(Calvin on the Prophet Haggai. Part 5)
Lecture one hundred and Thirty-second.
Haggai 2:10-14
10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second
year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet,
saying,
11 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the
law, saying,
12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his
skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat,
shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any
of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It
shall be unclean.
14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this
nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their
hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
Though interpreters seem to perceive the meaning of the
Prophet, yet no one really and clearly expresses what he means and
intends to teach us: nay, they adduce nothing but what is jejune and
frigid; for they refer all these things to this point, - that
sacrifices were not acceptable to God before the people had begun to
build the Temple, but that from that time they were pleasing to God,
because the people, in offering sacrifices in a waste place, proved
by such negligence that they disregarded the command of God: but
when their hands were applied to the work, God was appeased, and
thus he began to accept their sacrifices which before he had
rejected. This is, indeed, a part of what is meant, but not the
whole; and the Prophet's main object seems to me to be wholly
different. He has been hitherto exhorting the people to build the
Temple; he now exhorts them to build from a pure motive, and not to
think that they had done everything when the Temple assumed a fine
appearance before the eyes of men, for God required something else.
Hence, I have no doubt but that the Prophet intended here to raise
up the minds of the people to the spiritual worship of God.
It was, indeed, necessary diligently to build the Temple, but
the end was also to be regarded; for God never cared for external
ceremonies; nor was he delighted with that building as men are with
their splendid houses. As the Jews absurdly ascribed these gross
feelings to God, the Prophet here shows why so strict a command had
been given as to the building of the Temple; and the reason was, -
that God might be worshipped in a pure and holy manner.
I will repeat again what I have said, that the explanation may
be more familiar to you. When the people neglected the building of
the Temple, they manifested their in-piety and their contempt of
Divine worship: for what was the cause of their delay and tardiness,
except that each of them regarded nothing but just his own private
interest? Now, when all of them strenuously undertook the work of
building the Temple, their industry was indeed laudable, for it was
a proof of their piety: but when the people thought that God
required nothing more than a splendid Temple, it was manifest
superstition: for the worship of God, we know, is corrupted when it
is confined to external things; for, in this manner God is
transformed into a nature not his own: as he is a Spirit, so he must
be spiritually worshipped by us. Whosoever then obtrudes on him only
external pomps in order to pacify him, most childishly trifles with
him. This second part, in my view, is what the Prophet now
undertakes to handle. From the seventh to the ninth month they had
been diligently engaged in the work which the Lord had commanded
them to do: but men, as we know, busy themselves with external
things and neglect spiritual worship; hence it was necessary to join
what is said here, that the people might understand, that it was not
enough to satisfy God, though they spared neither expense nor labour
in building the Temple; but that something greater was required,
even to worship God in it in a pure and holy manner. This is the
design of the whole passage. But we must first examine the Prophet's
words, and then it will be easier to gather the whole import of his
doctrine.
He says then that he was ordered by God, on the twenty fourth
day of the month, in the same year, in the second year of Darius, to
ask the priests concerning the law. Haggai is not bid to inquire
respecting the whole law, but only that the priests should answer a
question according to the Word of God, or the doctrine of the law
according to what is commonly said - "What is law, is the question:"
for it was not allowed to the priests to allege anything they
pleased indiscriminately; but they were only interpreters of the
law. This is the reason why God bids his Prophet to inquire what the
law of Moses defines as to the ceremony mentioned here. And the
design was, that the people, being convinced as to the legal
ceremonies, might not contend nor glamour, but acknowledge that all
socks are condemned as sinful which flow not from a pure and sincere
heart.
Haggai asks first, If a man takes holy flesh - that is, some
part of the sacrifice, - if any one takes and carries it in a sleeve
or skirt, that is, in any part of his vestment, and then touches
bread, or oil, or any eatable thing, will anything connected with
that holy flesh be sanctified by mere touch? The priests answer, No.
Here also interpreters grossly mistake: for they take "sanctified"
as meaning "polluted," altogether falsely; for there is here a
twofold question proposed. Whether holy flesh sanctifies anything it
may touch? and then, whether an impure and a polluted man
contaminates whatever he may touch? As to the first question, the
priests wisely and truly answer, that there is no such efficacy in
sacrifices, as that they can sanctify what they may touch: and this
is true. The second definition is also most proper, that whatever is
touched by an unclean man is polluted, as the law everywhere
declares.
The Prophet then accommodates this to his present case, "So",
he says, "is this people, and this nation, and the work of their
hands". For as long as they are polluted, however they may spend
money in sacrifices, and greatly weary themselves in worshipping
God, not only is their labour vain, but whatever they offer is
polluted, and is an abomination only. We now understand the words of
the Prophet, and so we may now consider the subject.
But before I speak generally of the present subject, I shall
first notice what the Prophet says here, that he inquired respecting
the law; for it was not allowed to the priests to allege anything
they pleased. We indeed know, that they had advanced into such
licentiousness, as arbitrarily to demand what God had never
commanded, and also to forbid the people what was lawful, the use of
which had been permitted by God's law. But Haggai does not here
allow such a liberty to the priests; he does not ask what they
thought, but what was required by the law of the Lord. And this is
worthy of being noticed; for it is a pernicious evil to exercise an
arbitrary control over the conscience. And yet the devil has ever
corrupted the worship of God, and the whole system of religion,
under the pretence of extolling the authority of the Church. It is
indeed true, that the sacerdotal office was very honourable and
worthy of respect; but we must ever take heed lest men assume too
much, and lest what is thoughtlessly conceded to them should deprive
God of what belongs to him; as the case is, we know, under the
Papacy. When the Pope seeks to show that all his commands ought
without any dispute to be obeyed, he quotes what is found in Deut.
17: 8 - 'If a question arises about the law, the high priest shall
judge between what is sacred and profane.' This is indeed true; but
was it permitted to the high priest to disregard God's law, and
foolishly to allege this or that according to his own judgement?
Nay, the priest was only an interpreter of the law. Whenever then
God bids those pastors to be heard whom he sets over his Church, his
will is, as it has been before stated, that he himself should be
heard through their mouth. In short, whatever authority is exercised
in the Church ought to be subjected to this rule - that God's law is
to retain its own pre-eminence, and that men blend nothing of their
own, but only define what is right according to the Word of the
Lord. Now this is by the way; I come now to the main point.
The priests answered, that neither flesh, nor oil, nor wine,
was sanctified by touching a piece or part of a sacrifice. Why?
because a sacrifice sanctifies not things unclean, except by way of
expiation; for this, we know, was the design of sacrifices - that
men who were polluted might reconcile themselves to God. A right
answer was then given by the priests, that unclean flesh or unclean
oil is not sanctified by the touch of holy flesh. Why? because the
flesh itself was not dedicated to God for this end - to purify what
was unclean by a mere touch. Yet, on the other hand, it is most
true, that when a man was unclean he polluted whatever he touched.
It is commonly thought, that he is said to be unclean in his soul
who had defiled himself by touching a corpse; but I differ from
this. The word soul is often taken in the law for man himself. -
'The soul that eats of what died of itself is polluted; the soul
that touches a corpse is polluted.' (Lev. 17: 15.) Hence he is here
said to be polluted in his soul, who had an outward uncleanness, as
we say in French, Pollu en sa personne. Whosoever then is unclean
pollutes by touch only whatever might have been otherwise clean; and
the conclusion sufficiently proves that this is the purport of this
passage. I have said enough of what the design of the Prophet is,
but the subject must be more fully explained.
We know how heedlessly men are wont to deal with God; for they
trifle with him like children with their puppets. And this
presumption has been condemned, as it is well known, even by
heathens. Hardly a Prophet could have inveighed more severely
against this gross superstition than Persius, who compares
sacrifices, so much thought of by all, to puppets, and shows that
other things are required by God, even
A well ordered condition and piety of soul,
and an inward purity of mind,
and a heart imbued with generous virtue.
He means then that men ought to be imbued with true holiness,
and that inwardly, so that there should be nothing fictitious or
feigned. He says that they who are such, that is, who have imbibed
the true fear of God, do rightly serve him, thought they may bring
only a crumb of incense, and that others only profane the worship of
God, though they may bring many oxen; for whatever they think avails
to cover their filth is polluted by new and repeated filth. And this
is what has been expressed by heathen authors: another poet says, -
An impious right hand does not rightly worship the celestials.
So they spoke according to the common judgement of natural
knowledge. As to the Philosophers, they ever hold this principle -
that no sacrifice is rightly offered to God except the mind be right
and pure. But yet the Philosophers, as well as the Poets, adopted
this false notion, by which Satan beguiled all men, from the least
to the greatest - that God is pacified by ceremonies: hence have
proceeded so many expiations, in which foolish men trusted, and by
which they thought that God would be propitious to them, thought
they obstinately continued daily to procure for themselves new
punishments, and, as it were, avowedly to carry on war with God
himself.
They admit at this day, under the Papacy, this principle that
the true fear of God is necessary, as hypocrisy contaminates all the
works of men; nor will they indeed dare to commend those who seek
feignedly and triflingly to satisfy God, when they are filled with
pride, contempt, and impiety. And yet they will never receive what
the Prophet says here - that men not only lose all their labour, but
also contract new pollution, when they seek to pacify God by their
sacrifices, unaccompanied by inward purity. For whence is that
partial righteousness which the Papists imagine? For they say, that
if one does not keep the whole law, yet obedience in part is
approved by God; and nothing is more common among them than this
expression, partial righteousness. If then an adulterer refrains
from theft, and lays out in alms some of his wealth, they will have
this to be charity, and declare it to be acceptable. Though it
proceeds from an unclean man, it is yet made a covering, which is
deemed sufficient in some way or another to pacify God. Thus the
Papists seek, without exercising any discrimination, to render God
bound to them by their works, though they may be full of all
uncleanness. We hence see that this error has not sprung up today or
yesterday for the first time; but it is inherent in the bones and
marrows of men; for they have ever thought that their services
please God, though they may be unclean themselves.
Hence this definition must be borne in mind - that works,
however splendid they may appear before our eyes, are of no value or
importance before God, except they flow from a pure heart. Augustine
has very wisely explained this in his fourth book against Julia. He
says, that it would be an absurd thing for the faithful to judge of
works by the outward appearance; but that they ought to be estimated
according to the fountain from which they proceed, and also
according to their design. Now the fountain of works I consider to
be integrity of heart, and the design or end is, when the object of
men is to obey God and to consecrate their life to him. Hence then
we learn the difference between good and evil works, between vices
and virtues, that is, from the inward state of the mind, and from
the object in view. This is the subject of the Prophet in the first
clause; and he drew an answer from the priests, which was wholly
consistent with the law; and it amounted to this, that no work,
however praised and applauded by the world, is valued before God's
tribunal, except it proceeds from a pure heart.
Now as to the second part, it is no less difficult to convince
men of its truth - that whatever they touch is contaminated, when
they are themselves unclean; and yet this is what God had plainly
made known to the Jews: and the priests hesitated not nor doubted,
but immediately returned an answer, as though the matter was well
known - that an unclean man contaminates whatever thing he touches.
But when we come to apply the subject, men then reject what they had
been clearly taught; nay, what they are forced to confess, until
they see the matter brought home to them, and then they begin to
accuse God of too much rigour: "Why is this, that whatever we touch
is polluted, though we might leave some defilement? Are not our
works still deserving of some praise, as they are good works?" And
hence also is the common saying, That works, which are in their kind
good, are always in a measure meritorious, and though they are
without faith, they yet avail to merit the gift of faith, inasmuch
as they are in themselves praiseworthy, as chastity, liberality,
sobriety, temperance, beneficence, and all alms giving. But God
declares that these virtues are polluted, though men may admire
them, and that they are only abominable filth, except the heart be
really cleansed and purified. Why so? because nothing can flow from
an impure and polluted fountain but what is impure and polluted.
It is now easy to understand how suitably the Prophet had led
the priests and the whole people to see this difference. For if he
had abruptly said this to them - that no work pleased Cod, except
the doer himself had been cleansed from every defilement, there
would have arisen immediate]y many disputations: "Why will God
reject what is in itself worthy of praise? When one observes
chastity, when another liberally lays out a part of his property,
when a third devotes himself wholly to promote the good of the
public, when magnanimity and firmness shine forth in one, when
another cultivates the liberal arts - are not these such virtues as
deserve some measure of praise!" Thus a great glamour would have
been raised among the people, had not Haggai made this kind of
preface - that according to the law what is unclean is not
sanctified by the touch of holy flesh, and also that whatever is
touched by an unclean person is polluted. What the law then
prescribed in its rituals silenced all those clamours, which might
have immediately arisen among the people. Moreover, though
ceremonies have now ceased and are no longer in use, yet what God
has once declared still retains its force - that whatever we touch
is polluted by us, except there be a real purity of heart to
sanctify our works.
Let us now inquire how our works please God: for no one is ever
found to be pure and perfect, as the most perfect are defiled with
some vices; so that their works are always sprinkled with some spots
and blemishes, and contract some uncleanness from the hidden filth
of their hearts. In answer to this, I say first, that all our works
are corrupt before God and abominable in his sight, for the heart is
naturally corrupt: but when God purifies our hearts by faith, then
our works begin to be approved, and obtain praise before him; for
the heart is cleansed by faith, and purity is diffused over our
works, so that they begin to be pleasing to God. For this reason
Moses says, that Abel pleased God with his sacrifices, "The Lord had
respect to Abel and to his gifts." (Gen. 4: 4.) Had Moses said only,
that the sacrifices of Abel were approved by God, he would have
spoken unadvisedly, or at least obscurely; for he would have been
silent on the main thing. But he begins with the person, as though
he had said, that Abel pleased God, because he worshipped him with
an upright and sincere heart. He afterwards adds, that his
sacrifices were approved, for they proceeded from the true fear of
God and sincere piety. So Paul, when speaking of the real keeping of
the law, says, that the end of the law is love from a pure heart and
faith unfeigned. (1 Tim. 1: 5.) He shows then that no work is deemed
right before God, except it proceeds from that fountain, even faith
unfeigned, which is always connected with an upright and sincere
heart. This is one thing.
Secondly, we must bear in mind how God purifies our hearts by
faith. There is indeed a twofold purification: He first forms us in
his image, and engraves on us true and real fear, and an obedient
disposition. This purity of the heart diffuses itself over our
works; for when we are imbued with true piety, we have no other
object but to offer ourselves and all we have to God. Far indeed are
they who are hypocrites and profane men from having this feeling;
nay, they are wholly alienated from it: they offer liberally their
own things to God, but they wish to be their own masters; for a
hypocrite will never give up himself as a spiritual sacrifice to
God. We hence see how faith purifies our hearts, and also purifies
our works: for having been regenerated by the Spirit of God, we
offer to him first ourselves and then all that we have. But as this
purgation is never found complete in man, it is therefore necessary
that there should come an aid from gratuitous acceptance. Our hearts
then are purified by faith, because God imputes not to us that
uncleanness which remains, and which defiles our works. As then God
regards with gracious acceptance that purity which is not as yet
perfect, so he causes that its contagion should not reach to our
works. When Abel offered sacrifices to God, he was indeed perfect,
inasmuch as there was nothing feigned or hypocritical in him: but he
was a man, we know, encompassed with infirmity. It was therefore
necessary for his remaining pollution to have been purified by the
grace of Christ. Hence it was that his sacrifices were accepted: for
as he was accepted, so God graciously received whatever proceeded
from him.
We now then see how men, while in a state of nature, displease
God by their works, and can bring nothing but what is corrupt,
filthy, and abominable. We farther see how the children of God,
after having been renewed by his Spirit, come pure to him and offer
him pure sacrifices: they come pure, because it is their object to
devote themselves to God without any dissimulation; but as this
devotedness is never perfect, God supplies the defect by a
gratuitous imputation, for he embraces them as his servants in the
same manner as though they were entirely formed in all
righteousness. And in the same way he approves of their works, for
all their spots are wiped away, yea, those very spots, which might
justly prevent all favour; were not all uncleanness washed away by
the blood of Christ, and that through faith.
We hence learn, that there is no ground for any one to deceive
himself with vain delusions, by attempting to please God with great
pomp: for the first thing of which the Prophet treats here is always
required, that is, that a person must be pure in his heart, that
inward purity must precede every work. And though this truth meets
us everywhere in all the Prophets, yet as hypocrisy dazzles our eyes
and blinds all our senses, it ought to be seriously considered by
us; and we ought to notice in an especial manner not only this
passage but other similar passages where the Prophets ridicule the
solicitude of the people, when they busied themselves with
sacrifices and outward observances, and neglected the principal
thing - real purity of heart.
We must also take notice of what the Prophet says in the last
verse, that so was every work of their hand and whatever they
offered. It seems apparently a hard matter, that the very sacrifices
were condemned as polluted. But it is no wonder that fictitious
modes of worship, by which profane men dishonour God, should be
repudiated by him; for they seek to transform him according to their
own fancy, as though he might be soothed by playthings or such
trifles. It is therefore a most disgraceful mockery when men deal
thus with God, offering him only external ceremonies, and
disregarding his nature: for they make no account of spiritual
worship, and yet think that they please him. We must then, in a
word, make this remark - that the Prophet teaches us here, that it
is not enough for men to show obedience to God, to offer sacrifices,
to spend labour in building the Temple, except these things were
rightly done - and how rightly? by a sincere heart, so there should
be no dissimulation, no duplicity.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that inasmuch as we come from our mother's
womb wholly impure and polluted, and afterwards continually contract
so many new defilements, - O grant that we may flee to the fountain,
which alone can cleanse us. And as there is no other way by which we
can be cleansed from all the defilements of the flesh, except we be
sprinkled by the blood of thy only begotten Son, and that by the
hidden power of thy Spirit, and thus renounce all our vices, - O
grant that we may so strive truly and sincerely to devote ourselves
to thee, as daily to renounce more and more all our evil affections,
and to have nothing else as our object, but to submit our minds and
all our affections to thee, by really denying ourselves, and to
exercise ourselves in this strenuous effort as long as we are in
this world, until we attain to that true and perfect purity, which
is laid up for us in thine only-begotten Son, when we shall be fully
united to him, having been transformed into that glory into which he
has been received. Amen.
(Calvin... on the Prophet Haggai)
(continued in Part 6...)
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