].
16 This is the preface that belongs to such a salutary sermon, when he says: "Keep the commandments of your God that I command you. He says this so often that it is almost annoying for a carnal man to read. Moses uses these words many times, but he knows very well that it is not too much if he says it a thousand or more times, because it is very necessary. And he does
it is also because [it] happens in the world in such a way that always come who want to make it better. Thus the devil does not leave mastering, cleverness and overconfidence; it is his trade, which he started in paradise with Adam and Eve [Gen. 3, 4. 5.] and practiced until now, namely, to patch another mind to the word and commandment of God, and to want to make it better. Therefore, one must not be negligent, but courageous, and daily admonish against it.
That ye may keep 2c.
17 A strange appendix and warning is this. Who would have looked for it there? St. Paul, of course, also saw here, when he speaks to Tito in chapter 1, v. 10, 11: "There are many unruly and useless talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped; who turn whole houses, and teach that which is not fit, for shameful gain. And soon after he says, v. 13, 14: "For the sake of the cause, punish them severely, that they may be sound in the faith, and pay no attention to the Judean fables and commandments of men, which turn aside from the truth" 2c.
For this is the way of the doctrine of men, that it leads away from the faith and the commandments of God. 1) As St. Paul also says: "I exhort you to look out for those who cause division and offence, beside the doctrine which you have learned, and depart from them; for such do not serve your Lord Christ, but their own belly, and by sweet preaching and fine words they deceive the innocent heart. Which we have experienced so far under your papacy. As soon as an addition is made to God's commandment, man turns away from the ten commandments, and departs from the right word of truth and the ten commandments and the same understanding, and falls into seduction and error. In the past, people preached about faith, but they did not stick to it, but fell into works. Then came the holy Antonites and hermits, who fasted and did other things, and led the people away from Christ and faith in him to good works.
1) Erlanger: to lead away.
2c. This has come about because they have devoted themselves to monasticism alone and have even strayed from the teachings of faith to the statutes of men and life. This is a great departure from God.
19 And so it goes, if one does not pay attention to the difference between the spiritual and the physical kingdom; then "to add" means that people are turned away from the truth. Moses freely confesses this in this text: Where you add or subtract from it, you subtract. But if you want to keep it, beware of adding and subtracting, and beware of the wrong ways and byways, lest you be led on a monkey's tail. Daily experience shows that whoever wants to walk safely should stay on the road, or he will not get along. This Moses diligently admonishes, therefore one should also keep it seriously, that one does nothing to God's word, nor takes anything from it. Therefore, we should avoid the teachings of men and adhere to Christ's teachings alone.
20 Now you understand how far one should keep the commandments of men, namely, that one keeps them voluntarily, only in this life. For they do not belong in the other commandment, for the sanctification of God's name. Summa Summarum, God's commandments are not to be kept, unless one remains in what they teach. For as soon as one wants to add something else, one gets away with it. And that this is true, Moses speaks further of those who follow BaalPeor:
V. 3. 4. Your eyes have seen what the LORD has done against BaalPeor; for all who followed BaalPeor the LORD your God has destroyed from among you. But ye that follow the LORD your God, all ye shall live this day.
21 As if Moses wanted to say: Be wise in this, and take care that you neither add to nor subtract from the divine word, commandment and order. And that you may be most faithfully warned against this addition or subtraction, set before your eyes this example of how God destroyed those who forsook Him and adhered to the idol BaalPeor.
1) "eurem" is missing in the original and in the Erlanger.
(22) We have just heard how Moses exhorted the people in his preface, so that he would begin to interpret the Ten Commandments. Therefore here, in the following text, he takes special care to act on the first commandment, for from it flow as from one source, and the other commandments all follow and are directed by the first commandment. And [we] hear first of all that he says: "Do not make for yourselves an image" s2 Mos. 20, 4. 5 Mos. 5, 8]. There he wants us to make no image or idol, but to keep strictly to the word and voice of God, and to know that we are to hear it without idolatry and images. That is why he rejects idols so severely and wants us to cling to the word of God alone.
But what do our enthusiasts of the present time have to do? They only look at the outward images; and from the word, "not having images," they base themselves, and make a point of storming the images. But after the other, namely, to keep the word of God, they ask nothing at all, and leave the word of God behind.
(24) Then follows how he exhorted them that they should not make them any graven image, neither should they set up, honor, or worship any creature. This is the summa of the following text as Moses speaks:
V. 15-19 Keep your souls safe, for you did not see any likeness the day the Lord spoke to you out of the fire in Horeb, lest you corrupt yourselves and make for yourselves any likeness of man or woman, or of cattle on the earth, or of birds in the sky, or of creeping things on the land, or of fish in the water under the earth. Neither lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and behold the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, and fall down, and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath ordained for all nations under the whole heaven.
(25) This is the first, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Then the other, to observe, and never to think that any creature that is made is a god, except the sun, which is one of the most excellent creatures.
or the moon, or the stars, or else the host of heaven; that is, the whole host of the heavenly bodies gathered together. For all these are God's work, God created them, they are the work of His hands. Know, then, that all these creatures are far too few that they should be your comfort, and that you should serve them; let alone that they should be your gods. For what are the sun and the moon to be counted against God, their Creator?
He does not condemn these creatures of God, but rather confirms that the sun and the moon are creatures of God, created and ordered by God for the service of the whole world, to shine for men, to serve the times and years. Therefore, it is not the fault of the godly sun and moon or the stars in the sky if something happens to them or signs appear, but it is all due to God, the heavenly one, their regent and the regent of the whole creature. Therefore you must not worship and honor them as one God, nor serve them as our Lord God. The text is true enough, and speaks of our wickedness, and not of the 1) dear creatures. And [we] have often said that if one wants to tear away that which gives cause for sins, then one would have to leave nothing at all; one cannot throw away the creatures for the sake of abuse, Propter abusum non tollitur substantia. One would have to take away the sun and stars, yes, otherwise many innumerable creatures.
(27) The devotees think they have done the right thing when they have taken away the idols, because they have been worshipped by men; but they will not do it. Take away the sun and the moon also, for they are also worshipped. So no creature should be left, if a thing should be put away, because men abuse it; but look first into the heart, and teach first how to break and tear down the idols in the heart, or to cast them out, that they be not worshipped. He is talking about worship; there is sin inside, that you do not look at them and fall away and worship them. Not that I would that such idols should be set up as we have worshipped hitherto.
1) Erlanger: "the".
I do not want to court such idols, but that one should preach on worship, and that the trust in creatures should remain. For the serving and worshipping must cease; otherwise the creatures must not be thrown away for the sake of our abuse.
28. gold is fine and good in itself, nor is it called a mammon; not because of its guilt, for what has it done? The pious guilder hath not spoken unto thee: I am thy god; yea, he would rather say unto thee, if he could speak: I am thy servant. It is the fault of the false heart, that it loves gold, goods and money so much, that it courts them and clings to them, and serves them and makes a god out of them; which it is not, nor can be, nor wants to be. So the pious sun has not preached once, it has not been heard from it that it said: Worship me and make a god out of me. So also the moon has not said; nor have there been people who have worshipped her. So the pious gold florins say not unto thee, Worship me, put thy hope and trust in me; but let it be laid, and cast, and spent, as thou wilt. And if they could speak, they would say: I am thy poor servant, where thou givest me, there will I go, there must I be. If one now puts the trust in him that he is God, he has never desired that. So all creatures say.
(29) This is to be preached diligently, that men may be led out of this thing which is called worshiping and serving, and so drive the idol out of the heart. For what are otherwise externa will soon pass away. But our enthusiasts and false spirits do not do that. Therefore, a true teacher should see to it that he first takes hold of the word, teaches and instructs the people. For it is most important not to worship the images, nor to take them for God; as Moses says here: "Otherwise, let everything else be, let the sun and moon be, money and goods be, but do not worship them and do not take them for your God.
(30) It is not of the substance or essence of creatures that the sun, moon and other creatures have essence, but of the use and abuse. We do not preach what the essence of it is.
itself, but from the abuse of an evil heart. We do not want things changed, but the wicked heart. For money is money, the sun is sun. This is to be preached, not what to change in the creatures; but how to turn the abuse of the wicked heart; for this is sought, that thou shouldest be made different, and not that the creatures should be made different. For thou shalt not put thy hope in anything else, but thou shalt trust in God alone; for if thou doest not, the matter is not helped.
31. You can break images and idols and tear down churches, but only pride comes out of it, because stones can be broken easily, but the heart is not broken because of that. The poor things, as gold, silver, wood and stones, are only broken; but the heart is not moved, nor taught to serve God alone. I would also easily storm images, if one would let the storm of the heart precede, so that the hearts would be stormed and broken. The creatures were created to serve us, but God did not make them gods for us.
(32) And Moses himself confesses here that in ancient times the sun, the moon and the stars were considered gods and worshipped by the wisest men, and the heathen were condemned because they worshipped creatures. The Egyptians first worshipped cows and horses and other earthly creatures. But after that they rejected this earthly worship and established worship of heavenly creatures, taking the sun and moon for gods, so that they could run so fast and make such a great journey in one day.
(33) Notice from the chapter that Moses so diligently warns and directs that they should not worship the sun and moon. For, as I have said, they were not rude peasants, but wise men, who believed that the sun and moon were gods. They were not like our godless, devilish sorcerers and old Breckin 1) are, who worship the elder bush, yes, the dragon and with it
4) Breckin (Bräckin)--bitch (from Bracke, dog); swear word against the witches.
Have alliance and company. Let the creatures remain as great and high as they are, even the sun and the moon.
(34) It is true that the sun is a noble creature and a glorious work of God next to man, among all creatures; gold and silver are nothing compared to the sun. For if we did not have the sun, we could see nothing, it would be night forever and all would be dark, as if we lived in a dark cellar. If the sun were not there, the other creatures would not be able to live in virtue and truth; they would despise gold and silver, women and children, and everything else, and one would be more under the earth than alive. Therefore the sun is the noblest work and creature of all, with the exception of us humans. If the sun did not shine, nothing would stand, neither house, nor castle, nor court, nor kingdom on earth.
35 Since the sun, being the noblest creature, cannot be God, nor be worshipped, when all things are lighted to stand, and rule mightily, and have their effect in the lowest bodies, how much less shall the impotent mammon, and other creatures, be worshipped? Therefore the high wise men have thought: What is money? What is field? If there is no light, if the sun does not shine, it would remain night forever. If it does not shine for two or three days, everything is sad.
The wise and sensible people, such as Pliny and others, saw this and therefore said that the sun was God and worshipped it. And truly, if the sun were still outside for three days, we would also worship it. Therefore it is preached here to the wise men to beware, and not to worship the sun, the noble and glorious creature. And yet it is worshipped by many very wise men; for Pliny was very wise, and yet he took the sun for a god.
V. 20-24. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace of Egypt to be His people of inheritance, as it is in this day. Take heed therefore that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord, which He has made with you, and that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord.
Do not make images of the same likeness, as the LORD your God has commanded. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, and a fierce God.
37. He says, "Watch, do not forget your God." The word "forget" has all the power to make people think that he is our God. Moses does this with great diligence. This text, however, has also been applied to the monastic vows, and the most necessary things have been completely forgotten, even left on a bundle; namely, what God has vowed and sworn to us; and again, we have sworn and vowed to Him; hence many vows have come. But the word "vow" should refer especially to the first commandment, that we have vowed and sworn to God that He should be our God, and we His people. This vow means and entails that I will trust in no creature but God alone, and accept nothing else that I fear, love, trust in and honor. For he alone will be our God.
(38) Moses is a fine doctor and teacher, who knows how to speak well of things; he says, "Take heed that ye forget not the covenant. As if to say, "It will come about that God will be forgotten, that many false prophets and false teachers will arise who will say: If you want to go to heaven, do this and that. But see thou, and remember what covenant thou hast made with God, and keep it, for the Lord thy God is a consuming fire.
For God is such a God, or, as he says here, such a fire that does not celebrate, but eats and consumes, and a God who is zealous, Ex 20:5. This saying is well to remember, which concerns those who fall away from the faith; it belongs to the mammals and apostates. But it is not believed that God is a consuming fire and a zealous God. Therefore it is said to the unrighteous, hardened, hardened-minded and unbelievers, who do not keep the right faith, and consider these words to be mere fables and mock them; to them he is called a fire that consumes. This is said so much:
1) Erlanger: "ours".
He that believeth not his word, and receiveth it not, is corrupt unto the ground. Therefore believe and hold on to God; if not, you are already gone.
(40) If God wanted the world to believe this and take this word for truth, God would be a consuming fire. That is why they live so wildly and desolately in the world, and do every man contrary to God's commandment, and let God reproach and rage as he wills. For God is not considered by them to be a consuming fire; rather, the world considers Him to be stubble, a straw and a drop of cold water. That is why they go through each other like this. This one steals and robs, that one cheats and lies; that one hates, that one hates; another one is stingy 2c. There it does not seem that such a being must be consumed and perish, but it can be seen as if they have a gracious God; as the prophet Jeremiah Cap. 12, 1. also complains: Quare prosperatur via impiorum? "Why is it so well with the wicked?" And experience also testifies to it, as it is said in Proverbs, "The worse rogue, the better fortune. It goes out to them in such a way for a time.
41 The holy men and the prophets were also very angry at this, that the antitype shines in the world, and the sinners have abundance of all things, and exercise the greatest courage, and yet everything goes out to them. So St. Paul has seen the. Paul also saw the contradiction. These thoughts come to mind: If God were a consuming, devouring fire, zealous and angry, truly he would not suffer it. Now he suffers it? Yes, in the eyes of the world it seems as if God were a loud yawning mouth that only opens, or a cuckold and a good man who lets another sleep with the woman, and pretends not to see it.
42) Against these thoughts Moses said this: Beware, you have a god who is a consuming fire, that is, such a god who consumes you and cleans you up if you are wicked, zealous, devouring and turning you into ashes and dust. He gorges you, and takes such delight in it, 2) that out of his zeal and wrath he is driven to destroy the wicked.
2) That is: He has such pleasure in ungodliness that re.
consume. Once this starts, it does not stop. Such a thing cannot persuade the people, they also do not believe it rather, until the experience comes; so it is then too long waited. So the Jews could not believe that they would be cast out to Babylon, even though the prophets had prophesied this, until 1) the devouring fire came and destroyed them.
43 So when Christ also came and prophesied of the last destruction of Jerusalem, it was of no avail, they would not believe it, until after that faith came into their hand, and then they knew it by deed. If now and then a hundred thousand tongues said to our tyrants: "God is a consuming fire," they only make a mockery of it, do not listen, and also consider our Lord God only as a straw mockery, which is put in the hemp to the birds for abhorrence. But when he comes in his time and turns everything into powder and ashes, then they will realize it. It is the same for us today. If we preach and prophesy for a long time, or hear ourselves that God is fire, we do not ask about it, we do not believe it, until pestilence, death, war and other hardships and plagues come; then it begins to become true, and to be found in retreat.
(44) Wherefore Moses herewith terrifieth us, and putteth a fear in us; lest we make nor accept another god. For he cannot suffer it, or you will be consumed by it and perish. This is what he makes us believe as a good speaker, if it would help otherwise. No cobbler's servant says it, but the high prophet Moses, and says: "God is a devouring fire," that is, nothing will remain unsmelled nor unpunished. Even though it may seem or appear as if you are fortunate and progressing in your wickedness, you will finally be justified in believing that God is a consuming fire. The godly believe it, and therefore they do not experience it. Again, the wicked do not believe it, therefore they must experience it; as experience and deed testify that it is
1) In the original and in the Erlanger: "als"'instead of: bis.
2) walking (yawning) death ---- rapid, sudden death, the same as? 48: abrupt (yawning) death.
and they will soon perish and perish to the ground (Ps. 37:20). Therefore beware of this fire.
V. 25, 26: If ye therefore beget children, and children's children, and dwell in the land, and corrupt yourselves, and make you images like unto yourselves, to do evil in the sight of the LORD your God, and to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye perish quickly from off the land.
45 Then he interprets what was said before, "When you raise up children in the land, (and) beget children's children," saying, "Now, in my time, you may keep God's commandment and be a little pious; but after our death, when we have laid the head, then you will see the idolatry of the Gentiles, that they will worship the creatures and follow such idolatry. Then it will certainly come about that the word of God will be extinguished, and you will be destroyed, and soon you will also be destroyed and scattered among the Gentiles. This is what Moses means by the devouring fire, that God will come and consume you.
V. 26, 27: Ye shall not long abide therein, but shall be driven out; and the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left a little multitude among the heathen, whither the LORD shall drive you.
46 That is, a devouring, devouring fire, which the Lord brings, and punishes the land with pestilence, famine, war, and destruction; and, what is worse, when he sends false doctrine and idolatry, then ye have it even with one another. For he says [v. 28], "Among the heathen, whither the Lord shall drive thee, there shalt thou serve gods that are the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." 3) So he ruins them in body and goods; that is what will happen to the ungrateful people. I mean, that may be called rubbed out, and that would like to be a fire. If the Turk comes among us once (which we will not experience, as I hope), he will also destroy the two 4)
3) In the original and in the Erlanger: drink.
4) "the two", namely God's word and bodily good. Cf. 50 to the end.
and bring false faith with us. Then we will learn how God is a consuming fire that burns all and fires on both sides. For he will not let it be good, and will also inflict such punishments on us through the Turk or others who are closer to us.
Here Moses, as a faithful preacher, warns us not to fall away from God and His word, lest we be consumed. As if to say: Summa Summarum, desist from your idolatry, you must change and mend your ways, you cannot and may not pass by, you must desist from idolatry and all ungodly intentions, for God does not desist from His zeal. I know of no harsher saying or text in the Bible than this, that God is a consuming fire.
48) Whether he pretends for a time that he is not, and sees through his fingers; but he will be in his time, 1) and at last he will punish the ungrateful horribly. But we do not want to believe it. In Welschland one has seen it, how large hunger was, and the people of the sudden death died, that there is frightening to say. As they were warned, they neither believed nor respected it. Now Germany is also admonished for her ingratitude, but they beat us a clip for it; but those who will repent and be affected, that will be them. The consuming fire of dermaleins will rise and start, make of it what you will. He who will not believe and hear, let him feel it; there is no other way to do it.
The world also would not believe in Noah's time, but it felt the flood. Sodoma and Gomorrah would not believe either, but the devouring fire came. God is a zealous God, who will not joke, nor let his contempt go unsmelled, he punishes it immediately. Let this be said to the stiff-necked, hard-hearted; to the pious, God will also be different, that is, merciful and gracious.
V. 28. There you will serve the gods that are the work of human hands.
1) In the original and in the Erlanger: to be.
50. This is the greatest plague, when God takes away the word. It is indeed a great misery when God deprives us of our bodily bread, but it is a much greater torment when He deprives us of the Word [Amos 8:11], although the common ruffians do not respect it and consider it much more important if they only keep the bread and do not lack it. For they think thus: If the bread is taken from us, then we die of hunger. But they are slow to consider that if the word be taken from us, we go to hell, and are eternally lost in body and soul. Truly, one is easier and more tolerable than the other, and it would be better to die of hunger than to go to hell. But here Moses prophesies and says: "If you do not trust in God, then both the word of God and the bodily bread shall be taken away from you.
51 And soon after he describes very finely such gods, saying they are gods who neither see nor hear, eat nor drink anything [Isa. 44, 9. Ps. 115, 4. ff]. Is it not so? Look at the old pagan idols, which were gold, silver, wood and stones; and the idols of the Papists in our time: the one went to St. Jacob, the other went on pilgrimages; one has given righteousness to the monk's cap, the other to the hairy ropes. Verily, the cap does not see, the vowed chastity does not eat, and other works do not go nor hear. What is it, then, that one trusts in his works, another insists on his wisdom and righteousness? all of which neither see, hear, eat nor drink.
(52) Works and all human ability are not God's, yet you trust in them. The work is not yours, but God's, who works it in you. So the mammon and the belly is also such a god [Phil. 3, 19.]; he does not do any of the things, neither eats nor drinks, neither sees nor hears, nor tastes; there he lies in the box. A florin has neither eyes nor ears. But fie on you, that a man should rejoice when he looks at gold, and should consider his God and Creator about it! What is it then with gold and goods? It has neither ears nor eyes, no senses nor feelings; nor does one trust in it. Fie and but fie of the
shameful God! Surely a man is much better, who sees, hears and understands; yet shall a man be so wicked, and rely upon uncertain mammon?
(53) Truly, says Moses, if you lose the first commandment and do not keep God's word, you will end up worshipping gold, silver and money, even a penny so light that a fly could carry it away, for God, and trusting in it even if it neither sees nor hears. One can become so blind, foolish and foolish. This will also happen to us when we fall away from the word of God. Behold, what a diligent preacher Moses was, that he should keep the people to the first commandment, that the heart might learn to believe the word of God, and that all creatures should be put away. It is a common preaching, which the holy prophets also practiced, and more than we do, that one should cling to God and His word alone; and, although it is a common preaching, the common people do not pay attention to it.
The fifth book of Moses is not to be taken otherwise than as an interpretation of the ten commandments, in which Moses explains himself abundantly and superfluously, and makes a great space as to what he wants to be understood by the ten commandments; and especially he drives very much on the first commandment, in which all power lies. With the other lesser commandments, he does not make so much of a fuss; he who sticks to the first commandment, that is, in the faith that he rightly knows the true God, soon learns to honor his name, and in the others it may also be signified. That is why he goes about with many words, and preaches such remarkable sermons, and uses all arts, entices, stimulates, drives, urges, promises, admonishes, and seeks all kinds of words and arguments, so that he may make his listeners believe it. As you have heard enough, he also has power over how to grasp the first commandment correctly and stick to it.
55 For as you read in the Old Testament, all trouble and distress came to the Jewish people because of idolatry alone. That is why so many people have often been slain; all warfare, theurge,
1) Erlanger: let.
Lamentations and bloodshed have arisen because of the transgression of the first commandment. And all the prophets were also killed because they disputed about the first commandment; for if that is gone and lost, then all is gone and lost. Just as we Christians also say: If we do not have the main doctrine and purpose or goal, that Christ is our Savior and Lord, that we are justified by grace through faith alone in him, without all merit, then it is done.
Whoever falls out of the ship will perish and be drowned, whether for a long time or a short time, even if he has been saved from shipwreck three or four times before. Therefore he wants the first commandment to be believed and obeyed, that we let God be our God, and trust in him, and build on him alone, and not take away his divinity and appropriate it to others. But this is the greatest plague and worst torture, that we cannot leave idolatry. This word is still in our marrow and legs, which the devil spoke to Eve and Adam [Gen. 3:5]: "You will be like the gods." It is also planted in our nature and inborn in us that we trust in idols and seek help from others. The devil is in our skin, the evil seed does not want to come out, that we did not leave God his divinity.
57. but as long as the first commandment stands, the devil has no access; but when we are in the flesh, the devil has an advantage and an access, that the flesh applauds him. Therefore this commandment is to be regarded as the main thing, and Moses is so diligent about it for the sake of it, because all the wisdom and art that can be brought forward is nothing against the commandment; what can be spoken is all included in this commandment.
V. 24. I the LORD, your God.
I am a zealous GOd.
59. These are frightening words, that he is zealous. He corrupts, and is not to be resisted. He called God a devouring fire from which there is no salvation; here he gives him another title, and calls him zealous, as the one who does it and wants to do it, because he is a zealot.
V. 25. Now when you beget children 2c.
(60) I could not speak and do it more vehemently, for if I say: If you fall away from God and do not remain with Him, there is no more counsel. What a consuming fire and zealous God is, he declares here, calling heaven and earth, and all that is there, to witness. He does not protest with a notary before the court, but heaven, earth, and everything that stands and walks shall be his witnesses and notaries. The testimony cannot be greater than this, so that he only deeply imagines the high article: that this alone is God, to whom all good and grace should be provided; and if one falls away from this, then there will be no more counsel.
(61) So we also preach that our support and trust should be in God's grace alone, and not in our works. We also call heaven and earth as witnesses against unbelief against God, against all persecutors, blasphemers and enemies. Now we do not want to suffer any article less than this one, which is the most necessary; we do not want to go there. We do not want to have the article, no one wants to trust God's promise alone. One has invented an order, another has become a Carthusian, another a monk. All this has been a delicious thing. But to trust in God alone, and to provide oneself with good things for Him, is not to be trusted. If I were rich, and wanted to give a servant or a maid house and farm, fields and grounds and other hereditary goods out of grace, which I would not otherwise owe him, and he said: I do not want to have it out of grace and mercy, but want to pay it to you, want to earn it, so that he would have a legal ruling on it: would it not be nonsensical? So if a man had a daughter, and gave her to me by grace, and I brought her, and said, I like not that way; I will make it better; I will give her to thee.
I deserve to have them, not by grace, but by right; and I wanted to refuse this grace.
This is also the way he is expected to go. The world rightfully wants to claim heaven from our Lord God, to earn it and to buy it from him, since he lets the whole world cry out that he wants to give it to us for free, and says: "I will be your God, by grace I will give it to you, by grace and for free I will make you blessed, as St. Paul says in Eph. 2:5; I will not let it be claimed for me. So do not make other gods, do not invent such things that you yourselves do. This is also what this sermon does here and says: Do not exalt your good works, let me have mercy on you. It is a disgrace that we should be reproached for this, that we do not want to accept it for nothing, but still want to earn it, and still think of giving to God, the one who wants to give us everything abundantly. We are such fools that we want to give when we should take. The beggar comes here to the mighty king, and begs in such a way that he does not want to take the alms from him for free, but gives him some four pennies or lice for it.
The world is also mad and foolish; it wants to give to the one who has given everything and from whom it should receive everything; and when it should give something to its neighbor, it wants to give nothing, but only to take from him. This is what one feels: If one has a beautiful house, the other thinks, I would like to have it; his fields and cattle he also desires 2c. That is why the prophet Moses says here: "You will do it, the Lord is eager. He will not give it to you, on my soul; as we Germans say. These words we may also let be said to us. For if we lose Christ, it will not be well with us. We live safely, as if Christ were a fool, but God will not be mocked, Gal. 6, 7. We will experience this. He will not sit still forever, as we think.
V.27. And the LORD will scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left a small multitude.
64 This is also true of our time. For if we forsake this commandment, it shall be unto us as it was unto the Jews;
The devouring fire will come and destroy us who despise such things as they have done until now; but this fire will surely devour them also. Under the papacy we were scattered and chased, one there, the other there; not only physically, just as the Jews were scattered among the Gentiles in Egypt, Persia, Medes, until he destroyed them to the ground through the Romans. While they were there among the Gentiles, they nevertheless abandoned the true God and worshipped the gods of the Gentiles, until God finally came after them and put an end to them. Thus, God feeds around him.
The same will happen to us. We will be scattered by God through all kinds of human statutes and countless false teachings and sects. Now such things are ready to happen. There come the Anabaptists and the sacramentalists and desecrators, the rebellious spirits who abandon wife and children; item, who deny the divinity of Christ. This then is the consuming, devouring fire; for you have not heeded God's word, nor believed Him that He would gladly and heartily keep us by the first commandment. But we do not want to accept the mercy of God, offered to us in Jesus Christ; each one of us wants to do something special. That is why it will happen to us, just as it happened to the Jews. See how Moses wanted to keep his people in the faith of the first commandment. As we still diligently do, but we are mocked and laughed at for preaching so vehemently about faith, when we have heard clearly and distinctly from the mouth of the man of God, Moses, how he so surely sees it, and directs all his teaching, preaching and exhortation to faith, which is also required of all people, especially in this first commandment.
When they come to the Gentiles and are scattered, they will lose the kingdom and become servants.
(66) This is also what happened to the Jews; since they were masters before, afterward they became servants to all the world, and had to lie under the feet of others. So it also happened to us before this time, we were
right servants under your Roman chair. Any knave, who was only called an official, or a lay brother, and their like, could force the kings and princes with a piece of paper. When one of them came to the pulpit, everything had to flee, to give way, and the princes and lords had to be afraid of them; one had to be obedient to them. Now, praise God, we are delivered from them again, and do not consider them worthy to be our servants, since they ruled over us that time. But how this is recognized by the greater part and God is thanked for it, everyone can see well. This disgraceful, unpleasant ingratitude will still break our necks today. For it has always been like this: If one loses Christ and goes astray from the faith, one must ultimately suffer horrible bondage as a reward. This is also what Moses is forewarning his Jews here. So it will come to pass, I say, with us also, that we shall be ruled and tribulated by their own pleasure, wicked men, who are not worthy to wipe our shoes.
Just look at the position of the Protestant princes now. If one should give a village priest his tithes and other income, also keep the people to give earned wages, or add thirty guilders to the salary, they say, we are stingy, no one can fulfill the priests. They also say gloriously: The papists have deceived us, they will seduce us. That is why they do not want to give preachers their entertainment. If they are to be fed, they should count the morsels of bread in their mouths. But it will come that they will have to give their seducers heaps, as before, and again be forced under the officials and the pope.
(68) And if I could, I myself would restore the papal power, and exalt the pope supremely over such knaves. But that time will come again, for this text will not lie: "God is a devouring fire, and a zealous God." Spiritual oppressors and world robbers shall come upon them again, and shall suck them dry with their oppression, and yet teach them nothing good. Well, they laugh at us now, as in the days of Moses, because they do not want to believe, but to learn that God is a consuming fire.
V. 28. There you will serve gods that are the work of human hands.
The people read Moses and the prophets diligently, so they knew very well that it was said to them, "This is what will happen to you; you will serve gods called the work of human hands, wood and stone. With these words he describes praemium impietatis [the wages of ungodliness], meaning: This is what you shall have as a reward; if you fall away from this faith and trust in other things than in God, who offers you his grace and mercy, then you will have a God who will be nothing but stone and wood, who will not be able to do or prove divine works, nor will he be able to help you. For the one God you will get countless gods.
(70) But this will not happen, think our scholars, that the devil should command us in this way; they say: God did not want that, I will be careful that the devil does not lead me there anymore. Awe yes, it will become sour for him, you are sure that he should not end it. Moses says here that it shall happen to you. For whoever falls away from this highest article has no other article to keep and learn. How is it possible? they say. Look behind you! If we did not have our own experience, we would not let ourselves be persuaded.
Was it not the work of the hands to worship, that we relied on the intercession of the dear saints, and the monks relied on a gray skirt? So we have kept for worship and holy things chasubles, monstrances, chalices, altars, altar cloths, vestments, and whatever else is given in churches and monasteries, so that one might partake of their good works and merits. Is this not wood and stone worshipped? Ask your conscience about it; who has not wanted to build a church of his own?
Yes, ask them: Is the altar God the Lord, or the work that you do? Truly, God's grace and mercy must be something else than a work and merit that a man does in a religious order or otherwise! You must truly say: This is
(before we were born) stood in God's grace and mercy, and yet willingly forsook that mercy, and trusted in our vain works and merits of the dead saints. This is not to be suffered, for it means, "You will serve other gods, which are the work of men's hands." This is to be avoided. Well, you cannot avoid it if you do not keep the first commandment. But he who lacks the article and does not keep it, must fall into it, and falls into it, he cannot preserve himself.
Therefore Moses exhorts us with so many words to the first commandment, and terrifies us, saying, "God is a fierce God, a consuming fire," and attaches to it prophecy and promise. As if he should say: Do you want mercy? There you will find it, God will be gracious to you; but if you do not like grace, then you will have disgrace, God's wrath and eternal damnation, which you shall obtain with your sour work; as hell becomes more sour for some than heaven for others; and some earn God's wrath with great toil and heavy, sour worship and great unrest. This is ever meagerly and clearly enough spoken. The works of men are, because we trust in a thing, which is nothing, but the work of men, and not the grace of God.
(74) Behold, what do our new mobs and zealots do differently, item, even the iconoclasts, but to lead the people to works? This is not a Christian who trusts in God's mercy (they say), but who confidently storms the images. Hereby they reject the righteousness of faith. Item, the Anabaptists, what do they do, what do they teach? They say that baptism is nothing; they take away from baptism pure grace, that there is no grace and mercy of God, no forgiveness of sins in it, but only a sign that you are pious, and you must be pious before you are baptized 2c., or that baptism is a sign that you have the same piety. They take grace away from baptism, and leave me there a mere outward sign; there is not a speck of grace, but it is cut out altogether. So when the grace of Christ is gone from baptism, there remains a mere work.
75 Thus, in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the rejecters take away the promise that is offered to us, saying, "It is bread and wine if you eat it or drink it. The grace offered to us in it is cut off and denied. For so they teach: You do a good work by confessing Christ alone; and if you only eat and drink the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, there must be no grace.
This is how it is: If a man turns away from the first commandment, he soon sets up an idol and a work in which he trusts. Therefore Moses says: "Dear children, be careful, stay with God, follow him, otherwise idolatry is inevitable for you, you must fall into idolatry, you cannot help it; for grace is always contested by the devil, no heresy can suffer the grace of God.
77.1 ) Idolum is what we Germans call a heretic, an idol; the first ones called it idol; the high Germans call it heretic, that is, whoever falls away from the first commandment and faith and from the right God, and denies the right faith. And Moses shows us that it is impossible to remain without idolatry. When we depart from the first commandment, we become idols and idolaters.
(78) The scribblers of this day also all practice the first commandment, saying, We also preach grace and mercy through Christ, and do not reject the article of the first commandment; and say, I, Luther, lie to them. But behold, they confess that Christ died, hung on the cross, and saved us, which is true; but they deny that by which we receive him, that is, the means, the way, the bridge and the path, which they break down.
The Jews also believe that there is a God, but the way to get to God,
1) The postscripts seem to us to be insufficient here again. We would assume about the following: Who serves a Jdolum is, as we Germans call it, a heretic, an Abgötzer fd. i. Abgöttischer^; the first fGermansf called it: Götzer, the High Germans call it Ketzer 2c. - At the end of the paragraph, instead of: "Götzen" and Götzer, it will read: Götzern and Ketzern.
2) Erlanger: the.
namely, through Christ, through Christ's humanity, they deny. The Turk also confesses God; but he denies the way, the means, the bridge by which one comes to God, that is, the grace of God. They do not want Christ, nor do they want the sacraments through which one comes to grace.
80 It is the same and goes with them as if I preached to someone, "I have a treasure, and yet I do not hold the treasure up to his nose, nor do I give him the keys to it; what good would this treasure do him? They lock up the treasure they should put in front of us and lead me on a monkey's tail; the access and the handing over, the custom and possession of the treasure is denied and taken away from me.
(81) That is why the fanatics say much about God, about the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God, even that Christ died; but how I obtain Christ, and how grace comes to me, so that I get it, so that we come together, they say: The Spirit alone must do it; they lead me on the monkey's tail; they say that the outward, oral word, baptism and sacrament, is of no use, and yet they preach grace. That is, proclaiming the treasure to me, and saying fine of it, but taking away the key and the bridge by which I should come to the treasure.
Now God has ordained that this treasure be given and presented to us through baptism, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and the outward word. For these are the means and instruments by which we come to God's grace. This they deny. I say this because the devil is so quick to confess these words, but he denies the means by which we come to it; that is, they do not deny the treasure, but the use and benefit of the treasure, they take away and deprive us of the manner, means, and ways by which we come to it and enjoy the treasure, and how we should and may come to grace.
They say that you must have the spirit, but they will not let me know how I can have the spirit. Well, how can I get the spirit and believe, if they do not preach the word of God to me and give me the sacraments? I must have the means, because faith comes from the ear, the ear from the heart.
But by the oral word, Rom. 10, 17. Summa Summarum: No mob can arise, it must run against the first commandment, and must reject Christ, and in this article all heretics are collected in one summa.
(84) Therefore let us keep the article, "Thou shalt not have other gods," and be diligently mindful of this purpose and scopum. For, if we let it slip out of our sight, then the gate and the door are open to all the red-blooded spirits. God has never wanted to have his worship in the world without external means. In the Old Testament, He gave the Jews a way to find Him; there was a certain place of the tabernacle or tabernacle of the congregation, the altar, the lampstands, the Levites, and He did not allow Himself to be found without external means and ways. He proposed to them every way an outward means, that they might find him; he would not let them go astray without a way and an outward means.
But, just as our enthusiasts are now running away from this way that God gave us in the New Testament, so the Jews also left the same way and sought other ways. God cannot be our God if He gives us something external to find Him in, such as the oral word and the two sacraments. If I do not meet God through external things, how can I meet Him?
Therefore all heretics have been against the first commandment, and have transgressed it in all manner of works of men, and have cut off the promise and grace of God which is put therein; yea, denying God Himself, rejecting the benefit and custom, that one may not come to grace.
V. 29-31. But when thou shalt seek the Lord thy God there, thou shalt find him, where thou shalt seek him with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. When thou shalt be troubled, and all these things shall befall thee in the last days, then shalt thou turn unto the LORD thy God, and obey his voice. For the LORD thy God is a merciful God: he will not leave thee, nor destroy thee, neither forget the covenant which he sware unto thy fathers.
I would like to see the one who is so learned, who could take this text away from the Jews, except for the apostles. It is a very powerful text for the Jews. But it contains this: "In all the troubles that will befall you, when you have fallen away from God, you will cry out and seek God, and the Lord will remember His covenant. A Jew says from this text: If we have sinned and fallen away from God, now we seek the Lord with all our heart. Therefore he will not forsake us, but will have mercy on us again, and remember his covenant which he made with us. And this text seems to be strongly against the New Testament.
88. But it is a common text that God will not forsake them that are heartily converted, and believe on Him again: though they have fallen, yet will He receive them again into grace. As you see, it also happens to us. Although we deserve punishment, yet if we turn back to God after the transgression, mercy comes to us again; as the prophet Joel Cap. 2, 12. 13. also says: "Turn to the Lord your God, for He is gracious, merciful, patient, and of great kindness, and soon repents of punishment." But that it is said above [v. 24] that God is zealous and a consuming fire is because of this, that one may not be sure nor presumptuous if God does not punish; it will certainly happen in the end. Therefore, one should not trust in the fact that God is merciful, as the text says here, and go and sin; for you will find out that he is also a consuming fire, and if you sin, he will devour you. Again, if you have fallen and cannot help yourself, God will not abandon you, but will help you again to keep His commandments.
He is a merciful God, and does not punish in such a way as to exterminate and destroy, as the devil usually does, so that there is no help or counsel left. He strikes with pestilence, famine, time and war, devastates countries and cities, destroys livestock and people; but God still preserves one or two who begin to build a city again. When, in the flood, He kept eight people in the box Noäh
[Gen. 8, 18], so he received Lot and his daughters at Sodoma [Gen. 19, 30]. But this sermon is told to those who are under punishment and want to convert and believe; for them such a comforting promise belongs. But to the others, who live godless, reckless, and without all care or consideration of future punishments, something is to be said of the devil and hell; they only get worse from such preaching. So it is a common saying that God punishes with moderation, so that he does not destroy everything, lest one despair; for the punishment belongs to those who are wicked and do not want to stop sinning.
90. but that the Jews use this text for their salvation, after God has destroyed Jerusalem, and they still hope that their kingdom shall be established again, tell them again that it is also written here: "If you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul, God will be a merciful God to you. St. Paul deals with this saying in the epistle to the Romans Cap. 11, 31. f. tremendously. Who else could solve this riddle if St. Paul had not solved it?
91. "When you will be afraid." In the same place, he does not say that God will leave the boys unpunished, as the Jews think, but that he will take them all. This is also not his opinion that he will take them all by grace and place them in his kingdom, but, although he has punished them, he has nevertheless accepted many of them as members of the Christian church, namely, who have been restored; just as some are still being converted today.
So the papists of today could also say that God does not abandon his church, Christ truly remains with his church until the end of the world, he does not leave it; who would want to take that away from them? For Christ himself promised this in Matthew, chapter 28, v. 20: "I am with you until the end of the world." And in John chapter 14, 18: "I will not leave you orphans." That is why the pope and the bishops hurry: "We will remain and not perish, because we are the Christian church. Yes, you answer: if one converts with all his heart and soul.
For this reason Moses does not say, "Those who desire to go down to the ground in sins, like a sow in dung, and set themselves against God, he will raise up," but rather, "Those who seek the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul: Those who seek the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul. He will not be gracious to any people, whether Jews or Gentiles, unless they are converted through fear and hardship, that is, unless they believe in God with all their heart. Therefore, you cannot say that he promised mercy to any papist or other impenitent, but only to those who turn to the Lord with all their heart, whether Jew or Gentile, papist or evil Christian, pope or bishop. To all who sigh and cry out to him from the heart, and fall away from idolatry and the work of their hands and other sins, he promises mercy. Therefore, the Jews must not pride themselves that they will bring God back, for they do not call upon God's mercy, but still boast of their works, fleshly birth and arrival, that they are Abraham's seed, John 8:33.
Therefore, this saying is strong for the Jews and the Papists; God will not abandon His people and His Church. But say you who are his people and church, namely, those who seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. Let us describe the Church in this way, that it is those who trust in nothing but God's mercy alone, and recognize the first commandment; who renounce their false faith. That is, God's people and the Christian Church, who rely on nothing but God's grace and mercy. The others may boast of the church, or even call themselves angels, but they are not. The devil may disguise himself as an angel of light, 2 Cor. 11, 14, but he is not. Therefore they may well convert and leave off the false confidence of their works, for it is nothing at all. I have said this for the sake of the Jews and our papists, who always have this in their mouths, and yet do not see what is meant by righteous conversion and renunciation of ungodly intentions.
95. So far, we have heard how Moses so earnestly requested that the children of Israel
God and His commandments, or make idols and images for them, whatever they may be, for God is a consuming fire. Moses gives such a serious, great, excellent admonition before he begins the Ten Commandments, so that he may awaken them and encourage them to be serious, so that they will not think that they are hearing a fable, but that it is a real seriousness, because he calls God a consuming fire, a fire that eats, and in addition, a zealous one who does not let up. As if to say, He who does not keep the Ten Commandments must be devoured and consumed and laid waste.
The "fire" is the most powerful and fierce element among all. What cannot be conquered, swept, broken or changed, one attacks with fire, thus it is made pliable and forced. It can force silver, gold, iron and all metals. That is why God compares himself to this element. As if he wanted to say: You cannot escape from me, if I start a search, no one can resist me. If someone sins against my commandments, I will find him and know how to punish him.
97 Then he calls him "zealous" who will not cease, he must keep his word. There is both power and will, strength and might, that he can and will punish. If we believed this to be true, we would not despise his commandments; but no one believes him to be so until we know.
(98) Neither did the people of Jerusalem believe that they were doing evil against God and that they should be punished by Him, until the Romans came and destroyed the city, so that not one stone was left upon another, Luc. 19:44. Thus, a wicked man who harms his neighbor, steals and robs, does not believe until the executioner comes and hangs him on the gallows. Likewise, all other vices, dishonors and sins that go against the Ten Commandments, such as contempt of God, cursing, murder, adultery; they already have the judgment over their necks, that this zeal, wrath and fire will come upon them and destroy them. Unless they repent, no one in the world will be able to escape and do what he wants.
If he wants to avoid the punishment with true repentance, God will keep and spare the punishment, as Jeremiah is told in the 18th chapter, v. 7: When an ungodly kingdom, which I have threatened to destroy, shall turn from its ungodly ways, then I also will repent of the calamity that I thought against them, and I will build and establish that kingdom.
(99) Therefore, from his youth, one should learn and practice the Ten Commandments, so that he may know what to do and what not to do, and what good works belong to each one in his tribe. For if one lives ungodly, he will not escape punishment. But if a man escape here, that he may be spared the punishment, he shall receive his judgment elsewhere. Therefore, if he escapes the whisk in one place, he will get a rope against it elsewhere. Summa Summarum: Finally, he does not escape this fire, for God says, "I am a consuming fire." As if he wanted to say: Do not take it for granted, whoever you want, you shall not escape from my power; even if you leave the world, you shall not escape from me, Ps. 139, 7. ff.
We see this also in experience. It is quite strange that a murderer, adulterer or thief is punished. For God has ordained and appointed the authorities to punish such sins, and it often happens that such boys are punished before one looks around. Therefore, learn even more to fear God from your youth and to keep His commandments. For you cannot escape punishment. If you escape punishment in this life, you will still go to hell and die an eternal death, and thus still receive your deserved reward.
But godless hearts despise it, and do not believe that God is so near, and do not use fire at all; they do not see the lightning before the thunder, that is, they receive the punishment only after the sin is committed. But in truth it is not a joke, the Lord comes before those who do not fear God. However, he looks through his fingers and pretends that he does not want to punish them, and they also respond honestly, just as if God did not see it and did not know about it.
drum [Is. 42, 14. Ps. 50, 21.]. Well, you hear here that God does not let it go unpunished, they shall not carry it away like this, the fire shall come upon them. This I have had to repeat for the sake of this way of speaking, so that you may know what it is when the Scripture says, "A consuming fire"; item, "to be zealous". Therefore he also said above [vv. 25, 26], "If ye therefore beget children, and dwell in the land, and make unto you idols, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and provoke him to anger, ye shall not dwell therein long."
For this cause (as he says here), because the fire will come upon you, and you will be destroyed badly; as soon as you make idols, the fire will strike you. And he himself interprets what the fire is; not that it always falls from heaven and consumes the idolaters, murderers, thieves and scoundrels, but so that you are sure of the punishments, which you certainly have before you. And he says, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you, that ye shall soon perish from off the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not long abide therein, but shall be destroyed." As if to say, "If you are ever certain that you will soon perish, know that it will not go unpunished, for God is a fire that consumes, devours and devours; that is, He will destroy you as fire consumes a house, turning it to ashes and dust.
(103) There you see that he is most concerned about the first commandment. He is serious and only about the images and idolatry of the heart, and he especially indicates and says: "If you now bring up children," that is, if you grow and increase, and if it comes about with you that you take the land, and forget God who brought you out of Egypt, and establish idolatry, and judge yourselves according to the manner of the countries in which you dwell, then the punishment will not remain outside for long.
Among us Germans there is a saying that goes like this: Some condemn their souls for the sake of their wives and children, or for the sake of their misery; and it is all too true. Moses also indicates this here. When God gives a man a wife and a child in his house,
and other food more, which should be a cause for him to trust God the more, he abuses them, and trusts and believes God less than before, when he had nothing. Now, because he has them, he falls into the belly care, how he will raise them high; works so that they may have a higher status than he himself, or each one may have as much as he has; does not think that he who has given him body and life will also give food and cover, clothing and food (Matth. 6, 31.]. Immediately one falls into disbelief of God, and falls into cursed avarice [1 Tim. 6, 9. 10.].
This is very wicked in the world; for everyone wants to provide for his children, so that he is not satisfied with the poor food that God gives him, but he wants to go even higher than God gives him; therefore idolatry of avarice must follow, Eph. 5, 5. For, where care of food is concerned, then soon a scratching and scraping follows, and mammon stirs up viciously; then God is lost. I could give many examples of this from the histories, but we are up to our ears in it ourselves.
Therefore Moses says: God will bless you, he will give you children, that you raise them, and keep them in his service, honor and fear, and he will give you food and nourishment [Ps. 128, 3], only that you also keep God for your Lord God. But we do not think otherwise, for God has forgotten us, and so the children are a cause and occasion for unbelief, which God has given us, that they should provoke us to faith; then also the tiresome mammon comes, and is worshipped in all corners.
(107) So now Mosi is to do everything only for the first commandment. Do the same, then you have the others all easily kept, because against the first commandment it goes all. Therefore, if one forgets God, despises Him, and does not fear Him, seeking something else to trust in, it is soon done. This is the most noble infirmity. One relies on his prince, another on a rich friend, another on his field: each one seeks a God on whom he thinks he can rely to feed himself and his own, as if there were no God in heaven who could do it, who could not do it.
There would be children and create bodies, and also provide food and entertainment.
The true idolatry is in the heart, not fearing God nor trusting Him, but setting one's sights on other things. The outward images are not the true idolatry; the outward idolatry is a gross thing. Now, as a warning, he says, "Know that the fire will consume you, and then your care and your mammon will not help you, but you will be cut off from the land where you live; I call heaven and earth to witness. He would gladly put it into their hearts; he is hard on them, so that he may make the people fear God and put it into their hearts.
109] And it is especially good that it should happen to us according to our unbelief; for what we fear befalls us, Prov. 10:24. We have the Jews as an example of this; they feared that where they left Christ alive, the Romans would come and destroy their lands, Jn. 11:48. And when they had strangled Christ, it happened to them that they and their children became beggars. 1) And those who still scratch and scrape, and fear that if they relied on God alone they would lack nourishment, want to help their children to great honors and goods, to bring them up to riches and high, and to provide for them: but their goods often wear out and disappear, so that no one knows where they go, and they ultimately prosper, so that they become beggars with their children. We see that many of them gather treasures, but when they come into the hands of the heirs, they are lost and little is improved. How is this? From this text it is clear and evident. God wants to send a fire, and kill such children, yes, also burn such badly won property, as otherwise also Solomon says: Erosio in domo impii. The word is there, the experience is before our eyes, they shall not escape the fire. The proverb must come true: Badly won, shamefully lost. Item: De male quaesitis non gaudet tertius heres.
110. again, where religious people trust god, and work according to the opportunity of their
1) In the original: been.
The rich, who are well fed by God, get further than others who are rich. Truly, the rich do not reign on earth, but those whom the LORD brings forth as poor Cinderellas are the ones who rise the highest; they reign in the world. That is why David sings in the 113th Psalm, v. 7. 8: "He who lifts the wretched out of the dust, and sets him beside the princes of his people." Mary also sings it in her hymn of praise, Luc. 1, 52, "that God exalts the lowly." And St. Peter in his epistle [1 Petr. 5, 5.] says that he gives grace to the humble, as the examples of the Holy Scriptures clearly show. As, Saul, who was taken from the asses to the kingdom [1 Sam. 10:1]. And David, found behind the sheep, had to be anointed king over Israel [1 Sam. 16, 11-13.]. This is all because God says, "Let me provide for you, I will give you children and food; if you do not want to, remain a beggar. For he that will not believe my word, I am a fire, let him know it. It may seem that other people with wealth and friendship can do and help much, but it is nothing. Believe me alone, and fear me, says God, and you will have enough; otherwise it is no wonder that you will remain a beggar, perish, be consumed and killed. Whoever does not want to believe it, let him feel it.
Don't get the picture.
That is, trust me and no other creature. Do not mistrust me; set your heart on nothing but me. If thou hast not superfluous, there is nothing in it. If thou hast not it with bushels, yet hast thou it with spoons. If you are not a mayor or a nobleman, it does you no harm; remain a citizen and a farmer for a while. If thou trustest in God, thou shalt have enough; but if thou seekest any other god than Mammon, I will eat thee up, and destroy thee to the ground with thy unholy idol and caste god. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" [Matth. 11, 15].
V. 27, 28: And the Lord will scatter you among the nations 2c. And ye shall serve strange gods, which are the work of men's hands.
This will also happen to us, and we will not have it any better. Only the life that was under the papacy will be started again and again. We will get preachers again, who wear caps, shave plates, put on hard shirts, walk on wooden shoes, and boast of their lousy, stinking works for a church service 2c. For we will not hear of the good works commanded in the ten commandments; therefore let us only be tortured and blasphemed with the good works of the pope and the monks, who are called gods that are the work of men's hands. Is it not true that we do not understand the words, but we have the experience? Imagine the eyes of the Pope, the Turks and the Jews, see what kind of god they have and whom they serve.
The Turks fast for a whole month in summer, bathe every day, do not drink wine, do not live in a binge of eating and drinking, as we Germans do. But whom do they serve with such mortification and devotion, and that they thus constantly war, risk life and limb, and shed their blood? To their Mahomet, who has seduced them, they toil and torture themselves. And this is not in honor of God, but of your devil Mahomet, who has taught them this false, imaginary idolatry, such as fasting, not drinking wine, war 2c. In these works they practice and toil, and get nothing out of it but toil and labor. Their faith is not in God, but in the presumption of their own works, by which they want to be saved. This then is not trusting in God, but it is the works of men's hands, that is, a being and life, or work, devised by men; they are called the works of men.
(114) So the Jews do works which they have invented and devised according to their own devotion; they do not eat blood or swine's flesh. Such are actually the work of men, there they serve their idols.
The papists with their monks and other very many friars and followers keep their rules, commandments and statutes, invented by men; it becomes sour for them day and night. This must be, and cannot be otherwise. For he who falls away from the first commandment falls into one being,
which is conceived by men, he gets into human works. For between God's grace and glory and the works of men there is no remedy. If you do not trust in God, you fall into a work or state that you choose.
(116) So the spirits of the wicked fall from the first commandment and do not cling to God's grace; therefore they have fallen down and have an idol, that is, that they have made the sacrament bread and wine. There they blaspheme with it, and that is their idol.
Therefore, either one must serve God, or trust in an idol, or fall away from God altogether and rely on works and other things. For it is impossible for there to be a middle ground between trust and works. One must either trust in God or in good works. This is what Moses is saying here: If you will not serve God, you will serve the heathen or pagan idols and works of men, for one must serve God or become idolatrous and fall on works; there is no remedy.
This change is made here by Moses. He who only believed this would be a great and very useful thing; and yet he must either have believed, or fallen on a work and become a hypocrite. Now those who deal in works are also idolaters. Now I am not speaking of gross, external abuses: 1) but of those who want to be godly. This is why all this is repeated so widely, so that you may see how Mosi is all about the first commandment.
V. 29. But if you will seek the Lord there.
But so that they do not completely despair, he adds this comfort to them. He does not leave it alone with the terror and dread that God is a fire to the wicked, that is, who kills the disobedient who despise his commandments and do not fear him. For if he let it remain so, the hearts would despair; therefore he shreds it both. For the sake of those who are hardened, who take God's commandments and teachings to the wind and despise them; they think that they can only sin freely, so they will soon not be punished. Again
1) Mißbrauchn -- one who abuses.
Also a promise to those who are punished and are afflicted by misfortune that when the fire attacks their bodies and possessions, they will not despair. It is of great need to comfort those whose hearts are in contempt of God, but who now recognize themselves and desire mercy.
A human heart is vain iron steel, a rock and adamant when it is godless. Again, when it is frightened, broken, crushed, and fleeting, there is nothing softer, more fearful, nor more stupid. A lion and a horse are the most joyful animals when they are courageous; again, when they become timid and frightened, there is no more stupid animal among them all than they are; they cannot be held. The greater the courage, the more despondent when the heart sinks. So also the heart of man is unequally disposed. If it goes well and does not eat the fire, it is proud and clumsy; again, if the fire starts and attacks it, it becomes quite despondent, so that it is not easy to keep it up; it cannot be raised again if it sinks to the ground. Therefore it is necessary to do both: to frighten the hardened, so that they do not become proud and stubborn; again, to comfort the frightened, and to preach sweet words to them, so that they do not despair, but hold fast. Moses does the same here, saying:
V. 30. Now when all these things shall come upon thee 2c.
God gave His commandments to comfort the foolish and to terrify the stiff-necked. We have heard so far how he has spoken in many ways in order to drive the first commandment, and to provoke and entice us to keep it. With the other commandments he has not so much concern; but here he has especially set before him the children and the custom of the country. This is also a thing that hinders and detracts from the first commandment, and yet in another place they are commanded to keep their house. But here, as it pertains to the first commandment, God says: "Child, child, you shall not make for yourself an idol for the sake of your wife or children, and worship him, that is, seek comfort elsewhere than from me, nor despise me. Higher you shall
Thou shalt keep me, as thy children; they shall not turn thee away from me, that thou despise my word for their sakes. The Lord Christ also teaches and commands this [Matth. 19, 29], that one should leave house, farm, land, wife and children and everything for his own sake, because he who does not do this is not worthy of it [Matth. 10, 37]. And here he saith, But if thou do not, and serve mammon, the fire shall come and devour thee: but if thou trust in me, thou shalt have enough.
He meets us, and knows well how things are in the world. Therefore, if you have children and the customs of the land before you, and are mingled with the heathen, and have their customs and deeds in view, and they say to you, as the German proverb says, Do as the others do, and you err or do not err, it will soon be done with you that you will fall away from the first commandment.
The world is full of trouble. No one turns his heart to God. All people on earth worship mammon, and very few serve God according to the first commandment. That is why it is said: Where my neighbor goes, I go also; as he goes, so go I; I see no one who does him any harm. He that is among the wolves, saith the world, must howl with them. Item: Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; one must temporize, and be guided by the people. Item, one says in the papacy: I remain with the religion of my ancestors; if they have not gone to the devil, then I will not go to hell. And some pretend that they want to stay with the big bunch, like the popes, cardinals, bishops, great potentates, princes and lords; if they go to hell, they have good companions, and they want to follow them. So then the country in which we are, with its adversities, brings us to the point that we also behave according to the country's example, and forget God above it.
124] Moses says, "When you come to your land, you will strike God on the grass. When one man does this, three of them do it, and after that ten, twenty, even a hundred, until it becomes a habit. Thus one becomes accustomed to the people and the being on
Earth, that one thinks it must not be different. Say then: I see that these and those do so, and draw their children thereon; item, I see that they pray on this mountain, or in that thicket or meadow, and it pleases the people well, therefore we will also do it.
Now it is a common saying that one also says, "How can I do it? if I want to be among the people, I must do what is the custom of the country, of this lord and of the world. I cannot do anything special, I must do it for my own benefit or for the sake of my children; otherwise how can I remain among the people and abstain? But it is said: Do not do as the world and people will, but as God wills. That is why he says here: Your own children, the world's customs, traditions and habits will move you and deceive you; resist them, attach and hang your heart on my commandment, and say: I will observe nothing but God's commandment. But the devil, the courtiers and the worldlings with their examples, wife and children, good friends and neighbors snatch us away and make us forget the word of God.
126. these are causes and warning ge
nug of God through Moses. But they say here: Trust in God, you have more than ten years to become righteous and fear God; in the meantime I will do as my neighbor does. But think, God is speaking here: Beware that you do not despise me, or the fire will consume you. But if you do so, and seek me earnestly, I will be your God, and will honor you again, and do you all good. And if thou fall, and remember me again with all my heart, I will not leave thee. As high as I have rejected thee and brought thee low, so high will I raise thee up again, and set thee in thy former worthiness.
(127) Moses speaks all this so that one should not forget God, nor despair. For against the presumptuous he says, God is a fire; but to the terrified he says, The LORD your God is a merciful God. Therefore one should walk on the middle road, which means to trust in God, and one will be preserved. Thus Moses is a true master and teacher in interpreting the first commandment; no one has ever done it like him before, nor will anyone ever come after him.