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IX The Church

1. THE CONDITION OF THE CHURCH

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not daughter of Lion; behold thy king cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. John 12:12-15.

Branches of palm trees. Among the ancients, the palm was a symbol of victory and peace. Moreover, they used palm branches when they invested someone with sovereignty, or when they came as suppliants before a victorious king or general. But these folk carried palm branches as a sign of festive joy at the coming of the new King.

They shouted, Hosanna! and so shouting, they voiced their conviction that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, promised by the fathers of old, their hope of deliverance and salvation. For Psalm 118, from which this exclamation is taken, was written about the Messiah, to the end that the saints might ardently hope for and continually desire his coming, and that they might receive him with reverence when he appeared. Therefore, it is a probable, if not a certain inference, that this prayer was common among the Jews, and was in everybody's mouth. Therefore, the Spirit of God moved these people to address their prayer to Christ; and they thus became his chosen heralds to testify that the Messiah had come.Hosannais made up of two Hebrew words, which mean, " save, I pray Thee." The Hebrews pronounce itHoshia-nna. The sound of words is often corrupted when transliterated into another language. Yet the Evangelists, who wrote in Greek, purposely kept the Hebrew word, to express properly the fact that the crowd used a solemn form of prayer which had come down from David and was kept by the people of God through the ages for the special and sacred purpose of blessing the Kingdom of Christ. The words which come next,Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, were used to the same end. For this is a propitious prayer for the joyful and prosperous success of Christ's Kingdom, upon which depends the restoration and the happiness of the church of God.

And now we have to untie the knot that in this psalm David speaks of himself rather than of Christ; and this won't be too difficult. We know that a kingdom was established in the hands of David and his posterity, in anticipation of that everlasting Kingdom which was to appear in its own time. We do not need to believe that David was thinking only of himself. What is more, the Lord himself sent prophets who turned the eyes of the godly in another direction. Therefore, what David sings about himself is rightly applied to the Redeemer who was to come from his seed. . . .

That cometh in the name of the Lord. We must first understand the meaning of this expression. A man comes in the name of the Lord when he neither rashly pushes himself forward, nor usurps honor under false pretenses, but when he has been called by God, accepts him as the author and the guide of his actions. This eulogy applies to all the true servants of God. A prophet comes in the name of the Lord, directed by the Spirit of God; and delivers to men the pure doctrine which he receives from heaven. So also, a king comes in the name of the Lord, when God governs his people by his hand. But since the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Christ, and since he is the Head of the church, all those who have ever been ordained to rule over the church are subject to him; they are indeed as streams flowing from a Fountain. Christ is said properly to have come in the name of the Lord; not only because he excels all others in authority, but also because God has totally revealed himself in Christ. For in him dwells the fullness of Deity bodily, as Paul says in Col. 2:9; and he himself is the living image of God; in short, he is truly Immanuel. He has a special right to this eulogy, because God manifested himself in him wholly, and not partially as he had done by the prophets. Therefore, if we want to honor God's servants, we ought to start with the Head.

Rejoice, thou barren who didst not bear, rejoice and be glad, thou who hadst no children! For the sons of the widowed are more than the sons of the wife, saith the Lord.Enlarge the space of your tents and extend your tent cords. Isa. 54:1-2. (Calvin's wording.)

After speaking of the death of Christ, the prophet rightly turns to the church to give us a better understanding of what Christ's death has done and accomplished for us. There would be no such understanding if Christ's death were considered by itself. Therefore we must turn to his body which is the church. Christ suffered for the church -- not for himself.

The same order is followed in the Creed of our faith. After we confess that we believe in Christ who suffered for us and was crucified, we continue by affirming that we believe in the church which, as it were, flowed from his side. So Isaiah, after speaking of the death, resurrection, and triumph of Christ, rightly comes down to the church which is never to be separated from its Head. In this way, each one of the faithful may learn from his own experience that Christ did not suffer in vain.

If this teaching had been omitted, the faithful could not fortify their hearts with the hope of the restoration of the church. But the congratulation in these verses shows plainly that when Christ comes forth from death as conqueror, he conquers not for himself alone, but also to breathe life into his body, which is the church. . . .

Tents. The metaphor is taken from a kind of dwelling common in that region. The church is compared to tents because it has no solid structure in the world. It always appears unsettled and wandering, and is moved here and there in various migrations, as necessity requires. But I am sure the prophet was also thinking of that earlier liberation of God's people, when they were led through the desert and lived in tents forty years. In memory of that liberation, they later held yearly a solemn feast, according to God's commandment. And as we have said, the prophets habitually refer to it.

Someone will object that the structure built by the ministers of the Word is too solid to be compared to a tent. But I answer: The likeness to a tent refers to the external appearance of the church rather than to its spiritual or essential (if I may use the word) existence. The true structure of the church is the Kingdom of God, and this is neither frail nor like a tent in any way. But in the meantime, the external church is moved here and there because it has no firm habitation in which it can abide. It is more solid and stronger than the best-fortified citadels because, relying on God's unconquerable power, it scorns all peril. But it is like a tent because it is not supported by earthly resources, wealth, and power.

Next we come to the reason the prophet orders that thecordsbe lengthened to enlarge the tent; obviously because no ordinary sized place was sufficient to hold the people whom God was going to gather from all parts of the world into one church.

Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to the despicable of soul, to the abominable race, to the slave of masters: Kings will see and princes will stand up and adore, because of the Lord; because faithful is the Holy One of Israel and he who chose thee. Isa. 49:7. (Calvin's wording.)

Isaiah continues the same theme to enable the people, who are suffering from a heavy disaster, to take hold of the hope of a better future. To strengthen their hope the more, he calls God who promises them deliverance, theRedeemerand theHoly One of Israel.

Someone will object that this is a contradiction. God is called the Redeemer of the very people whom he has abandoned to oppression. Where is the redemption, where is the holiness, when the people could see that they were wretched and ruined? I answer, The prophet reminds them of their past history as a ground for confidence and hope. Since the Jews were overwhelmed with despair, the prophet protested and argued that the God who had formerly redeemed their fathers was still mighty and still possessed the same power as of old. Therefore, although he had for a time hidden his salvation in order to exercise the faith of the godly, believers were commanded to stand firm with uplifted hearts, because their redemption by God's hand was sure. Meanwhile, it was necessary for them to think thoughts far removed from the experience of the senses.

This passage is important for us, because from it we learn how great is the faith we need when God speaks to us. For his promises are not fulfilled immediately, and he lets us suffer and endure affliction for a long time.

Some translatebezohas " despised," and some as " despicable." I prefer the latter. God adds to the people's misery by declaring that their souls are despicable in his sight. Many who are despised by others are still worthy of honor because they are gifted men; such people do not cease to swell with pride, and they trample down the pride of those who despise them with their own greater pride. But God says here that he himself despises this people no less than they are despised by their fellow men. But his purpose in describing the extremity of their disgrace and misery is to assure them that the time of their deepest humiliation will also be the acceptable time when he shall bring them his help.

The abominable nation. I see no reason why some change the number ofnation,goy, to the plural when the prophet uses the singular. It is certain that these words are addressed especially to the race of Abraham.

He addsserve masters, that is, " be oppressed by strong tyrants" formeshalimmeans those who have so much strength and power that it is not easy to escape from their hands.

When God says thatkings shall see, he speaks magnificently of the liberation of his people; yet meanwhile he permits them to be tried in a fiery furnace, to make trial of their patience and faith. For if what God promised occurred immediately, before he had even finished speaking, there would be no place for the exercise of faith.

The repetition in naming the rulers is customary in Hebrew. We should say " kings and princes shall see; they shall stand up and adore." The verbadoreexplainsstand up. (Today westand upto honor someone.) Briefly, the greatest princes of the world shall stand up, as they testify that the restoration of God's people is God's own glorious work, worthy of reverence

Because he is faithful. This is the reason for the admiration and honor which the princes show to God. They will come to know God's faithfulness and constancy with regard to his promises. Moreover, God wishes to be known as true, not as an abstract concept, but through the experience of the way he preserves the people whom he has adopted. Therefore, let us learn that the promises of God are not to be estimated by our [immediate] situation, but by his truth. When nothing but destruction and death hangs over us, let us remember these words by which God constrained a despicable and contemptible people.

Also, we must realize how great and wonderful is God's work in liberating the church. Proud kings who think nothing worth looking at or valuable are compelled to see, to wonder, to be amazed, and even against their will to reverence God. This new and unprecedented work of God is especially commended to us, and our own judgment tells us what and how great it is; for even if we ignore past history, we know our own liberation from the miserable tyranny of Antichrist. When we consider our own situation carefully, it must, in the psalmist's words, seem to us a dream (Ps. 126:1). God has done a stupendous and incredible work in us who bear Christ's name.

And who hath chosen thee. At the end of the verse the prophet repeats what he had mentioned before, that this people had been set apart by God. But we must realize that election is the beginning of sanctification. This people was God's holy inheritance only because God had of his mere good pleasure thought it good to choose them, therefore [in these words], Isaiah points to the hidden will of God as the source from which sanctification flows. He thus prevents Israel from thinking themselves separated from others on account of their own merit; it is as though he had said, " The Lord who chose you confirmed his choice by his own work in you, and demonstrated it by its effects." In the same way, God's faithfulness must be known in our salvation, and our salvation must equally be ascribed to his election. Meanwhile, let all who desire to share in this great good become a part of Israel, that is, of the church, outside of which there can be neither salvation nor truth.

For behold, in those days, and in the time, when I bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, then I will also gather all nations, and I will bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. . . . Joel 3:1-2.

The prophet said this when the Jews were an object of hatred to all peoples and were, so to speak, the dregs and filth of the whole world. The enemies of the Jews were as many as there were nations under the sky. And the Jews, seeing the hostility of the whole world, were likely to slip into complete despair. They would think: " Even if God wishes to save us, there are so many obstacles that we are certain to perish. The Assyrians are not our only enemies; we have met still greater hatred from all our neighbors." For we know that the Moabites and Ammonites, Tyrians, Sidonians, Philistines, in fact whatever peoples were in that region, had been most hostile to the Jews. And since all roads to their country were closed [to the exiled Jews], it was difficult for them to imagine any hope except by the inspiration of the Lord himself.

For this reason, the prophet said that God would be the judge of the whole world, and that it is within his will and power to summon all nations. . . .

Moreover he says this summons will occurin those days and at that time when the Lord brings back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. Christian scholars force this into a prophecy of Christ's coming. But they twist the words away from the sense which the context demands. For there is no doubt that the prophet here spoke of the return [from the exile]. Yet he included [in his prophecy] also the Kingdom of Christ. And as we have said elsewhere, this was a very common and frequent practice. When the prophets testified that God would be the Redeemer of his people and promised liberation from the Babylonian exile, they also led the faithful to Christ's Kingdom as if by a continuous pull toward it.

For what was the restoration [from exile] but the prelude of the true and real redemption truly manifested in the person of Christ? Therefore, the prophet does not speak exclusively of the coming of Christ, nor of the return of the Jewish people; he embraces the whole process of redemption, which had only begun when God led his people back from the Babylonian exile, and continues from Christ's first coming to the Last Day. And when it is said that God will redeem his people, we are not to think this redemption will be a brief and instantaneous act God will continue to exercise his grace until he has exacted the penalty from all the enemies of his church. . . . In brief, the prophet does not reveal God as a halfway redeemer. God will not make an end until he has finished whatever belongs to the felicity of his church and has perfected it in all things. . . .

Joel is saying: " God will not pour out a thin stream of grace. He will bring full redemption to his people. When the whole world rises against them, he will prevail because he himself will undertake to protect his church and defend the safety of his own." Therefore, those who strive to delay or hinder the restoration of the church will accomplish nothing. God is its vindicator, and he will judge all peoples.

Now we must see why the prophet names the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Many think that valley was mentioned because it had been called the " valley of blessing" (2 Chron. 20:26). There, as we know, Jehoshaphat had won a great victory with only a small force, although many peoples had joined together against him. When he had fought against a great army and had conquered marvelously (for his followers were few), the people blessed God there, and the nameBlessingwas given to the place. Therefore, many think that the valley was mentioned here to recall to the Jews' remembrance how wonderfully they had been saved in the past. For the memory of that would surely turn their minds to hope. . . . And this seems to me a probable explanation.

Some locate the Valley of Jehoshaphat between the Mount of Olives and the city; but I do not know how probable that conjecture is. In my judgment, the important point is that the text reminds the people of God's past goodness so as to inspire the faithful in all ages to hope for their own salvation.

Others indeed prefer to interpret Jehoshaphat from the meaning of the root from which it is derived. (And certainlyJeho-shaphatmeans " the judgment of God." ) They translate it as " the valley of God's judgment." If you prefer this meaning, I do not object. Certainly the name is appropriate, and even if the prophet is here speaking of the holy king in order to encourage the Jews to follow his example, there is no doubt that he is also referring to the judgment of God or to the verdict he will deliver in favor of his people. For the next words areI will decide upon them there; and the verb, like the name, is from the rootshaphat. Clearly, if the name belongs to the place and was also the name of the king, the prophet wished to enlarge its meaning; it is as if he had said, " When God dwells in the midst of his people, he will call all nations to judgment; and this is what he now wills to declare and establish."

Some twist the passage into a reference to the Last Judgment -- but that is violently forced. From that misinterpretation arose the idea that the whole world will gather in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. But we know such mad dreams filled the world when the light of sane teaching was quenched. It is not strange, after the world had so profaned the worship of God, that all men became fascinated with crude absurdities. But when we consider the prophet's purpose, there is no doubt that he names the Valley of Jehoshaphat to give hope to the Jews that God himself will guard their safety. He says frequently that God will live among them; later in this very chapter we read,And God will live in the midst of you.

And I fed the flock of slaughter, truly(ortherefore)the poor of the flock; and I took for myself two staffs, the one I called Elegance(orBeauty)and the other I called Cords(or as some translate,Destroyers. This we shall discuss);and I fed the flock. Zech. 11:7. (Calvin's wording.)

Here the prophet continues an earlier theme and clarifies what had not been sufficiently explained: namely, that the ingratitude of the people, especially since it was combined with obstinacy, was worthy of death and left no room for pardon. God's Fatherly care had been basely and dishonorably rejected, as well as the gracious kindness which he had shown to the people.

God declares that he hasfed the flock. Others take Zechariah as the subject; but as I said, God is enumerating the favors which in time of peace he had conferred on the people until he saw that they were unworthy of any kindness. We should remember that the prophet is speaking to the remnant. He is not here recounting God's ancient favors to Israel, but describing the state of the people after their return from the exile in Babylon. In an earlier passage, God seemed to entrust this fraction of the people to Zechariah to feed. But as I have said, this whole address is intended to make it obvious that all guilt belonged to the people who had rejected God's kindness and stubbornly fought against him, leaving no room or entryway for his mercy. This remonstrance is therefore in the name of God himself.

Truly the poor. Some translatebecause of. The wordlakhenmay introduce an explanation, or we may take the phrase to meanespecially the poor. In any case, what the prophet means is that God had looked after the whole people because he hoped there were some sheep left who deserved mercy. God says that because he hoped there were some poor little sheep among the corrupt flock, he did not deem it hard or troublesome to lead his people as their shepherd.I fed the flock of slaughter, truly, he says, because there were in the flock some poor sheep whom I was unwilling to desert. I preferred to try everything rather than abandon one small sheep if there was one in the whole flock.

He says he took two staffs, one calledno'am, the otherhobelim. Those who translate the second " destroyers" do indeed interpret the Hebrew word literally if we stick to the vowel points. But sincehebeland the pluralhabalimmeans " ropes" or cords," I have no doubt that the prophet means here " small cords" or " binding twine." You say, " But the grammar does not permit that!" As if Zechariah had written the vowel points, which were not then in use! I know, of course, the great care with which the ancient scribes worked out the points, when the language was no longer in ordinary and familiar use. And those who neglect the points or reject them entirely are certainly lacking in sense and good judgment. But some right of choice must be allowed. If we readdestroyershere, the words make no sense; and if we readcordswe alter only the two vowel points, and not a single letter. Since the context itself requires " cords," I am astonished that interpreters have slavishly allowed themselves to be coerced [by two vowel points] and have not seen what the prophet was talking about.

Now the prophet says He took two staffs, but obviously not to do the ordinary work of a shepherd. Any shepherd is content with one crook. (Staff here means a shepherd's crook.) And each shepherd works with his own crook. But here the prophet says that two crooks or shepherd's staffs were needed, because when God leads his people his care of them surpasses that of any human shepherd.

But I leave the rest for tomorrow.

Yesterday we said that the namehabalim, by which Zechariah called the second staff, ought not to be translated " destroyers," as do all the Hebrews. God here teaches that he has done everything which can be done by a good and faithful shepherd, and that his people were perishing by their own fault. Now since God himself was discharging the duties of a shepherd, he could not have been carrying a staff for destruction. Besides, it is obvious that the prophet has put this word (habalim) together with the other,no'am. And finally, he says that the staff calledhabalimwas broken to annul the brotherhood between Israel and Judah. What connection is there between " destroy" and " unite" ? It is correct therefore to take the namehobelimorhabalimas " cords."

Now we must see why the prophet names one staffEleganceorBeautyand the otherCords. Some think theno'amstands for natural law andhabalimfor the law of Moses. And those who translate " cords" (as Jerome rightly does here) think that since the law bound the ancient people to a hard yoke, it was called a rope because it constrained them. Others, like Jerome himself, refer to the words of Moses,When the Lord cast his cord, he chose a place in Israel, etc. (Deut. 32:8). And therefore they think that the cord stands for " inheritance." But the first interpretation is too farfetched and forced. And at variance with the second is the prophet's use of the word in the plural which is not consistent withinheritance. From the context it can be assumed, as we said yesterday, thatcordsare to be understood asunion. Therefore, the text means that God had fulfilled the office of shepherd towards his chosen people and had prescribed for them the best possible order. This I understand fromno'am. For nothing could more perfectly exemplify the beauty of order than the rule of life which God used for Israel. With good reason, therefore, he compares his shepherd's crook toBeauty; as if he said that the rule had been so perfectly fashioned that nothing better could be imagined.

For the second staff he takesUnityorConcord, and this marked the height of his favor; for he had gathered together the scattered Israelites that they might once again be one people. It is true that few from the Kingdom of Israel had returned to their homeland; but it is clear that not all of the remnant was only from Judah, Benjamin, and the Levites; there were others mixed in with them. Therefore, the appropriate interpretation of this verse is that God had not only established a most beautiful order [of government], but had also added brotherly unity so that the sons of Abraham were joined together in one spirit and one soul.

Therefore, since theirs was so good a shepherd, their ingratitude was the more shameful and unendurable when they threw off his yoke and refused to be guided by his staff. Now we see why the prophet used these wordsBeautyandUnion, when he described God as carrying two staffs.

Its waters will roar and toss tumultuously, and the mountains will be shaken with its swelling. Selah.

The streamlets of her river will make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. Ps. 46:3-5. (Calvin's wording.)

To understand the full meaning of this [third] verse, we should read it with what follows. Although the waters of the sea roar and roll wildly, and the mountains themselves shake at the violent impact, the City of God in the midst of such dreadful turmoil lies happy and calm, content with its narrow streams. The prophet means that the narrow channel of a small river is enough to give complete joy to the Holy City, even if the whole world should quake. I have mentioned before how useful a teaching this passage contains. Our faith is truly tested when in a time of great conflict hell seems ready to engulf us. And here we have pictured for us the victory of our faith over the whole world, whenever faith rises to conquer all fears amid confusion and threats of complete destruction. The sons of God do not find danger laughable, nor do they jest at death; but in danger they rejoice because they know that God's promised aid outweighs all the evils which inspire terror. The sentiment of Horace appears very noble when he says of the righteous man, conscious of his own innocence:

Si fractus illabitur orbis

Impavidum ferient ruinae.

(When all the bulwarks of the earth crash suddenly to pieces he will face without fear the falling fragments.) But since no one has ever found a man such as Horace imagines, the words are empty. True courage is founded altogether in God's protection; and those who rely upon God can boast not only that they are unafraid, but that they will be safe and secure when ruin overtakes the whole world. The prophet says explicitly that the City of God will be happy, although it does not possess a tumultuous sea which can throw its ever-surging waves against the assaults [of its enemies]. All it has is a little river. The prophet is referring to the brook which flowed from Siloah and went past Jerusalem. I have no doubt that he here blames obliquely the false confidence of those who are fortified with earthly resources and dream that they are beyond the reach of hostile weapons. Those who anxiously gather invincible garrisons appear indeed to be able to prevent invasion by foreign enemies, as though they were protected on all sides by the sea; but it often happens that they are overwhelmed by their own weapons as a tempest devastates and submerges an island in a flood. But those who trust themselves to God, although in the eyes of the world they are exposed to all kinds of injuries and have no defense to ward off attacks, nonetheless rest in security. For this reason, Isaiah (8:6) blames the Jews for despising the gently flowing waters of Siloah and seeking for deep and rapid rivers. . . .

In the same way today also, the Spirit encourages and inspires us to the same constancy: to despise the forces of those who march against us in splendor and confidence, to stand tranquil among all commotions and disturbances. Nor need we be ashamed of our nakedness if God's hand is outstretched to preserve us. Therefore, although God's help drips in a small stream like a rivulet, it brings us more of tranquillity than if all the powers of the world were all heaped up together at one time for helping us.

God in the midst of her. Now he shows how great the security of the church is, because God dwells in the midst of it. The verbwill be movedis feminine in Hebrew and cannot refer to God as if he were going to remain stationary in the future. The statement means simply that the Holy City shall not be moved from its place because God dwells in it and is always ready to bring it help.

But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord. Isa. 61:6.

With these words the prophet shows the people how much more glorious their condition would be than it had been before; he means, " Up to now the Lord has chosen you for his own, but in the future he will honor you with much more splendid gifts, for he will elevate you all to priestly honor." As we know although the whole people was called a priestly Kingdom, only the tribe of Levi performed the priestly office. The prophet here announces that in the future all will be priests. But this did not become manifest until the reign of Christ, although the restoration of the church began when the people returned from Babylon. At the coming of Christ, all the faithful were honored and exalted with priestly dignity.

We should consider the nature of this priesthood carefully. Animals are no longer to be slain as sacrifices to God; it is human beings that are to be brought as sacrifice -- that is brought to obedience to Christ -- as Paul said he did when by the sword of the gospel, he made an offering of the Gentiles that they might obey God (Rom. 15:16).

See then how childishly the papists misinterpret this passage when they use it to prove their own priesthood. Priests are set up by the pope and his followers to sacrifice Christ, not to teach the people. But Christ offered himself as a sacrifice for men's eternal redemption and he alone officiated in that priestly act. He simply orders the fruit of his sacrifice to be brought to us in the teaching of the gospel. Those who usurp his office and wish to repeat the offering which he completed are sacrilegious.

But every one of us ought to offer himself and all his possessions to God in sacrifice, and so to perform his rightful priestly office. Secondly, ministers who are especially called to the office of teaching should use the sword of the Word to make men a sacrifice and to consecrate them to God. True ministers, certainly, are those who try or undertake nothing of themselves, but carry out faithfully and resolutely the commands which they have received from God.

And thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Isa. 62:3.

A royal diadem. He calls the church God's crown because God wishes his glory to shine in us. When we read this, we must see and wonder at the inconceivable goodness of God. For although we are by nature filthy and corrupt and more foul than the mire of the streets, he adorns us bounteously and desires to have us as the diadem of his Kingdom.

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