In the three previous chapters, he discussed the righteousness of faith. He praised this righteousness and the gospel in many ways. He also refuted his own righteousness, and added various consolations for the godly, and threats against the wicked who contend against this righteousness.
Finally he has abolished the whole law together with the priesthood and the kingdom. Now he concludes this whole thing, as it were, with a final speech. As if he wanted to say: "That I summarize it briefly: by this righteousness we must be preserved, or we will perish with the ungodly. But as it is usual in the closing speeches, so
he adds admonitions and consolations. For he promises the church a seed and offspring.
V. 1. Listen now, my servant Jacob.
2, He addresses the people of the gospel who were chosen from the synagogue. You who are my servants from this people, that is, you who believe or are obedient to the faith; who, though you have been banished by others, yet serve me and are grateful: "Hear".
V. 2. 3. For I will pour water on the thirsty.
He confesses that the church is thirsty and arid because it is in constant heat and sees nothing but its condemnation and shame. Therefore he says: "Fear not", I will shower you with fruitful rain, that a rich seed may grow for you. I will give the Holy Spirit to comfort and water thee, that thou mayest not lack offspring to spread the gospel. For it is a comfort that the church should not despair in the present tribulation, but hope that God will give it a numerous offspring, although the wrath of the world and of Satan threaten the opposite. For the Holy Spirit does not depart from the Word, but is active through the Word.
V. 4. that they should grow.
4 He hereby looks at the first psalm. The blessing of the church will be as abundant as the grass in the meadows. The pastures have an exceedingly good prosperity. Therefore, through them he indicates the power of the blessing, that the word will gain a happy progress against all the violence of the world.
V. 5. This one will say, I am the Lord's.
These words are to be taken distributively. Christians will be scattered now and then throughout the world. As if he wanted to say: Here and there and everywhere there will be Christians.
And that one will be called by the name of Jacob.
6 This is a very clear passage of the calling of the Gentiles to follow the Jews and the
Children of Abraham shall be made like, and called by their names. For this passage must be understood by those who were not previously called by the name of Jacob, nor descended in the flesh from Jacob, but from the Gentiles. But one must carefully note such scriptural passages in which the transmission of the name, the lineage, and the inheritance is promised: that Jacob is not only the one to whom the promise was made, but also the Gentiles. So also it is said in Ps. 87:5, "It shall be said in Zion, that all manner of people shall be born therein." For he speaks in this place of the Gentiles of Tyre, Sidon, Egypt 2c. But this is the only grievance of the synagogue, by which it is offended, and therefore falls away from Christ, that the Gentiles should be made like unto them.
And this one will ascribe himself with his hand to the Lord.
7 That is, he will confess the Lord so that there is no difference between the Gentiles and us Jews, as Peter says in Acts [Cap. 15, 9.]: "God made no difference between them and us."
V. 6-8. I am the first, and I am the last.
This is the second part [of this chapter], namely a refutation of the adversaries, so that the Jews would not think that Christ was a new and different God. As if he wanted to say: q) Do not be offended that I reject the law and the people of the law. For I am the Almighty God, who I have been from the beginning.
V. 9. Their idolaters are all vain.
9 He now mocks the idolaters in order to strengthen and encourage the hearts of the godly, so that they may consider from what great errors they have been redeemed and that they thank God for such a great benefit.
(10) Thus we are also strengthened in our doctrine when we remember the impiety and folly of the papal religion. Des-
q) Instead of the preceding, the 1532 edition says: .This is equal to what was said before.
Half advise us against those who do not want the abominations of the pabacy to be illuminated in sermons. For Satan's intention is that, after these abominations have been cleared out of the way, he will lead us back into piety through the appearance of spirituality (religionis). Therefore, it is useful to keep the abominations of the monastic life, the satisfaction, the saying of mass, purgatory, the invocation of the saints, the apparitions of the spirits, and other abominable things, always before one's eyes, so that the heart may be filled with hatred for them and not fall back into the former godlessness. For thus we see that also here Isaiah, for the very same purpose, mentions the doings and nature of the idolaters, and we are at the same time encouraged to thank God for this supreme benefit, that we have been delivered from such great ungodliness and transferred into the light of the Gospel.
11 But it is to be noted that he adds: "And their most precious things are of no avail." That is, their best works, which they do in idolatry, their most holy efforts, to which they ascribe life and blessedness, are nothing.
(12) As Isaiah says this of the idolaters of his time, so we are to apply this passage to our times, that the most beautiful works of the priesthood, such as masses, prayers, vows, chastity, poverty, etc., not only do not make one righteous, as they think, but also condemn him and bring him to ruin, because they are ungodly things in and of themselves, as the mass is, and also because an ungodly delusion is involved.
Not only does he condemn the idolaters and their works, but he also adds this, that their witnesses are blind and see nothing; that is, that all their doctrine is vain, uncertain and harmful, as Paul also says, "They understand not what they set" [1 Tim. 1:7]. "They see nothing" is a Hebrew idiom; "see" stands for preach, teach.
(14) Now he concludes, and says of all religions and deeds done without faith in Christ, that they will finally come to shame. Therefore it is a wretched thing to undertake so much labor and toil, to do so many works, from which one has no other benefit than to be eternally put to shame.
V. 10. Who are they that make a god?
(15) Hereby he mocks and scolds those who do not want to be formed by God, that is, who do not want to be justified by grace, but make themselves a god, that is, make themselves justified by their works and deeds. Thus, every monk is one who makes a god, because he does not invent God for himself according to words, but according to his thoughts, that God is pleased with this rule, with this clothing, with these vows 2c. Pleasure. Thus all saints of works make a god for themselves, who is pleased with the works that they themselves do.
V. 11 ff. Behold, all their comrades are put to shame.
(16) All religions or righteousnesses other than the righteousness of grace will be put to shame.
Because they are masters made of people.
This is an excellent conclusion, for it contains the reason for the previous statement: "For by the word 'master' are designated the saints of works, who toil with various works. But that he presents one as a carpenter, the other as a blacksmith, he shows that the work of the saints of works is different, since one wants to earn God's merit by this work, the other by another; however, they all argue against this doctrine of faith and grace.
18 But it is especially important to note in this passage that he adds, "Of men. For this contains the main principle of our doctrine, that everything that is not prescribed in the word of God is reprehensible and devilish, if we presume to propitiate God by it. Therefore, we are not to do, teach, or believe anything except what is commanded by a very specific word of God. But in things that do not concern the conscience, and do not belong to the attainment of righteousness before God, we can safely follow the teachings of men, as in housekeeping and worldly government. For the wisdom to manage these things has been created for us, and these things belong only to the
bodily life. But the consciences should and can be governed only by the Word of GOD. That is why Isaiah condemns "the masters who are of men".
19 Furthermore, the extensive and long description of the "masters" shows the misery of godless religion, the fruits of which are much toil, weariness, fear and hardship, and finally, after the greatest labor, become ashes. On the other hand, ours and the true religion, which teaches trust in the mercy of Christ, satisfies our hearts in the judgment of God and brings about joy in the Holy Spirit, so that we may boast even of the tribulations that befall us elsewhere.
20 Thus the Prophet warns against other religions, which do nothing but wear out body and soul at the same time in vain, and the more severe they are, the more they make people fearful, distressed, and bring them to despair. And just as the woman who suffered from the flow of blood only got worse with her illness through the treatment of the physicians [Marc. 5, 26.], so also through such actions the evil gets worse, and the hearts are made more and more restless, as we experienced under the pope, since the souls were not calmed down after innumerable pardons, prayers, fasts, masses, and pilgrimages, but were tormented more severely. But the word alone truly comforts, according to the saying: "If then we have been justified by faith, we have peace" [Rom. 5:1].
V. 17. Before it he kneels and falls down and prays.
This seems foolish and ridiculous to us. But what does St. Jerome do differently, since he commands to worship the wooden cross by falling on his face ((ψποδουλϊα)1 )? What does a Franciscan do differently, who imagines that he is damned if he does not gird a rope around his body, if he does not have his head circumcised, if he does not put on a bad garment? Is this not the utmost foolishness, then, to assume righteousness from a girdle, from a plate, from a garment?
1) Only in the Jena edition is the iota kupserixturu. Wittenberg and Erlangen
do? Is this not the utmost ungodliness, worshipping these things? But they deny that they worship these things. Yes, they worship them in fact, because they believe that God looks at such futile things and takes pleasure in them. But this is actually against the first commandment, "You shall not have other gods." For to believe that God is reconciled by such works is to invent and make an idol for oneself and to worship it. For the true God is the one of whom it is written, "Your eyes see by faith" [Jer. 5:3].
V. 18-20. They know nothing and understand nothing.
(22) They do not know what the true worship is and cannot judge the true worship. But they should think that just as the wood that is burned is not God, nor does it make righteous, so the rest of the wood from which the idol is made is not God. Thus a monk does not consider that, just as the cloth on a chariot does not make righteous, so also the cloth from which his robe is made does not make righteous; that, just as the rope to which a horse is tied does not make righteous, so also the rope with which he girds himself does not make righteous. But they ascribe to their cowls and ropes the power to make righteous, because they say that it is sinful for a Franciscan to walk without a cowl and without a rope.
(23) For such scriptures must be applied to the idolatry of our people. For in this whole passage the prophet has only to do with the fact that everything that does not proceed from faith is idolatry, whether it is done with iron or with wood. But the source of this idolatry is that we think that God is reconciled through our works.
(24) Therefore, the true and only religion and worship is this, that one believes forgiveness of sins, which God gives by grace and freely, without works subsequent or antecedent, out of pure mercy; just as He makes the sun shine, and gives all other good things that we have
enjoy. If one believes in this kind God, who does good by grace and for free, this is true religion and true righteousness.
V. 21. Remember this, Jacob and Israel.
(25) He wants the memory of idolatry to remain with the descendants, so that they may both thank God that they have been freed from such great ungodliness by means of the Gospel, and learn to fear God, because if He does not preserve us, we can easily fall into the same errors again. Thus, we must by no means forget that which we have ungodly done as well as believed in the pabstical. For what is more foolish, what is more contrary to the honor of Christ, than to ascribe righteousness to a dirty cap? And yet men have imagined this so stiffly and firmly that they have put on the dead bodies of monks and buried them in them. There have been countless other things of this kind, and it would be desirable to make a register of them. For most of it is of such a nature that it will hardly be believed by posterity. And yet we have been such fools that we have cherished the delusion that righteousness and forgiveness of sins are to be found in these things.
V. 22. I will wipe away your iniquity like a cloud, and your sin like the mist.
(26) Hereby he briefly summarizes the main conclusion of this whole text and repeats that no religion, no worship, no other God forgives and redeems sins except Christ alone, and that free of charge and by grace. Therefore, it is an apt description of Christ and Christ's ministry that he is an everlasting high priest who reconciles us to GOD and blots out our iniquity, who overcomes death and hell. This is a completely different doctrine than the monks and sophists should understand. For these make Christ a judge and executioner of consciences. Therefore so many kinds of merits and works have been invented by which the enraged judge could be reconciled. He adds:
Turn to me, for I will deliver you.
(27) As if to say: My office is to save; I have done this, I have conquered sins, death, Satan, hell, on the cross, I have abolished the rule of the law. Now you, too, do your duty: accept what I offer you, turn to me, your Redeemer. Thus he dissuades from all other doctrines and godless religions, which are contrary to this doctrine of grace. As if he wanted to say: You will be drawn by different inclinations soon there, soon there, that you turn away from me; therefore make an effort that you turn to me. This conversion does not take place in one day or in one month, as the Lent was under the papacy, but it is a perpetual duty of the people of God.
(28) But it is ridiculous to try to force from such passages that there is power in us to turn to God without His grace. For to those to whom he communicates his word, he will also give power to believe the word; for the word of God is not taught in vain and without fruit, but the Holy Spirit is with the word, and moves hearts through the word so that they believe. Then this "turn to me," of which the prophet says here, concerns not only faith, but also the teaching that we also convert others who are turned away by ungodly teachings, that we exhort them, that we comfort the despairing consciences 2c. For it takes much effort to hold this article of justification against Satan, against heresies, and against our reason.
V. 23 Rejoice, O heavens, for the Lord has done it.
After having finished the teaching of grace and the exhortation, he now also gives thanks for this great gift. And this happens quite appropriately in the final speeches. But what the Latin translation has given: Misericordiam fecit Dominus, reads in Hebrew: "For the Lord has done it." For he looks back to what has gone before, as if to say: The
The Lord alone is the creator and the one who does it. What the Lord says, that happens; he promises righteousness in the word free of charge and by grace, and he also offers and gives it. But the idols and their teachers are vain talkers. When they speak or promise something, it does not come to pass, as he said above [vv. 9, 11]: Their end is that they become ashamed.
(30) This is a well-known Hebrew expression: "Rejoice, you heavens," that is, you who are of heaven or under heaven, as when I said, "Rejoice, you Elbe, to the Lord, for the gift of the spreading of the Word;" that is, you Wittenberg, or those who dwell on the Elbe.
V. 24. Thus says the Lord your Redeemer.
After the discussion about faith in Christ and the doctrine of faith is finished, he makes his way to the people who were in Babylonian captivity and were to be redeemed by Cyrus. As if he wanted to say: Keep my words that I say. So it will happen that you will be redeemed by my power, against all presumption, as much as others ridicule me as a weak God.
He who prepared you from the womb.
(32) Here we see what free will does. But this is the custom of the holy scripture, that it ascribes everything to God, that everything we receive is given to us from our mother's womb, so that we may not be proud.
I am the Lord who does everything.
(33) Hereby he looks upon the idols. For he refutes all opposing religions, that we should say: The God of the Turks, of the Jews, of the Papists does nothing; but our God does everything. For this is what he wants when he says, "I am he," and no one with me, so that he may prove that he is the one, and so that he may draw us away from idolatry, that we may remain in the truth of faith.
V. 25. Who nullifies the signs of the soothsayers.
He calls the teachers of other religions, who do not teach the righteousness of faith, but the works, "soothsayers". He shows that the teaching of these is both false and foolish. That the religion of the papists is such today, we learn.
V. 26. But confirm the word of his servant.
35 As he said in the beginning [Cap. 40, 8], so he also concludes: "The word of the Lord endures forever. He calls the word of the gospel "counsel," by which the conscience is advised, as he also calls Christ a counsel in the ninth chapter above, v. 6.
He who says to Jerusalem: Be inhabited!
Here he comes to Cyrus, and speaks of the thing as a past, which was nevertheless still future. But he holds up this prophecy of Cyrus to comfort the godly so that they will not despair of the future kingdom of Christ, which he has described in these four chapters. For since the Jews were to be almost completely destroyed by the Babylonians, all the promises of Christ's kingdom were in danger; and since the kingdom and the priesthood of the Jews, together with the temple and the city of Jerusalem, had been destroyed by the Babylonians, there could be no hope of Christ's kingdom. Therefore, he promised to bring back the people through Cyrus and to restore the kingdom with the priesthood, so that the promised kingdom of Christ would be given to the unharmed people.
V. 27. Who says to the deep: Seal!
37 He praises his power in a general statement. However, it can be taken as a figurative speech of the king of Babel. Just as I dried up the Red Sea, so I can also dry up the great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, with their princes.
V. 28. and shall accomplish all my will 2c.
38. Cyrus will bring back my people and will make Jerusalem inhabited again.