V.1-8. And when Jethro the priest of Midian, Moses' brother-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and his people Israel, that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt, he took Zipora, Moses' wife, whom he had sent back, and her two sons. One of them was named Gershon, for he said: I am a sojourner in a strange land; and the other was called Eliezer, because he said, The God of my father hath been my help, and hath delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh. And it came to pass, when Jethro Moses' servant, and his sons, and his wife, were come unto him into the wilderness, unto the mountain of God, where he had pitched his tent, that he said unto Moses, I, Jethro thy servant, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. And Moses went out to meet him, and bowed himself to him, and kissed him. And when they had saluted one another, they went into the tabernacle. Then Moses told his brother-in-law all that the LORD had told Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
Israel, and all the trouble they had encountered on the way, and that the Lord had saved them 2c.
(1) Before this spiritual government is appointed, Moses ordains the temporal government; for otherwise the gospel cannot be well preached, except there be first quiet in a land, and good peace be made: wherefore Moses setteth this chapter before. For where there is no peace or quiet, the gospel is not to be preached.
2 In this chapter he describes how his brother Jethro, the priest in Midian, comes to him in the desert, bringing Ziporam, Moses' wife, and his two sons with him. For in chapter 2, vv. 15, 16, we heard how Moses escaped from Egypt before Pharaoh, and stayed with the priest in Midian, tending sheep there, until he gave him his daughter in marriage, with whom he begat two sons. And when he returned to Egypt, he sent the woman with the children.
They returned to their father, who is called Reguel above [Ex. 2:18], but here he is called Jethro. Perhaps Jethro was the stepfather of the woman, and Reguel, the right father, will now have died. When this Jethro hears that the children of Israel have gone out of Egypt into the wilderness, 1) he comes to his daughter's husband, Moses, and brings him the woman and her children.
(3) But what is this to us? Why is it written that one brings Mosi his wife and two sons, and after that Jethro is truly converted, recognizes the true God, and after that sacrifices to him? We will take three pieces or three lessons from this. First: Moses was in office, called by God and required to plague the kingdom of Egypt and King Pharaoh, and to lead the people of Israel out of the house of Egypt. For this reason he left his house and farm, his wife and child in Midian and gave them to our Lord God, who was waiting here for his house, his possessions and goods, his wife and child. He takes care of all this much better than if Moses himself had been present. But because Moses has been obedient to God, and has diligently followed the work that God has commanded him to do, God again honors him by providing for his wife and child, and in due time has them brought to Moses more gloriously than might otherwise have been done.
4 From this then we are to take this lesson, that if we go along in obedience to God, and for His sake we must leave house and farm and other goods, that we grieve not for them, nor grieve too hard. It shall be much better with the goods than before; they have then been commanded to the right householder. When Moses was about to take his wife and child from Midian to Egypt, he was sick to death, so he had to send them back. Now that he does not have them with him, he is much happier than when they were around and beside him. So God wants to teach us to trust in Him and to leave everything for His sake, because He is able to preserve it, to protect it and to protect it.
1) The words: "after the desert" are missing in the Erlanger.
and give it back much more abundantly than we would wish or desire. Therefore it is also said by the Lord Christ in the Gospel [Matth. 19, 29.]: Whoever leaves field, house, yard, wife and child, for my name's sake, he shall have it back by the hundredfold. Otherwise, if they had gone away with each other, perhaps they or he would have died in Egypt. But now they have all remained alive and are reunited fresh and healthy.
(5) Secondly, so that this great miracle and work, as the redemption of the children of Israel from Egypt, would not remain unfruitful, here he states that the Gentiles also enjoyed this exodus, so that the Jews would not boast that they alone knew God, but the Gentiles now also know Him; God also has His saints and elect among them. He does not want to be the God of the Jews alone, but also of the Gentiles [Rom. 3, 29], yes, the Lord and God of all creatures. Therefore, when He brought the children of Israel out of the house of Egypt, and they murmured much, and were not reformed, God went and accepted the Gentiles also among His people. For this Gentile, Jethro, repents and turns to God, and rejoices in the knowledge of the true God, and in the glorious good deed that God has done for the children of Israel, in that He has liberated them from the house of Egypt with a mighty hand. And although this may be considered a bad and small thing, and seems as if Jethro alone had come to Moses in the wilderness, he certainly brought many people with him, for he 2) was a regent, even the head in Midian.
The Midianites came from Abraham, from Keturah, Abraham's wife, as it is written in Genesis chapter 25, v. 2. With this, God wanted to indicate that the people of Israel was separated from other people with outward statutes, here on earth, for the sake of this cause: for Christ was to take his humanity from this people. Nevertheless, he also reserved for him the Gentiles, to whom he gave faith and the Holy Spirit inwardly, even though he did not have a
2) Erlanger: es.
He made an outward distinction with them, as with the Jews and Isaac's seed. They also did not have Moses and the prophets, he did not separate them from others like the Jews, but inwardly he keeps them as good as the Jews, he gives them the same faith, knowledge of God and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God has His church and a large number of believers even among the Gentiles; as the examples of Melchizedek, Job, Naaman Syri, the Ninevites and others show.
(7) Thus he was a priest and ruler, as the ancient fathers also ruled, as kings and princes do now, yet he also preached with them, and taught the people as a priest. For the secular realm was not so separated from the ministry of preaching then as it is now. And because he was in the holy office of preaching and believed, he did not keep this treasure and knowledge of God for himself, but he was to put it on and grow with it, as the Lord Christ Matthew testifies in the 25th chapter, v. 14 ff. Therefore, without a doubt, through him the land of Midian was converted and came to the knowledge of the word of God, just as the children of Israel had the same. So that the knowledge of God and the faith were spread far and wide, and did not remain with the Jews alone, but the Gentiles also enjoyed it. For God's works were to be known throughout the world, so that God would be praised and glorified not only by the Jews, but by all people in the world; as follows in the text.
V. 10, 11: And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, which hath delivered you out of the hand of Egypt, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who knoweth how to deliver his people out of the hand of Egypt. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, because they have exalted themselves against them.
8. Jethro praises God and confesses Him before all men, making his confession. This is the right sacrifice that he can make to God, so that after knowing God, one rejoices that God is the Lord who saved Israel from Pharaoh; therefore he alone is the right God, above all others, who can control the great trees so that they do not grow into the heavens. Thus the Egyptians are
Those who have been sure and presumptuous have shown arrogance toward the poor Israelites. He who therefore knows God has known Him well and rightly; and thus He wants to be praised and known, so that one may know that He is such a God who can help all who are in need and desire His help; who also humbles all trustworthy and high people [1 Petr. 5:5].
Now this is what he praises about God, how he is above all gods and can by no means tolerate the arrogant and arrogant next to him; therefore he was not one with the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were arrogant and too brave and oppressed the people of Israel; no one can help them but this God. And with this God we also want to keep it, who is such a God that he can help and save from all distress, and humble the hopeful. But where are those who believe both? They despise both. For those who are proud, arrogant and proud do not think that God will see or avenge them; they want to know that God is merciful and forgives with punishment, so that they have room for their wickedness, and that their evil deeds often go away for a while [Ps. 64:6]. For God sees through their fingers, that is what makes them so bold; that is why they do not believe that there is a God. For they carry out their ungodly nature as they see fit [Ps. 14:1, 53:2].
(10) Now what happens on this side with us, who should believe and suffer? Here, too, we do not believe that God will turn great lords and merchants into little ones or none at all, or rich people into poor and beggars, or wise men, wise men and scholars into fools, or saints into disgrace. Yes, we also do not believe that God has an eye on us and asks something of us. If I lack food, or am in danger of death, or come into disgrace and ignominy, from that moment I think that I am finished, and that there is no one left who can help me. Or, if it otherwise happens that the heart is sad and one is in misfortune, then no one believes that God is with us; yet God preaches about Himself and says that He is present with us in distress; as Ps. 91:15: "I am with you.
I am with him in trouble, I will help him out and save him. He also proves it honestly, as in the case of Pharaoh, whom he can throw into the Red Sea and free the children of Israel from his tyranny. Who else would have helped this people? There was no one who ever took care of them or thought to save them.
(11) Therefore, remember this also: "Whatever happens to me, God is at home. Now if I know God, and know that there is a God, then think and be sure that he looks upon you; for this is his way, that he looks upon us, inquires after us, and takes heed, and is anxious that he may help us. For he is such a God, who sings, says and writes these things of himself, that he exalts the oppressed and the lowly, and in turn overthrows the mighty from the throne, or presses the trustworthy to the ground [Luc. 1, 51. 52.]. But because we do not believe, we are not saved; but those who believe, he faithfully helps, even if it takes a while, but he comes at last [Hab. 2, 3], and does not lack who alone can endure him, as the holy Scriptures very diligently exhort to this.
(12) He had such light in his heart that he sang with joy, as if to say, "I praise God, who helps the miserable and overthrows all the high and proud. Let anyone who wants to show himself to be a Christian sing this song or chant after him,
Now a question arises: Are there more gods than one? You heard above [Cap. 12, 12] that since the firstborn were all slain, God had passed judgment on the gods in Egypt. Now the Egyptians were a foolish people, full of gods; though they were also the wisest people under the sun, for which I hold them wholly. For Joseph and the children of Israel brought in a great light, for in Israel alone the right God was known [Ps. 76:3], and the same they also preached and made known. As the 105th Psalm, v. 22, says: Joseph taught the wise men in Egypt and taught them about God.
14. but later they are from this knowledge of god and the bright light like
who fell away, and became much more blind than any other; as it is thus wont to happen that after great, bright light also great darknesses are wont to follow. That is why in Egypt they used to worship cows and oxen, calves, dogs, cats and birds, as well as the sun and the moon. And in the following chapters we will hear how the children of Israel learned this from the Egyptians, and how they erected a golden calf and danced around it. But what are these gods? It is the same for us. If we have lacked the right God on one side, then we have lacked him altogether, and he who does not fully grasp him has nothing of him; only that we do not set up such idolatrous images as they did.
(15) But if I believe that God is reconciled and satisfied by the masses, and do not accept the man Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, and suffered and died for me, is this not God's fault? I call with my mouth the right name of God and of the Lord Christ, but in my heart I have forgotten him. For my thoughts are not righteous in my heart, and I take my own conceit and follow it, of which the holy Scripture teaches nothing, but rather fiercely refuses and despises it; and this not with the cutting of the throat (as one is wont to say), but with the highest loss, namely the salvation of the soul; and thus I have blasphemed and desecrated the divine name, and made myself another god. For it should please the Lord Christ what is beloved to me, since it should rather please me what is beloved to Christ; for he is to master me, and I or others are not to master him. But so the devil gives me the conceit, and presupposes me, that he daubs the name of Christ and God upon it; and so one is deceived. On the other hand, the holy scripture teaches me that this pleases him, and that this is God's eternal will, to believe in Christ and to rely on his suffering, death and bloodshed, as John 6:29 says: "This is God's work, that you believe in him whom he has sent," and not to set up any work on which I place my comfort; then I will meet him.
(16) And so the whole world in our time has been in idolatry. It has fallen into this, so that at first they have wavered a little and stumbled, and then they have grown more and more into greater error, until all the earth has become full of idols, as the prophet Zephaniah says in the first chapter, v. 4 ff.
017 So it was with Jeroboam, when he prepared two calves, one in Dan, and the other in Bethel, and worshipped and sacrificed there, and there was the same worship that was in Jerusalem; and he smeared the name thereon, saying, Israel, here is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt [1 Kings 12:28, 29]. This king Jeroboam knew well of the true God who is in heaven, and who had helped the children of Israel out of the house of Egypt; nor did he take this name and put it on his idolatry, saying, "The same God is honored here with these calves, he is served there, and the service which they did with these calves should please him, when God had said in his word, "In Jerusalem I will be honored and called, where the mercy seat is" [2 Kings 21:4]. 21, 4.]. But all this did not apply; therefore they came and went on, and established special services here in one city and there in another, and followed this example of Jeroboam, that they built altars in all the pleasant valleys and green pastures, and made the land all full of worship, so that one could not think of any more. But it was all said: Behold, this is the God who brought us out of Egypt and gave the promise to our fathers. There the name remained, but the heart and the opinion were wrong. This is now the name of God blasphemed and profaned, for the wicked devil has been under the title and name of God.
(18) Thus all idolatry comes and flows from unbelief and blindness, that we do not recognize God. Thus our monks' idolatry first began in the desert, when they did not want to associate with people and fled into the wilderness, and one of them did not want to eat this or that, did not want to have fellowship with other people, others wanted to wear this or that clothing, and with such things they did not want to give in to God.
serve God. After that, we descended so shamefully that we believed we could get to heaven through letters of indulgence or on paper, and then we placed little lights and candles before the idols, wanting to be saved by them.
(19) Is not this a gross mockery? If someone wanted to mock the Egyptians, who worshipped calves, oxen, cats, garlic and onions, we did it as badly as they, yes, worse. For there was no other thought than, I will do this or that work, I will build a church, then God will be gracious to me. What devil told you or commanded you to do this? Yes, you say, it seems good to me. Yes, dear, does it seem good to you? But you should learn it from God, which would be good, so you want to teach it to Him. These are thoughts that man learns from his lord and god, the devil. For there is no God either in heaven or on earth who can be reconciled with bell ringers with lights and butter letters or letters of indulgence. But you dream yourself of such a God out of the devil's inspiration, and use this to disgrace and dishonor the right, 1) true God.
The true God is not of such a mind that he lets himself be paid with light and wax, but he sends his Son from heaven, who becomes man, sheds his blood for me on the cross, and dies; he dares to do this so that I may be saved. This is the real, true God; the other gods are all just evil devils, even though you smear the name of God and his word on them, and because of that, God's name must become dishonorable among the devils.
(21) A jdolum, or idolatry, is nothing else but a human delusion and thought, imagined by the devil in the heart, yet bearing the name of the true God; thereby the devil deceives. When a man hears this, he thinks: O, this work pleases God, who made heaven and earth. Therefore he goes up, but he does not know that the devil is underneath. So the letters of the pope are full of God and his word, but what is underneath?
1) "right" is missing in the Erlanger.
being? Nothing else, but the devil. For here they have been silent about the death and bloodshed of the Lord Christ, and each man has boasted of his obedience and good works.
(22) After this, idolatry is also cast out in outward works, that we have taken cords, candles, and caps before us, even as the Egyptians worshipped dogs and cats. And if the world should stand still for a while, you will see that the pure, true knowledge of Christ will perish again. Though the name of Christ shall remain, yet there shall arise among them sedevils and sects, and shall deceive the people with such things as are nowhere found in the Scriptures, as that they shall direct the people unto good works, and shall then become much worse than they were before.
23 Nothing else pleases our Lord God, except the one work of Christ. Therefore, just as it happened to us before under the papacy, so it will happen to us again; when this bright light of the gospel fades and goes out, we will again worship the plates, scabbed hair and ropes of the barefoot monks, and say: O, this pleases God well. But it is idolatry and belongs to the devil.
24 Now Jethro says here: All the gods could not do what this God does; that is, if you were to gather all the services of the other gods together and melt all the idols into one heap and lump, they would not help men at all if you took them all together in one heap.
(25) The monks, when they comfort one in distress, say: Have patience. But pagans can also have patience, and their way has also been to comfort in this way. Therefore, the doctrine of such saints of works does not comfort a conscience that is in Egypt, and they cannot all together counsel a weighed-down conscience in poverty, in fear of sin, or in distress of death. They can call upon their God and help him [1 Kings 18:24 ff], but he cannot help them out of a single sin, even if they come to him.
(26) Know therefore, dear man, when thou liest in sins, what thou oughtest to do, namely,
that you know you have such a God who wants to help you, for this is how he is disposed toward you. You will not be able to help yourself. It is important to know this. The monks do not know this, but say: Have remorse and repentance for your sin; and teach impossible things, not the knowledge of the Lord Christ. But how is the soul helped by this, if I am told a hundred times: If you have sinned, think and repent and sorrow for your sin?
27. But it does not help, the conscience does not become calm, secure and satisfied, but more and more despondent and stupid, and does not think otherwise, because God is angry, and stands behind us with the club, and wants to have us dead, until such time that he comes who speaks thus: If thou wilt be secure in thy conscience, do thus unto him: Let thy good works and the good works of all men fall away, and learn to know God, and doubt not that this is God's way and nature, that he will help them that believe on his Son JESUS CHRIST. Accept this with firm, certain trust. Then, by the help of the Holy Spirit, a person will accept it and will certainly find it to be so.
28 Therefore our God is greater than all other gods; it is no more important than to know Christ. And if the conscience is rightly instructed, a good work will follow. If the understanding in the heart is righteous concerning God, so that I know what I should do for God, then I also confess Him rightly with my mouth and serve Him rightly. Otherwise, if the heart is wrong, the works are also wrong. But here a Christian directs his words and works to serve many, so that it is not a secret treasure, but becomes common to everyone. Now follows the third part.
On the morrow Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until evening. But when his brother-in-law saw all that he was doing with the people, he said, "What are you doing with the people? Why sitest thou alone, and all the people stand about thee from the morning even unto the evening? Moses answered him, "The people come to me and ask God for advice. For where they
they come to me to judge between each one and his neighbor, and I show them God's law and His statutes.
29 Moses learned from Jethro his brother-in-law how to govern the children of Israel, because he saw that he had so many people as subjects, six times an hundred thousand men of war, who had come out of Egypt with Moses. Among so many there was indeed much quarreling and strife. Now the burden of doing everything is too heavy for one man alone; therefore, since Moses wants to hear all the matters himself and take it upon himself to decide, the people are neglected, and one hinders the other; therefore he says to him:
V. 17, 18: It is not good that you do this. You are foolish, and so are the people with you. The business is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
030 He saith, Thou, Moses, dealest not wisely, that thou layest all things upon thee, and judgest nothing; so that the people are impatient, and nothing is finished: but do so unto him:
V. 19-22. Obey my voice, I will counsel you, and God will be with you. Take care of the people before God, and bring the business before God, and establish for them laws and statutes, that thou mayest teach them the way wherein they shall walk, and the works which they shall do. Look around you among all the people for honest people who fear God, who are truthful, and who are enemies of avarice; set them over a thousand, over a hundred, over fifty, and over ten, so that they may judge the people at all times.
(31) He wills that, according to the opportunity and ability of each man's mind and skill, the people in the regiment shall be provided, and persons shall be set before them to judge in their matters. Now what is too much for him who rules over ten, bring it before him who rules over a hundred; and if it is too hard for him, bring it before him who is set over a thousand. And here the people were first numbered by thousands, of which the prophet Micheas [Cap. 5:1] also says, that therefore every thousand should be numbered with the chief of them.
and captain were counted. But what no one among them could tolerate or settle, that was to be sent to Moses as the high authority and supreme judge.
32 This piece also belongs to us. Until now the people of Israel had come out of Egypt, and neither the spiritual nor the temporal government had been appointed or decreed; but now that this people lies in the wilderness, and is safe from their enemy, the government comes on, and Moses undertakes to order this people with temporal and spiritual laws and commandments. And Jethro the Gentile preempts Mosi, giving him counsel and instruction as to how he should rule and do right.
(33) You have often heard what is the temporal and spiritual government. In the spiritual realm, only our Lord God reigns, and Christ is the head of the believers. These believers are not seen, just as the Lord Christ is not seen [John 18:36]. But the Lord Christ does not arrogate to himself the temporal government, for there he has otherwise given heads and people who have it in their hands, and they administer according to the measure and right of equity. So in the spiritual kingdom servants and ministers are the preachers, who do not rule, but the word of God is the regent, and the preaching of the headship of Christ [Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 3:11].
34 Thus it is described here how the people of Israel was brought into an outward order, and how the outward worldly kingdom was ordered. He does not first of all understand the spiritual regiment, but the physical kingdom, regnum animale, as St. Paul [1 Cor. 2, 6] calls it, of which also the Lord Christ [Matth. 22, 21] says: "Pray to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." There the Lord Christ also sets the temporal rather than the spiritual rule. And because of this, necessity must first be ordered by the secular sword. For there must first be peace on earth, otherwise one cannot preach that there is time and space for it, that it may be quiet and good peace. If there is peace, that one should have spears, guns and swords in one's hands, then one cannot do much with the preaching of the divine word.
35. Therefore God also has six days.
to work on, but on the seventh day to hear the word of God alone. This day he has especially ordained for peace, so that on that day alone one hears God's word. And that is why God still wants to have the rule in the world, so that everything will go on quietly and deceitfully, so that one can live peacefully, wait for his own, raise children, and above all, hear and learn God's word. For this reason, the sword is first used, and the people are brought into a worldly order and ordered how they should govern and keep to submission.
Such a rule is proposed by a bad man, who had no testimony from God that he should do it, although God confirmed it afterwards; but Jethro goes out freely and teaches Moses, who was full of the Holy Spirit, how he should rule, since the antitype should happen, and teaches Moses to the Gentiles how he should rule. But it is done to show how God has put the world kingdom into reason; and there he has given wit enough to govern bodily things. Reason and experience teach us how to govern wives and children, how to drive cows out and in, and what else concerns physical food. All this is a gift and present to reason, given and bestowed upon it by God; one must not ask the holy Scriptures for advice about this, but God has also thrown such a gift into the raptures of all the heathen.
37. And God will say: O, the worldly government I have already made and ordered. Where? In Genesis, Cap. 1, 28, when it was said: "Grow and multiply, and fill the earth, and have dominion over animals, fish and birds," 2c. bring the earth under you. God gave power and all resources to the worldly regime as soon as he had created only man. In addition, I am allowed by pure spirit to govern a horse differently from a sow or a cow; item, that I make a barrel of beer differently from a barrel of wine; this is taught by reason and experience. Such things are subject to our five senses, so that they can be governed by reason.
1) fraudulent - compatible.
ment is captured in the pieces that are among us.
38. But it does not reach into these things that God has not subjected us to, but over the conscience. As there are many foolish princes who want to exercise their power and authority over heaven, and govern the conscience, even what one should believe or not believe; since the worldly kingdom should only deal with what reason can grasp. Reason deals with that which is beneath us, and not with that which is above us. For I can govern an ox that it must go as I will. A house must also be built and stand as I like it, or I break it down again and build it differently. Therefore, the worldly regime only deals with things and goods that are subject to external, physical things. And worldly people with their reason can be wiser in bodily things than spiritual people.
39. pagans have been found much wiser than Christians; they have been able to arrange and bring to their end world affairs much more efficiently, 2) and skillfully than the saints of God. As Christ also says in the Gospel [Luc. 16, 8.]: "The children of the world are wiser than the children of light in their ways." They know better how to govern external things than St. Paul or other saints. Hence also the Romans had such glorious laws and rights. For reason taught them that murderers should be punished, thieves should be executed, and how else to distribute inheritances; they knew all this and did it in a fine and orderly way, without the advice and instruction of the holy Scriptures or the apostles. As St. Paul, in the epistle he wrote to them, does not instruct or prescribe anything in this regard, but reminds them to obey the orderly rule given by God [Rom. 13, 1. ff].
40 We are to learn that God confirms and wants worldly authority, even if he does not appoint it according to our thoughts, or that he uses pagans for this purpose. For he will have ordained the authorities, not that they alone should be feared and honored (as they are also honored).
2) runny --- common, hurried; aligned - expedient.
(Rom. 13, 1. ff.), but that one may live quietly and peacefully, and preach about God's word, divine name and kingdom. Therefore, where there is authority, our dear God often gives grace, peace and space for preaching His word.
41 When, in the time of the apostles, he gave the Roman Empire. Although it was a godless empire, and was harshly opposed to the Christians, they ruled by reason, and were feared by everyone, kept good peace; there was peace everywhere in their time, the world was open. This was an earthly, reasonable kingdom. But no matter how wise they were, they did not see what God was using them for, namely, that his dear apostles should go up and down in this empire and preach the gospel safely. So the Gospel was read quickly, in a few years, throughout the entire Roman Empire, just as God's word runs fast [Ps. 147:15]. It is a hurried word, in a flash it tears and rushes by all means; and when it is gone, then the devil comes, and also wants to preach.
(42) This is a part of this chapter, where the temporal government is ordered by commandments, rights and laws, how he should set wise, God-fearing people over offices. And we have heard that God first of all establishes secular authorities among this people without any special command from heaven, and how he also otherwise lets people use their natural reason. For this reason he also gave reason and five senses to men. And what the authorities here do, judge and adjudicate according to the laws of the world, God has done and adjudicated. As Moses says: "The people come to me and ask (not me, but) God for advice, and then I show them God's law and statutes.
43 Now Jethro also indicates to him, and we will look at it recently, how those should be skillful who are to govern and be placed in offices, which should be the conditiones or affiliations of a pious authority or judge. Of this Jethro says: "Look around you, among all the people, for honest people, who fear God, truly, and who do not give in to avarice.
Enemy, set them over them." These are the qualities, nature and virtues of a pious authority. As they are repeated in the first chapter of the fifth book of Moses, v. 16, 17, where Moses commands the judges to interrogate their brethren, and to judge rightly between them, not to regard any person in judgment, and not to shun any person; for the office of judgment is of God. And 2 Chron, nineteenth, v. 6, 7, king Jehoshaphat saith unto the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye hold judgment not unto men, but unto the LORD, and he is with you in judgment. Therefore let the fear of the LORD be with you, and take heed, and do it. For with the LORD there is no unrighteousness, nor respect of person, nor acceptance of gift."
44 In this eighteenth chapter, the Holy Scripture leaves out nothing that serves the cause, or that would be lacking here, and paints the persons with proper colors who are to serve the worldly kingdom. From this one might well take a model of what kind of people should be used for the spiritual ministry or for the care of souls [1 Tim. 3:1 ff]. For since God wants to select such people who are only to command and rule over body and goods and other external things, how much more does He want to have such people, and much better ones, who would judge in spiritual matters and preside over the church purchased with His blood [1 Tim. 4, 6. ff. Tit. 1, 5. ff. 2 Tim. 1, 8. ff. 2, 1. ff.].
(45) But how doth he baptize them, and how doth he make them to be rulers of the people in temporal and corporal things? Not only does he describe those who are in authority in the flesh, but he also secretly touches on the vices and sins that are common among these people and that lead to obscenities. 1)
46 First, they shall fear God. For if a ruler, prelate, prince and lord, mayor or judge does not fear God, he will not perform his office well; he will not remember, when he wrongs someone, that he has wronged God by doing so.
1) to go tootes --- to root in.
would be angry. For whoever else sits in an office, and is to judge and govern others, then many a quarrel and strife come to the people's attention, that the people disagree and disagree, and give your judge or mayor enough trouble. If he is to judge and pass sentence, he will always enrage a part of the people, and he will be charged with it; and then it will commonly happen that he will have to push the great merchants and the rich noblemen, his good friends and brothers-in-law, or those who are otherwise respected before others, before the head and enrage them.
47 For the same scholars and great lords always want to be right, and they also want people to conclude and judge as they please. If they do not, they become the judge's enemies, and a ruler must risk his property, favor, wife, honor, life and limb to be harmed. Whoever does not have courage and may dare, does not belong here. For if he fears E, it is done for him. For if he helps one to the right, he has the other as an enemy; then this and that is lost to him. But away with this ruler, he cannot be pious. But if he helps your boy to stay, and oppresses the poor, then one is a good ruler, lord or judge in the world.
Therefore let him learn and keep the fear of God, and think: If this rich, powerful and strong man or lord becomes my enemy, then strike lucky, I have with me in my office and profession another who is much stronger, more handsome and mightier than he, and if this one has on his side all the devils, princes and kings, who are all worse than he is, what do I ask for it, if he is with me who sits above in heaven? [So one shall conclude the quarrels, that I say: Dear GOD, I ascribe it to you, whether it cost me my life over it. Then God says: "Hold fast; I will also hold fast. So it goes through, or must break, and one fears our Lord God more than men. But where do you find such rulers? Where are they?
49. Moses, in the fifth book at the first chapter, v. 15-17, also says well that judges
and authorities shall be such men, saying, He hath set them over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens, and officers among the tribes, and commanded the judges, saying, Take heed, judge aright: for the judgment is of God; look not to any person in the judgment. Yes, it is a hard addition; no one does it unless he has a special grace and gift. For there are all kinds of things that hinder a judge, such as fear, favor, money, and force; so one must have firm courage, like a rock of stone.
(50) Of this also the heathen have said, Magistratus ostendit virum, if thou wilt know whether a man be a hearty, confident, and undaunted man, charge him with an office, and thou shalt soon see what he is. The common man does not know what it is to govern. But if one should lead an army, have the ensign in his hand, and stand in front at the head, then all art, reason and courage will be too short for him, his courts will shake and his heart tremble; and if he is not seized with this virtue, he will forget God altogether.
(51) If wishing should help (according to the world's way of speaking), then one should wish that everyone would want to rule for a year; and if one would be an enemy to someone, then he should grant him that he should become a regent. Young people always think they are wiser than other people, and think that others have ruled foolishly, or do not yet do it the way it should be done; but they wanted to do it much better: they want to hit eleven pins and shoot them down at one throw, since there are only nine of them on the bosseleich 1). But once they try, they often do it the worst. It is such a thing about ruling that no kingdom is righteous unless the fear of God is with it; and if one is found who has this gift, he rules well, and it is a gift of God; just as a pretty face is also a gift of God, which he casts into the Rappuse.
52 Otherwise, if anyone knew what it was to govern, he would run away or crouch in a corner, for he must consider that he will have everyone for an enemy. Therefore speaks
1) Bosseleich --- bowling alley.
Jethro all here, that officers should have this virtue, that they fear God, and not be afraid of men. For if I should fear God, why should I be afraid of man? But if one were to count all the princes and rulers who fear God more than man, how many do you think they would number? I would write all their names on a finger; or, as he says, he would dig the names of all pious princes on a petschaft ring.
Now, this is how the rulers should be, and therefore it is also written that the authorities should be beaten and drawn over this last. To be sure, whoever has a piece of it, let him thank our dear Lord God for it. For otherwise the world is not worthy to have such magistrates. God gives it, but no one keeps it; just as the other laws of God are not done and fulfilled. It is indeed a commandment that one should have such authorities who fear God, but no one seeks or follows them. David was such a ruler, as were a few pious kings in the kingdom of Israel. For David feared God, and was not like him, neither shall he be like him in the earth; he is the crown of all princes. There were still men in his court, even his own son Absalom, who were hostile to him, and they drove him out of the kingdom, so that David was always sitting like on the hill [2 Sam. 15:13 ff].
For he that would be such a ruler must suffer all disfavor, and be exposed to many dangers. He who cannot bear this, let him stay away. Otherwise the common people will see that a great thing is sitting on top; but take it in your hand, and see what it is, especially if you want to rule according to it, that you fear no man. If such an office were offered to a Christian who understands it, he would flee from it and not accept it. If any man turn to the murmurings or wraths of the rich and mighty, let him not be an officer. For this will certainly happen to you; if you are such a ruler, you will be displeased enough.
55. therefore god also wants you to have
for the authorities, as St. Paul also says in the first [epistle] to Timothy on the other, v. 2; item, that they also be held in honor. For it costs much to be overlords, both in spiritual and temporal government. But I am speaking of the righteous. Whoever wants to be a pious ruler will have so much unpleasantness, worry and trouble under his eyes that he would rather carry stones or be a farmer. But if a man wants to be a rogue and a knave in the government, he may take his wages away from here; there he will find it well, as he should have it and get it [Luc. 16, 25].
(56) This is a virtue, namely, to fear God, which rulers should do. But they are found few who do, respect and consider such things.
The other virtue is to be truthful, to love the truth. For this follows from the fear of God, where one has God before one's eyes, and where one insists and defies Him above, then one is also truthful, where one will do what is right with heartfelt love and desire, and will carry it out faithfully. Otherwise there are all kinds of deceitfulness, sham and deceitfulness in the world, so that people are led around by the nose; item, a waxen nose is turned on the right, and before one looks around, one has made evil out of good; and again, even what is wrong is turned to right [Isa. 5:20]. Solomon speaks much of this in the book of Proverbs, which he, as a great king himself, learned from much experience. So a ruler should be inclined to what is right and true, and help what is just and right-like, and again condemn what is found to be unjust, putting aside all respect for persons.
(58) The third virtue is to be hostile to avarice. The first virtue is against God, but the other two virtues are more against the people. But where do you find such gentlemen? I believe that if one were to separate and segregate the miserly in the world, one would find few princes who were not miserly and who did not exploit, exploit and exploit their subjects. In the courts, disloyalty, financial greed, 1) selfishness, and avarice now rule in the
1) Finance - intrigue, fraud.
Princes and their officials. For they have room and cause for it, and embellish it with this cover and pretension; because sitting in the office of authority gives birth to and bears many temptations. But they do not take this into account at all, that they are honored and held in high esteem. They are given their property, tax, interest and pension, so they are also greatly feared. Therefore they get a proud, hopeful heart for the sake of honor, wealth and power, so that they say: "I have to do what I want, and do not think that they also have a God sitting above them in heaven [Eph. 6, 9].
(59) First of all, a man becomes bold and audacious out of arrogance, breaking and bending the law according to all his pleasure, so that he makes himself think that he is mighty; then, so that his hands are greased and silvered, that is, money and gifts are brought and carried to him. Therefore also in the 5th book of Moses at the sixteenth, v. 19, it is said that the gifts of the wise blind eyes. It must be an honorable heart, and rightly God-fearing, which should not let itself be deceived with the world's goods, and things should not be transgressed, but should prefer the poor's good cause and the rich man's injustice 1) [Dan. 5, 17].
(60) It is otherwise a great opportunity and occasion in the regime to do wrong, especially when one is stingy and does not respect God. Although there are other causes for doing wrong than anger, envy and hatred, if someone has been too close to a ruler or has done something against him, he will soon take revenge. Therefore
1) Eislebensche: erfürzichen.
These are the main reasons why people in authority pervert the law and do not act in accordance with it, as when they do not fear God, are not truthful, and take money or gifts. But if it is to be right, then such a man belongs here, who does not stand there after honor, authority, property or money.
(61) This is a fine rule, what manner of men the rulers should be. Not only does it say that they should not be stingy, but also that they should be hostile to avarice; that is, they should be so honest that they are not only lenient for their own person, but also defend others who want to let avarice ride on them. They shall not take poison 2) and gifts, but shall act justly, to serve and please God, the truth. But look around you, you will find few such rulers; just as Moses also found few of them.
Nevertheless, this must be preached to the rulers, so that they may know how to be skillful, especially that they may fear God. Whoever does not have this grace, let the office stand. For one will always see and find fault with the people. But this is certainly true, if they knew who they were and considered their ability, one would be offered a principality, and he would refuse it and not want to accept it. One would have to beg and plead with him; nor would he refuse the regiment. But if one runs, runs, begs and pleads for it oneself, it is not good, it is even a bad sign; it also never helps people to improve, as experience shows and teaches.
2) Gift---gift, gift.