Thursday, August 20, 2009

Psalm 76 - And after the last plague the people were freed

AELW 11:17-19

"The first [water, Ex. 7:17 ff.]: “My soul refuses to be comforted” (v. 2). Here the water of pleasure has been turned into blood, so that one cannot drink it or have pleasure in drinking it, for such water is blood and death for the soul.

The second [frogs, Ex. 8:2 ff.]: “And was exercised” (v. 3). Here are born the frogs that weary the soul with their harsh croaking. They are the memories and remnants of past sins that make the soul sick of pleasures.

The third [gnats, Ex. 8:16 ff.]: “And my spirit swooned away” (v. 3). This third sign is effective. The magicians of Egypt cannot imitate it, because here is the finger of God (Ex. 8:18). A man, too, can turn water into blood and pleasure into disgust, as well as stir up the croaking of frogs and the clamor of the conscience, but they cannot produce gnats. These are the tiny flies that sting and bite sharply without noise. They denote the proddings of conscience and remorse.

The fourth [flies, Ex. 8:21 ff.]: “My eyes awaited the night watches” (v. 4). Here follows the putting out of the evil light, so that now one does not want to see the things that are of the world. This is what flies of a different kind do. They keep us from seeing external things. And so “God has given them the spirit of insensibility, eyes that they should not see” (Rom. 11:8).

The fifth [death of the cattle, Ex. 9:3 ff.]: “I have been troubled,” or, according to the Hebrew, “I was stunned.” Here he becomes confounded and senseless, when the promptings of the flesh and its lusts are killed like cattle, the tickling of desire and of all that is in the world ceases.

The sixth [boils, Ex. 9:9 ff.]: “And I did not speak” (v. 4). He sends boils and ulcers in the sixth place. These inflict suffering so that they impose silence on all sins, so that there is no desire either to speak or to think of them. Often, indeed, we are not even moved, and still we think and speak about evils.

The seventh [hail, Ex. 9:18 ff.]: “I thought upon the days of old” (v. 5). These are the hard and strong thoughts about the coming Judgment. They crush everything green, everything that sprouts from the flesh.

The eighth [locusts, Ex. 10:4 ff.]: “And I meditated in the night with my own heart” (v. 6). This is the locust, incessantly gnawing at the carnal soul and eating into its vigorous flesh.

The ninth [darkness, Ex. 10:21 ff.]: “And I was exercised” (v. 6). This is a darkness that is felt for three days. During that time nothing can be seen or done, so that, instead of the lust of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life, faith, hope, and charity, which those three would darken, might shine forth.

The tenth [death of the firstborn, Ex. 12:29 ff.]: “And I searched my spirit” (v. 6). Here the firstborn are killed."

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Psalm 76 - The Name of God is great

AELW 11:6

Psalm 76:1 In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel.

"The name of God is great wherever He is, and He is everywhere. But it is not called great except where it is known to be great, namely, in the mind and heart of one who worships and magnifies Him. Hence “the name is great” is the same as “to have great knowledge concerning it.” But great knowledge is to know its greatness. And this is what it means that God is known in Judah."

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Volume 11 - Psalms 76 - 126

LUTHER’S
WORKS
VOLUME 11
FIRST LECTURES
ON THE PSALMS
II
Psalms 76–126
HILTON C. OSWALD
Editor
HERBERT J. A. BOUMAN
Translator

Psalm 75 - How to study the Bible

AELW 10:461-462
A LESSON
"All who want to study in the Bible and sacred letters should with extreme diligence take note of this verse for themselves: In the hand of the Lord there is a cup of pure wine (v. 8). That is to say, Scripture is not in our power nor in the ability of our mind. Therefore in its study we must in no way rely on our understanding, but we must become humble and pray that He may bring that understanding to us, since it is not given except to those who are bowed down and humble. Let the misery of the Jews serve as an example. They show their pride in saying: “He has not dealt thus with every nation, and His judgments He has not made manifest to them” (Ps. 147:20). They think that they have Scripture and the cup completely in their hand and power, and for that reason they interpret it in accordance with their own idea. But here the psalmist says that it is in the hand of the Lord. For God can remove Scripture or its meaning from those who do not know and do not pay attention and think that they still have it, as happened to the Jews, since it has been taken away from them. It has been removed in this way, that it has been shown that the cup was not in their hand but in the Lord’s hand, and He gives it to whom He will. Job 9:5: “He has removed mountains, and they did not know it.” So also in the preceding psalm: “They did not know, as in the going out above the highest top, for they put up their ensigns for signs” (Ps. 74:5, 4). “In the going out,” that is, in the outward letter and shadow, and they chose it above the top, that is, they established the literal sense above the spiritual sense.

Thus it happens to all the proud and stubborn who rely on their own puffed-up idea that God tips the truth and the pure wine away from them toward others and leaves them the dregs, as long as they are ignorant So it happens to the heretics, who strongly insist that they have the truth for themselves, and before they understand, they have the dregs, which they drink, for God has taken the pure wine away from them, and He sends them the operation of error, as the apostle says (2 Thess. 2:10), because the cup of pure wine is in His hand. The pure truth cannot stand at the same time with the pride of the heart."

Monday, August 17, 2009

Psalm 74 - Defiling Holy Things

AELW 10:453-454

"This psalm (Ps. 74) can also be interpreted as referring to our extremely bad morals, for we are as bad as the Turks or worse in the way we profane holy things. This rage of offenses in defiling holy things is lasting long enough, so that the church quite properly prays: “O God, why hast Thou cast us off unto the end? Why is Thy wrath enkindled? What things the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary!” Who is the enemy? The devil. But also: “A man’s foes are those of his own household” (Matt. 10:36), and “My friends and my neighbors have drawn near and stood against me” (Ps. 38:11).

First, in the distribution and handling of the church’s endowments and goods, who can enumerate the evils and abuses?

Second, in the luxury, pomp, and pride of the priests.

Third, in the foolhardy way of administering the sacraments, the Word of God, the power of the judiciary and jurisdiction. In these matters things are happening in the church of such a nature that the Lord puts up with them with more displeasure than with the blasphemies of the Turks.

Fourth. See how many monstrosities take place “in the midst of the solemnity” and whether all of God’s festival days are not being suppressed and silenced in the land? Since indeed festivals are today observed so that people may more freely do the evils that they could not do on other days because of their manual labor. Here we do not see our signs, but they put up their ensigns for signs, and they set fire to the sanctuary of God and defile it with every kind of evil lust and sins. In this way God’s name is provoked and blasphemed in our midst. Therefore God seems to have turned His right hand away from the midst of His bosom to the end.

But perhaps it does not yet appear how they have thrown it down with ax and hatchet and have cut down its gates with axes at the same time. The Turk does this in a mystical and literal manner, while we do it spiritually, as shown above in the commentary, not indeed by heretical teachings but by offensive words and deeds, in such a way that the Word of God would now seem to be preached in vain, because there are no gates through which it might enter. But axes, that is, the most serious kind of offenses, have powerfully cut them down."

Psalm 74 - Speech like a cancer

AELW 10:441

Psalm 74:6. As with axes in a grove of trees they cut down at once its gates.

"This is the condition of the treacherous and heretics, that they are not content with their own destruction but destroy many with them and pour forth their poison and spread it far and wide, as the apostle says: “Their speech spreads like a cancer” (
2 Tim. 2:17), and their speech indeed is profitable for the subversion of the hearers (2 Tim. 2:14). Here the psalmist complains of the same thing when he says: “As with axes, etc.” It is not a great thing that trees and stones are destroyed, nor does the prophet lament this. For, according to Augustine, he will not be great who thinks it a great thing that trees and stones fall, and mortals die, but that they are destroyed in spirit, as also the Lord shows as he weeps over Jerusalem. The Romans devastated the Jews physically, but they devastate themselves far worse by means of their teachings."

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Psalm 74 - Faith has an exit from visible things

AELW 10:440

"For faith does not put up evident things, but rather things that do not appear. Nor does it put them up at the entrance from above, but at the entrance from below, or at the exit from below. Note that there is a remarkable agreement in the words. Faith has an exit from visible things and an entrance to the invisible things above, and therefore it is the sign or signs of things that do not appear. Unbelief, on the other hand, has an exit from invisible things and an entrance to visible things from above. That is, the spirit through humility leads upward from the letter and the flesh, while unbelief through pride leads downward from the spirit."

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Psalm 73 - Better than others?

AELW 10:417-418

"How few are there even today whose feet are not moved when they see the prosperity of sinners. When one looks at them in their riches, display of luxury, and gluttony, he stops and looks with open mouth. Indeed, in the presence of some spectacle we stand and gape, and meanwhile forget our own affairs. He is an exceedingly rare person who goes his way with eyes and ears closed. But these things, too, are for many a cause of lukewarmness, because when they look at the corrupt habits of others, they regard themselves as better than those people by far, because they themselves are not like other men. And so, by the very fact of pleasing themselves they become abominable to God, failing to consider that perhaps those people, soon to be converted, will be much better than they. Meanwhile they themselves have buried the talent of God’s grace in the ground."

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Psalm 71 - Strengh of Christ

AELW 19:398-399

"My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure."
Psalm 71:15

"My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness, as if to say: “I add to all Thy praise in this way, that I proclaim Thy righteousness and invisible salvation, for according to what is seen everything appears unjust and lost. For we are struck down and killed, and yet we are saved by that very fact. And as we praise Thee while we are being struck in this way, we confess that this is for our benefit. Others, who praise only the good that they see, do not think so. Thus we are even regarded as unjust, and yet this is our righteousness. And so, always hopeful in evil times, we add praise to total praise.” What follows says the same thing: Because I have not known learning, as if to say: “I do not, like them, make my way in the letter and visible righteousness and the Law, which Moses, or a man, wrote. But I will enter, I will go inside, I will approach inwardly to spiritual righteousness, which is the strength of Christ, which cannot be written in letters like the law of Moses. And this is the whole reason why I am regarded by them as unrighteous, since they have only the letter and the written righteousness. But because of this, the more righteous I am, the more lost I am regarded by those who know only the literal and external salvation and who praise God only in it. But, this having been despised, I do not acknowledge it, and it does not please me. Therefore I will add to all this Thy praise, and I will enter into the power of the Lord.”

But these words seem obscure. Yet when they are taken with reference to the Jews, they will first appear easily understood. Then follows: Thou hast taught me, O God (v. 17), namely, “Thou Thyself, in all these things, so that I may not acknowledge the letter but enter into Thy power, etc.”

Psalm 71 - In sickness and in health...

AELW 10:398

"But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more."
Psalm 71:14

"14. But I will always hope, even when they seek evil for me. Hope is easier in good times but more difficult in bad times. Therefore only a saint always hopes, always blesses, like Job. The next words express the same truth: I will add to all Thy praise, as if to say: “I will praise Thee not only in good times, when there is material for total praise, but also in bad times, when there appears to be no material for praise, except for those who live in hope and in the present evil and visible things see and hope for invisible things at the same time. One who does not see such things, but sees only the present, cannot praise God except in good times, for he does not know what evil is and what it is for. Therefore he cannot add to all praise like the one who hopes. Such a one knows that these things happen not only not unjustly but even serve a useful purpose, which those people do not realize. Therefore he continues:"

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Psalm 70 - A footnote

AELW 10:391, note 8

"This passage Scripture teaches the same as blessed Gregory, who said: “Whenever we look at sinners, we must first of all weep over ourselves in their misfortune.” Behold, how he does not please himself, but is weak with the weak."

to which is noted...

"Similar expressions are found in Gregory’s De pastorali cura, e.g., II, 10: “Whenever something in another person’s weakness displeases you, consider what you are yourself, so that your spirit may curb its tendency to chide him because it fears in itself what it chides in others.” WA III, 446, n. 1."

Psalm 70 - Make haste O God, to deliver me

AELW 10:391

Psalm 70:1
"Make haste, O God to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord"

"Therefore this psalm, whose opening words we recite so often day and night, is to be commended to all priests, so that they will not mumble it so coldly and perfunctorily, but help the church of God with this prayer with all their heart. For if the church were helped, we, too, would be saved, since it is our mother hen and we are its chicks. It is not without reason that the Holy Spirit decreed the opening words of this psalm as the beginning in every canonical hour. Therefore remember to say: “O God (since there is no one else to help the church except Thee, our God), be pleased to deliver me (that is, do Thou help me, so that tyrants, heretics, and those easily offended may not oppress me. And when I shall have been helped by Thee and first have salvation for myself, I can easily come to the assistance of others with Thy help), therefore hasten to help me.” Truly, we are not without tyrants and persecutors today who oppress the poor and do not judge the causes of widows and orphans. Since none but the rich and the powerful can afford the ceremony and din of the court, the poor man who is drawn to court will have spent more than he ever had before justice would be done to him. Against them we must pray that those whom they persecute be patient. Furthermore, there is no lack of heretics and many scoffers, full of inconstancy and trifles."

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Psalm 69 - Without fear

AELW 10:367-368

"16. For Thy mercy is kind, as explained in the gloss. At the time of the martyrs mercy was very kind, because the wretchedness was very bitter. So it was also at the time of the heretics. This is now much more the ease, but to none except a few. For to the few the great wretchedness of the church appears in its peace, which the Lord bewailed above all when He wept over Jerusalem and said (Luke 19:42): “If you had known even now, in this your day, what makes for your peace; but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Thus if we, too, would know the things that make for our peace, namely, since they are worse than every affliction, we would without doubt act differently. As I have said, everybody would shape and make the biggest affliction for himself. For thus it is written: “Thou hast prepared a table before me against all who afflict me” (Ps. 23:5). Let no priest under any circumstances approach the altar, unless he is burdened with many afflictions and filled with many miseries. But since peace and security do not let us see such things, let us labor and show what we ought to consider, that we may see many miseries, so that thus we may magnify and make propitious the mercy of the Lord. For it is not possible to make the mercy of God large and good, unless a person first makes his miseries large and evil or recognizes them to be such. To make God’s mercy great is not, as is commonly supposed, to think that God considers sins as small or that He does not punish them. Indeed, this especially means to reduce mercy. For how can one who regards evil as something small regard as something great the good by means of which the evil is removed? Hence our total concern must be to magnify and aggravate our sins and thus always to accuse them more and more, and earnestly judge and condemn them. The more deeply a person has condemned himself and magnified his sins, the more is he fit for the mercy and grace of God. This is what the apostle has forbidden, that we should please ourselves in even one point (Rom. 15:1), but that we should above all and in all things be displeased and thus with Job fear all our works (Job 9:28). For he who is pleased with himself cannot stand in the fear of God and be without presumption. But what is worse than being without fear?"

Psalm 69 - The foolish heir

AELW 10:361

"there is no greater iniquity than the highest equity, no greater injustice than the highest justice, no greater loss than the greatest gain, so there is no greater adversity than prosperity and no greater danger than no danger at all. This is so because it makes people careless. “When they shall say, ‘peace and security,’ then shall sudden destruction come upon them” (1 Thess. 5:3). Nothing is safe where everything is safe, nothing so sick as when everything is healthy; there is no temptation when all is temptation, no persecution when all is persecution. Thus the devil now fights the church with the greatest persecution, because he fights with no persecution, but rather with security and idleness. Therefore woe to us, who are so snatched away by present things and foolishly do not see the devil’s trap! We act like the foolish heir who knew only how to squander the magnificent estate left by his parents and did nothing to build it up but always carried away from the pile."