This piece connects the old translation with the previous one, but because the prophet here starts a new sermon about a new people and a new kingdom, therefore we want to start a new chapter here. Although this sudden departure from the intended subject does not seem to fit well and also makes the prophets dark, nevertheless, if we look at the matter more closely, the order of things itself forces the prophets to make these transitions.
In the first sermon, Hosea indicates that.
both the kingdom of Israel was to be scattered among the Gentiles because of idolatry, and the kingdom of Judah was to be devastated by the Romans because of their contempt for the Gospel. Here the succession of events forces the prophet to show what will happen after the kingdom of Judah is destroyed and what kind of church God will have in the world after the people who had the law and the service of God are rejected because of their sin. Therefore, these prophecies belong to the church of the
New Testament to the article of the holy Christian faith, in which we confess that we believe in a holy and universal church. For although experience teaches that all the kingdoms of the world have, as it were, their destiny by which they perish, yet God always leaves for Himself in the world a people by whom He is recognized and praised.
Therefore, the prophets remind us of these two things: first, they exhort us to the fear of God, since they indicate that the ancient people were rejected because of sin, which were God's people and, as it were, God's own, as John also calls it when he says: "He came into his own, and his own did not receive him."
On the other hand, they also teach about the unspeakable goodness of God and exhort to faith. For just as God does not spare His people when they depart from the Word and hold fast to idolatry, so He does not let the sins of the Gentiles, who sin in ignorance and do not have the Word, prevent Him from calling them to the knowledge of His name and to the fellowship of the Kingdom of Christ. Kingdom of Christ. But there is no doubt that if the churches in Germany continue to misuse the Gospel, God will also reject them and choose another nation that is more grateful for such great gifts. Therefore, let us not be sure, but fear God and hold Him as a kind Father who accepts sinners. But now let us explain the text.
Cap. i, 10. But the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said unto them: Ye are not my people, then shall it be said unto them, O ye children of the living God.
The first part of this prophecy presents a promise in general, so that Israel, which has been rejected and scattered among the Gentiles, will not despair of the kingdom of Christ, but will firmly hold that a new life will grow out of this state, which is, as it were, a death, for God will restore this fall of Israel. For this is the order of the works of God: he
not that he might leave in death, but that he might call to repentance. Thus he scattered Israel among the Gentiles, and rejected them without all mercy, judging by the outward appearance of things, for the ten tribes did not return to Canaan.
But how well God made up for this misfortune! For he has again gathered those who were scattered among the Gentiles through the Gospel, and gathered them in such a way that at the same time as the rest of the kingdom of Israel, the fullness of the Gentiles came to the knowledge of the kingdom of Christ. He reminds the people of Israel of this change, so that they will not completely despair in this misfortune, just as we also alleviate the present misfortune through the hope of the future glory, which Christ has brought about for us through his death.
And for this reason the prophet did not want to say that Israel should be increased, but with special diligence he imitates the words of the promise made to Abraham. For thus says the Lord to him Gen. 13:16: "If a man can number the dust of the earth, he shall number thy seed also." Who does not see that the prophet is looking at this promise, when he says that the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which it would be in vain to measure or count?
In this way he wants to comfort the afflicted people, so that they do not lose hope in the future kingdom and do not doubt the promises made to the fathers. For the ten tribes made believe that they would be reduced to a small number when they were scattered among the Gentiles. But, says the prophet, do not despair when you are thus scattered among the nations; hope for the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, not the physical promise of the land of Canaan, which was also great, but the spiritual and eternal promise, in which not the possession of the land of Canaan, but the forgiveness of sins and eternal life (which is the true blessing) through the seed of Abraham is promised to all who believe in this seed, that is, in Christ, the Son of God. For on this opinion also Jeremiah Cap. 33, 22.
He uses this promise from word to word where he prophesies about the kingdom of Christ.
But the following indicates the figure of this infinite multiplication, or the manner. He says:
And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them: You are not my full, then it will be said to them, O you children of the living God.
For although Israel was rejected because of its sin, the promise given to Abraham still belonged to it. Since your Israel, which was scattered among the Gentiles, was told by the apostles that this had been fulfilled, the Gentiles also received this message. And this is that glorious return and increase of the kingdom of Israel, of which the prophets everywhere prophesy.
The ten tribes did not return to the land of Canaan, but through faith in the gospel of Christ they came to the promised seed of Abraham. And they were not multiplied by fleshly reproduction, but this is the right multiplication, that they have the Gentiles as comrades in the faith, who also came to the knowledge of Christ through the preaching that was due to the rejected Israel according to the promise, as also Christ says Matth. 11, 12]: "Those who do violence snatch the kingdom of heaven for themselves. For the Gentiles received the gospel, to whom no promise had been made. But because Christ was preached to Israel, which was scattered among the Gentiles, according to the promise, on this occasion the Gentiles hear the gospel and accept it.
That this part is to be understood from the calling of the Gentiles, we have Paul in the letter to the Romans Cap. 9, 25. 26. as a witness. Therefore, we must take the verb "to say" from the public preaching by which the Gentiles, who are not God's people, are declared to be God's children after they accept the gospel in faith and believe in Christ.
But it is known that wherever the calling of the Gentiles is spoken of, the abolition of legal worship and
1) In the editions: Vsorasr.
the righteousness by grace, in vain, is understood. For what merits or what services can we attribute to those to whom it is preached by the word of God, "You are not my people"? If they are not God's people, it follows that God is not their God either; thus they lack the knowledge of God, the Word, good works and all the adornment of the true church. This, therefore, is what Paul is fighting for, that we are justified by grace, without the works of the law, through faith in Christ. And today we rightly say that we are justified by faith alone. For what do those who are not God's people bring to God other than that they believe the word of the Gospel, firmly believing that they are reconciled to God through Christ, that sins are forgiven and eternal life restored? By this faith they become children of the living God from among those who are not a people, as the prophet here speaks, whom John seems to have imitated, since he says [John 1:12]: "To those he gave power to become children of God who believe in his name."
Especially the new way of speaking that he calls the Gentiles who believe the gospel "children of the living God" has to be taken into account. The change of speech, which the prophet also used above [Cap. 1, 9.], would have required him to say: Where it was said: You are not my people, it will be said: You are the people of God. But to the prophet this seemed too small to indicate the glory of the New Testament. In order to explain Christ's good deeds more clearly, he does not call them "a people", but "children of the living God". And first of all, this designation includes a clear contrast, that before we enter Christ's kingdom through faith, we are not children of God, but of the devil. We are indeed created by God in His image, that is, holy and righteous, and even immortal, but through sin, the author and cause of which is the devil and our will, we are so deformed that we are no longer children of God, since we have lost the image of God and have taken on the image of the devil, who also in truth is not be-
has stood. But what followed this disobedience or sin is known. For the natnr was created for life, but is now subject to death and all misfortune. The mind, in which God's knowledge shone, is so blinded by sin that it no longer recognizes God. The will is also corrupted to such an extent that it desires precisely that which is contrary to God's law. Therefore, there is an extraordinary disorder of all inclinations and movements, for although they are not all sinful in themselves (for the desire for food and drink, the love of spouses, children and parents, and similar movements of the heart would also have existed in the uninjured nature), 1) they are still not pure, for there is always something sinful attached to them, which is contrary to the law of God. Therefore, the saints are also subjected to various misfortunes in this life, so that the remnants of sin are both punished and gradually eradicated.
These damages all come from sin, by which the first parents from whom we sprang ceased to be children of God and lost the image of God. Therefore the Scripture accuses the whole of nature, as it does in the 14th Psalm, v. 2. f., and calls it by an ignominious name, "the children of men," not God's children. "The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if any are wise, and ask after God. But they are all gone astray, and are all unfit; there is none that doeth good, not one." This statement contains the common judgment about the whole human race, and no one is excluded, not the Jews, not their ancestors, the holy and first fathers. We are all reproduced in the same way from the flesh corrupted by sin, therefore we are all by nature not children of God but children of men, that is, sinners who lack the glory they should have in God, Rom. 3:23.
Here, therefore, Christ's benevolence is clearly depicted, since those who are not God's people become children of the living God. For
1) Only the Jena edition has closed the parenthetical here correctly, the Wittenberg and the Erlangen already after aÜ6otu8.
This name indicates the destruction of the devil's kingdom, the abolition of death, the forgiveness of sins and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, who infuses the hearts with the right knowledge of God and awakens the minds to right obedience; finally also eternal life and the inheritance of all goods that God possesses. For this reason he calls them children, not only of God, but of the living God, to indicate that this people, which was not God's people, but is adopted as children through faith in Christ, will live forever. But life cannot exist where sin is, "for death is the wages of sin" [Rom. 6:23].
And here the light of the New Testament must be applied, which not only preaches mercy by grace, in vain, but also shows the cause of such great mercy, namely Christ, who gave himself for our sins and saved us from eternal death by his death. This mercy of Christ is indicated by the gospel; those who believe in it are the children of God, as John says [Cap. 1, 12. f.]; "He gave them power to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." "Blood" is what he calls fleshly procreation. Thus Cain is the son of Adam, but for that reason he does not have the faith of Adam, and consequently for that reason he is not a son of God. He calls the human choice or adoption in place of a child "the will of the flesh", as Eve judged Cain to make up for the damage received in paradise. Jacob thinks that Esau will be the heir of the promise, but he is also mistaken. For this does not happen according to our judgment. Thus the state of the spiritual, as they are called, has a great name before the world, but God does not call them good for that reason, because the world calls them good, for he looks to faith. Thus the will of the flesh does not make children of God. "The will of a man" is an imitation or a pretending of men without the Holy Spirit, which does not make children of God.
The children of God are born of God, because the Holy Spirit through the Gospel enkindles faith in the hearts, so that they firmly believe that they are pleasing for the sake of Christ. Paul treats this benefit wonderfully in his letter to the Romans Cap. 8, 17, where he says: "If we are children, then we are also heirs, namely heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ." For here he shows the difference, that Christ is God's child by nature, but we are adopted children through faith. For through Christ we become children of God, therefore he says, "joint heirs with Christ."
But, you will say, God does not treat His children as children, for they are oppressed with the cross, and Satan and the world rage against them. Quite right. For this is also proper for children, so that the adopted children may resemble the true child of God, who also suffered death and calamity of every kind. In this, says Paul [Rom. 8, 17.], we are to hold on to this hope, "if we suffer differently, we shall also be raised to glory." [Rom. 8:24. "For we are saved, but in hope." But hope is not seen. Thus John says [1 Ep. 3, 2]: "We are now the children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be. But we know that when it shall appear, we shall be like it." This consolation is very necessary, so that in our misfortune we do not let ourselves be snatched away from this promise that we are God's children through Christ. For a father chastens the son whom he loves etc. [Proverbs 3:12.]
Cap. 1:11 For the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall come in multitude, and shall cleave one to another unto one head.
It was a great misfortune among the people of God and the beginning of all evil that the kingdom was divided after Solomon's death. For this gave rise to idolatry, as history shows. For since Jeroboam was chosen as king by the ten tribes that had fallen away from Solomon's son, he established special services against the word of God in the kingdom of Israel, so that his people would not go to Jerusalem every year to worship.
and through this fellowship in the service of God did not again unite with the king of Judah. Therefore, just as the kingdom or the temporal government, the way of worship in the kingdom of Israel was different from that in the kingdom of Judah. But what the outcome of these counsels was, history shows. For idolatry was the foremost cause why the kingdom of Israel was destroyed and the people carried away captive.
The prophet looks at this main part of the whole trouble and gives the comfort that this separation from the kingdom of Judah will be beautifully healed by Christ. For Judah and Israel would become of one mind with united hearts and efforts in the same doctrine of the Gospel, and would not have different heads, as happened after Solomon, but would take hold of and kiss the One King, Christ. Therefore, nothing like what happened before, when these kingdoms were separated, is to be feared. Isaiah Cap. 11, 12. f. says the same thing almost with the same words: "He will raise up a band among the Gentiles, and will gather together the exiles of Israel, and will bring the dispersed of Judah to the house, so that Ephraim will not envy Judah, and Judah will not be against Ephraim" etc.
But first of all the way of speaking is to be considered, that he says [Vulg.], they will sit down one head. For there is no doubt that the children of Judah and Israel, of whom he says here, are the true church, or the people of the New Testament, which consists of the remnant of Israel and Judah, then also of the Gentiles. But he says that this church will have one head, Christ, as Micah interprets this passage of Hosea, Cap. 2, 13. where he says: "Their king will go before them, and the Lord will be their head", because this is the most correct translation of what is written in the Hebrew: XXXXX XXXX. For there are many examples that the prophets, who taught at the same time, also often use the same words, especially when they speak of Christ's kingdom.
But Paul, who seems to have worked in the prophecies of the prophets of Christ especially before others, has often used this very expression in his letters, as Eph. 1, 22. f.: "He has made Him the head of the church over all, which is His body,
namely, the fullness of him who fills all in all."
Here you recognize Hosea's way of speaking and at the same time hear the reason why Christ is called the head, namely because he has the church as his body, which he feeds, governs and adorns with his gifts. But in this Paul differs from Hosea, that Hosea says of the church that it will set itself as a head, but Paul says that this head is set or given by God; but this agrees most beautifully with each other. For Paul praises God's mercy here, through whose unspeakable goodness this head was given to the church. But the prophet praises both the faith and the confession of the church, which obeys the voice of God that sounds down from heaven [Matth. 17, 5.]: "Him you shall hear", and acknowledges Christ as its head, through whom it lives, is nourished, sustained and governed. She holds on to this head with firm faith and does not allow herself to be diverted from this head. For this steadfastness is indicated by the prophet, when he says: "And they shall set themselves One Head."
And I have no doubt that the prophet saw that this plague would rage in the time of the New Testament, that the Roman beast would present itself to the whole world as the head of the church. Therefore, the constancy of the true church is rightly praised, and this is listed among the most distinguished gifts of the Holy Spirit, that it does not recognize several heads, but sets itself One Head, Christ, whom it praises as the one and true source of all gifts that are in the church. But what dangers the church would have to endure, which recognizes only one head, Christ, our times show sufficiently. Because we deny that the pope is the head of the church, but praise Christ alone as our head, who alone gives righteousness, forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit and eternal life to his body, we are subjected to every kind of banishment and torture.
Therefore, this is the one and foremost characteristic of the Antichrist, that he takes Christ's name, that He is the head, and boasts that He is the head of the church. But
What a miserable head! Indeed, a servant of Satan, since he persecutes the true church with imprecations and the sword. But as the head is, so is the rest of the body, for the cardinals, the bishops, the chasubles, the monks, the nuns defile, besides the ungodliness which the doctrine and the idolatrous services have, also an abominable disgracefulness of life. And rightly so; for why do they not set themselves the true head, through which they would be blessed with all spiritual blessings, as Paul says Eph. 1, ... 4, and would be holy and blameless before God in love? But these gifts provoke the true church to eagerly unite with this head, and with great courage confess and praise this head against the world and the gates of hell.
And coming up out of the land, for the day of Jezreel will be a great day.
Where will they go out to? or from what land? The Jews expect to return to the land of Canaan. But Hosea testifies against it, since he already said before that this dispersion by the Assyrian will happen without all mercy, that is, without hope of return. Therefore the going up, of which he speaks here, is that the church, which through Christ is saved from the kingdom of Satan, which was the kingdom of sin and death, 1) will go up from this miserable life into a better and eternal one. An attentive reader, I believe, will not doubt this view. For what else should the church expect, after it has attained this headship, Christ, than that it should be made a partaker of the promises which it hears in the Gospel and which it believes?
But someone might want to ask questions because of the way of speaking. Here we have Isaiah as an interpreter, who uses the same words in Cap. 11, 16, and concludes the sermon about the kingdom of Christ like this: "And there shall be a course for the remnant of his people, which are left of the Assyrians, as it was unto Israel when they came forth out of Egypt.
But it is common among the prophets that when they speak of the kingdom of Christ,
1) Instead of srit in the editions will read ernt.
Compare this with the salvation from Egypt, as we have seen several times in Micah. For there, after the hard and long-lasting servitude was ended and Pharaoh was subdued by God, nothing remained but that they obtained the promise of the land of Canaan. Therefore, as the Israelites went up to it and took it after overcoming the enemies, so, says the prophet, it will happen here 1). After many a struggle which the church has to endure in this life, it will go up from the land of servitude to the promised fatherland; the cause is: "for the day of Jezreel is a great day".
But the prophet uses the name Jezreel in a different way than in the first chapter [v. 4. f.], where the Lord called it Jezreel, because he would scatter it among the Gentiles in his wrath. But here he calls it Jezreel, because the Lord wants to plant them through the gospel, that they may be a holy seed, as he called them a few days before [Cap. 1, 10.] children of the living God. Therefore, in the beginning Israel was a seed of wrath, because the Lord, offended by their sins, had rejected them. But here, in the New Testament, not only Israel, but the whole Church is a seed of grace, for the Church is planted by God Himself through the word of the Gospel, as also John [Cap. 1, 12. f.] says: "He gave power to become the children of God to those who believe in His name, and are born of God."
"The great day" I refer not merely to the time of the Last Judgment, when the Church will be delivered from all evils, but par excellence to the whole period of the New Testament. For what will be revealed in the life to come, the Church has through the Word and in hope also in this life, as the prophet adds:
Cap. 2, 1. Say to your brothers: They are my full, and to your sister: She is in grace.
Behold the exceedingly lovely change: he has named the church by the former name of Jezreel, but in a very different sense.
1) Erlanger: sl" instead of: tüc.
2) Erlanger: "?anlo" instead of: xaulo.
For the former sowing is done in anger and wrath, but this is done in grace and mercy. In this way, the prophet now also changes the other names, which God in His wrath commanded him to give to the children, so that the church, which acknowledges Christ as its head, may firmly believe that everything has now changed, that there is no longer any wrath, but that the inexhaustible riches of God's mercy are now open. For after he has given us his Son, how should he not give us everything with him?
But as I also said above [Cap. 1, 10J, that the verbum nrm, "to say", refers to the public preaching ministry, so we must also state here that the ministers of the gospel in the New Testament are commanded by God to comfort the believers and to proclaim to them that they are the people of God and in grace. For God will not accuse believers of sins, since they have been justified by faith in Christ; He will not condemn them, since Christ died for them, even rose from the dead, and sits at the right hand of the Father, representing us. Since the apostle Rom. 8, 33 testifies that this is the case. Dear one, what else can be taught in the church than what the prophet commands to be taught here, that such people are God's people and have obtained mercy?
But, you will say, what need was there to repeat this, since he said above: "You are children of the living God"? I answer: This would have been sufficient, for, as we have said, it covers the whole range of benefits and glory that have been bestowed on believers through Christ. But we feel that this confidence often fades away, as Paul sufficiently indicates in the very passage we have just quoted. For the church is afflicted, affrighted, subjected to persecutions, hungers, suffers nakedness, stands in danger, is killed. All this seems to happen to the Church not as God's people or children, but as enemies and adversaries of God.
Therefore, constant admonition is necessary here, so that she does not lose heart and does not think that she has been abandoned or forsaken by God.
The Church, however, does not believe that it is the people of God, that it stands in grace, that it has a merciful and favorable God. Because this is difficult to believe in the face of temptation, the Prophet, or rather God through the Prophet, commands that this voice not be silent in the Church: "Ammi", "Ryhamo", you are my people, I have had mercy on you, I will not reject you, I will not impute your sins to you, I will not leave you orphans, I will not let you perish in temptations, I will not hand you over to death and the devil, because you are my people and I have had mercy on you. For that ye are afflicted is for your good, that sin may be purged out of you, that it may be put to death; that ye may be heaped up with glory as valiant men of war; that faith may grow in you; that ye may call upon me; that my name may be glorified in you; that my power may be made mighty in your weakness; that I may conform you to my Son, first in the cross, and then also in glory. Thus the sermons of the prophets and the apostles agree most beautifully, all of them aiming at the comfort and salvation of the church through Christ.
V. 2. Speak the judgment of your mother, that she is not my wife, and I will not have her.
After the prophet has proclaimed in a glorious sermon that these inexhaustible riches of God's mercy in the New Testament are to be offered to all through the Word, he now turns to the remnants of the old people and preaches about the synagogue, which, after rejecting Christ, hoped to obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life from the law. This preaching of the sins of the synagogue and the punishments of the synagogue is necessary, not only for the sake of those who should be converted to Christ from among the Jews, but also for the sake of the believers, so that they will not, moved by this anger of the godless crowd, leave Christ and return to the synagogue and Moses.
Simeon prophesies in the Gospel [Luc. 2, 34.] that Christ is to many in Israel a case and a
resurrection. For those who accept him and believe in him, he is for their resurrection, for those who are freed from their sins by Christ retain the hope of eternal life. But those who do not believe, to them it is for a fall. But what this fall is, the present preaching of the prophet will show, which is quite necessary to fortify the believers, so that they do not resent this obduracy of the synagogue, but rather give thanks to their Savior Christ, through whom they are freed from these sins as well as from the punishments in which they see the synagogue stubbornly continuing and corrupting.
In this way, the 45th Psalm, after preaching about the King Christ, and the Church gloriously adorned by the Bridegroom Christ, adds a similar exhortation [v. 11. 1: "Take heed, daughter, and incline thine ear," that is, take heed to the word of the gospel, which keep, and be not moved from the same; "forget thy people and thy father's hand," that is, beware lest thou join thyself to the synagogue, which rejecteth and persecuteth the gospel, depart from it, and forget the carnal connection which was among you before thou cameest to the knowledge of Christ. This word of the prophet was followed by Paul, when he says in his letter to the Philippians Cap. 3, 8. he says that he considers everything as dirt. He considers everything as dirt in comparison with the exuberant knowledge of Christ and his righteousness. And the prophet commands in this passage that the remnant of believers from the Jews should have such an attitude against the unbelieving synagogue, for he commands: "Speak judgment on your mother," judges them.
Although the Hebrew word XXX can be used both in a good and in an evil sense (μέσον est), it has an exceedingly harsh meaning when taken in an evil sense. For it comprehends both accusation and condemnation, just as the prophet does both here: he accuses sin and threatens punishment.
But, you will say, where is the reverence for the parents here? For the children are ordered to accuse and condemn the mother. And there are no small condemnations
The prophet remembers the adulteries here. He says, "She is not my wife, and I will not have her," that is, she is an adulteress. But it is known what the prophet means by adultery. Shall one not honor the parents by covering their sins? Why then does the prophet exhort the church to punish the sin of her mother and rebuke her freely?
I answer: Honor is due to the parents, but in such a way that we do not, while honoring the parents, do dishonor to God, for the commandment that one should serve God is, according to the order, the earlier, and that of the parents the later. But it serves the glory of God to punish sins, and especially ungodly worship, by which dishonor is done to God. Therefore, the church is right not to turn a blind eye to the adultery of the mother, but to rebuke it freely. For even though this is a disgrace to the mother, it must be called a blessed disgrace, because it is connected with the salvation of the soul. For sin is punished so that it may be corrected, and the synagogue is accused so that it may be restored and not continue to disgrace God and not bring ruin upon itself.
But this is the cause of the immense hatred and envy with which the church is weighed down at all times. For the name of a mother is an exalted name, and the good deeds of education are rightly praised by parents, but rightly admired by children. Therefore, the synagogue thought that it was right to complain about the unjust abandonment of its children, whom it had raised and instructed as a mother in the old service that God had instituted and commanded, and thought that the right to teach was not claimed without grave injustice against it, by the children against the mother, just as the pope nowadays also oppresses us with the prestige he has in the church, and does not want to be brought back to order by us, but accuses us of unjust abandonment, but to himself he attaches this exceedingly brilliant title that the prophet here gives to the synagogue, calling her a mother.
But the papal sycophants think,
that therein lies the palm of victory for them, when they raise the prestige of the church to heaven with words, and praise the fetters of the old church discipline to the simple-minded. Say, they say, if you are the church, from where did you begin to be the church? Were you not baptized into the pope's church? Why then do you now depart from it? Why do you want to teach the Father as children? Yes, rather learn from your father and be obedient to him, if you do not want to be ungrateful children. These are words of the papists, which they think we can be overwhelmed with. But if we look at the prophets, this was the reason why the synagogue did not want to be taught by the apostles and wanted their honor to be spared. But the prophet commands the opposite in this passage, that the mother should be accused by the children, without regard to the apparently special privilege that she is the mother.
Therefore, one must adhere to Peter's rule here [Apost. 5, 29.]: "One must obey God more than men." If the synagogue accepts Christ, recognizing that through Him alone one receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life, then the children will kiss them and shower them with every kind of honor and service.
So also the popes and the bishops should refrain from persecuting and blaspheming the gospel, they should provide the churches with right teachers, abolish the godless and idolatrous services and restore pure and right services, then they will not lack our service; we will recognize them as our parents and gladly obey their reputation, which we see fortified by the word of God. But because they persecute the gospel and maintain idolatry, we must not hold the name of our parents in such high esteem that we should therefore deny Christ and associate ourselves with idolatry. Rather, we obey God, who commands that the Son be heard, and not only separate ourselves from the idolaters, but also freely reject their reputation and punish their idolatry, lest inexperienced people, angered by their example, be drawn into error.
Therefore, we should be mindful that the Holy Spirit is commanded to judge at this point. He says, "Speak the judgment," that is, accuse and condemn. Whom? Your mother. But one owes honor to one's parents. That is true, but it is not due to this mother, who is not only a shameful adulteress, but also wants to force the children born of her into adultery. Therefore, let not the name of the mother hinder you; condemn her and say, "Let her not be my wife, and I will not have her.
This is indeed a terrible sentence of condemnation, if you consider it carefully and compare it with the high opinion that the mother wants to keep with the children, because the synagogue also wanted to protect this title with fire and sword, that she was the people of God, whereas the apostles condemned her as the most harmful corruption. But here the children are commanded to condemn the mother and put her under ban, because she is not only not God's wife, but a shameful adulteress of Satan.
Thus the pope claims the name of the church for himself, but he condemns us as heretics. The Holy Spirit does not want this blasphemy to be overlooked at all, but wants us to freely declare that the pope with his own is the church of Satan, since he opposes the gospel and executes a different righteousness than that which exists through the Son of God. Here the church of Satan is annoyed in two ways. First, she cannot stand this judgment that is passed upon her; second, she does not want this judgment to be passed by those whom she considers to be her mother. Therefore, she stirs up strife and undertakes to avenge this insult in many ways. But the true church cannot set aside the commandment of God, therefore it is forced to proclaim against its mother this judgment of adultery, that the worship of God, which it follows, is nothing but abominable idolatry, which the prophet compares to adultery, for the reasons stated above.
V. 2. 3. Put away their fornication from their faces, and their adultery from their breasts, lest I strip them, and
naked, as she was when she was born; and I will not make her like a wilderness and like a dry land, lest I cause her to die of thirst.
This is the other part of the judgment, in which he mentions not only the sin, but also the punishments, which are truly terrifying, and so coincide 1) with the outcome that we must also, we may like it or not, acknowledge God's judgment on the unbelieving synagogue.
The little word XXXXX, "from her face", is very common in Hebrew, but in this place it seems to be put for a certain reason, just as afterwards also XXXX XXX, "from her breasts" is added. For it means to abuse the eyes or the face and the breasts for adultery. Rightly, however, we refer the eyes to the trust which is due to God, but which is turned by the idolaters upon the creatures. Furthermore, the breasts are given to women to nourish their children, hence they signify the teaching or the word. But this belongs to the description of adultery and fornication, of which the prophet says. For after one has departed from God and has turned one's trust to the creatures (for this is what I call the services which we invent for ourselves without the word of God), it follows that the wicked also pervert the word, and thus turn their breasts to adultery. But what punishment will finally follow?
The first is that the Lord threatens that he will strip her and present her naked as she was when she was born. From this passage of Hosea seems to have flowed the famous sermon of Ezekiel, Cap. 16, 3. 4.: "Your lineage and your birth is from the Cananite country, your father from the Amorites, and your mother from the Hittites. Your birth was thus: Thy navel, when thou wast born, was not cut: neither wast thou bathed with water to make thee clean, nor rubbed with salt, nor swaddled in swaddling clothes" etc.
For it is well known how the Lord has created the people who came from the one Abraham.
1) Instead of eonvtznimus in the editions, 6ONV6 "iu "t will be read; after that we have translated.
I have adorned you with the kingdom and the priesthood or the service of God, who was called out of paganism and idolatry. This adornment, he says, you will lose because of your idolatry. For I will humble you and reject you, so that you will be like other peoples who have neither God nor worship.
Secondly. I will make thee a desolation, stripped of all adornment; thou shalt be as a desolate land, which cannot be inhabited. Here he indicates that this people, having lost the service of God and the kingdom, will then try in vain to rise again. So also Daniel Cap. 9, 26. says: "And a people of the prince shall come and destroy the city and the sanctuary, and it shall come to an end as by a flood; and until the end of the battle it shall remain desolate," that is, as this people shall be oppressed by the Romans, so it shall remain, and it is determined that it shall never arise again after that. Therefore they have tried their luck in many ways, but in vain, because it is so with them, as it is threatened twice in this place, that they shall remain like a desolate and uninhabitable place.
The third is that he will also destroy this people by thirst. This actually refers to spiritual blindness, that, as David [Ps. 69:23.] says, their table becomes a rope before them. It is a hard thing for this people to be so devastated that they cannot be restored in any way, but it is far more difficult to be deprived even of all comfort in so many calamities, as happened to the Jews. For they are eager not to understand the prophecies of Christ, and spend all their effort on how to obscure the true meaning of the Scriptures by their sophistry. This is the thirst that Amos compares to hunger, not for bread, but for words, just as in those who accept Christ and believe in him there is a well of water that flows into eternal life [John 4:14]. Those who lack this water must inevitably perish, as the example of the
Jews is before your eyes. But this is not the end, because he adds:
V. 4. 5. And I will not have mercy on their children, for they are harlot children. And their mother is a harlot, and she that bare them keepeth herself shamefully.
This is the fourth misfortune, that the punishment will also pass to the descendants. For he calls the descendants whoremongers, since they follow the ungodliness of the synagogue. This inherits with the sins also the punishment, as we see before our eyes. The Jews want to be like their ancestors, blaspheme Christ, and block all ways by which they can be led to the knowledge of Christ. They believe their teachers more than the Scriptures themselves; they not only shamefully avoid the testimonies of the prophets about Christ, but reject them completely. For you will not find a Jew who would follow the reputation of the prophets. Therefore they remain in the same blindness, and they have to bear the same punishments with their mother, because they remain in the same sins.
And saith, I will go after my servants, which shall give me bread, and water, and wool, and flax, and oil, and drink.
This sin of the synagogue is punished by the prophet not only once, as the following shows, because the synagogue thought that this putting aside of the gospel and Christ would serve them to keep the kingdom and bodily advantages, as John Cap. 11, 47. f. indicates that in a public discussion this was the main subject: if they left Jesus, it would happen that all believed in him, and finally the Romans would come and take away their land and people. But Christ makes this very clear in the parable of the great supper, where the invited guests despise the supper, because the care of the fields, the oxen and the wedding seemed more important to them. But who should not be surprised at the extreme blindness? They judge that idolatry and false doctrine will be blissful, whereas if they accepted the true doctrine, they would have to fear that they would die of hunger, like Jeroboam,
the father of idolatry, hoped that he would be able to keep the kingdom if he abandoned right worship and established new worship.
Even today, what other reason can we think of why the papists so stubbornly hold on to the godless services than that they see them connected with riches and dignities? For these they fear, if they should accept the pure doctrine, as if God would not indeed give bread to His church, or as if it were better to ask for it from the devil.
I have known a nobleman who, since he had an exceedingly rich income from more than one prebend (canonicatu), was once admonished at the table by a godly and learned man who was a friend of his that he should in any case leave this state, in which it was not even safe to have the right opinion of religion. Then he said, pointing with his finger at the exceedingly delicious food and the wine, which was served with it of an exceedingly splendid kind: "This is what makes it so that I do not like to leave this state. You see that, as the prophet says here of the synagogue, so the canonicus regarded the food and the wine as rewards of his idolatry, and therefore would not renounce it. And in fact, later on, he got even more reward for his ungodly mind, because he also became a bishop. He would never have attained this dignity if he had wanted to punish the idolatry and godlessness of his state and unite with Christ and accept the gospel.
What else can be said about these people than what Paul said in Phil. 3, 19. that the belly is their God? They look to it in their services; everything that benefits or harms it, they do or avoid, taking no account at all of the Word and of the Son of God, of whom they know that God commanded that He should be heard. I am truly frightened with all my heart when I see that the sins of the papists are so consistent with the sins of the Israelite people. For who should not fear that the same danger threatens Germany?
V. 6, 7: Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and will put a wall before it, that it shall not find its way; and when it goeth after its lovers, it shall not take them, neither when it seeketh them shall it find them.
He repeats here the punishments, but with other images. For the closer the wicked are to disaster, the more certain they are; it is not enough that they have been admonished once, even threats repeated a thousand times they still despise. But the prophet uses a very beautiful image. The simile of the adulteress indicates the burning desire with which Satan inflames the hearts of the idolaters, for indeed, no harlot burns so with unchaste desire as those who have departed from the right worship, with desire to increase and promote their idolatry.
Since they cannot be brought back to the right path in any way, for the more fiercely you oppose them, the more fervently they insist on their worship, God threatens to give them the way, that is, to force them through an external enemy to desist from idolatry. Not Christ, not the apostles could do anything with the Jews. But after the Romans had razed the temple and the city to the ground, they were forced to abandon their sacrifices and services, which they had stubbornly opposed to the Gospel. For since the idolatrous cannot be deprived of their desire, since they do not want to obey the word, their ability can be deprived in such a way that even if they run, they cannot seize their prey, and even if they search, they cannot find it.
The bishops also bring this punishment with all their might over Germany, because they do not put an end to the ungodly masses, they do nothing about the other idolatrous services. Even today, they continue to offer countless superstitious things to their people, such as consecrated water, salt etc. They are admonished for this by the Word, but in vain. What else can we expect but that the Turk or a
another cruel enemy come and turn everything around? This is the only fence through which the path to superstition can be bequeathed to them.
The poor Hungarians had seven-year vows, which they paid to the idol of Mary, which was worshipped at Aach 1). But is not the way bequeathed to them now, since they, oppressed by the Turks, have lost life, goods and everything? This is the reward of idolatry. But the world will not believe this until it learns it. Therefore, those who, having been reminded, do not want to repent, may only continue. But for us it behooves us to be all the more diligent in the proper worship of God, and to guard against all occasion of idolatry, lest we fall into the same dangers.
And have to say: I want to go back to my previous husband, because I was better than I am now.
This is a wonderful piece, because it shows that God, even when He punishes sins, punishes with the intention of calling sinners to repentance and bringing them back to the right path, as Paul also preaches to the Corinthians 2) [1 Ep. 11, 32.]: "When we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, so that we will not be condemned together with the world." This saying must be inculcated in us all the more diligently the further the judgment of reason departs from it. For after it has been established that God punishes sin, reason believes that this punishment is without all mercy, so it loses heart and despairs.
But hear the prophet here. The sin of the synagogue is truly grave and terrifying, the punishment is also terrifying. But why does God impose it? Certainly, so that it, reminded by the misfortune, returns to its God and unites with Him again. Therefore, David rightly calls the cup of the Lord a cup of salvation [Ps. 116, 13]. And it is not only a healing cup for the saints, who are often undeservedly afflicted.
1) Wittenberg and Erlangen: ayuag instead of: in the Jena. Also the old translator offers: After.
2) Jenaer: aoneisnatur; Wittenberger and Erlanger: eonllovatur.
but also to those who are chastised for their sins. "For God does not want the death of the sinner, but that he should repent and live" [Ezek. 33:11], so that, just as we have departed from God, so again we may be united to God through true repentance and faith.
It is useful to inculcate this saying in the afflicted, so that, although they cannot deny the sin of which the punishment reminds them, they may nevertheless retain this comfort: God punishes, not in order to condemn, but in order to call back to Himself, and as a kind father, to seek the remedies, so that He would not be forced to exclude the disobedient son from the inheritance.
Today, it looks terrible in poor Hungary. But God wanted Hungarians to have godly teachers who would remind them that God was doing this, not to reject them, but to remind them of the old idolatry and thus make them renounce idolatry, ask for forgiveness of sins and expect salvation from Christ.
Neighboring Austria sees what it has to expect as a consequence. But would God that it would remember and believe that this is the reward for the idolatry it has defended for so long, and for the innocent blood that has been spilled everywhere, as people rage against those who profess the pure doctrine of the Gospel and condemn the papal abuses. Would that God, reminded by the present calamity, would teach it that the [false] worship of God, which it has stubbornly held on to until now, is the cause of these evils, and that it would accept the Word, and order the churches well, and put away all useless and superstitious worship! But as with the synagogue all this was in vain, so also now there is the danger that we preach in vain to our adversaries.
V. 8 For she will not know that I am he that giveth her corn, and wine, and oil, and have given her much silver and gold, which they have used in honor of Baal.
The counsel of God is good and holy, but the ungodly flesh does not obey, it does not reject the ungodly services, but ver-
increases them. It does not repent, but surely continues in sins, as Isaiah also complains in the first chapter, v. 5: "What shall I continue to strike at you, since you only make the deviation more?" But let us also look at our times. The terrible and daily punishments that come everywhere do not soften our adversaries. Therefore they do not dismiss the cruelty with which they have proceeded against the church, nor do they pay attention to the word, and with the greatest obstinacy they retain and defend that which they know will be punished at their services.
Therefore, the godly rightly look at God's long-suffering and take comfort in it, since God is also kind to the wicked and does not only shower them with goods, as the Lord says here that he gave grain, must and oil to the idolatrous Jews and gave them much gold and silver, but also, when he punishes the unthankful, the punishment is carried out with the intention that they learn to recognize God and turn to God. But as the flesh is blind, and does not see the counsel of God when He punishes, so it does not perceive the source from which such a great stream of benefits flows. For it attributes everything to idolatry and idols, in the adornment and worship of which it is not only zealous but also excessively wasteful, as the example of the papists shows.
The last part is extraordinarily short: they used it to or for Baal. But there is no doubt that the prophet meant to say that the idolatrous Jews misused gold and silver for the service of Baal, since they thought that this [namely the great benefits of God] was the reward of their worship.
But here a question arises: The histories show that the Baalsdienst had begun at the time of the judges under Gideon and had stopped under Josia. Therefore, when the prophet speaks of the synagogue being destroyed by the Romans, how does he commemorate the Baal service, which had long since ceased completely? The answer to this is: through the name of Baal, the whole of
generally denotes any idolatry. For the word "Baal" not only denotes a lord, but it is generally taken for a lover, as we use the word "a paramour" in German when we denote a love that is not honorable. But it is customary with this prophet to compare idolatry with fornication and adultery. It is also in this place that the opinion is not inconsistent: They make Baal of gold and silver, that by this is understood not merely the image pillars of Baal adorned with gold and silver, but par excellence, that the Jews have misused their money and goods to adorn idolatry. Thus he will say afterwards [v. 17.], "I will put away the names of Baalim," that is, she will not honor idols, but will say [v. 16.], "my husband." Therefore the name Baal comprehends in general all idolatry, which is actually the shameful and nasty love, which is transferred from the Creator to the creature.
But if someone does not want to accept this opinion, which has nothing improper and agrees with the grammar, let him be satisfied in this way, that he understands this passage as Matth. 23, 35, where Christ threatens the Pharisees and the whole synagogue and says that the blood of all those will come upon them who have been killed, from Abel to Zacharias. Certainly, the Jews who lived at that time had not killed Abel, and yet they suffer the punishment for his shed blood because they associate with the godless Cain and persecute the godly teachers.
In this way, the idolatrous Jews, that is, the persecutors of the gospel, although they did not serve Baal, nevertheless lived in the same sin of idolatry, putting their trust in their worship and sacrifices and rejecting Christ. Now, if this is applied in this way to the synagogue, which in the time of Christ and the apostles condemned the gospel, it is a great blasphemy to call the sacrifices and other legal services a Baal service, that is, to claim that God detested the same as much as He detested the service of the idol Baal. And yet it is in
In fact this is the case, since what does not come from faith is sin [Rom. 14, 23], and he who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life, 1 John 5, 12.
V. 9 Therefore I will take my grain and my must again in their season, and I will take my wool and my flax, that they may cover their shame.
This is finally the end to which godlessness leads, and God, who by His nature is good, gentle and patient, and gladly forgives, forces Him to be harder. For how can God remain kind to those who do not cease to abuse God's goodness?
Grain, must, wool and flax, that is, daily bread, peace and everything that this bodily life requires, God also gives to the wicked, so that they may recognize Him and trust in His goodness and obey His voice.
But look at the example of the Jews. They misused these gifts to cover their shame or godlessness, because they wanted to prove to others from this prosperity how much God cares for them, while they were shameful idolaters and prophet murderers. Thus, the papists also hold up to us the merits of earlier times as a certain reason to prove that their worship of God is not justified. They hold up the merits of earlier times as a certain proof that their worship of God is right and pure. But the present disadvantages, which are the punishments of past idolatry and present ingratitude and contempt, they say, have arisen from the teaching of our Gospel, which they condemn as harmful and seek to make hateful to all. Therefore, the world truly suffers from incurable ills, for it is not improved by the punishments, and it abuses the benefits of God in a shameful way. Therefore, what else can God do than to corrupt the wicked and finally deprive them of all their welfare, so that they will be forced to refrain from sins even against their will?
But we are to know that these are also the sins of private persons. The rich man in Lucas [Cap. 16, 19.] is in the highest life, in good and splendid circumstances, but he does not delight so much in the use of his money.
of the present goods than that he thinks that they are the reward of his righteousness; therefore he judges that he is a blessed man. On the other hand, he despises the afflicted Lazarus as a man who is detestable to God and who, through his sins, has forced God to inflict such severe torment on him. Therefore, he surely continues in his hypocrisy and completely forgets about the proper worship of God. For he does not think that he must do this first of all, that he should first be grateful to God for that bodily blessing, that is, that he should learn to trust in the goodness of God and obey His word. Then, that he use the goods, not only for his own pleasure, but to help the lack of others. Therefore, as the prophet says here, he compels God to take away grain, must, wool and flax in his anger and to present him naked, so that others must see that he was neither dear nor pleasing to God.
But the prophet has used a particularly emphatic word, for it XXXXX does not mean merely "to steal away," but: I will make free, which Paul seems to have imitated, since he says Rom. 8, 21. "For the creature also shall be made free from the service of corruptible things." For everything that God has created is good and created for the use of man. But this is as it were a captivity of the creatures, that they are forced to serve the abuse of the ungodly. Thus they had abused the wool and the flax to cover the shame or the ungodliness of their idolatry.
From this bondage, says the Lord, I will set free my wool and my flax, that is, I will take away these gifts from ungodly men, so that they can no longer abuse them to adorn their hypocrisy and idolatry. We will see this liberation when the Lord takes away the kingdoms of the tyrants, when he takes away the wealth of the miser, the power of the strong, and other gifts. For because the wicked only want to abuse them, they are rightly snatched away from them. Those who read the history of the Jewish wars see how the Lord stole grain, must, wool and flax from the synagogue.
V. 10. Now I will expose their shame before the eyes of their lovers, and no one shall deliver them from my hand.
Only here the judgment is rightly taken from the outcome. For God also allows the godly to be afflicted in this life, but the affliction has a measure, and as Christ promises John 16:20, the sorrow of the godly will be turned into joy. But when the Lord visits the wicked, who continue safely in sins, they are so overwhelmed with misfortune that there is no end to their misery. For why do they let the time that the Lord has given them for repentance pass by without any fruit, and only go about heaping wrath upon themselves?
But here the prophet retains the simile of the adulteress, because he remembers the millers. However, it is not necessary to indicate who these revengers are. For the prophet simply wants to say this, that it will happen that this endless lamentation will reveal the stubborn godlessness of this people to the whole world, and from the miraculous downfall all will recognize that the worship, which the synagogue held against the teachings of the gospel, was pure abomination before God.
The word Nebala0 contains both sin and the punishment of sin, the becoming ashamed. Therefore it is indifferent whether one translates it by foolishness or shame and disgrace, since the outcome makes the idolaters ashamed, that they finally realize that they have relied on futile help, since they are overwhelmed by incurable ills.
V.11. And I will put an end to all their joys, feasts, new moons, Sabbaths and all their holidays.
After they are surrounded with every kind of misfortune, this evil is also added, that the Lord condemns and rejects religion and worship. For when the Sabbaths, when the new moons, when the other
1) In Hebrew, the word shame is used here, which is identified with foolishness and the punishment of foolishness.
certain feasts will cease, what will they then retain of the legal services etc.? Therefore the prophet threatens here the abolition of the law or the legal services. But not only this fact must be considered, for the services of the Gentiles also ceased, but since the prophet prophesies that the legal services, that is, those commanded and instituted by the voice of God, were to be done away with, is this not a clear proof that righteousness cannot be attained by the works of the law? As much more difficult it was to perform the works of the holy ten commandments than to perform ceremonies and sacrifices, so much less can one hope to attain righteousness through the ten commandments.
Therefore, all similar passages that speak of the abdication of the law must be drawn to this teaching, that righteousness cannot be hoped for by works, but that we receive forgiveness of sins and are justified by faith alone.
What then, you will say, was the use of the legal services, or why did God command them? Certainly, so that the church would have an outward service in which it would show that it knew God and obeyed His voice. But God wanted this outward worship to be connected with the inward and true worship, which is the fear of God and the trust in God's mercy through the promised Seed, whose model was the legal sacrifices. For the godly saw that God would free the world from sin and eternal death through the certain sacrifice of His Son. Those who in this faith performed the outward services of the law, whose obedience was pleasing to God, but who lacked this faith, God rejected and corrupted as idolaters, because they believed that they obtained through the blood of oxen and goats what had to be accomplished through the blood of the Son of God. The prophets punish this ungodliness everywhere very severely, as we will say in another passage.
V. 12. I will make her vines and fig trees desolate, because she says, "This is mine.
The wages that my lovers give me. I will make a forest out of it, so that the wild animals will eat it.
Here it is not necessary to invent a secret interpretation. He threatens not only the destruction of the grain, which the unfavorable weather brings with it, but also the devastation of the fields and the whole country, so that the fields, which were once well cultivated and blessed, will be hiding places for wild animals. Why does the Lord do this? Why does he not strike the wicked and leave the land for other people who are better to cultivate and live in? It is because in the past they did not attribute the blessing to God, who is also kind to the wicked, but to their idolatry. Thus, in our time, the slaves of the pope ascribe the prosperity of former times to their worship, but the present disadvantages they attribute to the gospel.
Thus, in Jeremiah's time, the Jews praised the service of the Queen of Heaven to their listeners [Jer. 44:17]. And the Jews at the time of Christ preferred the Mosaic services to the Gospel. But this stubborn defense of godlessness forces God to let his wrath go out without measure, not only against the people, but also against the land itself, which loses its gifts and its wealth because of the sins of the people.
V.13. So I will punish her for the days of Baalim, to whom she burns incense, and adorns herself with headdresses and collars, and goes after her lovers, and forgets me, says the Lord.
The foregoing proves sufficiently that he is talking about the punishments on the synagogue after Christ's resurrection. Because he threatens the desolation of the country and the abdication of the legal services forever. Therefore, Lyra and others who draw these threats to the Babylonian captivity are mistaken.
But he calls here as above [v. 8] "the days of Baalim" preferably the zeal for the law and the legal services, connected with the contempt of Christ and the gospel. For how are we to believe that
that God will be pleased when He sees His Son rejected and the most cherished promises scorned? Therefore, even though they kept the legal services and offered sacrifices to God who had delivered them from Egypt, he condemned them, saying that they had forgotten God.
Therefore, the purpose of this whole sermon is that, after he has made known the gospel of the Son of God and his benefits, we should all accept it, or expect the same punishments that God has imposed on his people. For although God hates sins, He is so disposed toward all other sins that He forgives them more easily, but He cannot suffer the contempt of His Son, that is, His mercy. Therefore, it is easy to judge what awaits the papal crowd, which condemns the doctrine of faith as the most harmful heresy and tries to persuade people to seek help in merits or works.
V.14. 15. Therefore, behold, I will entice her, and will bring her into a wilderness, and speak kindly unto her. Then I will give her her vineyards from the same place, and the valley of Achor, to open hope.
Because this passage is full of imagery and therefore somewhat obscure, commentators have explained it in many ways, but we will not get the right meaning until we pay careful attention to the order of this sermon.
The first chapter threatens, after the prophecy of the disaster of the ten tribes, also the kingdom of Judah, that it will happen that it will be "LoAmmi", not a people. Here the prophet is forced by necessity to show how God will have a church after the synagogue and the old people are rejected. Therefore, he said that God would make the number of the children of Israel as great as the sand of the sea. This very promise of multiplication sufficiently indicates that only remnants of the old people will remain.
But if you ask for the cause of such great wrath that God so rejects His people, the prophet gives it amply in the second chapter, where he accuses the idolatry of the synagogue, namely, that they have rejected Christ, and that they have rejected Him.
and rejected the gospel but kept the law, believing that by observing the law they would please God. This ungodly delusion he calls fornication, he calls it adultery, he calls it Baal service. Because the Baal service was taken from the Gentiles, he calls this zeal for the law, which was connected with the contempt of the gospel, with such a shameful name, and also adds a whole prophecy of the future misfortune with which God would punish this idolatry. This part of the sermon is therefore, as it were, an interpretation of what the prophet briefly says in the first chapter: "You are not my people."
What follows now serves to interpret the passage with which we began the second chapter, where the prophet prophesies of the church that God will have in the world after the synagogue is rejected. The summa of this passage is that God will prepare a new people for Himself through the new word of the Gospel. This is the simple opinion of the prophet.
But now we also want to give information about the pictures in a few words, so that the opinion of the prophet can be recognized more clearly. When the ancient people were led out of Egypt, they were led into the wilderness. So the Lord says here of the people of the New Testament that he will also lead them into the wilderness.
Furthermore, in the desert the Lord spoke with the ancient people on Mount Sinai. So also here the Lord promises that he will speak with his people, but in a different way, because at Sinai he spoke with a frightening voice, but here he speaks sweetly.
After Jericho was taken, the people were led by Joshua into the promised land, and they had the Valley of Achor, in which Israel was afflicted because of the sin of Achan [Jos. 7:19 ff]. So he also says here that the church will have its Valley of Achor, that is, cross and dangers, but the Lord will alleviate them through the certain hope of eternal life.
Fourth, when the people had gone out of Egypt and were freed from Pharaoh, they sing praises to God. So, he says, it will also happen in this new kingdom that they sing praise to God.
for the so glorious salvation. For only here is the true service of God, that one accepts or believes the word and confesses it, so that through the preaching of the word others may also be invited to the knowledge of Christ.
What the prophet then adds to the end of the chapter, about peace, about the eternal covenant, about the fulfillment, serves to praise the riches and the gifts of this kingdom.
Compare this opinion, which is thus briefly indicated, with the interpretations of others, and you will see that there is nothing forced, nothing remote, nothing inappropriately drawn up, as those must invent many things who follow a less proper opinion. But now let us explain the details in order.
The verb "to entice" (persuadendi - to talk about) is called XXX in Hebrew, from which the Greek πεί&ω is undoubtedly derived, and perhaps also άπατάω and άπάται, for the Hebrew word is often used for to deceive (decipere), as Ex. 22, 16: "When someone talks a virgin" (deceperit). Proverbs 1:10: "My child, when the wicked lure you." Jer. 20, 7. "O Lord, thou hast persuaded me, and I have been persuaded." For it is a word that can be used in both good and evil senses (vocabulum medium), and it means: to give good words, either with the intention of helping others or harming others.
Therefore, at this point it belongs quite properly to the teaching of the Gospel. For this is the right πεί&ω (pitho) or persuasion (suada), by which the hearts of men are caught. For it does not deter, as the law does, with threats and torture of punishments, but, although it punishes sins, it indicates that God wants to forgive sinners for the sake of His Son, and holds out the sacrifice of the Son of God, so that hearts will certainly think that God has been satisfied by it.
Therefore, just as the people oppressed by Egypt were extremely pleased with the message when they heard from Moses that the Lord had appeared and promised salvation, so the prophet indicates in this passage that this message will be more sweet and joyful,
when the terrified consciences will hear that God forgives sins and promises eternal life through His Son's death and merit. Through this teaching, he says, hearts will be so captured and softened that they will freely follow the Lord who calls them into the wilderness.
Although the prophet mentions the desert only because the old people of the law, when they were delivered from Egypt, were first led into the desert, a secret interpretation is not inappropriate, because the world despises the word of the gospel, holds on to Egypt and enjoys there the flesh pots and the abundance of bread. On the other hand, the godly live, as it were, in the wilderness, and are oppressed on every side, 1) as Christ says [Matt. 11:5.], "To the poor the gospel is preached." And Paul says [1 Cor. 1, 26.], "Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. "etc. And yet even this wilderness has its blessings, "in tribulation bread, and in distresses water," as Isaiah Cap. 30, 20. For though the Lord does not give the church such abundance as the wicked have, yet he gives them their need. Before he would let the godly lack this, the clouds would have to burst and bread would have to rain down, as in the desert. For the church has the promise that if it first seeks the kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything will flow to it [Matth. 6, 33]. For our heavenly Father knows what we need and is not so hard that if his son asks him for bread, he should offer him a stone etc. [Matth. 7, 9/
But the world does not believe these promises. Therefore, just as disobedient Israel looks back to the fleshpots, so we see that all pursue the cares of this temporal life, chasing not hope but riches and power. Therefore the godly should remember that one must leave Egypt and expect help from heaven.
Perhaps the desert can also be drawn to the fact that the secular regiment and the mo-
1) Erlanger: prsrnunt instead of: xrornuntur.
The church, therefore, seems to be a desert to him who looks at it. For the distinctions that were in the law concerning persons, times, and things are abolished, and the custom of all things is released, if we enjoy them with thanksgiving and without offense. But what is peculiar to the church, namely the office of teaching, baptism and holy communion, seems to be insignificant and of no great importance. But whoever brings out these hidden treasures and puts them in the light, sees that the church is not a desert but a paradise.
It is XXXXXX XXXX [I want to her heart
speak], a Hebrew way of speaking, which Isaiah also uses in a similar sermon, Cap. 40, 2. [Vulg.], "Speak Jerusalem to the heart." But it means to speak so familiarly and kindly that the heart cannot fail to rejoice and be filled with a certain confidence in the benevolence. Here, too, the prophet looks at the example of the ancient people. The Lord spoke to them on Mount Sinai, but in such an unfriendly and frightening voice that the frightened hearts could no longer listen to him and asked Moses to speak. Just as the people there preferred the voice of a man to the voice of God, because the voice of the law is unbearable, since we are not able to fulfill it because of our weakness and the power of Satan, so the church does the opposite here: She accepts God's sweet and friendly voice, but she detests the voice of men as an unholy one.
What follows now also belongs to it. When the people, who had been led out of Egypt into the wilderness, came into the land of promise, they took the cultivated vineyards of the enemies.
Thus he indicates that the church will also have its vineyards, that is, its spiritual consolation and its gifts, by which the way through the desert will be relieved of its harshness. For the fact that we hear the gospel, that we are baptized, that we partake of Holy Communion, we do not do this for any bodily advantage, nor for this short and miserable life, which for this reason also resembles a desert, because we have been given a desert life.
After other hardships, there is also danger from wild beasts, that is, from Satan and his members, but we are looking for comfort concerning eternal life, that we, freed from sins and death by the Son of God, have something to rely on in the judgment of God; not our righteousness, but that which is through faith in the Son of God.
But it is exceedingly sweet that the prophet remembers the valley of Achor, to which the name is attached from an incident. For when Jericho was taken, and by this so beautiful success the hearts of all were called to a certain hope that the land of Canaan should be taken, suddenly a great disturbance occurred. For since Achan had secretly stolen a cloak and gold from the booty sanctified by the ban, contrary to the commandment of the Lord, the sin of an individual was punished by a general calamity. For the inhabitants of the city of Ai put three thousand Israelites to flight, and not a few were killed.
This sudden and unexpected calamity made the hearts of all despondent, for the rest of the inhabitants of the land seemed to draw new courage from the success of the people of Ai. And the thing itself said that the Lord, whose fear had come upon all that people, had departed from the Israelites. Therefore they called it the Valley of Achor, as if it were a valley of sorrow, because the hearts of all were extremely depressed by the unexpected defeat. But after Joshua had sanctified the army, and the misdeed of Achan had come to light, he executed the death penalty on him, and in this way the anger of the Lord was appeased, and after that everything went on happily.
In this way, the prophet prophesies to the church that it will happen that it too will have its Thal Achor, that is, that it will be plagued with the cross and various dangers. For the wickedness of Satan is well known, as is his incessant effort to persecute the Word and the faith. First, he awakens godless teachers who sow false opinions of religion. Because the world eagerly accepts these, he seizes
He also gives cruel advice and rages with violence against the teachers of the true religion. For the world can suffer nothing less than that its idolatry and superstition be punished, as we learn from our bishops and popes. Both, therefore, bring danger to the godly, that they should shun ungodly teachings, and that they should patiently suffer the injustice of tyrants, which they must endure because of the defense of the pure doctrine.
But this is almost a game and a joke when compared to the struggles that are aroused by Satan in the hearts of the godly, for although they do not feel the real terrors of death alone, they alone struggle against despair and experience the sting of sin that the law sharpens. And it is not enough that they have experienced this once, daily new struggles arise, daily new dangers arise, as the 42nd Psalm indicates, which [v. 8.] compares the temptations to a storm, in which one flood is born, as it were, from another, and the waters push and drive one another with great force. From all sides, therefore, the godly are surrounded with troubles, as the apostle also says [2 Cor. 7:5], "Outward strife, inward tribulation." But who can enumerate the afflictions of body and goods with which the godly are afflicted, as the examples of Job, Lazarus and others show?
This situation or fate of the church is indicated by the prophet when he mentions the valley of Achor. And also this way of the parable is not inconsistent, namely that the people of Israel is so afflicted because of the sin of some Achan. For although the church does not suffer because it deserves it, like the evildoers, the cause of all misfortune is sin, which has passed from the first parents to us, and needs many remedies of the cross, so that it may be killed all at once. For the saints are most exposed to dangers when they feel the least temptation, and the flesh, if it is not exercised by daily adversity, gradually falls into security and sins. Therefore, like a father who loves his children, God allows His own to be constantly exercised, so that they learn to pray their
To exercise faith and be patient in perils.
But, you will say, the situation of Christians is hard when they are tossed about in this way by constant waves of the cross and dangers in the world! Certainly hard, if they have, as Paul says in the [first] letter to the Corinthians [Cap. 15, 19.], nothing but the hope of this present life. But hear the prophet further, what he adds of the valley of Achor.
He says, "I will give her the Valley of Achor to raise hope." Here again he looks at the ancient people who, having been afflicted in the Valley of Achor by the defeat they received because of the sin of Achan, after this affliction, through the defeat of the inhabitants of Ai, regained a certain hope that they would take the land of Canaan, because everything turned out for the best.
Thus he promises the church that it will happen, when it is so frightened on all sides by Satan, by the world, by sin and by death, that the hope will be opened to it that it will not only achieve a certain victory, but also an eternal one. For the church has first the word by which salvation is promised to her. Then the godly are not alone in the dangers, but the Son of God stands by them, who helps the struggling and restores the weary hearts through the hope of the future goods, which the word indicates. They are also helped by the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who awakens the hearts to prayer and comforts them so that they do not become discouraged, but firmly believe that Satan has already been overcome and defeated by Christ, and that now they themselves must overcome him with the help of Christ. This hope not only raises the heart, but also brings certain victory, as the histories of the martyrs show.
Therefore, the wonderful sermons of the apostles came from this passage, in which they teach and admonish that we should not only not lose heart in tribulations, but also glory in them. For, as Paul says in Romans 5:3 ff: "Affliction brings patience, patience brings experience, experience brings hope, and hope
will not be put to shame." Therefore also Lucas [Cap. 8, 15.], when he interprets the parable, says most sweetly: "The seed of the good land are they that hear the word, and keep it in a fine and good heart, and bring forth fruit in patience."
Thus, the Valley of Achor was undoubtedly a very fertile valley, but in it Israel was greatly afflicted. Therefore, the church, which produces abundantly only the very best fruit (as Christ testifies when he says [John 15:5]: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit"), its fruits in such a way that it is nevertheless in the Valley of Achor, for it is beset by evils and dangers of every kind. But that it does not succumb, nor is it overcome by the adversities, is the reason that in this very valley of affliction hope is given to it. For whoever knows that his sins have been forgiven him, and that he has been reconciled to God for the sake of Jesus, the Son of God, and that he has become a child and heir of God, what misfortune could afflict him? For even if life must be given up, he knows that he will not lose his life, but will find it and escape eternal death, as Christ says [Matth. 10, 39]. This hope sustains the church, therefore Paul, when he admonishes Timothy [2 Ep. 2:8, 11, 12], commands him "to keep in remembrance Jesus Christ, who is risen from the dead, for this is ever certainly true: If we die with them, we shall live with them; if we suffer, we shall reign with them.
In a similar way also Isaiah remembers in the 65th chapter, v. 10, the Thale Achor. For we have shown in more than one place in the interpretation of the prophet Micah that these prophets, as they taught at the same time, also often used the same words and images. But Isaiah says thus [Cap. 65, 9. 10.], "I will cause seed to grow out of Jacob, and out of Judah to possess my mountain: for mine elect shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. And Saron shall be a house for the host, and the valley of Achor shall become a storehouse for my people that seek me." For the prophets were delighted with the exceedingly lovely likeness that
The valley of Achor, as the prophet says, is NXXXX XXXX, "to put up hope," because those (as it says in Psalm [126, 5.)) who sow with thirst will reap with joy.
But it is useful to think about this often in the heart, because we feel how great the abhorrence of the cross is for reason. This is because we feel that the cross is associated with the wrath of God and with destruction, that is, we think that the cross is without hope and only a valley of Achor. But this judgment of reason does not agree with the prophet, who 1) promises that in this Valley of Achor hope shall be raised.
Therefore we should learn to be of good courage in peril, and believe with the faithful Abraham in hope, since there is nothing to hope for [Rom. 4, 18.). For "God is faithful, who does not let us be tempted beyond our ability," but at the same time as the temptation he will also provide an exit (Ιχβασιν-) or escape, as the examples and daily experience testify. For if even the holy martyrs, who laid down their lives for Christ's sake, nevertheless retained the hope of eternal life, shall we hold that we, who have not yet resisted to the death, must cast away hope? Therefore, just as the church has always walked through this Valley of Achor and has been plagued by various dangers and hardships, we also see that all the godly have the hope in this very Valley of Achor that they can despise the dangers and finally be saved.
But it would be an effeminate and weak heart that would want to demand that God should do better with us than with all the rest of the church of His saints, yes, than with His Son, who had to go to this Valley of Achor for this reason, so that a more certain hope of salvation would be shown to us. Therefore we should follow him as the guide out of this dangerous way. Just as Micah [Cap. 2, 13] calls him a "breaker" or destroyer, so we should also hope that we will break through safely by his power and help.
And we should take this passage all the more seriously because it shows what the kingdom of Christ is like, namely, not a physical or worldly kingdom, which is entirely based on the use and handling of things that are seen before one's eyes, but a spiritual kingdom, in which not things are taught, but hope, as Paul says [Rom. 8:24 ff]: "We are blessed, but in hope. But the hope that is seen is not hope, for how can one hope for that which is seen? But if we hope for that which we do not see, we wait for it through patience."
Just as the prophet connects the valley of Achor with hope, in the same way you see that Paul connects patience with hope. Thus Zechariah Cap. 9. 12. calls the church XXXXX XXXX, "who are captives," but with the hope of deliverance. For that we believe in the forgiveness of sins through Christ, and hope for eternal life after the death of this body, no one can see with the eyes, nor grasp with the hands. Yes, experience and feeling prove the opposite. For we feel that sin lives and dwells in us, and everywhere reminders of death appear before our minds and before our eyes. These are the bonds with which we are all held. But because the Word promises forgiveness of sins and eternal life, this, which will certainly be granted to us through Christ, must be grasped and held on to in hope. This hope does not bring us to shame, but makes us blessed. But those who do not have this hope are, as Paul says [1 Cor. 15:19], the most miserable of all men.
Therefore, the kingdom of Christ, which the prophet promises here, is a kingdom of faith; but faith relies on the word alone. The prophets presented this to the ancient people in such lovely images, which are interpreted more clearly in the New Testament.
And there she will sing, as in the days of her youth, when she came out of Egypt.
Here, too, the prophet has the ancient people in mind, for so it says in Ex. 15:1: "There
Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying: I will sing unto the Lord: for he hath done a marvelous thing, he hath cast horse and chariot into the sea. "etc. Likewise [v. 20. f.], "And Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women followed her out with timbrels at the round dance, and sang: Let us sing to the Lord" etc.
But as the church of the old people praised the blessing of bodily salvation, so, he says, it will happen that the church of the New Testament will praise the blessing of Christ, that he has overcome death and the devil, and has done enough for our sins, and has opened up eternal life for us. This praise is the proper worship of the New Testament by which not only God is worshipped, but also the Church is planted and many are invited to the knowledge of Christ.
To this passage add also the passages of Scripture, both Old and New Testament, which either require the confession of faith before the world, or praise and extol, and make glorious promises to them that confess. For this is the voice of joy and salvation in the tabernacles of the righteous, and a truly joyful song of the victory obtained through Christ, as the 118th Psalm, v. 15, speaks. For by this song is not our right praised, but [v. 16] "the right of the Lord," which is a triumphant right, by which kept, [v. 17:1 "we die not, but live, and declare the works of the Lord," not ours, as the hypocrites do.
But as the prophet testifies in this passage that those who are in the Valley of Achor will sing a song of triumph, so the Psalm indicates this very Valley of Achor by adding [v. 18], "The Lord chastises me well, but he does not give me over to death." And he asks [v. 19] "that the gates of righteousness may be opened to him," that is, he asks to be admitted to the righteous people or church, washed and cleansed by the blood of the Son of God, so that when he has entered, he may give thanks to the Lord.
For what can we miserable people, who are oppressed by sins and death
How can we do otherwise than praise to ourselves and to others the blessing of such a glorious salvation? as the prophet teaches below [Cap. 14:3], when he prays: "Forgive us all our sins, and do us good, and we will offer up the farthings of our lips. For the kingdom of Christ must be extended, that as many as possible may come to the knowledge of this benefit and be saved. And if we ourselves do not daily set this good deed before our eyes, Satan will gradually cause us to forget it and turn to the cares and riches of the world, thinking that we have everything to gain from them. And then it is not possible to beware of idolatry, as Paul calls avarice idolatry [Col. 3:5], and the prophet shows very clearly in the preceding sermon [Cap. 2:5] that the people, having forgotten the Lord, have begun to run after other paramours.
Therefore, that voice of singing that must never be silenced in the church is not only pleasing to God, but also highly necessary for us; therefore, the devil also urges the world to prevent this voice. For the fact that today the pope condemns our doctrine and desires to abuse the power of the princes to suppress our churches serves to ensure that the church should not sing, but remain silent. But because the church cannot do this, the hatred of our adversaries flares up and they resort to violence and weapons.
Here it behooves the church to remember what was said above, namely that we are led by our shepherd Christ into the Valley of Achor, but in such a way that hope is opened to us. For we have glorious consolations, which do not keep us silent, but compel us to confess and to sing, even though the world opposes us with the greatest force, and compels us to tears through many an injustice.
For who should not take courage when he hears that Christ also will confess us before the Father at the last day and in the next life, as we have confessed him in this life? Who should not also suffer death with joy when he hears that we will find another and better life, if
we have given up this miserable and short life for the sake of Christ? This is the reason why the church cannot be silent, but all the voices of the righteous resound, praising the good deeds of Christ and condemning the trust placed in the law or the works of the law and the merits of men apart from Christ. For these things must be joined together, that thou teach not only those things which are true, but also punish those things which are false, lest the simple be led astray.
Thus the 118th Psalm, which we have quoted above, preaches freely against the sin of the builders, that is, the teachers among the people who would reject the cornerstone [Ps. 118:22], and the prophet now adds that the names of the Baalim are to be taken away, against the delusion of our clever ones who think that one should teach the gospel in such a way that one nowhere mentions the Pabst and the opponents of the gospel. We want to leave these delicate teachers to the courts, but the church should freely rebuke what is contrary to the pure doctrine, for this is called singing to the Lord in the right way.
V. 16 Then, saith the Lord, thou shalt call me my husband, and shalt call me no more my Baal.
In Hebrew, this saying is significantly more sweet: You will call me XXXX XXX XXX.
But how Jerome interprets this passage is known, because Lyra says that also the view of the Jew Solomon is more Christian, who says that the name "man" includes the meaning of love, but "Baal" or "Lord" that of fear. And here he draws the short but perceptive (as almost all his sayings are) saying of Augustine: There is a short (brevis) difference between law and gospel, fear and love. Fear is now followed by love. This is a good opinion, but in interpreting the text of the prophets, one must follow what is most appropriate.
Here the prophet uses an image that is familiar to him, and compares the right service of God, that is, faith in Christ, with conjugal love, which
But idolatry or trusting in creatures and one's own righteousness he compares with fornication and adultery, for I also said above that Baal is not only called a lord, but also a lover, "a paramour".
And truly, this passage holds up to us a glorious saying, for it shows what the rewards are of both right worship and idolatry. In marriage there is mutual love; by this bond the hearts live most sweetly with each other. The man cannot do without contact with the woman. In the same way, the wife finds life without her husband difficult and unbearable, for she experiences that she is as dear to her husband as he is to her, as their mutual services also testify.
This, applied to the church, is full of true comfort. For, as Paul says [Eph. 5, 29], the church is fed and cared for by her husband Christ, since he transfers all his gifts and goods to her, as the above passage from Ezekiel, Cap. 16, 6, shows.
Those who therefore neglect this husband and follow strange lovers, that is, who depart from the word and confidence that stands on the mercy of God through Christ, and follow their aspirations, who invent new services for themselves without the word, they find people on whom their love is directed, but they are not loved again as by their husband. For they have not a husband, but a master who abuses their efforts for his benefit when it pleases him. It is not necessary to fetch an example from far away.
The world under the papacy has spent almost all its money and goods on idolatry. And there was never a ruler, no matter how powerful, who could have equaled the pope in wealth. This was that shameful fornication and abandonment of the husband who gave his body and blood to us. But what reward for this ungodliness did the world finally bear? Did it not love a Lord, and not a husband? For there was fear and despair connected with this very service of God, and it was of no avail that they should seek after their goods
The people of the world also put their lives into these services, because their consciences could not rest in human traditions and works.
Therefore, the opinion of the prophet is: the synagogue, like a shameful adulteress, has followed the Baalim, whom she served with body and goods, and yet could not be without fear. But the people of the New Testament and the true church will love me, as a chaste wife loves her husband, only and only, and will put all hope in me, and will not call me a lord, as the adulteress, who must daily fear to be forsaken by the adulterer, but her husband. For she knows that I care for her, she knows that I love her, and does not fear that I will leave her. In this way, the prophet wanted to indicate the full and certain trust that sprouts from the highest love; this trust is the highest service of God.
Furthermore, this passage clearly shows that the idolaters, when they honor their idols, consider that they are worshipping the true God, and that they are not so ignorant that they should pay divine honors to wood or silver, as also the Lord testifies in Isaiah [Cap. 29, 13. Matth. 15, 9.]: "In vain do they serve me with the commandments of men." For this supreme sentence (majorem) nature has instilled in the hearts of all pagans, that God must be worshipped, who created the world and everything. But after this there is an infirmity in the subordinate clause (minore), that reason does not follow the divine services instituted by the Word, but invents for itself a way by which, as it thinks, God is honored. However, any worship undertaken without the Word of God is idolatry, however splendid and however difficult it may be. Therefore, in this passage, the prophet himself calls zeal for the Law a Baal service and fornication, because although the Law was commanded by God, God did not want to be known and worshipped other than in His Son. Because the synagogue did not perform this obedience or service and stubbornly opposed the legal services to the Gospel, it is rightly compared to the servants of Baal.
V. 17 For I will put away the names of Baalim from their mouths, and they shall remember them no more.
This is an easy saying. For where there is the right knowledge of God or the pure word, idolatry must necessarily cease, just as, after the word of God has been made known to the German land at this time through the goodness of God, the ungodly services of masses, the invocation of the saints, the vows, etc., have ceased, on which men placed a vain hope of salvation. Therefore, those who in truth desire that superstition and abuses be put out of the Christian congregation must not do what the rude rabble are wont to do, that they should hastily tear out the images from the churches and proceed by force against the idolatrous, but should speak the word louder to the congregations, and then the false services will fall away without uproar and without all noise, as long as they have always been in use.
V. 18 And I will make a covenant with them in that day, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air, and with the creeping things of the earth.
We can see that the prophets delighted in comparing the salvation that came through Christ with that which was granted to the ancient people. And indeed, if the ancient people trusted so much in the bodily benefits of God, how much more should we trust and praise and rely on the eternal salvation that has come through the Son of God!
Therefore, this piece also belongs to the comparison made. For when the people were led into the promised land, although they had very well cultivated and fertile fields, because they deviated from the law of the Lord, the fields were destroyed by locusts, the vineyards by worms, as Moses had threatened in the fifth book [Cap. 28, 39]. There was also other misfortune, of which the histories mention. As the cause of this disaster was that the Jews did not keep the law, the Lord promises in this passage that he will make a covenant with them.
The church has the word of the gospel, by which our worthiness is not required as in the law, but only mercy is offered through Christ, or the forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Spirit is given, who assists us that we may reasonably render the obedience due.
But, you will say, what kind of covenant is this? He does not speak of beasts, birds and worms, like those that plagued the ancient people, but he indicates that the church will be defended by God against the power of sin, the devil and the world, so that its enemies cannot harm it. But he expressly says: "I will do", so that we do not think that this defense is in our power, but that it will be granted to us from heaven through the mercy of God, with which he embraces those who believe in the Son.
Therefore the beasts of the field remain, the birds of the air remain, the things of the earth remain, and they cannot but harm; but those who are in Christ's kingdom they cannot harm, as Christ says [Matt. 16:18], "The psorts of hell shall not prevail against them."
This passage is used to compare what is written in Isa. 11, 6, about the lambs that will feed together with the wolves, likewise Isa. 35, 9: "There will be no lion, and no ravening beast will tread on it. But the prophet speaks there of the power of the word, which is strong among the enemies, and soon converts the tyrants, soon the heretics and the idolaters. But in this passage it is more the actual opinion, taken from the comparison with the ancient people, that the Lord will keep away both the devil and his followers, that they cannot harm the church, and will not take away from the hearts the comfort that is held out in the Word.
And I will break bow, sword and war from the land, and will make them dwell safely.
Similar sayings are found in Micah 4, 3. f. and Is. 2, 4. 11, 6. ff. and 35, 9. But Paul interprets this saying abundantly in the 5th Cap.
The same is true of the letter to the Romans, where he says, v. 1: "Now that we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God" etc. And Isaiah cap. 32, 17. f.: "And the fruit of righteousness shall be peace, and the profit of righteousness shall be everlasting quietness and safety; that my people may dwell in houses of peace, in dwellings of safety, and in proud rest."
It is truly the highest ingratitude, worthy of eternal torment and eternal fire, if we do not respect such glorious promises, and in the meantime chase after futile hopes and worldly things. For should we not rejoice and triumph that we have the Son of God, who became a sacrifice for our sins and now sits at the right hand of the Father, so that all things may be quiet and safe for those who rely on his help and assistance? For what could trouble our hearts, since our sins have been forgiven and we have been granted this Duke and Regent? What can separate us from the love of God, who did not spare His Son, but gave Him up for us all? [But this cannot be explained in words. And the prophet will now indicate the cause of such sweet assurance.
By the way, the reader must be reminded that this security is in the kingdom of Christ, or in the word and faith. For if you look at the kingdom of the world, you will find everything full of wars, injustice and murder, as Christ says [John 16:33]: "In me you have peace, but in the world you are afraid." And it has been said above that the kingdom of Christ is not a kingdom of worldly things, but of hope.
Furthermore, this piece also relates to the comparison made, because since the people were led into the land of Canaan, they did not possess it quietly, but had constant battles with the neighboring pagans. That is why it needed the sword and the bag. But the people of the New Testament will dwell safely. For even though it has enemies, and enemies that outnumber it in power, it nevertheless comforts itself with the word, and hopes for victory through Christ, and conquers and overcomes all tribulations through the hope of the salvation to come.
1152 xxiv. 2SS-2SS. Interpretation of Hosea (3.), cap. 2, 19. 20. w. vi, isso-iM. 1153
V. 19. 20. I will betroth myself to you forever; I will trust with you in righteousness and judgment, in grace and mercy; yes, in faith I will betroth myself to you, and you will know the Lord.
Here the prophet indicates the cause of peace and confident trust, namely that God betroths Himself to the Church through His Son Christ Jesus. And truly, these superfluous riches of grace cannot be set forth in words; therefore, we want to indicate the opinion in a few words and ask God that He Himself, through His Spirit, impart to our hearts what cannot be said in due time in words, so that we may at least attain a bit of this comfort with our thoughts.
First of all, the word [betroth] is full of comfort. Therefore, Paul also likes to compare the union of the church with Christ to the marriage union, and Christ seems to have enjoyed the parable of the wedding in his sermons. For he not only tells parables of the wedding, but also calls his disciples the friends of the bridegroom, just as John [John 3:29] calls Christ the bridegroom; and Christ himself uses this name when he teaches about his future on the last day. But who could doubt that he had seen these and similar sermons of the prophets?
Secondly, that he adds the little word [in eternity], that indeed makes the consolation an exceedingly great one. But here again he looks to the covenant made with the ancient people when the law was given. For that covenant was not an eternal one, but for a definite time, for since this nature cannot do enough for the law, the covenant, which had the condition of fulfilling the law, could not be an everlasting one.
But this covenant is an eternal one, which God has entered into with us, indeed, by which He has betrothed Himself to us through His Son Christ. For it is a covenant of grace, in which what we have sinned is not imputed to us, but is forgiven us because of faith in Christ, as the prophet tells us.
will be added after. Therefore, nothing can happen to prevent this covenant from being an everlasting one, because it does not have the condition, like the covenant of the law, that we should be worthy.
Furthermore, that he says: "I will betroth myself to you forever" does not only mean that Christ's kingdom is not a fleshly kingdom, but because the covenant is an eternal one, those with whom God has entered into this marriage covenant must also necessarily live forever. Otherwise, how could it be eternal if those with whom it was made no longer existed? For a covenant does not stand with one person, but is between two. Therefore the covenant shows that both are eternal, both the one from whom the covenant originates and the one with whom the covenant is made. Thus, in this passage, the prophet indicates immortality, or life after this life, and resurrection from the dead.
But one must also look at the reasons why he says it is an everlasting covenant. The first is that he says: "I will trust with you in righteousness", This is the first jewel of the ring that Christ gives to his church or his bride, namely righteousness, not that which the world calls righteousness, and which also the law teaches; because the judge is righteous, therefore he kills the thief with the rope, the robber with the wheel, the murderer with the sword. But this justice the thieves, the robbers, the murderers hate. This is not the righteousness of which the prophet speaks, but the righteousness by which sins are forgiven for Christ's sake.
Thus also Zechariah comforts the church when he says [Zech. 9, 9.]: "Behold, your king comes to you, a righteous one," that is, one who brings righteousness to sinners. For in this way Paul interprets the word "righteousness": "God offers at these times the righteousness that is before Him, that He alone may be righteous, and justify him who is of faith in Jesus," that is, him who believes in Jesus. Thus, sinners do not flee from the righteous God, but follow Him of their own free will; indeed, God freely offers Himself to them and comforts them.
This is therefore a new covenant and quite different from the old covenant. For the law holds God up as threatening punishment to sinners, but in truth there is no such God apart from Christ. But in Christ He is a righteous One, that is, the One who justifies the ungodly, "who forgives sins and remits iniquity," as Micah [Cap. 7:18, 19] speaks, "and casts them into the depths of the sea."
The second cause is that he says: "I will trust with you in judgment", XXXXX. This is the second jewel of the wedding ring with which Christ adorns his Church, the "judgment", namely that he wants to be judge. And here one must not understand a judgment that would be frightening to the godly, but it is a judgment that the godly ask for and desire most of all, that God would help His Church and take vengeance on the enemies of the Word, as Peter says 2 Peter 2:9: "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to keep the unrighteous for the day of judgment, to torment them."
For the word "judgment" comprehends both in itself, the salvation of the godly and the punishments of the godless. Therefore, the glorious sayings belong here, which comfort the church that the gates of hell shall not overpower it, that God will help the church and crush the enemies, as the 110th Psalm, v. 5. 6. prophesied
Also the histories of the church should have been drawn here, in which God revealed his judgment to the world. For many years now, Satan has been going about suppressing the church through ungodly authorities and falsifying the teachings through shameful teachers. But Germany has seen that God exercises judgment, and the churches have experienced salvation, since godless princes have fallen in the midst of their nobility, and the impure sophists have suffered a death worthy of their foul life. In impudence and insolence, Eck surpassed all the servants of the pope, and his last books testify that his aspiration was that he would also precede the others in toxicity, or at least equal it. Therefore, the churches seemed to be without a judge for a while, while the impure man says and does what he wants. But the wrath
God as an avenger was no longer a long time coming. For it is said of him that when he was stricken with a deadly disease, while mass was being said at his bedside, he talked, I know not what, of four thousand gold florins, and cared very little for what was being said at the time by the monk who was saying mass. And not long after that, the falling addiction overpowered him, he lost the use of speech, and the wretched man spat out his soul along with the blood.
The godly are not pleased with these frightening cases, for they would rather that all expended their effort to expound and spread the teaching of the gospel, than that they, blaspheming the gospel, should incur eternal punishment. But since they do not exercise moderation in their blasphemies, such examples are necessary so that God may testify that He is the judge and curb the wicked's behavior, so that others may mend their ways and not oppose the Gospel in this way. This is therefore a happy and necessary judgment for the church, so that it may be saved from danger and the wicked may fall.
Thirdly, he says: "I will trust myself with you in grace", that is, I will do you good, I will hear your requests, I will give you abundantly all that you need. This is the third jewel of the wedding ring with which God has adorned the bride, His Church, through Christ, that He is kind to her, not only saving her, but also adorning her with many and great gifts, both spiritual and corporal. For although God allows the church to be afflicted for a time, He does not suffer it to be consumed by constant lack and sorrow, but adorns it with teachers, gives godly authorities, gives peace and the benefits of peace, exercises and increases faith, kindles love, makes people meek, patient, humble and obedient. For all this is XXX, and comes from the mercy of God through Christ, as the Psalm says [Ps. 68, 19], Christ will go to heaven to distribute gifts among people.
Fourthly, he says, "I will trust in mercy with thee," that is, I will have mercy on thee; when thou art laden with peril, with crosses and calamities, I will not fail thee, but will myself bear a part of thy calamities, as the epistle to the Hebrews says exceedingly sweetly [Cap. 4, 15.] that Christ is a high priest, tempted in all places, δυνάμενον συμ- πα&ησαι τάΐς άσ&ενείαις ημών, who might.
Have compassion on his church, which, though exceedingly weak, is nevertheless struggling with the greatest difficulties.
Is not this sermon full of the sweetest consolations? For although we are afflicted in many ways, we know that God cares for us, yes, we know that our afflictions deceive God, as He says elsewhere [Zech. 2:8]: "He who touches you touches the apple of My eye." And to Saul he cries down from heaven [Acts 9:4], "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" This is the fourth gem of this ring, more precious than any diamond or emerald. Here, therefore, we should look in adversity, and, as the prophet said just before, hope will be opened to us in the Valley of Achor.
Although what he adds fifthly: "I will betroth myself to thee XXXXXX," denotes a right, certain, and firm betrothal, yet it is properly translated thus: "In faith I will betroth myself to thee." For if we follow the feeling, it is Christians alone who feel sin; alone, as forsaken people, are they subject to death and danger. But riches and advantages of every kind flow to the wicked. Therefore, they seem to be dear and pleasant to God, while the church, on the other hand, seems to be abandoned by God in the constant misfortune it has to endure.
Here, therefore, it is necessary that we believe that this betrothal took place faithfully, and that God, even though we feel the sins, even though we are afflicted, will nevertheless forgive our sins and save us, as the Word promises. This faith must be held fast, so that we may believe in hope, since there is nothing to hope for. For our Bridegroom will not deceive us, and
What his love for us poor sinners has urged him to promise, he will faithfully keep, and will not be hindered by our sins, which we recognize and for which we ask forgiveness. This little piece is the gold of which this ring is made, and which encloses these precious gems.
The sixth is that he says, "And you shall know the Lord." For in truth the knowledge of God is not that which the law indicates, that he would reject and condemn sinners; It is not that which the bodily benefits indicate, the creation of things, the salvation that was granted to Israel when it was oppressed by the Egyptians, but that which is indicated to us by the Son of God, who says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life [John 3:16]. 3, 16.]. Therefore Christ also says [Matth. 11, 27.]: "No one knows the Father, except the Son, and to whom the Son wills to reveal it." This is the knowledge of the covenant that God has made with us, that he will forgive sins, save from danger, do us good and have mercy on us, for the sake of his Son, in whom we believe. Thus the prophets gloriously and skillfully extolled the doctrine of faith to their listeners and their descendants, but took all the credit away from the law and our works, as if they made us righteous.
In that day, saith the Lord, will I hear; I will hear the heavens, and the heavens shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear corn, and wine, and oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
The prophet cannot get tired of remembering the benefits of the New Testament. But for this reason he compares them again and again with the benefits of the ancient people, so that he may inflame the hearts of his people with such a rich hope and fortify them against the adversity that lay ahead of them. Therefore, the godly have always looked to these prophecies and consoled themselves in common misfortune with the hope of the mercy that would be granted to the world through Christ.
For although the outward form of the church was not always the same, the way of right teaching was always the same, so that people learned to comfort themselves with the hope of the benefits that Christ, the promised seed, would show to the faithful. By this faith the fathers rose up before the flood of sin and became blessed; by this faith the godly comforted themselves under the law. By this faith we also overcome the world and all the troubles of the present life. But those who have not risen up against sin and death by this faith, neither circumcision, nor the law, nor any works have been able to help them.
So there was a great reason why the prophets so often inculcated the good deeds of the future time to their people, because the right teaching of religion was to be practiced and kept in the church, against the false opinions of righteousness, works and merit, and at all times the godly have been placed in the Valley of Achor, and have needed these as supports, so that they did not, bowed down by misfortune, fall away completely.
But as for the present passage, the prophet contrasts the time of the New Testament or grace with the time of the Old Testament or law. For there the Lord, because the people did not cease to sin, punished their disobedience by giving them a land of iron and a heaven of brass, as Moses threatened in the fifth book [Cap. 28, 23]. But those who are under grace and in Christ's kingdom, of them he says that earth and heaven will be at their service according to all their desires, and that they will lack nothing at all.
But we must by no means think that this is a fleshly promise, as the Jews dream, for above the prophet said that this people would have the Valley of Achor, and that hope would be opened to them, but that things would not be given into their hands immediately. Therefore, the church will have to endure common misfortunes, with which God will visit the ungrateful world; it will feel hunger, lack, persecutions, wars; therefore, if you look at the outward form, it will be
seem as if heaven and earth were against the church and did not listen to the desires of the afflicted. For although it is true what David says [Ps. 37:25], "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed going after bread," yet the bread of the church is XXX XXXX XX XXX, a bread in doldrums.
sal and water in anguish, Isa. 30, 20.
To what, you will say, is this promise to be referred? Certainly to the spirit that the church, oppressed by misfortune, has God, who is not silent to the cries or the pleas of His own, but answers and hears. As therefore Christ Joh. 16, 23. f. after other consolations also adds this: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full," the prophet here promises the Church that God will hear her prayers and sighs, because He has confided in her in righteousness, in judgment, in mercy and in grace.
Thus Zechariah [Cap. 12, 10.] promises the spirit of grace and prayer. For the Church trusts in the mercy of God, which is shown in Christ, and therefore she cries out in dangers with a certain hope of salvation. For she sees that God, having given us His Son, has at the same time given us all that He has, and here you see the glorious light which the New Testament brings to understand the sayings of the prophets correctly. For the Gospel clearly indicates the cause of the betrothal and the hearing, namely the Son of God, for whose sake we are in grace and are heard, but the prophets have indicated this cause in a hidden way.
But we should also hold such sayings before us and by contemplating them inflame our hearts, so that in such great dangers, which now oppress the church from all sides, we can ask with certain confidence for help, which is so certainly promised by the prophets, and firmly believe that all creatures will yield to our prayers, even Satan, who after all hates us to the utmost, especially since the so rich verse of the prophets is so rich.
hotimgen itself is also added the commandment by which we are commanded to pray. Therefore, neither our own sins nor the sins of others should deter us from praying. For God will esteem His truth and His covenant, which He made with us through His Son, higher than our sins and the sins of others.
But even here we must not forget the Valley of Achor, for God tends to postpone help, and He first leads into hell before He leads out again, He first throws down before He executes, He first kills before He brings to life. Therefore, the church will not lack the challenge that the Canaanite woman experienced, Matth. 15, 23. ff, that God turns away from our prayer, does not hear it, does not care for us etc. Here it is necessary to remember that the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of hope, and not a kingdom of things that are seen. Therefore, the help is postponed, but not cancelled. The answer is delayed, but it is not cut off. Therefore we should learn to be bold bitters who do not cease in prayer, as Christ says [Luc. 18:1]. For God is pleased with this persistence or insolence, and at the same time faith has its exercise and increases through it.
But the prophet uses the name "Jezreel" again in the meaning as he used it above [Cap. 1, 11], when he said that the day of Jezreel will be a great day, namely for a seed of grace, not for a seed of wrath, as in the first chapter, v. 4. f. For here he refers to 1) the church, which in truth is God's seed, since it is planted by the Word and the Holy Spirit. But the prophet used this name because the kingdom of Israel was to be scattered among the Gentiles without hope of return, so that in such great danger and such long-lasting misfortune they might be comforted by the hope of future blessing through the promised seed, and know that their descendants would not degenerate into Gentiles in such a way that they would not accept the kingdom of Christ in great numbers. And for this cause also the rest is added.
1) There is one ut too many here in the Wittenberg edition.
V. 23. And I will keep them for seed in the earth, and will have mercy on them that were in disgrace, and will say unto them that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
Here he indicates the cause of the name, why he calls his people "Jezreel", and it is indeed a glorious name that is full of comfort. For what force of winds or thunderstorms will be able to destroy the garden planted by God Himself? since God Himself has thunderstorms and winds in His hand, and wants this garden planted by Him to be cultivated and to increase.
Therefore the saying of Christ Matth. 16, 17. f. is right for this name, because he says to Peter: "Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven (here you hear the divine planting or the seed of God). And I also say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Therefore, we should look to this saying in peril, and take comfort in the fact that the fury of the Turk, the Pope and the devil should not go so far that God does not preserve a seed on earth, even though it is sometimes so oppressed by shrubbery and thorns that it cannot be seen, as in the time of Elijah and Christ.
That he adds: "I will have mercy on them" is, as it were, a conclusion of this rather long and exceedingly sweet sermon about the church of the New Testament, that the remnants of the kingdom will be gathered to the church, and that God, after rejecting the unbelieving synagogue, will call the Gentiles to the fellowship of the church through the preaching of the gospel, for in this sense Paul cites Rom. 9, 26. this passage.
But elsewhere it has been said that the calling of the Gentiles overthrows the merit from the law, and proves that Christ's kingdom is only a kingdom of grace. For when the Gentiles, who are without the law, 2) are called to the
2) sunt is in the Jenaer, but is missing in the Wittenberger and in the Erlanger.
If we believe the gospel and are saved, it is obvious that not circumcision, not the law, not the works of the law, whatever they may be, make us righteous, but only faith in Christ. But the prophet alludes to what he said in the first chapter, v. 6. The name of Israel, which had been rejected among the Gentiles, is called
"LoRyhamo" attached, that is, she has not obtained mercy, but here he says he will have mercy on her. Therefore, this piece also belongs to the kingdom of Israel, which is scattered among the Gentiles, which has been gathered into the true Israel through the Gospel. But "LoAmmi", not a people, are the Gentiles, as Paul interprets it.