Part 42 (1/2)
5. This use of animals is evidence of G.o.d's love to the human race 13.
* G.o.d's blessings greater than his wrath 13.
6. Whether this use extends to unclean animals 14-15.
7. How man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can exist with this dominion 16-18.
* New sins accompanied by new punishments 19-20.
* Sodom before and after its destruction 21.
* G.o.d's punishment of Wittenberg, Bruges and Venice, and the cause 22-23.
* G.o.d's command not to eat blood.
a. Why given 24.
b. How to treat this text, which contains G.o.d's Word 25.
* Meaning of Nephesch and Basar 26.
c. Right understanding of the command 27.
* The words, ”Surely your blood will I require” etc.
a. Lyra's and the Rabbis' explanation, 28-29.
b. Their true meaning 30-31.
B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS.
V. 2. _And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your hand are they delivered._
6. It would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his greater consolation. For though after the creation man was given dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared and fled from him according to the description of Moses. The reason is found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and eater.
7. Here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited power of life and death. Since the servitude of the beasts is increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are hara.s.sed by terror and fear of man. We see even the tamed ones do not readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man and have a constant instinct of danger. I do not believe that such was the case before this Word of G.o.d was spoken. Before that time, men used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for food. This increase of power also is a token of G.o.d's favor; he confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love and interest in man.
8. We must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it is a special gift of G.o.d, of which the heathen knew nothing, because they lack the Word. We are the ones who derive the greatest benefit from this gift. When this revelation was given to Noah, and such a privilege granted, there was really no need of it. A few men possessed the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. But we today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of birds and of fish.
9. This word, therefore, establishes the butcher's trade; it puts hares, chickens, and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all manner of dishes. Necessity makes men industrious. Not only do they hunt the animals of the forests, but carefully fatten others at home for food. G.o.d in this pa.s.sage establishes himself a slaughterer, as it were, for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals which are suitable for food, as recompence to G.o.d-fearing Noah for his tribulations during the flood. For that reason would G.o.d feed Noah with lavish hand.
10. We must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered.
The heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always existed. Such things are established, or rather permitted, by the Word of G.o.d; beasts could not have been killed without sin if G.o.d had not expressly permitted it by his Word. It is a great liberty for man to slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without wrong-doing. Had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food, it would still have been a great boon; how much more should we value this lavish blessing, that all beasts suitable for sustenance are given into the power of man!
11. The G.o.dless and the gentiles do not recognize this; nor do the philosophers. They believe that this privilege has always been man's.
As for us, however, we should have full light on the subject, in order that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of what G.o.d has created and allowed, there being absolutely no law against such food. There can be no sin in their use, though the wicked priests have criminally burdened the Church on this subject.
12. In this pa.s.sage, then, the power of man is increased and the brute beasts are committed to him, even unto death. They fear man and flee him under the new order, running counter to the experience of the past. Adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for food. But now, since the promulgation of this Word, we know that, as a special blessing, G.o.d has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of meat. Later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how to cultivate the vine.
13. These are sure proofs that G.o.d no longer hates man, but favors him. This story bears witness that, as G.o.d's wrath, once aroused, is unbearable, so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when it again begins to glow. But his mercy is the more abundantly exercised because it is the very nature of G.o.d, while wrath really is foreign to G.o.d; he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and forced thereto by the wickedness of men.