Collected Works of Martin Luther

by Martin Luther

  23. This term “Before me” has reference also to the condemnation of the ancient world. Having neglected the worship demanded by the first table, they criminally transgressed also the second. Not only did they mock Noah as a fool, but they went so far as to condemn his teaching as heresy. Meanwhile they ate, drank, and celebrated festivals in security. Before the world, accordingly, Noah was not righteous; measured by her code he was a sinner.

  24. Hence God, or the grandfather, Methuselah, consoles Noah with the Word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the world, neither to care for her views and utterances, but to close eyes and ears while heeding alone the Word and verdict of God, believing himself to be righteous before God, or approved and acceptable to him.

  25. And Noah’s faith was truly great; he could rely upon God’s utterance. I, forsooth, should not have believed. I realize what weight the whole world’s hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry. We are condemned in the judgment of the Pope, the Sacramentarians, and the Anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what the righteous Noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons and his pious grandfather. We have, the endorsement of many Churches, by God’s grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their doctrine and religion. Noah had no such protectors, and he saw his enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. If I had been he, I surely should have said: Lord, if I am righteous, if I am well pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? Why dost thou heap upon them all manner of favors, while I, with my family, am greatly harassed and almost without assistance? In short, I should have despaired in such great afflictions unless the Lord had given me that spirit which Noah had.

  26. Therefore, Noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, who opposed the judgments of the world with an heroic steadfastness of mind in the assurance that he was righteous while all the rest of the world was wicked.

  27. Often when I think of those most holy men, John Huss and Jerome of Prague, I view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they, only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the schools throughout the empire.

  28. It is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. Since the prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we succumb to the enemy. Let us say with Noah: I know that I am righteous before God, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and wicked, yea, even desert me. Thus did the apostles desert Christ, leaving him alone; but he said (Jn 16, 32): “I am not alone.” Thus did the false brethren desert Paul. Hence, this is no uncommon danger, and it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true doctrine, in spite of the world’s condemnation and curse.

  Vs. 2-3. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female. Of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

  29. It is evident that God takes pleasure in speaking to Noah. Hence, he does not confine himself to a single command, but repeats the same things in the same words. To human reason such repetition appears to be absurd talkativeness, but to a soul struggling against despair the will of God cannot be repeated too often, nor can too exhaustive instruction be given relative to the will of God. God recognizes the state of a soul that is tempted, and hence makes the same statements again and again, so that Noah may learn from frequent conversations and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole world forsake him, but that he has a friend and protector in God who so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him. This is the cause of the statements being repeated. However, as has been explained, God spoke with Noah not from heaven but through men.

  30. In respect to the language, this passage shows that ha-behemah signifies not only cattle, the larger animals, but also the smaller ones which were commonly used for sacrifice, as sheep, goats and the like. The custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by Moses, but was in the world from the beginning, being handed down, as it were, by the patriarchs to their posterity; as shown by the example of Abel, who brought of his first fruits an offering to God.

  31. As to the remainder of the passage, we explained at the end of the sixth chapter how to harmonize the discrepancies apparent in the fact that here seven beasts of each kind are ordered to be taken into the ark while only two of each kind are mentioned there. To repeat is not necessary. Since Noah was saved by a miracle, he thought that a seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a thank-offering to God, after the flood, for his deliverance.

  V. 4. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the ground.

  32. Here you see God’s care to give Noah complete assurance. He sets a limit of seven days, after which will follow a rain of forty days and forty nights. God speaks with peculiar significance when he says that it shall rain. It was not a common rain, but fountains of the deep as well as the windows of heaven were opened; that is, not only did a great mass of rain fall from heaven, but also an immense amount of water streamed forth from the earth itself. And an immense amount of water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of fifteen cubits. It was no ordinary rain, but the rain of God’s wrath, by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth. Because the earth was depraved, God despoiled it, and because the godless people raged against the first and second tables of the commandments, therefore God also raged against them, using heaven and earth as his weapons.

  33. This story is certain proof that God, though long-suffering and patient, will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. As Peter says (2 Pet 2, 5), if he “spared not the ancient world,” how much less will he spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his Word? How much less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy of our calling and profession, when we freely and daily sin against our consciences? Let us, then, learn to fear the Lord, humbly to accept his Word and obey it; otherwise punishment will overtake also us, as Peter threatens.

  Vs. 5-10. And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

  34. This is clear from what precedes. Noah’s faith is praiseworthy in that he obeyed the Lord’s command and unwaveringly entered the ark with his sons and their wives. God truly could have saved him in innumerable other ways; he did not employ this seemingly absurd method because he knew no other. To him who kept Jonah for three days in the midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale, what do you think is impossible? But Noah’s faith and obedience are to be commended because he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him, but embraced it in simple faith.

  II.

  COMPLETE DESTRUCTION BY FLOOD.

  *

  Why Moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other writers describe at length 35-39.

  *

  Noah’s grief because of the approaching calamity 38.

  *

  The way of coarse and satiated spirits 39.

  1.

  When did the flood commence.

  a.

  Some think it began in the spring 40.

  b.


  Others think it began in the autumn 41.

  c.

  Which is the more probable 42.

  *

  What to think of the Jews reckoning the year has two beginnings 44.

  2.

  How the flood continued.

  a.

  Must distinguish the fountains of the earth, the windows of heaven and the rain 45.

  *

  Of the earth and the water.

  (1)

  Why the water does not overflow the earth since the earth floats in the water 46.

  (2)

  Why the water above the earth does not fall and overflow the earth 47-48.

  (3)

  How the prophets wondered at this as a miracle, but we in our day give it little thought 49.

  b.

  How were the fountains broken up, how can such a work be ascribed to God 50-51.

  *

  Overflowing of the German fountains at Halle 51.

  c.

  How were the windows of heaven opened 52.

  (1)

  What is meant by the windows of heaven 53.

  (2)

  Why such words used here 53.

  3.

  Flood covered and destroyed the whole earth 54.

  4.

  Why God sent the deluge 54.

  *

  Why God so often repeats the same thing 55-60.

  *

  What is meant by Zippor 55.

  *

  How God’s wrath as seen in the deluge was very great 56-57.

  5.

  The deluge was a terrible spectacle; Noah and his sons took courage from it 58-60.

  *

  Noah’s glorious faith at the sight of the deluge 60.

  *

  Noah’s long ship voyage; how he was comforted 61.

  6.

  How the world’s destruction harmonizes with God’s promises: how the promises to the Church agree with his threatenings 62ff.

  *

  God’s threatenings and man’s unbelief.

  a.

  Why the first world believed not the threatenings about the deluge 62ff.

  b.

  Why the Jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets 63.

  c.

  Why the Papists believed not the threats against them 64.

  *

  God’s Church and her maintenance.

  a.

  The world understands not how the church is maintained 66.

  b.

  What is the true form of the true Church 66.

  c.

  God’s promises not rescinded when rejected; who bear the name of the Church 67-68.

  7.

  Whether God fully rescinded through the flood the rule over the earth he once gave man 69.

  *

  How God preserved his Church through the deluge 69.

  8.

  The deluge was apparently against God’s promise 70.

  *

  God allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent 71-73.

  *

  By what means Papists adorn themselves and how it is all in vain 72.

  *

  Why we should not rely on present, temporal things, but upon God’s Word 73.

  *

  The marks of a true Church.

  a.

  What they are not and what they are 74-76.

  b.

  Papists have characteristics Holy Scriptures give as marks of Antichrist 75.

  c.

  Church born of God’s Word and is to be known by that Word 76.

  d.

  Rule to be observed in the marks of the true Church 77.

  e.

  How far one may consider the Papists the true church, and how far not 78-79.

  f.

  The true church is where the Word is, although few belong to it and it has no temporal power 79.

  g.

  Whether the Evangelicals can justly be accused of falling from the old church 80.

  h.

  How and why the Evangelical or Gospel Church is really the true Church 81.

  *

  How Noah retained all and remained lord of the world although the deluge destroyed everything 81.

  II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.

  VS. 11-12. IN the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

  35. We see that Moses uses a great many words, which results in tiresome repetition. How often he mentions the animals! how often the entrance into the ark! how often the sons of Noah who entered at the same time! The reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded; they alone know and see that the Holy Spirit does not repeat in vain.

  36. Others, however, who are more materially minded may think that Moses, being moved, when he wrote the passage, by the greatness of God’s wrath, desired to enforce its truths by repetition; for reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds. Thus did David repeat his lament over his son Absalom, 2 Sam 18, 33. So viewed, this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind. This example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he mentions the same thing again and again, and in the same words.

  37. This is not the custom of poets and historians. Their emotions are factitious; they are diffuse in their descriptions; they pile up words for mere effect. Moses husbands his words, but is emphatic by repetition that he may arouse the reader’s attention to the importance of the message and compel him to feel his own emotions instead of reading those of another.

  38. Evidently Moses did not only wish to convey by persistent repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind, but also of that of Noah himself, who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and burning with love, necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not avert it. He foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and eminent men. Thus did David mourn when he could not call back Absalom to life. So Samuel mourned when he despaired of saving Saul.

  39. The text is not a mere tautology or repetition. The Holy Spirit does not idly repeat words, as those superficial minds believe, which, having read through the Bible once, throw it aside as if they had gathered all its contents. Yet these very repetitions of Moses contain a statement more startling than any to be found in heathen records — that Noah entered the ark in the six hundredth year, the second month and the second day of his life.

  40. Opinions differ as to the beginning of the year. One is, that the year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs nearest to the vernal equinox. Thus this month is called the first by Moses in Exodus. If the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the second month, it must have continued almost to the end of April, the most beautiful season of the year, when the earth seemingly gathers new strength, when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice, when the world puts on a new face, as it were, after the dreary season of winter. Death and destruction must have come with added terror at that season which was looked forward to as a harbinger of joy and the apparent beginning of a new life. This view is substantiated by the words of Christ in Matthew 24, 38, where he compares the last days of the world to the days of Noah and speaks of feasting, marriage and other signs of gladness.

  41. A second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is nearest to the autumnal equinox, when all the harvest has been gathered from the fields. Its advocates declare this to be the beginning of the year, because Moses calls that month in which such new moon occurs, the end of the year. They call this autumnal equinox the beginning of the civil year, and the vernal equinox the beginning of the holy year. The Mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the latter season up to the autumnal equinox.

  42. If Moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year, then the flood occurred in September or October, an opinion I find Lyra held. It is
true that fall and winter are more liable to rains, the signs of the zodiac pointing to humidity. Again, as Moses writes further on, a dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive branch. This fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge began in October.

  43. But I cannot endorse this argument of the Jews, assuming two beginnings of the year. Why not make four beginnings, since there are four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices? It is safer to follow the divine order, making April the first month, starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox. The Jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of the year: the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year. Moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased and all products had been gathered and brought home.