1 Let us speak a little of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For he hath commanded us to remember him until he come. So he also deserved it for us, that we should never forget him. So that we may have cause to speak of him, let us take before us the eighth Psalm of David, which was made by our Lord Jehovah Christ, and let us repeat the words of the same prophet as he speaks to us.
[A psalm of David to be sung on the gith.]
O Lord our Sovereign, how glorious is your name in all the earth, when people give thanks to you in heaven.
Out of the mouth of young children and babes thou hast wrought a power for the sake of thine enemies, to destroy the enemy and the revenger.
For I will see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you prepare.
What is man that you remember him, and man's child that you take care of him?
You will let him be abandoned by God for a little while; but with honors and adornment you will crown him.
Thou hast made him lord over the work of thy hands. You have put everything under his feet,
Sheep and oxen all around, plus the wild animals,
The birds under the sky, and the fish in the sea, and what goes in the sea...
O LORD our Ruler, how glorious is your name in all the earth.
This psalm was made by the prophet David, as the title also shows that David was the master of this psalm: "A Psalm of David. But it is written in the title: "To be sung on the Githith. The word Githith is also found in Psalm 81, item, Psalm 84. The Chaldean text always uses the word Cinnara for it. Therefore I think, Githith was an instrument and string play, a harp or violin. In David's time, musica was not as artistic as it is now, in our time. One instrument, as a psaltery of ten strings, was almost the highest and most magnificent and artistic. The other common instruments have had three or four strings. Now, however, the musica has risen beyond measure. We have various and much ornate instruments, since in David's time there were only psalteries, harps, violins, pipes, cymbals 2c.
(3) But that it is also written in the title, "To be sung from the githith," is to be understood thus: A priest or Levite sang this psalm, and another played the harp or violin. David had appointed four thousand praisers of the Lord, and divided them into four orders, that they should praise, give thanks and praise God with all kinds of strings before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Therefore it had to go on throughout the whole year with singing and sounding, with cymbals, psalteries and harps; as can be seen in 1 Chron. 24, 5. 26, 1. He himself, David, made the songs to be sung to praise and glorify God in his works. That is why the book is called Sepher Thehillim, that is, a book of praise or thanksgiving, because there are many psalms of thanksgiving in it, which praise and extol God for all kinds of good deeds, although there are also many prophecies and promises for the pious and urges against the wicked mixed in. The priests and Levites were commanded to sing such songs of thanksgiving, made by David, and to sound them with strings. Let this be said recently of the title.
(4) This psalm is one of the beautiful psalms, and a glorious prophecy of Christ, wherein David describes Christ's person and kingdom, and teaches who Christ is, what kingdom he has, how it is granted, where this King reigns, that is, in all the earth, yet in heaven; and how his kingdom is established and established, that is, by word and faith alone, without sword and armor; and so he declares:
Lord, our sovereign, how glorious is your name in all the earth, where they give thanks to you in heaven.
(5) He turns to the king and addresses him as if to say: "Before you become king on earth, praise and thanksgiving will be given to you only in the small corner of the Jewish land and in Jerusalem; but after your future there will be another sound, singing, praise and thanksgiving; not in the small corner, in the Jewish land alone, but in all the lands of the whole world, as far as the sky is. Herewith he prophesies and proclaims, soon in the beginning of this psalm, that God's praise
and praise shall be driven on earth, in all the world, by this King who is to come: "Lord, our Ruler."
6 But he calls this king a "Lord" and "ruler". These are two names. The word "HErr" (Jehovah) is not assigned to anyone in the whole holy scripture, but only to the divine majesty. For it is the great name of God, which is written in our German Bible in large letters, as distinguished from the other names. No creature on earth, indeed, no angel in heaven is ascribed the name HErr (Jehovah), but God alone. Therefore it is a special, own name of God, and is called: the right, true, eternal God.
(7) But the word Adon, lord or ruler, is a common name, which the Scriptures also use of princes and rulers. For it is not called Lord, as God is called Lord; but as men are lords and reign. Thus Sarah calls Abraham her lord: "I am old, and my lord (Adoni) is also old", Gen. 18, 12. And Joseph calls Potiphar, Pharaoh's chamberlain and court master (who had bought him from the Ishmaelites), his lord, Gen. 39, 8. And Joseph himself is called lord by the Egyptians, as he himself confesses and says: "God has set me as lord (Adon) in all Egypt", Gen. 45, 8. And Aaron calls Moses his lord: "My lord (Adoni) let not his anger be kindled", Ex. 32, 22. And the like in many places more. Therefore the word "ruler" does not mean the divine majesty in its secret heavenly nature, as the Father is and is called LORD and God, and the Son is and is called LORD and God, likewise also the Holy Spirit is and is called LORD and God, but the human nature and the outward regiment of this king against us men.
(8) Since this king is called "Lord, our ruler," it follows that he must be true God and true man at the same time. For if he were not true God, he could not be and be called Lord; for God does not want to give his name and glory to anyone else, Isa. 42:8: "I the Lord, that is my name, and I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor my fame to idols. How-
Therefore, if he were not truly man, he could not be our ruler, since our ruler must also be man, because he is supposed to possess such a kingdom and dominion over men. So now this king is "Lord", that is, God; and our lord or "ruler", that is, man. That is, to be like God, and yet also to be man.
(9) It follows that this king has dominion, not only as the true eternal God, in and with himself, since he has no need of dominion or subjects, but also as a true, natural man, in relation to us men on earth. In that he is Lord and God, he has no need of dominion; but in that he has become man, he has need of dominion, otherwise he could not bear the name and be called ruler over men. He came to earth and became man for this reason, so that he could deal with us, be our ruler, regent and authority, and we could be his dominion and subjects. He is Lord and God according to his eternal, divine nature and essence; he is ruler according to his human nature and according to his office and kingdom, so that he is our sovereign and we are his subjects.
(10) Christ then, true, eternal God, with your Father and Holy Spirit, in one inseparable divine being, and true, natural man, came to earth, served us, and prepared for us a kingdom in which we might enjoy him, so that he might not only remain in the Godhead for himself, but also become like us and be our ruler. As also the 95th Psalm, v. 6. f. says: "Come, let us worship, and kneel, and fall down before the Lord who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and sheep of his hands."
(11) But David firmly maintains the unity of the person. He gives the King Christ two names, a great divine name, "Lord", and a small human name, "Ruler". Thus he indicates the two natures in Christ, divine and human, and yet he does not speak of two, but of one Lord and Ruler, so that he indicates the unity of the person, that Christ the Lord, our Ruler, is one person. He distinguishes the natures, and
gives a special name to each nature, but he does not separate the person, but keeps the person undivided. To this prophet, who prophesies of Christ through the Holy Spirit, let us repeat what he says to us, namely, that he is the Lord, the ruler of us all, and yet not two rulers, not two Messiahs, not two kings, but one Lord, our ruler, one Messiah and King.
(12) These are three high articles that David touches and confesses here in short words. The first, that this king has two natures, that is, that he is true God and man. The other, that he is one undivided person, not two persons, two kings, two lords and rulers, but one person, one king, one lord and ruler. For since he assigns God's name and glory to this lord or ruler, that is, man, and calls him Lord, that is, God, the same Lord and man must be neither another god nor idol, but the true natural God, with your Father and Holy Spirit. Again, because he calls this: Lord, that is, God, human quality, and calls him ruler, as men are rulers and rule, so the same Lord and God must be right man, and equal to men of all things, except sin. Item, because he brings this Lord and ruler together, and says that this Lord, our ruler, is not two, but one, so that this Lord is just the same our ruler, and this our ruler is just the same Lord: so this Lord, our ruler, must be one person. The third article is that this Lord, that is, God, should become man, and receive dominion, authority and honor from: Father over all. But what kind of dominion and kingdom the Father gives to this man and ruler, he will say later.
How glorious is the name in all lands.
(13) Hitherto he has described the person, and thus pictured this king, that he is true, eternal God and true man, a bodily lord and ruler over us men. Now he bursts into his kingdom and says that this Lord, our ruler, has a glorious name in all the world. What this name is, teaches
St. Paul Phil. 2, 9-11, where he says: "God has exalted Christ and given him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus all knees in heaven and on earth and under the earth should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And Rom. 1, 4. where he says that God the Father raised His Son from the dead and glorified Him through the Holy Spirit in words, signs and wonders in all the world, so that it might be known and known that He is the Son of God, whom He made heir and head over all things, Eph. 1, 22. David sees in this same excellent nature that from the small corner of Jerusalem such a sermon is to come, which is to resound throughout the whole world with all power and glory, that Jesus Christ, true God and man, is such a Lord and ruler, to whom, even after mankind, everything is subject, angels, men, sin, death, the world, the devil, hell, and what may be called in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
(14) This may be a name that is exquisitely great and glorious beyond measure. Who ever heard of such a great and glorious name being ascribed to a man on earth as is ascribed to this Lord and Ruler? The Roman emperor and king, the pope, yes, the Turkish emperor, are all card kings against this: HErrn and ruler. They may have great titles and names, they may be called mighty, invincible, most gracious 2c., but this king is preached in all lands that he is true God and man, a mighty Lord and ruler, to whom all things must be subject and subservient, heaven, earth, and all that is within, angels, men, devils, death, life, sin, justice 2c.
(15) The prophet David is astonished at this great and glorious name, he cannot marvel at it enough, nor does he know how to speak of it or how to call it with great wonder. He says that it is too high and too glorious a thing to preach, sing and say about this king in all the world. Ah, dear king, he says, how great a lord and ruler are you! How glorious a name you have in all the lands!
Where shall I get words to speak of it? I cannot achieve it with thoughts, let alone talk it out with words. You have such a glorious name, King, in all the world.
(16) The greatness and glory of this name demands that we marvel at it. If a physician were invented on earth, who could cure one or two diseases and pestilences that cannot be cured, even who could save a few people from death, what praise and name do you think such a physician would have in the whole world? If a prince or king had power and authority to make a blind man see, to cast out a devil, to wake up a dead man, everyone would sing about him and say: "This is a gentleman! If the Roman emperor could cleanse some leprous man from leprosy, if he were not emperor, he would soon have to become emperor. But what would all this be in comparison with what this king and ruler has done for the children of men, and is still doing daily, and will do in all the world until the last day? since he has forgiven many sinners their sins, and is still forgiving them daily; made many blind men see, cleansed many lepers, raised many from death and made them alive, and at the last day will raise all men and make them alive? Therefore, it is an excellent, glorious name, at which everyone should be amazed, and the richer the spirit and the higher the understanding, the greater the amazement will be among Christians.
Since you are thanked in heaven.
017 What is this, that he saith this King shall be Lord and Ruler over us men, and we men shall be upon the earth; and that his name shall be magnified in all the earth by the giving of thanks which is done in heaven? How does one give thanks in heaven because his name is preached on earth? How does this rhyme? How can his name be gloriously preached by us men in all lands, and yet at the same time his praise and thanks be given by us men in heaven? We humans cannot be down on earth and up in heaven at the same time. How is it, then, that he mixes the earth and heaven together? Answer: It is spoken after the manner and
The nature of the kingdom of Christ, which is a strange, wonderful kingdom; not an earthly, perishable, mortal kingdom, but an eternal, heavenly, imperishable kingdom. The citizens of Christ's kingdom are earthly, perishable, mortal men, living and dwelling in lands scattered to and fro on earth, and yet at the same time citizens in heaven.
How does this work? Or, how is it about this kingdom? Listen how this king himself speaks about it before the governor Pilato, Joh. 18, 36: "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from hence." And soon after, v. 37: "I am a king. I was born and came into the world to be a witness of the truth. He that is of the truth heareth my voice." Therewith he distinguishes his kingdom from the kingdom of the world and teaches how his kingdom is formed. The emperor's kingdom, he says, is of this world, belongs to this world, and comes to an end with this world; but my kingdom is not of this world, does not belong to this world, even though it already exists in this world, and does not come to an end with this world, but belongs to another world, and remains eternal. The Roman kingdom remains well before my kingdom, if it only wants itself. For my kingdom is not established, strengthened or preserved by outward power and the sword of the body, as the kingdom of the world is established, strengthened and preserved by bodily power and the sword, but is established, strengthened and preserved by the word, faith and the Spirit. The world is full of deceitfulness, hypocrisy, lies, falsehood and unfaithfulness. All outward, worldly regiments, even if they are founded with virtue, honesty and justice, and are as good as they can be, are still full of falsehood and lies before God, and there is no true, righteous being in them that can stand before God. But my kingdom is a kingdom of truth. For for this purpose I was born and came into the world, that I might preach the truth, and that men might hear and accept the truth, so that they might become true, righteous men who belong to another world, and whose works are done in God.
Therefore David will say, O Lord our sovereign, thou art a King of kings, and Lord of lords; thou only hast immortality, and dwellest in a light which no man can approach: thy kingdom shall be as far as the earth, and yet thy kingdom shall be an everlasting heavenly kingdom. You are a king in heaven, and yet you will have your kingdom on earth, yes, even under the earth, in hell. For there is nothing so high and low, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, that you cannot have power and authority and help. Therefore those who on earth, in your kingdom, will preach your name, praise and give thanks to you, will be in heaven, even though on earth they are scattered throughout the earth.
20. Therefore all these things are spoken after the manner of the kingdom of Christ, which is a kingdom of heaven and eternal life, a kingdom of truth, a kingdom of peace, a kingdom of joy, righteousness, safety, blessedness, and all good things, in which kingdom Christ, the King of glory, exalted at the right hand of God, and made head over all things, his Christians, through the gospel and the Holy Spirit, ruling in faith, under sin, death, the devil, the world, hell, and by the power of his kingdom, word, Spirit, and faith, taking them to heaven, even if they are still alive in the flesh on earth.
(21) These things the prophet foreknew at that time, what manner of king Christ would be, and what manner of reign and kingdom he would have. The Jews are still waiting for Messiah today, that he will come with a great traveling witness, with many warriors, and will establish a worldly empire, and in such a kingdom will distribute much gold and silver, and help the Jews to great honor, power and glory. But David describes the Messiah much differently, and says: he, the king, will be his "Lord, our ruler", and his kingdom will be a glorious being, so that his name will be preached in all countries and thanks will be given to him in heaven. There it is not said of gold and silver, but of preaching and word, of praise and thanksgiving in lands and heaven. This is the purpose of this ruler's dominion and kingdom, that we may begin here on earth to be in heaven, and enter heaven fully, and abide therein forever. This kingdom
helps us in heaven, here, according to the spirit and soul, even if our body is still for a time in the land on earth; but there it helps us in body and soul, in revelation and perception. For we were not baptized into Christ for this reason, nor do we believe in him for this reason, that we should enjoy his food and drink, money and goods on earth. For he gives us these things only, and has set up and ordained another kingdom for us, where we are to receive such things from him; but for this reason we were baptized into him, and for this reason we believe in him, that we may go to heaven and be eternally saved. Here on earth a Christian lives according to his body like another man, eats and drinks, works and manages his business; but his heart, mind and thoughts are set on that he may be eternally blessed in heaven, and be sure of such hope.
(22) Let us be well aware that the Lord our ruler has established and prepared such a dominion and kingdom, in which we are already in heaven according to our minds, hearts and souls, even though we are scattered to and fro in the countries according to our bodies. So also St. Paul says Phil. 3, 20. 21.: "Our walk is in heaven, from whence also we wait for the Savior Jesus Christ the Lord, who shall transfigure our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorified body, according to the working, that he may also make all things subject unto him." Our citizenship or civil being, he says, is not here on earth, but in heaven; there we have our right being and life. The emperor and pope, with his being, have nothing to do there, but Jesus Christ, the Lord, has to do there. In the same being we are citizens and heirs of God, fellow brothers and fellow heirs of Christ; yes, we are already in it with the heart, according to the spirit and faith. For, as the infant faith teaches us, we believe in a holy Christian church, resurrection of the flesh and eternal life. Therefore, we have this firm hope and are certain that we will be resurrected on the last day and possess eternal life.
That is, to live rightly in heaven, not with the body, but with the heart and soul, in faith and hope. Our heart has by power of the Holy Spirit, with the
We have to wait until our old maggot's sack is completely cleansed and comes after it on the last day. Now the flesh still clings to us, and our soul is still in a dark dungeon, so that it cannot see the glory of our civil being and inheritance in heaven. But when the dungeon will be broken, then we will see it, not in pieces, through a mirror, in a dark word, but completely, and face to face, as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 13:12.
(24) David saw and knew this in his spirit; therefore he speaks so joyfully of it, makes this glorious prophecy of Christ and his kingdom, and wishes with all his heart that he would experience it, that this prophecy would be fulfilled. But he did not experience it. But we have the fulfillment of such prophecy. For the name of this ruler goes forth with joyful resounding in all lands through the preaching of the gospel. But all devout Christians wish to see him in person. We have the name, but we do not have the person, unless we hear through the word in the sermon that he has come, born of a virgin, risen from the dead, and has established an eternal kingdom, into which kingdom we are placed through baptism, and are already in heaven according to the soul. Now when we enter the grave, and shall rest until the last day, then shall the Lord our Ruler, whose name we preach in all lands, and to whom we give thanks in heaven, say unto us, Come forth out of the graves, and possess eternal life in heaven even after the body.
(25) Understand, then, that David rhymes the lands and the heavens together, saying, Let the name of our ruler be glorious in all the earth, and let thanks be given to him in heaven. For Christ's kingdom is on earth in all lands, and yet at the same time in heaven, since it is not an earthly, physical, mortal kingdom, but an eternal kingdom; hence it is also called "kingdom of heaven" in the Gospel. Whoever is received into this kingdom is in heaven according to spirit and soul, even though he is already on earth according to body and flesh. The
The soul has its heavenly food. For it is not nourished by the bodily bread that grows from the earth, as the body is, but must have another kind of food, namely, the bread of life that comes from heaven, John 6:48, 50. Where is the kitchen and the cellar where the soul's food and drink are found? In heaven, that is, in Christendom on earth, where the Lord our ruler has his kingdom, and which Christendom belongs to in heaven. There our soul nourishes itself and enjoys the heavenly goods.
26 He turns to the king and says, "O Lord our ruler, your name is glorious in all the earth, and they give you thanks in heaven"; that is, your little group gives thanks to you, which is scattered in all the earth, but at the same time is in heaven. For as thy kingdom is on earth, and yet at the same time is in heaven; so also thy little, poor company, after thy body, is scattered on earth, and yet, after thy heart, soul, and spirit, is in heaven. Your kingdom is on earth, and yet it is not an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom; thus, your believers' being and life on earth is not earthly, but a heavenly being in heaven. Their thanksgiving and praise, even though it takes place in all countries where your name is preached, is still a heavenly thanksgiving and praise. For the soul, enlightened by God's spirit, drives such praise and thanksgiving. And this is also true. Where there is no faith and knowledge of Christ, there is only earthly praise and thanksgiving, as one learns from the Popes and Turks; even though they fast, pray, praise and give thanks a lot, it is still only earthly, carnal things and human nature; there is no spirit, nor anything that belongs in heaven.
No one can speak of this more than the holy apostles. St. Paul says Col. 3, 3. 4: "Your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ your life shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with him in glory." And St. John says 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, we are now God's children, and has not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know when it shall appear, that we shall be like Him, for I shall see Him as He is." They could not speak of it more finely and sweetly. A Christian and believer
The child of God is in heaven, but it is still hidden and does not appear; devils and men do not see it; indeed, the contradiction appears even before our eyes. But it will be revealed and appear in its time. Therefore let them that are the children of God go forth, praising and extolling the name of Christ in all the earth, and giving thanks to him in heaven.
V. 3. out of the mouth of the young children and infants thou hast prepared a power for the sake of thine enemies, to destroy the enemy and the avenger.
28 In this verse he describes the dominion, and shows what kind of dominion and kingdom it is, how and by what means the Lord our ruler establishes his kingdom, namely through the mouth of men; what kind of people he needs for it, infants and children; how he attacks it even foolishly before the world; and what he accomplishes with it, namely, that he destroys the enemy and the avenger.
29. He calls Christ's reign or kingdom "a power", half of his strength and might. For the Hebrew word Os means strength, power, force. Often it is also called a kingdom in the holy Scriptures, as Gen. 49, 3.: "Reuben, my first son, you are my strength and my first power, the chief in sacrifice, and the chief in the kingdom." Ps. 110, 2.: Virgam virtutis tuae mittet Dominus ex Zion, "the LORD will send the scepter of thy power, or of thy kingdom, out of Zion." So it is also used here: "You have prepared a power", which is a power to rule and reign. Thou hast prepared a mighty dominion, and established a strong and mighty kingdom, which shall stand firm and be established against all the power of the world, yea, against all the gates of hell.
(30) By what does he establish such power and kingdom, and what kind of people does he need for it? "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings," he says, "you have established a power. Thou hast established a power, or kingdom, full of might and violence against sin, death, the devil, and the world; prepared, not by bodily weapons, armor, swords, or guns, but by the mouths of men who are infants.
are babes and sucklings. This is the way in which Christ's kingdom is established, not by human power, wisdom, counsel, or strength, but by word and gospel preached through babes and sucklings. The Turkish emperor strengthens and fortifies his kingdom with the sword; the pope does likewise; but Christ establishes, strengthens, fortifies his kingdom by the word of God alone.
31 He does not call "infants" young children who cannot speak (for if they are to lead and preach the word, they must be able to speak), but bad, simple, silly people who are like infants, that is, who put all reason aside, grasp and accept the word with simple faith, and let themselves be led and guided by God, like children. Such are also the best disciples and teachers in Christ's kingdom, as he himself says Matth. 11, 25: "I praise you, Father and Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes." And Ps. 19, 8. David says: "The testimony of the Lord makes the foolish wise." And Ps. 119:130: "When thy word is revealed, it rejoiceth, and maketh wise the simple."
He does not call "infants" those who lie at their mother's breasts and sing, but those who are like infants, that is, those who cling to the pure, unadulterated word, without all addition of human dreams and thoughts. For just as a singing newborn child is satisfied with its mother's milk, and neither desires nor seeks any more food than its mother's milk, so these desire and seek no more food for their souls than the pure, unadulterated gospel. Thus says St. Peter, 1 Ep. 2, 2: "Be eager for the sensible, pure milk, as the little children now born." He calls the gospel sensible, that is, spiritual milk, which must not be grasped with the carnal mind, but with pure faith. Therefore, the word "infants" excludes all human reasoning in matters of faith. The word "infants" excludes all falsification of the word and false addition of human thoughts.
Why and for what purpose does Christ establish such power and kingdom? What does he want to accomplish with it? "You have established a power," he says.
"For the sake of your enemies, that you may destroy the enemy and the avenger. Therefore it is for you to do: You have an enemy, and an avenging enemy, you will destroy him, completely destroy him, and give him the holy evening. (For this is actually the Hebrew word Hashbith sabbatisare, seu ad internecionem usque destruere). For this purpose you have established this power; this is what you want to accomplish with it, that the enemy perishes.
34 By "enemy" and "avenger" he understands the devil and his bride, the world, and all that is great and high in the world; as was the synagogue of the Jewish people, which crucified and killed Christ; item, the Roman empire, which violently resisted Christ and his kingdom; and still today is the Mahometan and Turkish empire, which daily opposes Christ and his church. The devil is so hostile to Christ that he would like to destroy him to the ground. But since he cannot gain anything from Christ (for even if the devil stabs Christ in the heels, crucifies and tortures him, he still crushes the head of the woman's seed, Christ, and destroys his kingdom and power [Gen. 3:15]), he attacks, persecutes and torments the whole of Christendom and every Christian in particular, and is so fiercely angry that he does not cease to harm Christ's church with lies and murder; as we see and experience every day. For the sake of such enemies, Christ has wrought a power out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.
35 Now it is a marvelous thing that Christ destroys the enemy and the avenger by the power of the mouth of babes and sucklings. For the enemy and the avenger is a strong and mighty spirit, which is God and prince in the world, having a strong and lasting kingdom, and under him many other spirits, every one of which is stronger than all the men of the earth. On the other hand, the underage and infants are poor, weak people, caught in the power of the enemy, because through Adam's fall and sin all people have come into death and the devil's tyranny. What can they do in such weakness and imprisonment against the enemy and the avenger? Infants and babies will offer little resistance,
206 He", [s, 23-25. Interpretations on the Psalms. W. v, sos-sm. 207
and little break off such powerful, strong spirits, and such great, mighty tyrants on earth, who ride to the court of the devil in his service, raging against Christ and his church, especially because they should not wield a sword, but only fight with their mouths. Why does he not send the heavenly spirits and princes, Gabriel, Michael and other angels, who could strongly resist and break the enemy?
Answer: The Lord our sovereign did not use Gabriel or Michael for this purpose, but from the mouths of babes and sucklings he wanted to create a power. For because the enemy's malice is great, and his wrath fierce, this ruler delights and pleases to scorn [the] spirit so wicked, fierce, and proud, and to mock him in the same manner. Therefore, since he wants to bring down the power, he throws himself so low, becomes man, yes, throws himself under all men; as it is written Ps. 22:7: "I am a worm, and no man, a mockery of men and contempt of the people." Therefore go in poverty, as he himself says Matth. 8, 20.: "The foxes have pits, and. the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." In such bodily weakness and poor stature He attacks the enemy, allows Himself to be crucified and killed, and through His cross and death He wipes out the enemy and the avenger of revenge; as St. Paul says Col. 2:15: "He stripped the principalities and powers, and made a public display of them, and made a triumph of them by Himself."
37 After that, having risen from the dead, having ascended to heaven, and desiring to establish power through the mouths of men, he sends his apostles and disciples, simple-minded, foolish people. He himself calls them sheep, Matth. 10, 16: "Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves." And the whole gospel testifies that the disciples of the Lord always presented themselves as children. When the Lord spoke here, they understood there. Therefore they were sheep in the truth. Now it is ludicrous and foolishly begun (as all reason cannot judge otherwise), that he should have said such silly, unrealistic things.
He is the one who attaches all the people to such clever, highly confident spirits and sets the weakest on earth against the mighty lords of the race and the strongest spirits under heaven. Why does he not use the most powerful angels in heaven, the angel Gabriel with his angels, who is the supreme marshal and wields the sword; hence his name, Gabriel, which means God's might or power? But he does not do this, but takes poor, foolish fishermen and commands them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Open wide your mouth, he says, and preach with confidence, so that it may resound before all creatures. Arm them also with comfort and gladness. The devil," he says, "will be hard on you with his scales, and will kill you; but do not be afraid of those who kill the body and do not like to kill the soul. But rather fear him who may destroy both body and soul into hell," Matth. 10, 28. This is how he fetches the power and the kingdom. He could not be more foolish before the world. For all reason must say that it is a foolish thing that he fights against the devil and all the gates of hell with such a small, weak witness.
38 This is what David says here: "Out of the mouth of young children and infants you have established a power. You have established a kingdom, he says, which is full of power and authority against sin, death and the devil. You have established such a kingdom, not from the wisdom, cleverness, cunning, painting or power of the world, but from the mouths of simple, foolish, powerless people, who "are set apart for the very least, as given over to death," 1 Cor. 4:9. But is this not a miraculous thing, that the mouths of such people should prepare such great and excellent power? Peter appears in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, is not afraid of Annas, Caiphas or the whole council, opens his mouth, strikes the devil's kingdom and with one sermon he converts three thousand souls from the devil's kingdom to Christ. The other apostles likewise approached such power by their mouth and word that the synagogue and the Jewish kingdom fell to the ground over it. Then they come to Rome, seize the supreme power on earth, and bring down the synagogue and the Jewish kingdom.
They spread their pagan, idolatrous nature, and by their mouths they establish such power that no one can resist. Further, they scatter into the world, storm the devil's kingdom through their word, plant and build Christ's church: there comes the power which neither emperors nor kings, neither princes nor mighty men can resist. They may resist it and treat the apostles and Christians with cruelty, but it does not help. The power from the mouths of young children and infants cuts through and retains the victory. Emperors, kings and mighty men of the earth must hang their heads and confess that they are not able to resist.
39. it is unequal stuff that here the mightiest lords on earth, together with the fiercest devils in hell, go against each other and meet together, and the poor, weak disciples, who are considered as slaughter sheep in the world [Rom. 8, 36...] Therefore it is a miracle above miracles that the ruler creates a power in such a way. If he would take the strong princes of heaven, they would be able to do this. Michael would be able to strike down emperors, kings and mighty men on earth. But he doesn't want to use the angelic nature to achieve this power, but needs the human nature for it, which the devil has eaten, and over which he is master, which he also holds captive because of sin. He hangs the same nature on the devil, so that it catches, binds and overcomes the enemy, and accomplishes this through the mouth, through the word and preaching of the gospel. "Go and preach the gospel to every creature", he says to his disciples [Marc. 16, 15.] With this he announces the power and the kingdom.
40 Thus our Lord God saves the greatest and highest power of the angels in heaven, and takes the most foolish, simple, unlearned and weakest on earth, and sets them against the highest wisdom and power of the devil and the world. These are the works of God. For he is a God "who gives life to the dead and calls that which is not to be," Rom. 4:17. Such is his nature and attribute. He proves it with the grain in the field. "Where the same does not fall into the earth," says Christ himself,
John 12:24, "And if it die, it abideth alone. But if it dies", rots, loses its husk and flour in the earth, it gets its root, stem, ears, and "brings forth much fruit". In sum, God's nature is to show His divine majesty and power through nothingness and weakness. He himself says to Paul 2 Cor. 12, 9: "My power is mighty in the weak."
Emperors, kings, princes and rulers of the earth are driving with violence, using all their money and goods against Christ and his kingdom. The devil also storms against it with reason, wisdom and prudence through the heretics, sects and cults. Thus says God: I am able to create strong, powerful emperors, kings and mighty men out of stones, to make reasonable, wise and prudent people, and through them to establish my dominion and kingdom, so that power goes against power, violence against violence, reason against reason, wisdom and prudence against wisdom and prudence; But I will not do this, but will foolishly begin it, that in their great wisdom they may become fools and fools, that they may see and know how all their wealth, power, reason, wisdom, and prudence are nothing before me. Therefore, just as they go about with violence, reason, wisdom and prudence, defying and insisting, so I turn it around straight away and push poor, weak, silly people in front of the noses of the rich, powerful, wise and prudent, who do not have hall and court, but are strangers and pilgrims in the world. And I delight in this, because they insist on power and wisdom, that I meet them with vain weakness and foolishness.
(42) The prophet marvels that the Lord our ruler establishes a power, that is, a mighty, firm, steadfast and everlasting kingdom, and establishes it in such a way that seems foolish to all reason. What then is the way? By what does he establish the power? By word, from the mouths of young children and infants. How does this rhyme with such infinite, eternal power, which is to stand against death, the devil and the world? Let it rhyme, as it may, so the Lord, our ruler, does not need sword, guns or armor to establish this power, but this
Word, and such a word as comes out of the mouths of young children and infants, that is, of wicked, simple-minded people, who are like children who cannot speak. The Romans were such wise men that they thought they had no equal in the world. In contrast, the apostles were unwise and fools before the world. But God gave them a mouth and wisdom that all their opponents could not contradict or resist.
43 Jesus is twelve years old, sitting in the temple at Jerusalem in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, so that all who listen to him are amazed at his understanding and his answer [Luc. 2, 46, 47]. The apostles are also children, unwise men and fools in the sight of the world, not understanding the wisdom of the world, wretched and poor; but having divine wisdom, that they may far surpass the wisdom of all the world, having great heavenly riches, before which they despise all that is in the world, and that they may make all the world rich. Now one thing goes against another. The world boasts and brags about great power, reason and wisdom; so he says, "Be as proud as you like; all your power, splendor, reason and wisdom are filth before me; I will disgrace you with your power, reason and wisdom; I will hang young children and infants on you, and they will build up a power and kingdom with their mouth and word, in defiance and mockery of all your power and wisdom. With the same word I will catch you in your prudence, and make your wisdom foolishness.
What is happening in our time? The pope is not lacking in learned, intelligent, understanding people, but far surpasses us in art, wit and understanding. Yet he does nothing against us. We do nothing more than open our mouths and confidently speak the word. This is the battle we fight with the pope. We do not draw a sword, we do not shoot a gun, but with the Word, the Lord's Prayer, the Child's Faith, the Gospel, we judge a power that is so strong and powerful that it puts down popery, monasticism, nunnery and the entire papacy. He thinks our gospel is foolish preaching, yes, heresy, but he must be frightened by it and go down. Think of the Lord, our ruler,
is much stronger than the devil, the pope and the world. He can do the art, when he is weak, he is strongest. With weakness and lack of strength, he sows it, lets his word preach, which the world considers child's work, foolishness and foolishness. But through such weakness and lack of strength he is so powerful that he puts to shame all other words, power and wisdom in the world.
This is the way that the Lord our ruler establishes his kingdom through the outward, oral word that the apostles preached and that we also now, by God's grace, preach, hear, accept and believe. Many hear it and accept it with us. We do not force anyone to come; they force themselves so that no one can resist them, as Christ says in Matth. 11, 12: "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who do violence snatch it to themselves. The pope and his followers are angry, mad and furious, rage and rage, but they do nothing with their anger and wrath. The Lord, our ruler, establishes a power, founds a strong, mighty kingdom, which puts the devil, the pope and the world to shame. And this he does through the mouth of young children and infants, that is, of the foolish and simple, who hold to the pure word. For whoever wants to be in this kingdom and be saved must turn and become like a child. As a child goes to school and learns the Lord's Prayer and faith, so we must also go to church and hear and learn the gospel.
46 It is a strange and wonderful thing, and an unequal armor, as it was said [§ 35 ff], that the mouths of young children and infants should have such power against emperors, kings, and mighty men of the earth, and against the devil, with his infernal angels in the air. For all reason concludes: If one has strong enemies before him and wants to defeat them, then one must use such force for this that is stronger, as Christ also testifies in the Gospel [Luc. 11, 21. 22.] Now here are strong, powerful enemies, the mighty ones on earth and the infernal enemy, against whom one will break little with the mouth. Thus human reason concludes, and cannot judge nor conclude otherwise. But the underage and infant
The mouth of the angel shall do it, however strong and wicked the enemies may be.
(47) For this very reason, that the enemies are pressing out of their power and authority, God will put them to shame through the mouths of babes and sucklings, as butter melts in the fire. Or, if they are not put to shame, they shall become children in their great prudence. Therefore St. Paul says 1 Cor. 3:18: "Whosoever among you shall think himself wise, let him be a fool in this world, that he may be wise." For whoever wants to be in this kingdom, as 45] said, must become a child. Now those who keep God's word and desire His wisdom, let themselves be taught and learn as students in the school. Just as the Lord our ruler himself becomes weak when he is born into the world, so he also sees his kingdom from the earth in weakness. But on the last day he will appear as a strong, great God. Now he establishes his kingdom through the mouth of babes and sucklings; "but then he will be revealed from heaven with the angels of his power and with flames of fire", 2 Thess. 1, 7. 8. Now he speaks to his enemies through the mouths of babes and sucklings, whom the world considers fools; then he will speak differently to them when he "will give vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey his gospel", 2 Thess. 1, 8.
48 He remembers not only the enemy, but also the avenger of vengeance. By this he means primarily the synagogue and the Jewish people; then also the devil with his scales: as was the Roman Empire, and still is today the end-Christ and the pope, item, Mahomet and the Turks. For all the histories bear witness that greater enmity and greediness has not been practiced against any man on earth than has been practiced, and is still practiced daily, against the Lord our ruler and against his dominion and kingdom. Read the history of the passion of Christ, and you will find out who is the avenger of whom David speaks here. When Christ hangs on the cross, cries out and says: "I thirst" [Joh. 19, 28.], his crucifiers do not give him a drink of water, but to great envy and hatred, anger and revengefulness.
they give him gall and vinegar, Ps. 69, 22, or, as St. Marcus writes [Cap. 15, 23], myrrh in wine to drink in his great thirst. They do not do this to the other executioners who are crucified with him on both ropes. It is the custom of all the world to have compassion on evildoers when they are executed and put to death. When their soul is troubled, and their tongue is dry, they are given the best drink of perfume; as the wise man commanded, Proverbs 31:6. In sum, no robber, murderer, or scoundrel, however great he may be, is exalted in the world, against whom all mercy is forgotten; but against Christ on the cross all mercy is forgotten. This is the devil, who embittered, incited and drove the world against Christ.
This day it is the same for us. The pope and his patrons are not as hostile to murderers and robbers as they are to us. They can have pity on all villains and murderers, have mercy on them and spare them; but they are hostile and hateful to us, so that they are not so hostile and hateful to any Turk, heretic, Anabaptist or fanatic as they are to us. If they could soak us with vinegar and gall, they would gladly do so. And as it is with us, so it is, and so it should be with all righteous Christians and believers on earth. This is not human malice, envy or hatred, but comes from the devil, who makes the world so bitter and hateful toward us. This also does not happen without a cause. For because Christ puts to shame the power and wisdom of the enemy through our mouth, he clenches his teeth at us and would gladly tear us apart.
(50) Now these are two peculiar virtues of the devil. The first is that he is an enemy of Christ and his church; the second is that he is full of vengeance, and has no other cause than that he cannot stand Christ and his gospel. Where the young children and singers open their mouths, preach confidently, and do not depart from the truth, he not only becomes an enemy, but also thinks day and night how he may avenge himself, and execute the young children and infants who preach and confess Christ. Our adversaries have now kept counsel over us for many years, as they have made their effort on us.
They, who want to cool us down, do not cease to oppress us and to dampen us. In sum, they have no peace nor rest until they see before their eyes that we are all perishing.
51 But our consolation is that it says here: The mouth of babes and sucklings shall remain, and Christ's kingdom shall endure; but the enemy and the avenger of vengeance must be destroyed. This is what happened to the synagogue and the Jewish kingdom. Christ's kingdom was established through the mouths of the poor fishermen and disciples of Christ, and still exists; but the Jews have fallen to the ground because of it. The same thing happened to the Romans. They had neither peace nor rest, and thought to exterminate Christ and his Christians; but Christ remained before them with his kingdom and church, but they are gone, with all their power, wisdom and authority. It will be the same for the pope. If he is hostile to us for a long time, bitter and vengeful, Christ and our gospel will nevertheless remain before him, but he will perish. He defends himself confidently, deceives many people; many devout Christians must also suffer and be killed because of it. Nevertheless, the Lord our ruler remains seated in heaven, ruling for and on behalf of his church, sending babes and sucklings who open their mouths and bring about power through the word.
52 So David confesses here that we are here on earth in such a kingdom, where we have evil, poisonous enemies against us, who are full of vengeance, and yet comforts us that it will not be necessary; the mouth of the young children and infants will remain, because the Lord our ruler wants to establish power through them; but the enemy and the vengeful must be destroyed. This he has seen before, that the young children and infants have to deal with evil, vengeful enemies, whom the devil has possessed with arrogance and stubbornness, so that they will not yield to Christ and his gospel nor be obedient. Their thoughts are always directed to filling the mouths of young children and infants, but before they are halfway there, they will lie down and perish.
(53) It is in weakness, but power shall come out of such weakness. Paul also complains about weakness, even complains that he was given a stake in the flesh, namely,
The angel of Satan beat him with his fists, so that he would not rise up; but he confessed three times to the Lord that he would depart from him. But the Lord said to him, "Be content with my grace, for my power is mighty in the weak," 2 Cor. 12:7-9. So even though we are weak and must be scratched and afflicted by the enemy and the avenger, Christ comforts us, saying, "Be content that I am your great Lord. Be content, my way holds thus, that I begin it in weakness. I found and establish my kingdom through your mouth. For this you must endure and suffer; but for this I will not cast you into hell, but will be with you and strengthen you. If this is true, as it certainly is, let the devil be angry with you with his infernal gates, and let him who cannot help it. Let us only cling with steadfast faith to the Lord our sovereign, who will strengthen and sustain us.
V. 4 For I will see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you prepare.
The other verse [v. 3], 1) as we have heard [§ 28 ff], speaks of the kingdom of word and faith, that the Lord our Ruler has prepared a power out of the mouth of young children and infants to destroy the enemy and the avenger. The third verse [v. 4] speaks of the kingdom of glory and revelation that we have to wait for in that life. It is one kingdom, the kingdom of faith, and the kingdom of the glory to come. But it is thus done and distinguished: that which is offered to us here, in the kingdom of faith, in word, and which we receive and grasp by faith, the same will be presented to us there in revelation. Thus says St. Peter, 1 Petr. 1, 12, "that such a gospel should be proclaimed to us, which even the angels desire to behold. Therefore it is one kingdom, without any difference in knowledge. Now we hear it in the Word; there we shall know it.
1) Luther did not count the title of this Psalm here as one verse, as is done in our Bible; hence the different counting from ours.
have in sight. Now we believe and hope with all Christians on earth; there we will possess it with all holy angels and God's elect in heaven.
(55) David speaks of the heavens, the moon and the stars, which are the works of the finger of the Lord our sovereign. This same finger is the Holy Spirit. For this is how Christ Himself interprets Luc. 11, 20: "If I cast out devils by the finger of God," that is, as it says in Matthew [Cap. 12, 28], "by the Spirit of God. But that he says here, "Thy finger," pluraliter, as of many, is because he speaks of the Holy Spirit, not as He is for Himself, in His majesty, but as He shows Himself to Christendom with His gifts, with which He adorns and decorates the faithful. These same gifts are not one, but many and various, even though the Holy Spirit is one and indivisible for His own person, 1 Cor. 12:4. From this it follows that David is speaking in this place, not of the heavens, moon and stars as they were initially created, of which Moses writes, Gen. 1:14 ff, but of the new heavens, new moon, new stars, as they will be prepared anew by the Spirit of the Lord our Ruler in the resurrection of the dead, when the kingdom of word and faith will cease, and the kingdom of revelation and vision will begin. Then we shall see the heavens, the moon, and the mortal things rightly; not as we see them now in this world, but in that world, when we ourselves shall be no longer earthly nor mortal, but heavenly and immortal.
Isaiah Cap. 30, 26. says: "The moon's light will be like the sun's light, and the sun's light will be seven times brighter than now, at the time when the Lord will bind up the hurt of his people and heal their wounds. This is what the prophet says about the redemption from the Assyrian prison; but nevertheless, in a figure, as many teachers have understood it, he indicates the redemption that happened and will happen through Christ. For Christ binds up the damage and heals the wounds of his people twice. Once through the forgiveness of sins, which he acquired with his death and blood, and brings to us through his gospel, holy sacraments, faith, and the healing of the sins of his people.
and spirit. Secondly, through the resurrection from the dead, when he will raise us from the dead completely pure, without all sin. Then the damage will be completely healed, and the wounds will be completely healed, and we will be completely healthy, whole and pure in body and soul. Then heaven and earth will be new; the moon's light will be like the sun's light, and the sun's light will be seven times brighter than it is now.
Now the sun is a beautiful, bright light, so that no man, however sharp and bright his eyes, can see the sun's brilliance without wavering. What will happen in that life, when the sun's light will be seven times brighter than it is now? There will also belong bright, clear eyes, which may suffer and endure such sun. If Adam had remained in the innocence in which he was created, he would have had bright, clear eyes, and could see into the sun like an eagle. But because of sin and the fall, we human beings are so weakened, poisoned and corrupted in body, soul, eyes, ears, and everywhere that our face is not the hundredth part as sharp as Adam's face was before the fall. Our body is unclean, corrupt and leprous; and all creatures are subject to vanity, Rom. 8, 20. Sun, moon, stars, clouds, air, earth, water, are no longer as pure, beautiful and lovely as they were. But in that day it will all become new and beautiful again, as St. Paul speaks Rom. 8, 21: "The creature will be set free from the service of the perishable being, to the glorious freedom of the children of God."
(58) David therefore rejoices in spirit, and looks forward with joyful heart to the future glory of the children of God, and the renewal of the creatures, when the heavens, the moon, and the stars shall be made new by the finger of the Lord our sovereign, that is, the Holy Spirit. As if he wanted to say: I hope for it, and I am sure, I will one day come out of this pitiful valley into another world; out of this darkness into clarity; out of the darkness into the light, where the Lord, our ruler, will reveal and show himself together with the works of his fingers, that is [the] Holy Spirit; then I will have a new heaven, a new moon,
and see new stars, and also be clothed with a new, beautiful body, adorned with new, sharp eyes.
(59) Hereby he teaches that the life of the elect and blessed will be in heaven in that world, and in addition a heavenly being and life, where one will no longer have to work, toil and worry, eat, drink, mourn, and suffer, as one must do in this world, but will keep an eternal Sabbath and holiday, be eternally satisfied in God, be eternally happy, secure, and free from all suffering, as one must do in this world, but keep an eternal Sabbath and holiday, be eternally satisfied in God, eternally happy, secure and free from all suffering, look upon God and His works eternally, not hidden behind the cover, as in this life the cover is drawn forward, but with the face uncovered in Revelation. It will not be an earthly, temporal life, but a heavenly, eternal life. Not that we will be in heaven alone, but will be where we want to be, in heaven, on earth, above and below, and where we want to be. Then we will no longer drag ourselves with this heavy body, which must be lifted and carried, and which always sinks to the earth, but our body will be nimble and light. And in sum, "we will be like the angels of God in heaven", as Christ says Matth. 22, 30.
(60) David believed in such future glory of the children of God and renewal of the creatures, rejoiced in it from the bottom of his heart, stood in certain hope that he would see the heavens, moon and stars prepared and renewed by the finger of God. God has postponed this glory, therefore all the saints must wait for it, as it is written in Heb. 11, 39, 40: "All the saints have received the testimony through faith, and have not received the promise. Therefore God has provided something better for us beforehand, so that they would not be perfected without us." God did not bring His saints to glory soon, but let them seek the Fatherland. We must all come together beforehand, the first and the last, who sleep in the earth, and who will remain over in the future of the LORD. Now when we all come together, then the glory will be revealed in us. St. Paul says in 1 Thess. 4, 16. 17: "Those who are dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive and remain will become the first and the last.
will be drawn up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so will always be with the Lord.
(61) In such a future being David sees, and he cannot help but feel as if the world had already come to an end, and as if he had already risen from the dead, and saw heaven, moon, and stars standing before him anew. Indeed, he also saw it, but in faith and spirit. In his time he will see it with us, and we with him, in the Revelation. The prophets and apostles have proclaimed it to us. Isaiah saith Cap. 65:17, 18: "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth; and they shall remember the former things no more, neither shall they lay them to heart: but they shall rejoice for ever, and be glad in that which I create." And St. Peter says, 2 Pet. 3, 13: "We wait for a new heaven and a new earth, according to his promise, in which righteousness dwells." Such proclamation of the prophets and apostles was done by the Holy Spirit, and cannot be lacking.
(62) This will be a wide and beautiful heaven and a pleasant earth, much more beautiful and pleasant than Paradise was. In paradise there were not burning nettles, nor prickly thorns and thistles, nor noxious herbs, nor worms, nor beasts, but beautiful, noble roses and fragrant herbs; all the trees in the garden were pleasant to look at and good to eat. After Adam's fall, the earth was cursed to bear thorns and thistles, and man must feed on it with sorrow all his life. That is why so many harmful creatures have come to fight against us and torment and plague us, even we humans among ourselves. Now all this will be set right by the fingers of the Lord, our sovereign, and everything will be prepared anew. Then there will be no more sin on earth, nor injustice, nor death, nor murder, nor hatred, nor envy, but only justice, love and friendship. Now unrighteousness and unfaithfulness dwell on earth. By this we shall know what we have lost through Adam's fall and our sin, and learn to long and desire
1) In the original: "the".
after the regeneration and renewal of the creature, and after the freedom of the children of God.
But how is it that David in this verse remembers only the heavens, the moon and the stars, and does not also remember the sun, since Isaiah Cap. 65 remembers the sun, and the sun must be there where the heavens, moon and stars are, and people who are to see the heavens, moon and stars? Without the sun, people are poor, miserable people, and no one can live without the sun, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Why then does he leave the sun outside here? Answer: He does this for the sake of meaning. The sun signifies Christ in the holy scriptures, as will be said soon after. But because David speaks in this verse of the heavens, the moon and the stars, which are the works of the fingers of the Lord our sovereign, and Christ cannot be counted among such works, he did not want to remember the sun in this narrative, for the sake of the meaning. Afterwards he remembers the sun beautifully and gloriously, as follows:
V. 5: What is man, that thou art mindful of him; and the child of man, that thou art mindful of him?
Here he paints a strange sun, and calls the sun a man and a man-child. The holy scriptures compare Christ to the sun, especially the prophet Malachi, Cap. 4, 2. where he says: "To you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise, and salvation under its wings. Just as the natural sun gives off a glow and light to make day, and awakens men from sleep to go about their work, as Moses teaches Gen. 1:16: "God made the great light to rule the day." And Ps. 104, 22. f.: "When the sun goes out, man goes out to his work and to his farm until evening." Thus Christ, who is the spiritual sun, gives the light and splendor of his gospel into the world and enlightens the hearts of men with it. He himself says John 8:12: "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have light.
have the light of life." Malachi calls Christ the sun of righteousness, under whose wings is salvation. For whatever heart Christ enlightens with his splendor, the same man is righteous before God because of the sun; and as long as he remains under the wings of this sun, he is blessed. Ps. 118, 24. David says: "This is the day that the LORD makes." Jesus Christ is the Lord. Just as the natural sun makes the day, so the spiritual sun, Jesus Christ, makes this day, in which we rejoice and are glad.
Here he does not call Christ the sun, but speaks of his ministry, why he is and is called the sun. He is such a sun, he says, that he is a man and a human child, thus giving Christ two new names. In the Hebrew text these names are differentiated. Such a difference cannot be given in Latin or German. The first name, Enosh, means a sorrowful, poor, miserable man, Ps. 9, 21.: "Give them, O Lord, a Master, that they may know that they are men", that is, poor, miserable, wretched men "are". Ps. 103:15: "A man in his life is like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field." The other name is a common name of the whole human race, and means a bad, mean person. Ps. 49:2, 3: "Give ear, all peoples; take heed, all who live in this age, both common man and lords. "2c. So he calls Christ Enosh, a man, because of his misery and sorrow, which he had on earth. Filium Adam man child, he calls him because of his nature, that he was born of man, not created by God without means, as Adam was created from a lump of earth, and as Eve was made from Adam's rib; but more commonly, and yet supernaturally, born of a virgin, by the Holy Spirit, as the Christian faith teaches. Christ takes this name from this Psalm, and in the Gospel calls Himself the Son of Man, because He was born of a human mother, and took on all the characteristics of a true, natural man, yet without sin. Thus St. Paul says Phil. 2, 7: "[He] took the form of a servant, was made like another man, and in manner like a man.
invented." Hebr. 2, 14: "Since the children have flesh and blood, he has been made partaker of them in the same way. Item, V. 16. 17.: "Nowhere does he take the angels to himself, but the seed of Abraha he takes to himself. Therefore he had to become like his brothers in all things" 2c.
66. but he pictures Christ especially before all men on earth, saying, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the child of man, that thou art mindful of him?" This speaks of the high, deep degree of Christ's humiliation. For he looks at Christ in his greatest torture and highest suffering, that he is mocked, scourged, crowned and crucified, as St. Paul also speaks of such humiliation Phil. 2, 8.: "Humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross." In such humiliation no one took him for a man, but everyone who passed by shook his head and said: "Fie, how God has cursed this man to hang on the cross! Isaiah speaks of it Cap. 52, 14: "Many will be angry with you, because your form is more ugly than other people's, and your appearance more than the children of men. Item, Cap. 53, 2. 3.: "He had no form nor beauty. We saw him, but there was no form to please us. He was the most despised and unworthy, full of pain and sickness. He was so despised that people hid their faces from him. Therefore we esteemed him nothing." And Ps. 22:7: "I am a worm, and no man, a mockery of men, and despised of the people."
67 This humiliation of Christ was especially offensive to the Jewish people. For their belief was: whoever is well on earth, whoever is rich, whoever is honored, and whoever has good days, he would be blessed. As the 144th Psalm, vv. 11-15, says of such faith: "Deliver me, and save me from the hand of strange children, whose doctrine is of no avail, and their works are false. That our sons may grow up in their youth like plants, and our daughters like hollow oriels, like palaces. And that our chambers be full, which can give forth one store after another. That our sheep may bear a thousand, and a hundred thousand in our villages. That our oxen may work much,
so that there is no harm, no loss, nor complaint in our streets. Blessed are the people who prosper in this way. This was the faith of the Jews. When they saw Christ hanging miserably on the cross, they despised him and cursed him.
(68) David marvels at this and says: "Is it possible, or should one believe it, that God should remember such a miserable, wretched human being and take care of such a human child who dies so miserably on the cross? Should he be the dearest child, and the chosen one of God, whom everyone scorns, reviles and blasphemes? How foolish does it make God? Should the Son of God, the Lord, be our ruler, whose name is glorious in all lands, and who is thanked in heaven, and hangs on the cross, and is considered a mockery and a curse of the people? David speaks this out of great astonishment. As if he wanted to say: All bets think that God has forgotten this man and does not take care of this human child. But "the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is done by the Lord, and is a wonder in the sight of men" [Ps. 118, 22. 23.].
V. 6. You will let him be forsaken by God for a little while, but with honors and adornment you will crown him.
In this verse David describes how miserably Christ will be abandoned. No man can express this piece in words as it is round, short and simple. He does not speak of Christ's bodily suffering, which is also great and heavy, but of his high spiritual suffering, which he felt in his soul, which suffering far surpasses all bodily suffering. He describes this same high suffering in the highest degree, and says: "You will let him be forsaken by God for a little while." What this is, no man on earth understands, no man can reach with words, nor can he express it. For to be forsaken by God is much worse than death. Those who have tried and experienced a little of it, they may think a little. But safe, raw, untried and inexperienced people do not know and understand anything about it. When God gives us the bag full
Money, the ground full of grain, the cellar full of wine, lets us be without cross and temptation, and float in joy, there we have made good, and let us think that heaven hangs full of violins, and we sit in God's lap; but if God hides or conceals himself, and lets the devil be tamed with us, there is misery and distress, yes, it is death itself.
From the example of Job, one can understand to some extent what it means to be forsaken by God. Job is bad and righteous, God-fearing, and shuns evil, and there is no one like him in the land; as God himself testifies to him [Job 1:8, 2:3]. But Satan comes among the children of God who come before the Lord and says to the Lord [Cap. 1, 9-12]: "Do you think that Job fears God for nothing? Thou hast kept him, his house, and all that he hath, round about. Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his goods have spread abroad. But stretch out thine hand, and touch all that he hath; what is the matter, that he will blaspheme thee to thy face? The Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thine hand; but lay not thine hand upon him alone." There the devil himself confesses that he cannot come to Job, nor touch his goods, but God permits it. For God has placed a guard of His holy angels around Job, who protect and preserve him and his goods, as it is written in Ps. 34:8: "The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who fear Him, and helps them out."
Satan appears once again among the children of God before the Lord and says, Job, Cap. 2, 4-6: "Skin for skin, and all that a man has he leaves for his life. But put forth thine hand, and touch his bones and his flesh; what matter, he will blaspheme thee to thy face? The Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand. But spare his life." There the abandonment is general. First, God is near, so the devil cannot come to Job. Then God steps away, leaving room for the devil to touch his goods and body. And Satan does not spare Job either, takes away his goods, strikes his children dead, attacks his body as well, strikes him with evil blisters from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
But Job is not yet completely abandoned; his soul and life is still preserved and safe under the protection of God and His holy angels, also still has comfort in his heart.
But when his wife mocks him and says [Job 2:9], "Do you still hold fast to your piety? Yes, bless GOD and die," Job still stands firm, answers, and says to her, v. 10: "You speak as foolish women speak. Have we received good from GOD, and should we not also accept evil?" But it does not last long. His friends come to lament and comfort him, and the pain in his body becomes very great, and GOD hides Himself. There he is completely abandoned, has no help nor comfort, neither from God, nor angels, nor men, falls into trembling and doubt, feels God's wrath and hell, curses the day in which he was born and the night when it was said that a man was conceived [Cap. 3, 1. ff.]; that is right, to be abandoned by God.
73 St. Paul's example is just of the blow, without Job's example seems to be closer. Satan's angel beats Paul with fists [2 Cor. 12:7, 8], he is greatly afflicted and terrified by the devil, he begs the Lord three times to depart from him; but the Lord says, v. 9: "Be content with my grace." This is a high, heavy challenge. Yet Paul is not so utterly forsaken as Job, who cursed the day in which he was born. Therefore, I have said [§69] that no one understands what it is to be forsaken by God without the great, strong saints, such as Job and Paul, who have tried and experienced something of this.
74 Enough of that. Let us return to Christ. David undoubtedly looks at Christ in the spirit, as he wrestles with death in the garden and cries out at the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? [Matth. 27, 46.] For the same is the right, high, spiritual suffering, which no man can consider or understand. In the garden He Himself says: "My soul is sorrowful unto death" [Matth. 26, 38]. So he wants to say: I am in such mourning and anguish that I want to die of mourning and anguish. Tears himself from his disciples at
a stone throw, kneels down and prays; in the prayer it comes that he wrestles with death, and prays more fiercely. His sweat becomes like drops of blood falling to the earth [Luc. 22, 41. ff]. This high spiritual suffering is what David is talking about here, since Christ struggled with death, and felt in his heart no differently than if he had been forsaken by God. And indeed, he was also abandoned by God in truth; not that the Godhead was separated from humanity (for Godhead and humanity are united in this person, which is Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Mary, so that they cannot be separated or divided in eternity), but that the Godhead has withdrawn and hidden itself, so that it seems, and whoever reads it would like to say: Here is no God, but only man, in addition a sorrowful and despondent man. Mankind has been left alone, and the devil has had free access to Christ, and the Godhead has withdrawn its power, leaving mankind to fight alone.
75 St. Paul also speaks about this Phil. 2, 6. 7.: "Jesus Christ, when he was in divine form, did not consider it a robbery to be like God, but expressed himself and took the form of a servant. He says that Christ expressed himself in the divine form, that is, he did not use his divine power, nor did he use his omnipotent power, but he drew it in when he suffered. In such an expression and humiliation the devil tried all his infernal power. Man and the child of man stands there, bearing the sin of the world; and because he does not take in divine comfort and strength, the devil has clenched his teeth at the innocent little lamb and wants to devour it. So the righteous and innocent man must tremble and tremble as a poor, condemned sinner, and in his tender, innocent heart feel God's wrath and judgment against sin, taste for us eternal death and damnation, and in sum, suffer all that a condemned sinner deserves and must suffer eternally.
This is what David is talking about. As if to say, "Sin and death will be overcome, the enemy will be destroyed, the kingdom of heaven will be won, so that the Lord our ruler will be true.
He has worked with body and soul in his tender humanity, and has come into such distress and anguish that he has not only sweated blood, but has also not felt otherwise than as if he had been forsaken by God. He suffered the great affliction that is called being forsaken by God, and the devil's fiery darts, hellish fire and fear, and everything that we had earned with our sins, had to dampen and extinguish in his soul. By this the kingdom of heaven, eternal life and blessedness is acquired for us; as also Isaiah says Cap. 53, 11: "Because his soul hath wrought, he shall see his pleasure, and have fullness." His body and soul labor, he says, in great and severe suffering; but this he does for our great benefit, and for his own great joy. For he overcomes his enemies and conquers, and through his knowledge he makes many righteous, Isa. 53:11.
But the best thing is that the prophet adds: "You let him be forsaken by God for a little while. The abandonment is not meant to last long, much less eternally, but only a little while, namely only a few hours, and yet not always, nor for and for. On Good Friday in the evening (for according to the Jewish way, the day must start from the evening, as Moses says in Genesis 1:5: "Then the evening and the morning became the first day"), the suffering begins in the morning; after noon, he died on the cross, and everything is accomplished.
The night before, after supper, he went out into the garden, and the abandonment began. In the morning he stands at the cross, crying out loud: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? [Soon after, he gave up his spirit, was taken down from the cross, and laid in the tomb. There he rests and keeps the Sabbath. When the Sabbath was past, on the first day of the Sabbath very early, he rose from the dead. Then all sorrow, distress and anguish is over; as Isaiah says Cap. 53, 8: "He is taken out of anguish and judgment, who will speak the length of his life?"
So the prophet preaches deliciously and powerfully about the suffering of Christ. It is a short and round sermon. But with short words he shows two kinds of suffering in Christ,
He indicates his physical suffering by calling him Enosh, that is, a miserable and suffering man. His highly spiritual suffering is indicated when he says that he will be forsaken by God for a little while, that is, he will be in great anguish, will have no help nor comfort, neither from God, nor angels, nor men; without an angel from heaven appearing to him in the garden and strengthening him. On the cross he is completely abandoned, and in addition he is given vinegar to drink in his great thirst. All creatures stand up as if they were against him. He hangs in the air and floats upward, and has no place on earth where he could set foot. There is no one here to sympathize with him or to comfort him. That is his suffering. Now follows his joyful resurrection from the dead.
But with honors and ornaments you will crown him.
80. For whom no one cares, but he who is forsaken by God and all competition, you will snatch him out of suffering into peace; out of fear into comfort and joy; for the scorn, mockery and shame he has endured, you will adorn him with honor; For the ugly form he has had on earth, you will clothe him deliciously, so that he will be clothed around and around, adorned and crowned, and he will be beautiful not only for his person, in body and soul, full of eternal life, full of joy, bliss, wisdom, power, might, full of heavenly majesty and divinity, so that all creatures will smile at him and worship him, but also gloriously adorned and decorated with his Christians and believers on earth, and chosen angels in heaven, in this world and the world to come.
He calls two kinds of adornment, so that Christ should be crowned. The first adornment, so that Christ should be crowned by his resurrection, is "honor". Cabad actually means to be heavy in goods. Then Cabod also means honor and glory, because riches and abundance bring prestige and honor, while poverty and lack bring dishonor and contempt. The prophet contrasts this adornment with everything he said before about the humiliation and suffering of Christ. As if he wanted to say: The poor, miserable and suffering man, Enosh, and man-child, will be crowned with heavenly riches, with
divine honor, with such majesty, dominion and power as cannot be attributed to any creature. He who has been abandoned by God and all creatures, God will bring him back from death to life; he who was despised, mocked and spat upon in the time of his flesh, he will be exalted to such glory and honor that all the angels of God will worship him.
82 The epistle to the Hebrews speaks of this adornment Cap. 2, 9: "But the one who lacked angels for a little while, we see that it is Jesus, crowned with glory and honor through the suffering of death, that by the grace of God he might taste death for all." And Christ Himself in His prayer Jn. 17:5: "Now glorify me, O Father, with thine own self, with the clarity which I had with thee before the world was." St. Paul also sees 1 Tim. 3, 16: "Great is the mystery of God, revealed in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, appearing to angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed by the world, received up into glory."
The other adornment is "adornment", hadar, which actually means adornment, so it comes from delicious, glorious clothes. But here he speaks of royal adornment, so that Christ, crowned as a king, will be glorious in this world and in the world to come. Kings are used to be adorned when they are to be resplendent. So Christ the King, says David, will also be adorned, not only for himself, in his natural body, but also for us, in his spiritual body, which is his church. For he gathers his church by the preaching of the gospel, and adorns and decorates it with his Holy Spirit. And such adornment is set against his ugly form, of which is said above [§ 66] from Isaiah Cap. 53. As if he wanted to say: The man, Enosh, and man-child has little adornment, little appendage at the time of his suffering. His own people cry out against him: Crucify him, crucify him; yes, his own disciples turn away from him and flee from him. But after his resurrection he will have a glorious ornament and great following of many Christians on earth. This will be the beautiful ornament and the beautiful garment, so that he will be crowned in this world.
Of this adornment of Christ and His Christianity the prophets preach mightily. Isaiah Cap. 60, 11. says of Christ: "Your gates shall always be open, neither shall they be shut day nor night, that the power of the Gentiles may be brought unto you, and their kings be brought unto you." And Jeremiah Cap. 16, 19: "The heathen shall come unto thee from the end of the world." But especially David preaches gloriously and sweetly of this adornment of Christ and His church Ps. 45. And Isaiah Cap. 61, 10. speaks in the person of all Christendom, "I rejoice in the LORD, and my soul is glad in my God. For he hath clothed me with garments of salvation, and clothed me with the robe of righteousness; as a bridegroom adorned with priestly ornaments, and as a bride adorned in her jewels."
But in that day he will be clothed with the right clothing and adornment when he comes in glory with his elect and holy angels; as St. Paul says in 2 Thess. 1:10, "Christ will come to appear glorious with his saints and wonderful with all believers. And Christ Himself says Matth. 25, 31: "The Son of Man will come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him. Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations." Item, when he will have around him all the work of his fingers, new heavens, moon, stars and all creatures. David wants all this to be understood by the glory and adornment, so that Christ shall be crowned. Therefore these words are a glorious prophecy of the resurrection of Christ and of his crowning. And there will be no end to such honor and adornment.
V. 7 Thou wilt make him lord over the work of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet.
In this verse David describes Christ as a true man, and yet at the same time a true God and Lord over all creatures. For the word Tamshilehu: You will make him Lord, actually means to make him Lord, as a man is made Lord. This is where Moschel comes from,
This does not mean Lord, as God is called Lord, but as a man is Lord and rules. Judg. 8:22, 23. Some of Israel said to Gideon, "Be lord over us, you and your son, and your son's son, because you have delivered us from the hand of the Midianites." But Gideon answered, "I will not be lord over you, neither shall my son be lord over you, but the LORD shall be lord over you." Therefore Moschel is called such lord, as a householder in the house is lord, to whom everyone in the house must be obedient, wife, child and servants 2c., as God speaks to Eve, Gen. 3, 16.: "Your will shall be subject to your husband, and he shall be your lord (Moschel)"; or, as a prince in the land is lord, to whom all inhabitants of the land must be subject, as Joseph says Gen. 45, 9.: "God has set me lord in all Egypt." So Christ also shall be made Lord, that angels and men shall be obedient to Him. Ps. 22, 29.: "The LORD has a kingdom, and he rules (is Moshe, Lord) among the Gentiles." Ps. 59, 14: "That they may know that God is ruler (Moshe) in Jacob, in all the earth.
87 And he saith thus, Thou wilt make him ruler over the work of thy hands. Item: "You have put everything under his feet. Thus he testifies that Christ is true man, and at the same time true God. For God makes no one Lord over the work of his hands, nor puts everything under his feet, unless he is like him, that is, God. God alone is Lord over the work of his hands, and has everything under his feet. Since this man, Christ, who has been abandoned by God for a little while, is to be made Lord over God's work, over heaven, angels, sun, moon, earth, men, air, water, and over all that is in heaven, on earth, and in water, it follows that he is truly God.
88) But how he will be made Lord over God's work and creature, he does not say this explicitly, but he gives it sufficiently to understand. For he says, "You will make him lord." Which "him"? Whom you have left for a little while, and whom you will crown with honor and adornment. Therefore he speaks of the exaltation and transfiguration of Christ according to his-
n the resurrection from the dead. St. Peter speaks of the exaltation Apost. 2, 33: "Now that he has been exalted by the right hand of God, he has received the promise of the Holy Spirit." Apost. 5, 31: "God has exalted him by his right hand to be a prince and a savior. "2c. And St. Paul Phil. 2, 9: "Therefore God has exalted him." St. John, Cap. 7, 39. speaks of the transfiguration: "The Holy Spirit was not yet there, because Jesus was not yet transfigured." St. Paul calls it "proving," Rom. 1, 4. "He is glorified or proved a Son of GOD." From eternity^Christ is HErr over all creatures, before he became man; but having become man, and forsaken of God a little while, and yet crowned with honors and ornaments, he is temporally made Lord, after mankind, by the revelation and glorification after his resurrection and ascension. From eternity he was born Lord, but therefore he is not Lord for us. But temporally he was made Lord, and by the resurrection from the dead he was transfigured to be Lord also over us, over all that is in heaven and on earth.
So Christ is truly man and truly God. He is man through the temporal birth, born of the Virgin Mary. He is God through the eternal birth, born of the Father in eternity. After humanity he suffered, was abandoned by God, died, rose again from the dead, and through the transfiguration was made Lord over all. According to the Godhead he is Lord from eternity. According to mankind he is made Lord temporally, and not from eternity. That is why all the angels of God worship this man, for he is one, undivided person with the Godhead, and also true God, not two persons. He is a true, natural man, for he is called Enosh, that is, a suffering man and a man-child. True GOD he is, for he is made Lord over all that GOD's hands have made. This belongs to God alone, as Isaiah says; therefore he is God and Lord over angels, men and devils. Emperors and kings on earth are like kings of cards against this King. But Christ is the right King and Lord over all that God has created. Because he is now painted in the same way,
Power and glory shall be set with the Father, so it must follow that He is true, almighty God.
90 Thus David speaks in the spirit Ps. 110, 1: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. This is the testimony of Christ against the Pharisees, proving that He is not only a man and the Son of David, but also the God of David and the Lord. And Matth. 28, 18. He himself says: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. To which "Me"? To me, Mary's Son, and born of man. How was it given to me? According to the Godhead I received it from the Father before I became man; according to the humanity in which I suffered and rose from the dead, I received it at the time when it was revealed and transfigured that I am Lord and have authority over all things.
From this let us learn once again that Christ is one, undivided person, and yet has two natures, divine and human, with body and soul. According to the divine nature he is true God, born of the Father in eternity, having equal power and honor with the Father and the Holy Spirit. According to the human nature he is true man and man-child, born of a human mother, and is set as Lord over all creatures and works of God. Even though he is already man and man-child, he is still Lord over everything. He is not subject to the angels, but the angels are subject to him. The epistle to Hebrews, Cap. 2, 5-7" says: "He has not made the angels subject to the world to come, of which we speak. But one testifies in one place, saying, What is man, that thou rememberest him? and the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou hast made him lack a little time of angels; thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast set him over the works of thy hands."
But lest the text should be crooked, he speaks universally: "All things," he says, "thou hast put under his feet. This piece is powerfully drawn from Hebr. 2, 8: "In that he has put all things under his feet, he has left nothing that is not under his feet." Adam, in paradise, is also made Lord over God's creatures and works. But it becomes
not put everything under his feet. Indeed, after the first creation, no man is set over another as lord, let alone that he should be set over angels as lord. The text Genesis 1:28 reads: "Rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. This is still a small dominion compared to the dominion of Christ, namely a dominion of human reason over fish, birds and animals. But here the text is much different: "You have put everything under his feet." There nothing is excluded, except the Father, who has all things subject to the Son, 1 Cor. 15, 27. and this dominion goes over angels, men and everything that is in heaven and earth. St. Paul speaks gloriously about this, Eph. 1, 20-22: "He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven, above all principality, power, authority, dominion, and all things that are to be called, not only in this world, but also in the world to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and hath set him to be the head of the church over all things, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all." And St. Peter, 1 Petr. 3, 21. 22.: "Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has ascended to the right hand of God in the heavens, and angels, and mighty men, and powers are subject unto him." Heb. 1:6: "And again, when he bringeth in the firstborn into the world, he saith, And all the angels of God shall worship him."
Therefore Christ is much greater and higher Lord than Adam was before the fall. For all things were not subjected to him, nor put under his feet. But all things have been put under Christ's feet, so that all the world and all his enemies must be the footstool of his feet.
94 Therefore, one cannot pass by this text, but this text establishes the article that Christ is true God and man. If he were not man, he could not be called Enosh, man, nor Filius Adam, man-child. If he were not God, he could not be Lord over God's work, nor have everything under his feet. For to be Lord over heaven, angels, men, life, yes, also over sin and death, is due to
no one, but only the true, natural God.
(95) Now one thing follows another, and David gloriously and subtly concludes who the sun is. In that world, he says, when that life will begin, and that heaven, moon and stars will come, Christ will be the sun. In this world he is also "the sun of righteousness," as Malachi calls him [Cap. 4:2]. For for our sake he became man, and forsaken of God, rose again from the dead, and became Lord of all, and has all things under his feet. From this sun we receive light in our hearts through his gospel and Spirit, that we may know God to be our Father, whom we may call upon, and look to him for all our good. If sin, death, the devil, and the world are our enemies, we have one, Christ our Sun, who stands by us and helps us; he also makes us have access to the Father. Let us only hold fast to the light and gospel which we have from the sun, Christ.
V. 8. 9. sheep and oxen in general, and also the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and what goes in the sea.
This is the last part of the dominion of Christ, which dominion Adam also received in paradise, as it is written Genesis 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Now what Adam received in paradise, David also puts under Christ, so that we do not think and say, "If Christ has his own special dominion and kingdom, he has no fellowship with Adam's dominion and kingdom. Now Christians must nevertheless live in the world. Where will they stay, eat and drink, if Christ has nothing to do with Adam's kingdom, and the world is hostile to them and does not grant them a morsel of bread? To ward off such thoughts, David here casts out the dominion that Adam has on earth over fish, birds, and cattle. 2c,
He says, "Every sheep, every ox, every wild animal, every bird of the air, and every fish of the sea has been put under Christ's feet.
Therefore, all that is in the wide world is Christ's, the ruler. What emperors, kings, princes, authorities and subjects, believers and unbelievers, godly and godless people have and possess, all this is Christ's. All things are subject to him. Everything is subject to him. All men must be under this king and ruler, either with grace or with disgrace. So Christ has all things in his hand and power; but because he has all things in his power, his Christians are abundantly provided for; they shall find good to abide in the world, they shall also have food and drink on earth. St. Paul says 1 Cor. 3, 21-23: "All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollo, whether Cephas or the world, whether life or death, whether things present or things to come; all things are yours. But you are Christ's, but Christ is God's."
98. So the Holy Spirit, through the prophet David, teaches us in this psalm in short, round words about Christ, about two natures in Christ, about his divine and human nature, which natures are thus united, that Christ is one, undivided person; about Christ's rule and kingdom; about the kingdom of faith; how and by what means Christ's kingdom is established on earth, namely, by the mouth of young children and infants; of the fruit and power of Christ's kingdom, what it serves for, and what it creates and accomplishes, namely, that it destroys the enemy and the avenger; of the glory and renewal of the creature in the kingdom of the An
of Christ's humiliation, suffering and death; of Christ's resurrection, exaltation and transfiguration; of His dominion and power over all creatures. This psalm establishes these high articles with simple, short words, quite fine and funny.
V. 10. O Lord our sovereign, how glorious is your name in all the earth.
This verse is the end of the song. David concludes this psalm just as he began it. He gives thanks to the Lord, our sovereign, for the great unspeakable blessing that he has established such a kingdom, for which he calls and gathers his church, which gloriously praises his name in all the earth, and gives thanks to him in heaven. Let us sing to this praise singer as he sings to us. The Lord is also our ruler, and his kingdom is established and founded from the mouths of young children and infants. We are placed in it by baptism, and are daily called to it by word and gospel; we also hope with David to come to the place where we shall see the heavens, the work of his fingers, the moon and the stars which he will prepare. He has acquired the kingdom through great suffering and anguish; now he is crowned with honor and adornment, and has everything under his feet. For this we give praise and thanks to God, but especially because he has brought us to such light and knowledge, which does not come from human reason, but from Christ, who is our sun; who also died for us, and rose from the dead, lives and reigns, so that we may be saved through him. God help us all! Amen.