1 The word is both hated and despised by the world, for the adversaries pursue it with violence and cunning. The others, who do not persecute it, either despise it, or hold it in low esteem, and rather follow their doings and gain. This contempt grieves and distresses the ministers of the word so much that they are sometimes impatiently challenged, and would rather be silent than see so great a contempt for the word. Thus Jeremiah saith [Cap. 20, 7.], "I am become a mocker over the word daily." And Elijah would rather be killed by the Lord than teach longer, 1 Kings 19:4.
2 It seems that this is also what happened to Isaiah here. But he strengthens himself against this challenge, so that he will not sin by leaving his profession. Although, he says, the word is laughed at by all, and suffers persecution from most, I will not desist from preaching because of it.
For as I have not begun to teach for the sake of the ungodly, so will I not cease for the sake of the ungodly. "For the sake of Jerusalem," that is, for the sake of the pious and godly, I will continue to teach, and again despise the ungodly despisers 2c.
He adds excellent promises about the church, namely that God will take care of it, help it, and increase it, that he will give it the best teachers and obedient disciples. Finally, he also exhorts to receive and accept the word of the Gospel. But it is a new speech.
V. 1. until their righteousness arises.
4 [Instead of: Donec egrediatur ut splendor justus ejus, et salvator ejus ut lampas accendatur in the Vulgate] translate: Donec egrediatur sicut splendor justitia ejus, et salus ejus accendatur1 ) sicut lampas. I know, he says,
1) In the Erlanger: aoosnäatur; in the Wittenberger: 8U666näatur.
that Christ will come, who shall bring righteousness and salvation to the godly; for whose sake I will preach, that at least some may be preserved in the word 2c. He connects righteousness and salvation, because after the forgiveness of sins, which is righteousness, persecution and death still remain, from which Christ finally delivers his own.
V. 2. that the Gentiles may see your righteousness (justum tuum).
5. righteousness and salvation will appear in such a way that they will also be revealed to the Gentiles. But he calls justum, in the factual gender, the church government, which was instituted by Christ and propagated to the church through the apostles. As if he wanted to say: The Gentiles will see the church as it was justified by faith in Christ, and ordered with certain usages of the sacraments, likewise also with other offices, as to teach, to comfort, to put under ban 2c. For this is actually in this place the righteousness or the just (justum).
And you shall be called by a new name.
6. before that the name was called: The people of God in Zion, the people who were brought out of Egypt, the people of Israel, the seed of Abraham 2c. But these were fleshly names, which went to persons. But in the New Testament we are Christians, not because we have what the Jews had, but because we are called God's people who believe in Christ and have the promises of the life to come. For this reason we are called "children of God", as John 1:12 says.
(7) But there is an emphasis in the words, "The mouth of the LORD shall call the name." As if to say, "It will not be a name according to the flesh, but this thing is based on word and faith alone. And Christians have no wisdom, no strength, no salvation, no redemption, except in and through Christ alone. For though Christians administer magisterial offices, obey the authorities, and walk every man in his profession, yet they are not called of it.
Christians, but by faith alone they are called so, because they know Christ is their righteousness.
V. 3. A royal hat in the hand of your God.
8 That is, you will be a glorious kingdom, but in the hand of the Lord, not in the hand of Caesar, or in the sight of the world; rather, the church in the sight of the world is dung and filth scattered to and fro by the hand of the devil.
V. 4. You shall no longer be called the forsaken.
These are excellent promises of the church. The flesh, however, is offended by the fact that all this does not consist in deeds, but in mere words. "You shall be called," he says, but we are not satisfied with that. We would rather be so than be called by this name, which he here sets, "I delight in her." Therefore, these are spiritual promises, which are accepted by faith alone.
V. 5 For as a dear paramour loveth a paramour.
(10) He wants to persuade the Church, through the strongest expressions of affection (affectibus), to be loved by God, not with a common love, but as a youth loves a virgin fiercely, and as a bridegroom embraces his bride. For these are the greatest movements of the heart, as David testifies when he says of Saul's son Jonathan: "Your love has been more special to me than the love of a woman" [2 Sam. 1:26]. And Solomon says: "I do not know the way of a young man for a maid" [Proverbs 30:19]. Christ not only loves the church, but also shares his goods with her, like a bridegroom, and gives himself completely to the church with all his righteousness.
(11) Therefore, if you have sin, it is no longer yours, but Christ's, and His righteousness is yours again. Thus we confuse our death with life, our weakness with the power of Christ, our hell with the righteousness of Christ.
the sky. But this happens in secret, namely in faith. For if you look at the outward appearance and the judgment of the world, the church is a whore of the devil, and Christians are bastards. Therefore, these glorious promises must be drawn on the Word and on faith, and this love we must not feel, but believe. And if it is believed, it will awaken an infinite joy even in the midst of tribulation.
(12) Thus the article of justification and grace is the most delightful, and alone makes a theologian, and a theologian a judge over the earth, and over all disputes. But there are few of them who have either considered this article carefully or teach it correctly.
V. 6. O Jerusalem, I will appoint watchmen on your walls.
13 "Watchmen" are actually 1) the bishops and shepherds of souls who watch over the flock in the word of salvation. But he adds that the office of a good shepherd is never to be silent about the Lord, to preach about Christ and his benefits at all times, as Christ commanded at the Lord's Supper [Luc. 22:19].
14 Furthermore, it must be noted that he counts good teachers as the highest good, therefore we should also hold them in high esteem; and the world is undoubtedly now drawing a heavy judgment upon its neck by the present contempt of the ministers of the Word.
Who shall remember the Lord, that there be no silence among you.
He repeats this three times to indicate the actions of the world, which can suffer nothing less than the word of God. Therefore, he reminds us that we should not remain silent, no matter how much the world rages and rages against it, and at the same time promises the word victory against the world and against the gates of hell, so that the word and the church will remain, but the godless adversaries will perish 2c.
1) Erlanger: proprii instead of: propris.
V. 8. 9. The Lord has sworn by His right hand.
16 He adds an oath to strengthen the weak consciences, that it will happen that they will feel the fruit of the word which they teach, that they will feel the fruit of the faith which they have. But it is not possible for an ungodly person to feel the true gifts and the true fruits of the word and faith, but only the godly are uplifted and confirmed by the word, whose hearts are cleansed by faith and whose consciences are enlightened; and through their teaching others are also edified. This happens because they praise the Lord in the courts, where they come together to preach [Ps. 122:3, 4].
(17) So also today we learn that this oath is being fulfilled. The false brethren boast of the word, they boast of the spirit and the faith. But they deceive themselves, because they do not have the thing of the word and faith, but only the foam of it. This we see when it comes to the article of justification, which they do not understand at all, although they have learned to parrot the words. This is what he says here: "I will not give your grain to your enemies to eat" 2c.
V. 10. Go, go through the gates.
18 Now he adds an exhortation to the promise. For a good teacher should be able to teach and to exhort by sound doctrine, Titus 1:9. But doctrine is, as it were, the dialectic of theology, by which men are taught of the merit and death of Christ, that Christ was sufficient for our sins on the cross. The exhortation is, as it were, the rhetoric of theology, when we say: Do not be frightened by the sight of enemies who say that your work is in vain and make you fainthearted. Continue bravely to believe and teach; Christ lives 2c.
The gates of righteousness are the New Testament and the gospel of grace. As if to say: the gates are open, the Church teaches the word of the forgiveness of the
Sins, everything is ready [Matth. 22, 4.], and God has promised that His word shall not be ineffective. Therefore "go through the gates", accept the word 2c.
(20) "Remove the stones," that is, take away the aversions, take care that ye keep the word pure and clean. As Christ, Paul and Peter also say: "Beware of false prophets" [Matth. 7, 15].
21) "Raise a banner over the nations," that is, drive the word; always use the word as if you were standing in the meeting to resist the false teachers.
V. 11. 12. Behold, the Lord lets himself be heard.
That is, the gospel is spread throughout the whole earth.
Behold, your salvation is coming.
This is the summa. If thou be opposed by force or by guile, let not thy courage fail, but continue to teach. Behold, behold, thy labor is not without profit, thou shalt retain the victory, thine enemies shall be defeated, for "thy salvation cometh." We have explained this Hebrew phrase above. This is the conclusion of the one sermon that deals with the promises of the future church.