V. 1-4. But when men began to multiply on the earth, and to beget daughters unto them, the children of God looked upon the daughters of men, how they were fair, and took them wives of all that they would. Then said the LORD, My spirit 1) shall not be judge among men for ever, because they are flesh. I will give them yet an hundred and twenty years. There were also tyrants in the earth in those days. For when the children of God 2) slept with the daughters of men, and begat them children, they became mighty men in the world, and mighty men of renown.
Then Moses began to describe the great and mighty change that took place at the time when the world had stood a thousand six hundred and six and fifty years, which comes upon it with such a terrible and dreadful seriousness that whoever considers it must be terrified that all men will sink drowned, without even considering Noah. Now we have said that Moses had planned for him to write where men come from, and for this reason he drew two cords and lines, of the pious and the wicked, the spiritual and the secular. But it is shown above [Cap. 4, § 47 ff.] enough how Cain's lineage soon turned to worldly things with all kinds of handling; what serves for food, honor, dominion, adornment, good days and pleasure was torn down one after the other. As nature does when you leave it a hand's breadth, it takes a whole cubit. It began gradually 3) but became so rampant that it became too much and too big.
1) Marginal gloss: My spirit. That is, it is in vain what I have them preach, say and punish by my Spirit; they have become too carnal, despising and blaspheming my Spirit's word; therefore let him cease, and I will let them go, and no longer quarrel and punish myself with them.
2) Marginal gloss: Children of God. These were the children of the holy fathers, who were brought up in the fear of God, and then became worse than the others, under the name of God; just as the clergy have always been the worst tyrants and the most perverse.
3) In the old editions: meilich.
(2) When Moses says that sin has come about because the children of God have looked after the daughters of men, (2c) he shows sufficiently that the world has become vain flesh and blood, as he also says afterwards, and that it had already come about that such a thing was brought into a habit and considered a custom of the country. There remained no discipline until there was nothing more to advise and help, so that the world had to perish; as is also now before our eyes.
(3) He does not say this about those who came from Cain, but those who were born from the holy fathers. For that which he calls the children of God is actually to be interpreted to the people, to the tribe and line of Seth, Adam's son. Although one finds little else written in the Old Testament that men are called children of God, it was already called at that time, which is to be taken from the fact that they were fine, highly understanding people, and understood the gospel or the promise given to Adam, that whoever believes in the promised seed, would have everything that God Himself has, and would become God's child.
(4) I say this because our scribes have been mistaken about this, and have made up various things about who God's children were, because they were not accustomed to calling people on earth God's children and holy, when the Lord's Prayer, which we pray daily, puts it into our mouths that we are God's children. Out of such ignorance, some dream that the angels are meant by this, who are true children of God, as if they had gone to human daughters and slept with them, from which great giants or giants are said to have been born. But it is fool's heiding. It is possible, as Mau says, that the evil spirit can take hold of the sorceresses, and also impregnate them and cause all kinds of misfortune. Therefore, they thought that it would have happened here with the angels as well.
4) appointed - known.
(5) Therefore we must be accustomed to the Scriptures, that we may have a right understanding, that they which believe are called the children of God, that is, the pious and justified. So at that time there was almost a distinction between the children of God and the children of men, as we called the spiritual and the secular. But as it has now come into abuse with the spiritual state, so it has also gone there. The Scriptures ask in many places that God would appoint those who preach and guide his word, so that if he does not do it, it may remain unpreached. But it has always been like this: when at first pious, holy people led the spiritual regiment of preaching righteously, carnal people arose after them, and abused the same office, yet they kept the regiment, place and name that they had.
(6) Thus in the Jewish people there were first Moses, Joshua, and some others, who lived and ruled according to and by the word of God. But after them came others, who knew nothing of those, yet were also called priests and Levites, inherited and kept the name alone. Likewise, when the apostles and their disciples were gone, the people who kept the name soon followed, but they are as far away as heaven and earth. So it also happened here. Seth, Enos, and their children to the tenth generation kept it fine; but when they came hillway after hillway, it broke out and ceased. Then they kept the name, that they were also called children of God, but they were quite carnal and worldly.
(7) And especially he refers to the time when they looked after the daughters of men and took as wives whom they wished. With these words, he claims that there was no law, discipline or honor, but that they lived according to all their will, mingled with the people of the world, sought their friendship, fell in with them and took whatever they desired, and asked for nothing. Summa, they have been quite safe and without fear of God.
(8) This is the first fault, that they have become carnal. The other, which follows from this, is that when people have good days and live well, it costs them violence, of course, to make others
People flay and scrape. Therefore he says: "There were also tyrants on earth in the days of old, who were mighty and famous men," and also indicates where they came from, namely, as said, that the children of God of men slept with children and begat children; from this they came. It is that the name of God must be the cover of shame, under which all misfortune is done; as it is also said: In the name of God all misfortune is done. What is the greatest abomination, God's name must always embellish and take upon itself, as has happened to this day with our churches and masses, priesthood and monasticism, and everything 1) that is called worship. If only the name is attached to it, everyone falls on it and considers it delicious. Those who can only boast of the name, that they say they are children of God, are afraid and frightened by everyone; then it falls apart, and they become mighty lords under the appearance and name of God.
(9) This is what Moses means by saying: "There were tyrants in those days", which he calls in Hebrew Nephilim, which the teachers called in Latin gigantes. And they write that they were called so, that they were great, that the others stood against them as if they had fallen. But they are also fables, because they were all of the same size; although Moses will later also say of giants or giants. But therefore they are called Nephilim, because they attacked the people and forced them. For Naphal is Hebrew for fall, from which this word comes; as in the 10th Psalm, v. 10, it says, "He falls with his power upon the poor," or "He falleth the poor multitude with his power. Item, in the 20th Psalm, v. 9. "They are bent and fallen." It has been said of them, as the heathen said of their Hercules, as of great men and heroes, who did many battles and wonders, forced everyone, and obeyed no one nor were subject. So the world has become full of evil, as the text says.
10. Now see what God says about this, since such things began to prevail. "My Spirit (says He) shall not always be a judge among the people.
1) In the old editions: everything.
to men, because they are flesh." But the words and sermon he has undoubtedly said through Noah, as before through Adam. Now the verdict is pronounced in the shortest possible time, but it is almost horrible and terrifying.
(11) But the words must be drawn out into the ministry which the Holy Spirit performs by the word which is preached; and it is such a clear and powerful saying, that if it were in the New Testament, it would be enough for the Holy Spirit to say how his ministry is to punish the world; as Christ says in John 16:8, "When the Holy Spirit comes, he will punish the world for sin, righteousness, and judgment." And here it is finely indicated what the world would be if the Holy Spirit were not judge and punish. If it could do something good and please God by its nature and works, the Holy Spirit should not punish and judge. Now if it is to be right and of divine nature, the Holy Spirit must be there, carry out his office, and do everything through the word alone; that [it is] a great grace where he thus punishes and quarrels with men, and again, the highest disgrace and punishment where he abstains and does not punish the world.
(12) Therefore he will say this much here: It is in vain what I preach and punish until now and still through my spirit in the patriarchs, Adam, Seth, Enoch, and try to control and ward off the wickedness of the people. They are too drowned in the flesh, will not hear nor believe, but despise and blaspheme the word that I preach through my children who have my spirit; therefore I will also desist and cease to punish, and let them go. This is the terrible plague that God will bring upon the world when he destroys it, that he will first shake off his hand and lift up his word, so that each one will go according to his own delusion and conceit, groping like a blind man and not knowing what he is doing; so that all sin and shame will follow in one heap, until everything must perish and perish to the ground.
This is what Moses in the fifth chapter [Cap. 28, 28] calls madness, blindness and racing of the heart, when he tells the curses that are to come upon those who despise God's word and do not want to hear it. This plague is also foretold by the apostle Paul in 2 Thess. 2,
10-12. To the same multitude: "For that they have not received the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God will send them strong errors, that they may believe the lies; that they all may be judged who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. Just as it has happened in the world, as we now see before our eyes, that 1) we thought we had the right worship and that everything was right, but it was the devil and death. In the end it will happen again: because everyone does not want to hear or accept the gospel, but acts and blasphemes in the worst way, and no one wants to do it, God will again take it away, and punish the world again with greater blindness than ever before, until he finally destroys everything. This is the meaning and opinion of this saying.
14 Then God said, "I will give them a hundred and twenty years. This refers to the time that He wanted to give the world until the flood, so that the people would convert and reform. Now Noah was there, as the text says [chap. 5, 32], five hundred years old, and it is indicated afterwards that there were only a hundred years before the flood, when he got the order to build the ark, that it will be six hundred years together, when the flood came. Is now the question: where then the twenty years remain, which God adds in these words? I know nothing to answer it, nor to resolve it, without saying that it may well be that wickedness so excellently prevailed that God hastened with the flood, and cut short the twenty years; or that it is said per anticipationem, that is, that these words, "twenty years," were spoken before Noah begat the three sons, or ever before he became five hundred years old altogether.
(15) But, as has been said, it is a question of the number of years that God has given to the world for correction until the flood: not, as some say, that he has determined how long a man's age and life should extend. For if reason were right, it would follow that every man should live a hundred and
1) Jenaer: da.
twenty years, while most of the people die young, and it is considered a miracle when one hears of someone who lives a hundred and twenty years; in addition, it is not found in Scripture that God specifies how long one should live. Therefore the goal of the whole world is presented, through God's long-suffering, whether they want to convert; [it] has not become better, but worse day by day.
(16) So this history is good for us to remember, because it is a great, terrible change, in which one sees how God has to rule on earth. He does it secretly, sees through the fingers so long that people become so blind and foolish that they say there is no God, and surely despise everything that God preaches. So we have an example and warning that we certainly believe that God will not let injustice and evil go unpunished nor unscented, even if He has been consuming for a while. This is a piece of this text. Follow on:
V.5-10. But when the Lord saw that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth, and that all the thoughts and actions of their hearts were evil for ever, then it grieved him that he had made man upon the earth, and it grieved him in his heart, and he said: I will destroy mankind, which I have created, from the earth, from man to cattle, and to the worms, and to the fowls of the air: for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord. This is the birth of Noah. Noah was a godly man and without change, and led a godly life to his lines, and begat three sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth; but the earth was corrupt 2c.
(17) Here one asks, and is almost troubled, how it is that the text says that God repented that he had made man, because it is said that he could not be sorry for what he does, since he is the highest wisdom? Answer: I think that this piece was written to indicate the lamentation and cry of the dear fathers who lived, that they had felt such a grief and terrible judgment of God, who wanted to change everything on earth. Likewise also afterwards [Gen. 18, 23-32] to
is shown, when God wanted to turn back the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrah, how Abraham took care of them, was afraid, and was so hard on God with pleading that he would have gladly saved them, as will follow hereafter. So here, too, it is well to think, as the heart of the pious father Noah confessed, that he had felt everything that was coming, and that he had grieved and worried about it; that it must not be attributed to God, as if it grieved him that he changed and changed it in this way, for everything had already been decided with God. But if he changes it, it is no different than that he will turn it around, as he has provided from eternity. But he changes it so that the pious people feel it beforehand; they have thought, "Oh! God now has it in mind to change and reverse everything.
(18) This rule must often be observed in Scripture, that God is spoken of as we feel Him. For as we feel him, so he is to us. If you think he is angry and ungracious, he is ungracious. So, when the Scriptures say that GOD is angry, it is not otherwise than that He is so felt. So it is often written in Psalms: Wake up, Lord, why are you sleeping? How dost thou hide thyself? (Ps. 44, 24. 25.) And the like, although his nature and will have no change, without him putting himself thus and thus, and making us see and feel him. Therefore as it was felt here by Noah and struck his heart, so it was. So I wanted to resolve the question; for it is the surest thing to stay down 1) and yet it is God's, not man's, thought. For He gives such sorrow and anguish to the heart that it comes not from man but from the Holy Spirit.
V. 13-16. Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is full of their wickedness. And, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee a box of fir wood, and make chambers therein, and try them with pitch, within and without, and make them [the arks thus:] Three hundred cubits shall be the length, fifty cubits the breadth, and thirty cubits the height. You shall make a window on the top of it, one
1) Erlanger: ernieder.
Elle large. The door shall be placed in the middle of its 1) side. Make the lower part two-layered and three-layered.
(19) In order that we may understand the text, let us first see how the ark was built, then what kind of faith Noah had, and thirdly, what is meant by it. The first, which is called the archa, is a Latin word that has come into the German language; otherwise we have many more Latin and French words. In our language, we actually call it a box or a long drawer. If it is now measured according to how it has been decided here, and put into heaps: it is six times longer than it is wide, and ten times longer than it is high. This is what scholars call proportionem geometricam et arithmeticam, when one says that a thing is twice as long as it is wide; since one does not name and express how many cubits or spans it has in itself.
20 Thus the chest should have been longer than wide, so that if it had been smaller, it would have been counted as a coffin. For if you take a man's body before you and measure it rightly, it is ten times longer than it is high, and six times longer than it is wide. This is how the teachers measured the ark and interpreted it to make the Lord Christ out of it. But we leave that alone; it is enough to know as much of the history as I have said. Now he shall make a door in the chest in the middle of the side, so that ten cubits remain above and ten cubits below, that it is almost fourteen cubits above and fourteen below. For the box will have gone almost close ten cubits in the water, so remained twenty cubits above in height. But over the door, which was in the middle of the side, the window should stand, and not be larger than a cubit in length and width.
(21) It is to be inferred what kind of light was in the ark, and it is well to be felt that the Scripture wants to indicate here that it was not made for this reason, that they should keep the day of it, nor that they should not be guided by the sun. For it has been seen above on all sides, that the day went in only a cubit far above the door; so it follows that they were in the
1) Jenaer: the.
They were always burning light in the box, because they could not help themselves to light from the sun, and they did this for so long, as long as they were in there, that it actually happened like in the tabernacle of Moses, where no day could come in, but seven lights had to burn without interruption [Ex. 25, 37. 27, 20. 21.], as we do at night. So it was built only so that they might see whether it was day or night.
22 Further he says: the lower part he shall make two-layered and three-layered. Think, then, that the chest had three bottoms, ten cubits below, ten in the middle, where the door was, and as many above, where the window was. In the lowest he made chambers, here two, there three, and so on various dwellings, in which this and that cattle and animals should stand; for these he made such a building, or perhaps also for himself; so that the box would be a dwelling for all kinds of animals, so that seed would be preserved from all. This is the building of the ark, for the first.
23) Secondly, in this history is shown the faith of Noah, which is the best part of it. Let us see how a Christian faith should be skilful, and it would be right that such histories should be written out as they are worth; but it is lacking, that it cannot be attained with words, and that we cannot think so completely, how a great, mighty faith this must have been, that it is exceedingly; that also, if one looks at it rightly, it is not a miracle that not more than Noah, the eighth, is preserved in the flood 2). For, behold, Noah hath three sons, and they have three wives; that is, together with his wife, eight persons, which have not been without servants, and without mates, as it is yet in the world, and at the same time greater than it is now. Of all these, as great a friendship as he had, none adhered to him and his sons, but badly all departed from him; that it was ever a pity that his word and all the preaching he did did not help, and no one believed nor accepted.
2) Erlanger: retain.
(24) On the other hand, it is a great thing that eight people alone should stand so firmly, and certainly think that they alone are right, while so many people in the whole world are all wrong. If it should happen today that a man should come who could say and conclude that he alone was right, and that all others' doings and opinions were wrong and lost; not considering how wise, holy, powerful people, popes, bishops, princes, etc. they might be, who could believe it? Let us see how they now cry and rage against the gospel, so that no one can tell them or defend them. Therefore, there is no doubt that it was the same at that time.
Twenty-five: now reckon it evenly: Noah was now five hundred years when he began to build the box, and he built over it a whole hundred years. Then he preached daily and said, "Correct yourselves, God is angry and will destroy the world with the flood, so I am building the box as God commanded me. This, of course, spread far and wide throughout the world, which is why God gave him so much time and so long to do it. But what happened? He kept preaching and preaching and did not stop. Therefore Peter [2. Ep. 2, 5.] calls him praeconem justitiae, a crier and crier or preacher of justice, which title the Scriptures do not give so highly to any patriarch.
26. but the world did as it still does, mocking and despising God's word and his preachers, so that the more he preached of it, the more he had to hear them say: you are a great old fool, worried that heaven will fall on you, preaching and shouting now ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years 2c. of the flood; when will it come? Do you think that you alone are the most pious, that God should destroy the whole world and spare your 1) alone? or that you are the smartest, that he should tell no one but you?
27 He heard these things daily, and many more innumerable scorns and reproaches; but he was not dismayed, and continued to preach until the sixtieth, and seventieth, and eightieth, and ninetieth year. Only then did they become sure and certain. Yes, yes, should God wait so long, when He has
1) Erlanger: dir.
If he were so angry, he would not have waited ten years. So God preached to the world for so long, taking his word for foolishness and lies, and acting in the most shameful and disgraceful way. See what the world is with its prudence and reason, how finely it can place itself at God's word. Now it is still a wonder that his wife and his sons believed with their wives and clung to him alone, yet so much remained with him, 2) especially because it was delayed so long when he always said it would come. How many before there were people who took money and made the box, but paid no attention; nor did he stay on it, believing it would go like this, that God would drown everything.
28 Therefore learn what is the right way of faith, that it follows no thing except the word. For all things are contrary to sense, strive against all reason of men, yea, against his own senses, and all things that he seeth, and feeleth, and heareth, that he may think well: How can God be so strange as to choose me alone and condemn all the people of the earth? just as Noah undoubtedly felt this, and suffered great trial.
29 For this also is the great temptation in the world, except the high spiritual, to think, Behold, all the world holdeth it otherwise; shouldest thou alone be right, and be the wisest? Dear one, how if you are wrong? do you not think that God is merciful, that he will preserve many people, and not destroy everything so completely? If he had seen and not closed his eyes, he would not have stopped. But he has often suffered such blows and blows.
(30) He saw that God's word stood there to be received by eight persons alone. That was said as much as if he said: Only dead, dead, everything that lives there. There faith stands and says: God cannot and will not lie. Therefore he has closed his eyes and subdued all reason, and has held only to the word. So faith must trample all reason, senses and understanding underfoot, and put everything it sees out of the general, and not want to know anything.
2) The meaning is: It is a miracle that nevertheless all those who stayed with him clung to him alone.
for the word of God. So let us praise and glorify reason and our natural light; what is it but blindness and darkness? What can it be better than to fight against faith and God's word? What is the meaning of long custom, and that so many people in the world hold and believe differently?
He has done all this for a hundred years through such faith, which no one can attain or measure enough. Help God, we could hardly stand for an hour when it comes to the meeting, and he has stood there for so long in the highest battle without ceasing and has not wavered; and not only that, but has also preached daily and received scorn and ridicule as a reward, so that his heart has been well crucified.
32 We must do likewise. Whoever wants to be saved must not intend to believe what the pope, bishops and the whole world believe, or what the Concilio decides. Whoever believes in this way is already lost. For as long as the crowd stands, it also stands; does not stand on God's word, but on man's delusion; thinks, should those err and miss, so many and great people? and does not see that God's word says straight against it: Many and great people shall err [Ps. 62, 10.]. In Noah's time there were countless more learned, wise, pious, honorable people than now, because the world was still young; yet he had to break his mind and keep only what God says.
This will be fine when we die. There faith must stand alone and fight against the devil and all senses and reason. There he will reproach you: This is what the pope says, and this is what the whole world believes; what would you think if it were lacking and wrong? Then the heart that has relied on it must begin to wriggle, is so soon in doubt; when it doubts, it goes astray and must be lost. Therefore we must come to the point that faith stands on God's word alone, that we can say: God give, the world believe otherwise or so, I have God's word, as Noah had; if there is someone in the world who thinks otherwise, I let him go, God's word must be right, that does not deceive [Ps. 94, 15].
34. thus we see here the great, mighty earnestness and wrath of god, that he only has the eight
In addition, the great work that a human heart should believe this. It is both, grace and wrath, incomprehensible and unbelievable to all reason and human powers. The text [Gen. 7, 1] says: Noah was justified and without change in his time. Item [Gen. 6, 8]: "Noah found grace with the Lord." The words are set in such a way that they should apply to something, namely such great things as we have heard. From this it also follows that the eight persons were holy. Eight living saints, and yet remained only six; for Ham fell after the flood, and [I] hold, even his wife. It is terrible that one should stand in such faith, and yet fall. Of which we shall hereafter hear.
Thirdly, we will also see the secret interpretation of this story. St. Peter [1 Ep. 3, 21] interpreted it in such a way that the flood meant baptism, because the latter is a spiritual flood, as the former was external. And as Noah was kept in the box, so we are saved in baptism. Now by baptism many more people are drowned than by that flood of sin, because it has spread through the whole world and is still going on. Now as all men were drowned there, except the eighth, who were preserved in the water: so also in baptism all that is carnal is drowned. For we are baptized so as to die to the world, to the flesh, and to the blood; as Paul says [Rom. 6:3, 4], "All that are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death; so we ever died with him through baptism into death. "2c. That it is as much to put a child into baptism as to say, I drown and choke in thee all that is flesh and blood; that when it is drawn out, it is without all sin and unhappiness, so that in baptism all that is worldly and carnal must perish, that the Spirit alone may live. So hold the two against each other: there men drown who are flesh and blood; here spiritually drowns all sin and all misfortune that man brings with him. Thus it rhymes with baptism. 1) The saying in the Psalm goes to this: Dominus diluvium inhabitare facit,
1) Wittenberger: "day", which is in the first edition.
The Lord sits to create a flood of sin [Ps. 29:10], that is, a lasting flood of sin that will not pass away until the end of the world.
(36) Now what is the ark? It was made for this purpose, that Noah should put into it all kinds of animals, of both sexes, clean and unclean, so that seed might remain on the earth and the world might multiply. That is, the Christian church, the assembly of all those who are baptized, called to the Christian faith, who hear the gospel, are all in the box, but are still few compared to the other great multitude. For I say only of those who hear the gospel and are righteous, not that they alone are called Christians, but that there is no false preaching. In the same congregation are all manner of beasts, they and they, according to Noah himself: that is, in the preaching of baptism in the gospel are gathered together divers persons, not only that believe, but also that believe not; yet all have the gospel, which they hear and know. For the rest, who hear it not, are not in the box, but are drowned in the water.
037 Now therefore among these there are some that are clean, and some that are unclean. What these are, we shall hear hereafter; now enough is enough, that the Christian church is of a kind that it hath not vain saints; whereof I have often said. And it would be good to make a proverb out of it, to answer those who take offense at our weakness, saying, "Did Noah have to have both unclean and clean animals;" saying, "If we want to be Christians, we must get into the habit of having many infirm brothers and sisters among us, so that we may be like one another, and bear one another, and say: Dear, we will not all be pure, there must be ravens and doves, wolf and sheep in the box among each other. Therefore also the Sophists said: Omnis anima in arca Noae, all kinds of souls are in the box Noah. Would be well said if they had understood it. You can also see this in the Gospel, that Christ deals with tax collectors and sinners [Matth. 9, 10. 11. 11, 19. Luc. 5, 29.j], leaves the others behind, who only wanted to have pure animals, and yet they themselves were not. So it must be in Christianity
stand. [The greatest art, the highest wisdom and virtue that Christians have are also found in it. He who cannot do these things does not consider himself a Christian.
The ark is made of smooth and planed fir wood. This is the highest virtue of Christianity, that it is gentle and mild, like a fine, bad, smooth wood without branches; there is no impatience, anger, ill-will or envy among them, not rough, gnarled, nor unbroken; recently, pure love, so that one can hold all things to the other's advantage.
(39) Above this, it is to be written out and written in, or glued. This is both love and patience. If you do not glue a ship, it can soon split and tear. Now pitch is an unflattering, black thing that does not adorn, but preserves. Suffering, too, is not pleasant to look at, but it holds and preserves well. Summa, it is patience and the holy cross, of which Paul says: Patientia probationem operatur, patience brings experience. It is challenged on all sides; it rained on the top, and the water beat against it; now it is protected from the outside with pitch everywhere, so that it will not be damaged. This is to be humility and patience, that we may suffer all that afflicts us, within and without.
(40) Therefore, in sum, all things are directed that the highest virtue is to suffer and bear all the infirmities of our brethren, and then all the temptations of the devil and death. There is not the least suffering from 1) infirm people; we always want to be with holy people who are not whimsical, but who are finely guided by us, so that it always goes according to our purpose. Therefore, there have been many who have run hither and thither, thinking that they would find a place where things would not be unequal; each one wanting to pull himself out of the loop, and always having the string, so that everyone would live according to his will, and no one would live according to his will: He wanted everyone to live according to his will, and he should not give in to anyone. Just like that fool who stood in the sun and was bent over, and was angry that the shadow was also bent over. So we want others
1) Jenaer: an den. - The meaning is: The suffering, which happens to us from infirm people, is not a small one.
We have to be right on the string and do not judge ourselves, thus making our own lives sour.
41 Weiler is here also to see what the door in the side, the window above the door, and the two-layered and three-layered compartments at the bottom of the box mean. Now I have often said that one should above all stay with the writing in the simple sense that the letters give, pure and unadulterated; when this is done, one can then play with figures and interpretation, as we first did with the simple words in this history. Nor should such an interpretation be taken as certain and certain, unless it can be proved from Scripture that it is meant to interpret such things. Where this is not the case, you may well interpret it, but no one should rely on it. It is not to be resisted that one should play according to his spirit; but what is to teach faith must be so well founded and certain that one may also leave one's life over it.
(42) Thus we have established above [§ 35] from St. Peter's saying [1 Ep. 3, 21] that the flood signifies baptism; but of this we have no saying that the door on the side signifies the wound in the left side of Christ (as it has been interpreted up to now), or also that the ark signifies the body of Christ; therefore it is not to be built upon. It is true in itself that the interpretation is indicated by it; but whether the interpretation is also right and rhymes with it cannot be taken for an article of faith. But if you interpret it in such a way that the box is the Christian church, but the door means the word, through which one enters the Christian church, as St. Paul also uses to call the sermon, as 1 Cor. 16:9: "The door is opened to me, and there are many adversaries"; likewise also Christ in John [Cap. 10:9] says that he is the door, through which one enters and leaves the sheepfold; this I accept as not contrary to Scripture. But whoever does not want to accept it, we will let his mind be his own; for we must stick to the main understanding that the letter gives; the rest we may decorate and cross out as we can.
43) Item, that the window above is lit, no doubt, as [§ 21] said, not that they would have light from it; for how should a
How could a large building receive light from such a small hole? Therefore Noah had to stay in the ark without light, and make light for him with lamps, as we do in the night. One would have liked to say that God had given the light so much brilliance to the box that it had illuminated it [the ark]; but this is not to be believed. Also, if he had wanted the box to be illuminated by the window, he would have made more of them. What this means, I also give home to everyone. Do what you will, let it remain according to the letter, that he let it be made so that one could see how it would be in the sky, when it would be day or night, the clouds would stop, clear or dark. And he has determined a measure for it, that it should not be larger than a cubit.
44 I wanted to interpret this as Paul's scientiam, that is, knowledge, that Christianity, which lives inwardly by the light of grace, not by the light of the world, sees and judges by heart what is good or evil, as it is according to the outward nature; what is evil, not to be accepted; what is right and good, to be judged by it, and to give thanks to God. This is my interpretation; if anyone has another, let him follow it, for I have no certain reason from Scripture.
45 Now that he goes on to say about the lower part, to make it two-layered and three-layered, it can be seen how the box is made on the inside. Below it stood in the water, there it leaves a building for all kinds of animals; [there] must have been many chambers with many doors, because the animals all had to graze, and each especially with pairs. I will interpret this to mean that there are various gifts in Christianity. God has given each one his gift to serve Christianity; Paul writes about this in Rom. 12, 6. 1 Cor. 12, 28. 29. Eph. 4, 11: "He has appointed some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as shepherds and teachers" 2c. This interpretation I also do not have from the Scriptures, but it rhymes well with the Scriptures. That is enough of the interpretations. Moses now continues:
V. 17-22 For behold, I will cause a flood of water to come upon the earth to destroy.
I will destroy all flesh in which there is a living breath under heaven; everything on earth will perish. But with thee will I establish a covenant. And thou shalt enter into the casket with thy sons, and with thy wife, and with thy sons' wives. And thou shalt put into the coffer all manner of beasts of all flesh, every pair male and female, that they may live with thee. Of the birds after their kind, of the cattle after their kind, and of all the creeping things of the earth after their kind; of all these a pair each shall go in unto thee, that they may live. And thou shalt take unto thee every kind of meat that is eaten, and gather it unto thee, that it may be food for thee, and for them. And Noah did all that God commanded him.
Thus God's work goes on forever, so that it is foolish to think that he should ever disgrace the world. Could he not provide so much, since he had in mind to preserve Noah in such a terrible flood of sin, that he could not bring in so much food? Did he first have to gather such a supply of temporal goods, as if God could not feed and nourish them long enough? [He starts and lets Noah take care that he has food and drink. Now why does he do this? First of all, there is no other reason than his will. But yet it is also written to warn us against presumption, which is called tempting God. It is true that God wants all our works to be done in faith, that we do nothing without faith; but nevertheless he does not want us to leave in place what is available and has been given by him beforehand.
47 So that we may see it in other examples: He hath built bridges over the waters, that every man might safely pass over them. If then thou shouldest defy faith, 1) and walk not over the bridge, but upon the waters, thou shalt surely be drowned, and go to the devil. For this would be done, which he neither commanded nor commanded. It may be both, but this he has given, that he has not given. Therefore, because thou feelest not in the spirit that thou hast cause why thou must walk on the water, thou shalt not do it.
48. so Christ also did, as in the
1) In the editions: wollest.
Matthew [Cap. 4, 7]. When the devil led him to the top of the temple to let himself down, he said: "It is written, you shall not tempt God" [Deut. 6, 16]. It would be the same if you were to walk idly and not work, saying, "I believe God will feed me. Not so. It is true that He gives all things, feeds and sustains all things; but that you would not use what you could well use, God would be tempted. For he wants you to use what you have before you, what is already given and available to you; not to open your mouth to heaven and let the creature go that he has given you. He will not do a miracle for your sake without need.
49. But if it so happens that it is out of your control, that you cannot work, that you have no grain, money or cash, you must still believe that God will feed and nourish you. So, if you would like to cross the bridge but could not, and yet you are urged to cross the water, go in God's name with strong faith.
50 In short, it is done for the faith that it travels both in supply and lack on the right middle road, so that it needs the supply with gratitude, where God gives it; also again, where there is lack and yet firmly trusts, through such confidence in lack suffers no distress.
51 Item, the same is to be said of chastity, yes, of all things. Virginity is a great gift, but it comes from heaven; no one is born with it. For God has made it so that this is a male and this is a female. If you now want to let go of what you have in store and can do well, and gaze at heaven, waiting for the high, strange gift, you will be lacking; as now all monks and priests tempt God, yes, desecrate Him with their vowed chastity. If it should be so, you may also say: What may one preach God's word orally in the church, or otherwise hear and read; I would rather wait until God Himself speaks to me from heaven; He will certainly enlighten and set my heart on fire without a word, and give me the spirit 2c.; which He has forbidden.
52 Therefore it is God's will that we use what He has created or ordained, and not throw it to the wind; yet you will have enough to believe. This is what this piece wants to teach, and it is almost necessary that it be well perceived. Since
God presents Himself in such a way that the wise might think Him a fool to take on such a thing; but He does it for the very reason that He makes fools of them in their prudence, as Paul says [1 Cor. 3:19, 20]. Now follow: