(Calvin. Commentaries on the Prophet Zechariah. Part 30)
Lecture One Hundred and Sixty-third.
Zechariah 13:2
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that
I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they
shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and
the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
Here the Prophet mentions another effect, which would follow
the repentance of the people, and which the Lord also would thereby
produce. There was to be a cleansing from all the defilements of
superstitions; for the pure and lawful worship of God cannot be set
up without these filthy things being wiped away; inasmuch as to
blend sacred with profane things, is the same thing as though one
sought to take away the difference between heaven and earth. No
religion then can be approved by God, except what is pure and free
from all such pollution. We hence see why the Prophet adds, that
there would be an end to falsehoods and all errors, and to the
delusions of Satan, when God restored his Church; for the simplicity
of true doctrine would prevail, and thus abolished would be whatever
Satan had previously invented to corrupt religion.
We hence learn what I have just stated - that God cannot be
rightly worshipped, except all corruptions, inconsistent with his
sincere and pure worship, be taken away. But we must at the same
time observe, that this effect is ascribed to God's word; for it is
that which can drive away and banish all the abominations of
falsehood, and whatever is uncongenial to true religion. As then by
the rising of the sun darkness is put to flight, and all things
appear distinctly to the view, so also when God comes forth with the
teaching of his word, all the deceptions of Satan must necessarily
be dissipated.
Now these two things ought especially to be known; for we see
that many, who are not indeed ungodly, but foolish and
inconsiderate, think that they give to God his due honour, while
they are entangled in many errors, and refrain not from
superstitions. Others, more politic, devise this way of peace - that
they who think rightly are to concede something to tyrants and false
Prophets; and thus they seek to form at this day a new religion for
us, made up of Popery and of the simple doctrine of the gospel, and
in this manner as it were to transform God. As then we see that men
are so disposed to mix all sorts of things together, that the pure
simplicity of the gospel may be contaminated by various inventions,
we ought to bear in mind this truth, - that the Church cannot be
rightly formed, until all superstitions be rejected and banished.
This is one thing.
We may also deduce hence another principle - that the word of
God not only shows the way to us, but also discovers all the
delusions of Satan; for hardly one in a hundred follows what is
right, except he is reminded of what he ought to avoid. It is then
not enough to declare that there is but one true God, and that we
ought to put our trust in Christ, except another thing be added,
that is, except we warn men of those intrigues by which Satan has
from the beginning deceived miserable mortals: even at this day with
what various artifices has he withdrawn the simple and unwary from
the true God, and entangled them in a labyrinth of superstitions.
Except therefore men be thus warned, the word of God is made known
to them only in part. Whosoever then desires to perform all the
duties of a good and faithful pastor, ought firmly to resolve, not
only to abstain from all impure doctrines, and simply to assert what
is true, but also to detect all corruptions which are injurious to
religion, to recover men from the deceptions of Satan, and in short,
avowedly to carry on war with all superstitions.
This was what Zechariah had in view when he said, In that day,
that is, when God would restore his Church, perish shall the names
of idols, so that they shall be remembered no more. By this last
expression he sets forth more clearly what I have just stated, that
the pure worship of God is then established as it ought to be, and
that religion has then its own honour, when all errors and
impostures cease, so that even the memory of them does not remain.
It is indeed true, that superstitions can never be so abolished, so
that no mention of them should be made; nay, the recollection of
them is useful - "Thou shalt remember thy ways," says Ezekiel, "and
be ashamed," (Ezek. 16: 6.) But by this form of speaking Zechariah
means, that such would be the detestation of superstitions, that the
people would dread the very mention of them. And hence we may learn
how much purity of doctrine is approved by God, since he would have
us to feel a horror as at something monstrous, whenever the name of
an idol is mentioned.
He then refers to false teachers, I will exterminate, he says,
the Prophets and the unclean Spirits from the land. The connection
here is worthy of being noticed; for it hence appears how all errors
arise, even when a loose rein is given to false teachers. It is
indeed true I allow, that the seed of all errors is implanted in
each of us, so that every one is a teacher to deceive himself; for
we are not only disposed to what is false, but rush headlong into
it: it is the corruption of our nature. But at the same time when
liberty is taken to teach anything that may please men, the whole of
religion must necessarily be corrupted, and all things become mixed
together, so that there is no difference between light and darkness.
God then here reminds us, that the Church cannot stand, except false
teachers be prevented from turning truth into falsehood, and from
pealing at their pleasure against the word of God.
And this is what ought to be carefully observed; for we see at
this day how some unprincipled men adopt this sentiment - that the
Church is not free, except every one is allowed with impunity to
promulgate whatever he pleases, and that it is the greatest cruelty
to punish a heretic; for they would have all liberty to be given to
blasphemies. But the Prophet shows here, that the Church cannot be
preserved in a pure state, and, in a word, that it cannot exist as a
healthy and sound body, except the rashness and audacity of those
who pervert sound and true doctrine be restrained.
We now then understand the import of this verse - that in order
that God may be alone and indeed be rightly worshipped, he will take
away and banish all idols and all superstitions, and also, that he
will exterminate all ungodly teachers who pervert sound doctrine.
He calls them first Prophets, and then unclean spirits. The
name of Prophets is conceded to them, though they were wholly
unworthy of so honourable a title. As ungodly men ever boast
themselves in an audacious manner and hesitate not to pretend God's
name, that they may more boldly proceed in deceiving: hence it is,
that Scripture sometimes concedes to them a name which they falsely
claim. So also the word spirit is sometimes applied to them - "Prove
the spirits, whether they are of God: every spirit that denies that
Christ has come in the flesh, he is a liar." (1 John 4: 1.) John
doubtless adopted this mode of speaking according to common usage;
for all false teachers claimed this title with great confidence, and
maintained that all the errors they spread abroad were revealed to
them by the Spirit." Be it so then, but ye are lying spirits."
Now then as to this title, there is no obscurity in what the
Prophet means: and by way of explanation he adds the unclean spirit,
that he might distinguish those vile men from the faithful ministers
of God; as though he had said, "They indeed declare that they have
drawn down the Spirit from heaven; but it is the spirit of the
devil, it is an unclean spirit." Now as Zechariah declares, that
this would be in the Church of God, we learn how foolish the Papists
are, who are content with the mere title of honour, and claim to
themselves the greatest power, and will have themselves heard
without dispute, as though they were the organs of the Spirit. What
right indeed do they pretend? that they have been called by the
Lord. The same reason might have been assigned by these unprincipled
men, whom it was necessary to drive away, in order that the Church
might rise again. It then follows that we are not to consider only
what name a person has, or with what title he is distinguished, but
how rightly he conducts himself, and how faithfully he performs his
duties and discharges the office of a pastor. Let us proceed -
Zechariah 13:3
And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then
his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou
shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and
his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through
when he prophesieth.
The same concession is made in this verse, where Zechariah
speaks of the office of prophesying: he indeed confines what he says
altogether to false teachers, for he takes it as granted that there
was then no attention given to God's servants, inasmuch as false
spirits had conspired together, so that nothing pure or sound
remained in the Church. As then a false and diabolical faction had
then prevailed, Zechariah calls them Prophets as though they were
all such, for they were heard as the Lord's servants during that
disorder of which mention is made. But he proceeds farther in this
verse than before, and says, that there would be so much zeal in
God's children when renewed by his Spirit, that they would not spare
even their own children, but slay them with their own hands, when
they saw them perverting the truth of God.
Zechariah no doubt alludes to the 13th chapter of Deuteronomy,
where God requires such a rigorous severity in defending pure
doctrine, that a father was to rise up against the son whom he had
begotten, that a husband was to lead his wife to death rather than
to indulge his love and to pardon impiety, in case the wife
solicited him or others to forsake God. The Lord then would have all
the godly to burn with so much zeal in the defence of lawful worship
and true religion, that no connection, no relationship, nor any
other consideration, connected with the flesh, should avail to
prevent them from bringing to punishment their neighbours, when they
see that God's worship is profaned, and that sound doctrine is
corrupted. This was the rule prescribed by the law. Now after
religion had been for a time neglected, and even trodden almost
under foot, Zechariah says, that the faithful, when they shall have
repented, would be endued with so much zeal for true religion, as
that neither father nor mother would tolerate an ungodly error in
their own son, but would lead him to punishment; for they would
prefer the glory of God to flesh and blood, they would prefer to all
earthly attachments that worship which ought to be more precious to
us than life itself.
But it must at the same time be observed, that this zeal under
the reign of Christ is approved by God; for Zechariah does not here
confine what he teaches to the time of the law, but shows what would
take place when Christ came, even that this zeal, which had become
nearly extinct, would again burn in the hearts of all the godly. It
then follows, that this law was not only given to the Jews, as some
fanatics verily imagine, who would have for themselves at this day a
liberty to disturb the whole world, but the same law also belongs to
us: for if at this day thieves and robbers and sorcerers are justly
punished, doubtless those who as far as they can destroy souls, who
by their poison corrupt pure doctrine, which is spiritual food, who
take away from God his own honour, who confound the whole order of
the Church, doubtless such men ought not to escape unpunished. It
would be indeed better to grant license to thieves and sorcerers and
adulterers, than to suffer the blasphemies which the ungodly utter
against God, to prevail without any punishment and without any
restraint. And this is evident enough from the words of our Prophet.
And little consideration do they also show, who immediately
fret from a regard to their own relatives. When faithful ministers
and pastors are constrained to warn their people to beware of the
artifices of Satan, they seek to bury every recollection of this,
because it is invidious, because it leads to reproach. What if their
children were to be drawn forth to punishment? How could they bear
this, though they might remain at home; for they cannot attend to a
free warning from their own pastor, when they find that impious
errors are reproved, which we see prevailing, I say not in our
neighbourhood only, but also in our own bosom and in the Church. Let
them then acknowledge their own folly, that they may learn to put on
new courage, so that they may make more account of the glory of God,
and of the pure doctrine of religion, than of their own carnal
attachments, by which they are too fast held. And this is also the
reason why the Prophet says, who have begotten him, and he repeats
it twice: nor was it in vain that God had those words expressly
added, "The husband shall not suffer the wife who sleeps in his
bosom to go unpunished; nor shall the father pardon his son whom he
has begotten, nor the mother her own offspring, whom she has
nourished, whom she has carried in her womb." (Deut. 13: 6, 9.) All
these things are said, that we may learn to forget whatever belongs
to the world and to the flesh, when God's glory and purity of
doctrine are to be vindicated by us.
Now the Prophet shows clearly that all this is to be understood
of false teachers, for he adds, For falsehood hast thou spoken in
the name of Jehovah. And at the same time the atrocity of their sin
is here pointed out; for if we rightly consider what it is to speak
falsehood in the name of Jehovah, it will certainly appear to us to
be more detestable than either to kill an innocent man, or to
destroy a guest with poison, or to lay violent hands on one's own
father, or to plunder a stranger. Whatever crimes then can be
thought of, they do not come up to this, that is, when God himself
is involved in such a dishonour, as to be made an abettor of
falsehood. What indeed can more peculiarly belong to God than his
own truth? and it is his will also to be worshipped by us according
to this distinction: God is truth. Now to corrupt pure doctrine - is
it not the same thing, as though one substituted the devil in the
place of God? or sought to transform God, so that there should be no
difference between him and the devil? Hence the greatest of all
crimes, as I have already said, does not come up to this horrible
and monstrous wickedness. For how much does the salvations of souls
exceed all the riches of the world? and then, how much more
excellent is the worship of God than the fame and honours of
mortals? Besides, does not religion itself, the pledge of eternal
life, swallow up in a manner every thing that is sought in the
world? But most sacred to us ought to be the name of God, the
sanctifying of which we daily pray for. When therefore what is false
is brought forward in the name of God, is not he, according to what
I have already said, as it were violently forced to undertake the
office of the devil, to renounce himself, and to deny that he is
God?
We hence see the design of the Prophet, when he shows that
there is no place for pardon, when the ungodly thus wantonly rise up
to pervert pure doctrine, and so to confound all things as wholly to
destroy true religion.
He adds, Pierce him shall his father and his mother who have
begotten him. It is much harder to kill their son by their own hands
than to bring him to the Judge, and to leave him to his fate. But
the Prophet has taken this from the law - that so much zeal is
required from the faithful, that, if it be necessary, they are to
exterminate from the world such pests as deprive God of his own
honour, and attempt to extinguish the light of true and genuine
religion. It follows -
Zechariah 13:4
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be
ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither
shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
Zechariah proceeds with the same subject, but in other words
and in another mode of speaking, and says, that so great would be
the light of knowledge, that those who had previously passed
themselves as the luminaries of the Church would be constrained to
be ashamed of themselves. And he farther shows how it was that so
great and so gross errors had arisen, when the whole of religion had
been trodden under foot, and that was because Satan had veiled the
eyes and minds of all, so that they could not distinguish between
black and white.
And such ignorance has been the source of all errors under the
Papacy. How great has been the stupidity of that people, as they
have indiscriminately admitted whatever their ungodly teachers have
dared to obtrude on them? And in their bishops themselves, and in
the whole band of their filthy clergy, how great a sottishness has
prevailed, so that they differ nothing from asses? For artisans, and
even cowherds, surpass many of the priests and many of the bishops,
at least in common prudence. While then there was such ignorance in
these asses, there could not have been any difference made between
truth and falsehood. And then when they put on fine rings, and adorn
themselves with a forked metre and its ornaments, and also display
their crook, and appear in all their pontifical splendour, the eyes
of the simple are so dazzled, that all think them to be some new
gods come down from heaven. Hence these prelates were beyond measure
proud, until God stripped off their mask: and now their ignorance is
well known, and no one among the common people is now deceived.
How then is it, that many are still immersed in their own
errors? Because they wish to be so; they close their own eyes
against clear light. The kings themselves, and such as exercise
authority in the world, desire to be in their filth, and are
indifferent as to any kind of abomination; for they fear lest in
case of any innovation the common people should take occasion to
raise tumults. As they themselves wish to remain quiet, hence it is
that they defend with a diabolical pertinacity those superstitions
which are abundantly proved to be so. And the people themselves
neither care for God nor for their own salvation. Hence then it is,
that almost all, from the least to the greatest, regard these asses,
who are called prelates, as the most ignorant, and yet they submit
to their tyranny. However this may be, the Lord has yet discovered
the shame of those who had been a little while ago almost adored.
This is what Zechariah now declares, Ashamed, he says, shall
all the Prophets be in that day, every one for his own vision, when
they shall have prophesied. And the concession, of which we have
spoken, is not without reason; for when the brawling monks about
thirty years ago ascended their pulpits, or the prelates, who
theatrically acted their holy rites, there was nothing, but what was
divine and from heaven. Hence with great impudence they boasted
themselves to be God's messengers, his ministers, vicars, and
pastors; though the name of pastors was almost mean in their esteem;
but they were Christ's vicars, they were his messengers, in short,
there was nothing which they dared not to claim for themselves. The
Prophet ridicules this sort of pride, and seems to say, "Well, let
all their trumperies be prophecies; and all their babblings, let
these be for a time counted oracles: but when they shall thus
prophesy, the Lord will at length make them ashamed, every one for
his vision."
It follows, And they shall not wear a hairy garment that they
may lie; that is, they shall not be solicitous of retaining their
honour and fame, but will readily withdraw from courting that renown
which they had falsely attained. It appears from this place that
Prophets wore sordid and hairy garments. Yet interpreters do not
appropriately quote those passages from the Prophets where they are
bidden to put on sackcloth and ashes; for Isaiah, while announcing
many of his prophecies, did not put on sackcloth and ashes, except
when he brought some sad message. The same also may be said of
Jeremiah, when he was bidden to go naked. But it was a common thing
with the Prophets to be content with a hairy, that is, with a sordid
and mean garment. For though there is liberty allowed in external
things, yet some moderation ought to be observed; for were I to
teach in a military dress, it would be deemed inconsistent with
common sense. There is no need of being taught as to what common
decency may requite. The true Prophets accustomed themselves to
hairy garments in order to show that they were sparing and frugal in
their clothing as well as in their diet: but they attached no
sanctity to this practice, as though they acquired some eminence by
their dress, like the monks at this day, who deem themselves holy on
account of their hoods and other trumperies. This was not then the
object of the Prophets; but only that by their dress they might show
that they had nothing else in view but to serve God, and so to
separate themselves from the world, that they might wholly devote
themselves to their ministry. Now the false Prophets imitated them;
hence Zechariah says, they shall no more wear a hairy garment, that
is, they shall no more assume a prophetic habit.
His purpose was, not to condemn the false Prophets for wearing
that sort of garment, as some have supposed, who have laid hold of
this passage for the purpose of condemning long garments and
whatever displeased their morose temper; but the Prophet simply
means, that when purity of doctrine shall shine forth, and true
religion shall attain its own honour, there will be then no place
given to false teachers; for they will of themselves surrender their
office, and no longer try to deceive the unwary. This is the real
meaning of the Prophet: hence he says, that they may lie. We then
see that hairy garments are condemned on account of a certain end -
even that rapacious wolves might be concealed under the skin of
sheep, that foxes might introduce themselves under an appearance not
their own. This design, and not the clothing itself, is what is
condemned by Zechariah. He afterwards adds -
Zechariah 13:5
But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man
taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
He describes repentance in this verse more fully. When Paul
wished to exhort the faithful to newness of life, he said, "Let him
who has stolen, steal no more; but rather work with his own hands,
that he may relieve the wants of others." (Eph. 4: 18.) Paul notices
two parts of repentance, - that thieves are to refrain from acts of
dishonesty and wrong, - and that they ought to labour in order to
aid others and relieve their wants. So also Zechariah mentions these
two particulars, - that false prophets will give up their office, -
and that they will then spend their labour in doing what is right
and just, supporting themselves in a lawful and innocent manner, and
affording aid to their brethren.
Having spoken already of the former part, he repeats the same
thing again, I am not a prophet. It is then the first thing in
repentance, when they who had been previously the servants of Satan
in the work of deception, cease to deal in falsehoods, and thus put
an end to their errors. Now follows the progress, - that they who
lived before in idleness and in pleasures under the pretext of
sanctity, willingly devote themselves to labour, and continue no
longer idle and gluttonous as before, but seek to support themselves
by just and lawful employment. It would not then have been enough
for him to say, I am no prophet, had he not added, I am an
husbandman; that is, I am prepared to labour, that I may support
myself and aid my brethren.
A half reformation might probably succeed with many at this
day. Were many monks sure that a rich mess would continue to them in
their cloisters, and were also the milted bishops and abbots made
certain that nothing of their gain and profit would be lost to them,
they would easily grant a free course to the gospel. But the second
part of reformation is very hard, which requires toil and labour: in
this case the stomach has no ears, according to the old proverb. And
yet we see what the Prophet says, - that those are they who truly
and from the heart repent, who not only abstain from impostures, but
who are also ready to get their own living, acknowledging that they
had before defrauded the poor, and procured their support by rapine
and fraud.
The Prophet no doubt speaks of impostors, who were then
numerous among the Jews; and there were also women who boasted that
they were favoured with a prophetic spirit; and the true prophets of
God had to contend with these sorceresses or wise women, who had
ever intruded themselves during a confused state of things, and
undertook the office of teaching. As then there were at that time
many idlers who lived on superstition, rightly does the Prophet send
them away to cultivate the land. So at this day there are many
brotherlings who hide their ignorance under their hood, and even all
the papal clergy, under the sacred vestment, as they call it; and
were they unmasked, it might easily be found out, that they are the
most ignorant asses. Now, as the Lord has abundantly discovered
their baseness, were they to acknowledge that they have been
impostors, what would remain for them, but willingly to do what they
are here taught? that is, to become husband men instead of being
prophets.
As to the end of the verse, some retain the word Adam; others
render it man; and generally the word Adam means man in Scripture.
But they who think that Zechariah speaks of the first man, adduce
this reason, - that as this necessity of "eating his bread by the
sweat of his face" (Gen. 3: 9) was imposed on all mankind after the
fall, so also all his posterity were thus taught by Adam their first
parent; but this interpretation seems too far-fetched. I therefore
take the word indefinitely; as though he had said, "I have not been
taught by any master, so as to become capable to undertake the
prophetic office; but I am acquainted only with agriculture, and
have made such progress, that I can feed sheep and oxen; I am indeed
by no means fit to take upon me the office of a teacher." I take the
passage simply in this sense.
With regard to the verb "hiknani", "kanah", means to possess,
to acquire; but as the word "mekanah", which signifies a flock of
sheep or cattle, is derived from this verb, the most learned
interpreters are inclined to give this meaning, "Man has taught me
to possess sheep and oxen." I am however disposed to give this
rendering, as I have already stated, "Man has taught me to be a
shepherd."
The import of the whole is, - that when God shall discover the
ignorance, which would so prevail in the Church, as that the
darkness of errors would extinguish as it were all the light of true
religion, then they who repent shall become so humble, as to be by
no means ashamed to confess their ignorance and to testify that they
had been impostors as long as they had under a false pretence
assumed the office of prophets. The Spirit of God then requires here
this humility from all who had been for a time immersed in the dregs
of falsehood, that when they find that they are not fit to teach,
they should say, "I have not been in school, I was wholly ignorant,
and yet I wished to be accounted a most learned teacher; at that
time the stupidity of the people veiled my disgrace: but now the
light of truth has shone upon us, which has constrained me to feel
ashamed; and therefore I confess that I am not worthy to be heard in
the assembly, and I am prepared to employ my hands in labour and
toil, that I may gain my living, rather than to deceive men any
longer, as I have hitherto done."
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast been pleased to draw us
at this day, by the light of thy gospel, out of that horrible
darkness in which we have been miserably immersed, and to render thy
face so conspicuous to us in the person of thy only-begotten Son,
that nothing but our ingratitude prevents us from being transformed
into thy celestial glory, - O grant, that we may make such advances
in the light of truth, that every one of us may be ashamed of his
former ignorance, and that we may freely and ingenuously confess
that we were lost sheep, until we were by thy hand brought back into
the way of salvation; and may we thus proceed in the course of our
holy vocation, until we shall at length be all gathered into heaven,
where not only that truth shall give us light, which now rules us
according to the capacity of our flesh, but where also shall shine
on us the splendour of thy glory, and shall render us conformable to
thine image, through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Amen.
(Calvin... on Zechariah)
Continued in Part 31...
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