Exposition of Jude 2, Biblical exegesis · Verse 9 · Commentary 2
EXPLICATION.
In the explication of this ſecond part, the contention it ſelf, I ſhall ſpeak 1. Of this combat, as it's ſet out more generally; ſo here it is ſaid that Michael contended. 2. As it's ſet out more particularly, in the particular caſe and cauſe in which he contended; and ſo it's ſaid, Michael diſputed about the body of Moſes.
1. More generally: It is ſaid that Michael contended, foreign, Vox foreign forenſis eſt, et ad judicia ſpectat. Juſtinian. in loc.the word (ſaith Juſtinian) is borrowed from courts of judicature, and belongs to judgments; foreign, is to contend in judgment. The word in Scripture is uſed ſeverall waies, and oft it ſignifies to heſitate, and ſtagger, or doubt, Rom. 14.23. Matth. 21.21. Rom. 4.20. And the word imports a doubting with a contention: Qui haeſitat, al tercantibus ſententiis, ſecum quaſi litigat et diſceptat. Bud. in comment.He that doubts or heſitates in a buſineſſe, being by different opinions drawn ſeveral waies, finding a ſtrugling and a contention (as Budeus notes) within himſelf, as unreſolved what courſe to take. Rom. 14.1. The Apoſtle ſpeaks of doubtfull, or contentious diſputations; or (as the word ſignifies) contentions of diſputations. foreign, altercationes diſputationum. Beza.Acts 11.2. They of the circumciſion (foreign) contended with Peter.
It may here be demanded, What are thoſe contentions between good and bad Angels? Its anſwered, That they are either about things, 1. of temporall, or 2. of ſpiritual concernment.
1. About Temporals, and ſo they contend, the good Angels for, and the bad againſt the outward welfare of the people of God: Pſal. 34.7.The good Angels (like Souldiers) pitch their tents about the godly, to protect them, where Satan pitcheth his forces to deſtroy them. Evil Angels ſtrive to drive men into places of danger, the Divel would have had Chriſt to have leapt from the top of the pinacle: Mat. 6.4.but the good Angels keep us in all our waies, and bear us up in their arms, Pſal. 91.12. When Eliſha was beſet, the mountain was full of horſes and chariots, 1 King. 6.17. The Divel, who ſtir'd up Daniels enemies to have deſtroyed him by the Lions, was diſappointed by that good Angel, Dan. 6.22who ſhut the Lions mouths. The Angels of God defended Jacob from the fury of his brother Eſau, Gen. 32.2.into whoſe heart Satan had put it to contrive Jacobs death. Satan endeavours the deſtruction of people and countries; but good Angels fight for their ſafety: When Satan prevailed with David to number the people, 2 Sam. 24.17.he left him fewer to number by ſeventy thouſand. Michael the chief of the chief princes protected the Jewes againſt the tyranny of the Perſians, Dan. 10.13. 2 King. 19.35And an Angel ſmote an hundred fourſcore and five thouſand which came to deſtroy Judah: Exod. 14.19An Angel went between the Iſraelites and the army of Egyptians. When Satan ſtir'd up Jezabel to ſeek and vow the death of Elijah, 1 King. 19.5perſecuted Elijah was fed and preſerved by a good Angel. Divels labour to deſtroy the families and eſtates of the godly; (as in the caſe of Job:) the Angels of God are their guard (when 'tis for their good) to protect them, and encamp about their perſons and habitations.
2. The contentions of good and bad Angels are about Spirituall things. Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Spiritual head and husband of the Church, was by evil Angels with deadly hatred oppoſed; good Angels admire, adore, advance him. When Chriſt was in the womb, Satan would have had his mother ſuſpected of uncleanneſſe, ſo that her husband was minded to put her away; but the good Angel affirms, that what was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghoſt. The Divel ſought to murder him in his infancy; The good Angels appeared in multitudes praiſing God at his nativity, and one directs Joſeph to carry Jeſus into Egypt for his preſervation from Herods cruelty. The Divell tempts Chriſt, Matth. 4.and toſſeth him from place to place: The good Angels, when he was afterward faint and weary, came and miniſtred to him. The Divel, through the whole courſe of his life, ſtirs up perſecution and raiſeth ſlanders againſt him, enters into Judas to betray him, and into the Jewes faſly to accuſe and crucifie him: but as one good Angel appeared from heaven in his agony ſtrengthening him, ſo would more then twelve legions of ſuch (had God but given a commiſſion) have waited upon him, and reſcued him from his enemies. The Divels malice againſt Chriſt dyed not with him; but to baffle the glory of his reſurrection, he ſuggeſts the aſperſion of his Diſciples, their ſtealing away his body by night: The good Angels atteſt the glory of his reſurrection to thoſe who came to the Sepulchre and afterward his Aſrenſion, to thoſe who look'd toward heaven; aſſuring them alſo of his return to judgment. Nor is the contention of good and bad Angels leſſe about the Church of Chriſt: The good Angels rejoyce at the enlargment of Chriſt kingdome, the converſion of one ſinner; and 'tis a pleaſure to them to be preſent at the publick ordinances, and to look into the myſtery of the Goſpel, 1 Cor. 11.10▪ Epheſ. 3 10As impoſſible it is, they ſhould preach anothe… Goſpel, is to be accurſed, Gal. 1.8. They ſurther the Goſpel, and preſerve the true worſhip of God, forbidding the worſhip of themſelues. The Law was given by their miniſtry: Luke 2 9. Acts 10.10.The Angel directs Cornelius to ſend for Peter: The Angel brought Philip to inſtruct the Eunuch; invited the Apoſtle to come to Macedonia, and help ſouls to heaven; delivered Peter out of priſon to preach the Goſpel; carried the ſoul of Lazarus to heaven; reſiſted Balaam in the way wherein he came forth to curſe Iſrael, &c. Michael and his Angels, Rev. 12. fight for the defence of the Church againſt all the injuries of the Divel. But the Divel is the grand adverſary of ſouls: Evil Angels labour to ſtop the paſſage of the Goſpel; they put forth their power in Jannes and Jambres; to reſiſt Moſes in his Miniſtry. The Divel offereth himſelf to be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets. He ſtands at Joſhuah's right hand to withſtand him in his Office; Zech 3 1. Matth. 13. 1 Tim. 4 1. 1 The…. 2 18. Rev. 2.10.he ſoweth tares in the field, where the good ſeed of the word is ſown: Falſe Doctrines are the Doctrines of Divels: Satan hindred Paul once or twice from his journey to the Theſſalonians to confi…m their faith; he raiſeth perſecution againſt the Church; he caſt ſome into priſon: And where he cannot hinder powerful preaching, he contends to make the word ſundry wayes ineffectual: ſome he holds faſt in unbelief and contumacy; from careleſs hearers he ſnatcheth the word: Thoſe who happly hear attentively, he hinders from practiſing; and of ſome kind of practiſers he often makes Apoſtates.
The ſecond thing to be explained, 2 Branch of Explicat.is the ſtrife and …mbate between Michael and the Divel, ſet forth more particularly in the particular caſe and cauſe thereof, the Archangel diſputed about the body of Moſes. And here,
1 What he did? he diſputed.
2 About what he d…d it; or the ſubject of that diſputation? the body of Moſes.
1. He diſputed, foreign, The word ſignifieth a Conteſt by Argument and Reaſon; beſides which manner or ſtrife, Juſtinian. in. loc.there is no other (ſay ſome) after which ſpirits can ſtrive and contend one with another. I ſhall not diſpute the truth of that aſſertion (the mos Angelicus, Vid. Z…ch. de Angelis p. 156the manner of Angelical diſputation being to us ſo dark:) nor ſhall I now enquire how Angels repreſent their minds and apprehenſions one t… another in their diſputations; but ſure I am, that as the Arguments which this holy Archangel produced againſt the Divel to juſtifie his action, were ſtrong and cogent (as being drawn from the revealed will of God) ſo the practice of diſputing for convincing the adverſaries of the Truth, or ſtopping their mouthes by arguments grounded upon that foundation, Acts 17.17.18.4, 19.19.9.20.9.24.12, 15.was frequently uſed by the Apoſtle Paul, and to be imitated by us; who, were our words ſofter, and our Arguments ſtronger, might more convince the Adverſary againſt whom, and credit the cauſe for which we contend.
If it be here demanded, Why this Archangel would diſpute with an incorrigible adverſary? Its anſwered, he diſputed not with hopes to recover his Adverſary: But 1. To credit his cauſe. It was a righteous cauſe, and was worthy of a ſtrong Advocate: though the adverſary againſt whom we reaſon deſerves neglect, yet the truth for which we argue, deſerves our contention.
2. To apologize for himſelf: He might have been look'd upon, as one who reſiſted and oppoſed Satan, upon bare reſolution and ſelf-wil, and would effect his deſire by bare force, had he not diſputed the equity of his proceedings with the Divel.
3. To render the Divel the more inexcuſable: Who now, though he were ſo far from being bettered or amended by all the diſputation and reaſoning of Michael with him, that he was the more enraged againſt the truth; yet muſt needs be more clearly convinced, that he oppoſed the righteous and holy will of God.
2. For the ſubject of this diſputation, it was (ſaith Jude) about the body of Moſes. The principal doubt in this branch is, what ſhould be the cauſe of this contention and diſputation between Michael and the Devil, about the body of Moſes. Sundry cauſes are by ſundry Interpreters mentioned: I ſhall rehearſe ſome of the moſt probable, and cleave to that which I conceive to be the true one: Some affirm that the body of Moſes is here to be taken figuratively, not for that body which was buried on Mount Nebo, but for that holy Prieſthood about which Satan reſiſted Joſhuah, Zech. 3.1. becauſe this Prieſthood as a ſhadow, was to be reſtored at the return of the Captivity, and to be in Chriſt truly fulfilled, whom the Apoſtle cals the body, (Col. 2.17.) that anſwered the ſhadowes of the Law. Others alſo making this place of Jude to refer (though after a different manner from the former) to that of Zech. 3.1. Opinio myſtica eſt, ut corpus Moſis fuerit Synagoga; ac Synagogam liberari prohibu… rit Diabolus de Captivitate Babylonis. Lorin. in loc.Conceive that by the body of Moſes, we are here to underſtand the Synagogue, or Church of the Jewes; the delivery whereof from the Captivity of Babylon, Satan (ſay they) oppoſed, and Michael contended for.
But beſides the Arguments which have been brought already, to prove that this Michael here mentioned by Jude, was not Jehovah; as was he who is mentioned Zech. 3.1. It ſeems an harſh expreſſion, and no where uſed, to call either the Moſaical Prieſthood as fulfilled by Chriſt, or the Synagogue and Church of the Jewes, the body of Moſes. Some conceive that this contention about the body of Moſes, was from Michaels endeavouring, and the Divels oppoſing of the honourable burial of Moſes; to whom (ſay they) the Divel would have had burial denyed, in regard of his ſlaying of the Aegyptian in his life time; and that the Divel contended, that the body of a Murderer belonged to him to diſpoſe of. But this opinion ſeems falſe, both in regard of the great diſtance of time which was between the ſlaying of the Aegyptian and this contention; as alſo that the Divel knew either that the ſlaying of the Aegyptian was no true murder, or if it were, that it was forgiven by God, who ſundry times after it, manifeſted tokens of ſignal love to his ſervant Moſes. It is therefore laſtly, and moſt truly aſſerted by others, that Michael therefore contended with the Divel about the body of Moſes, becauſe the Divel endeavouring (contrary to the expreſs will of God) that it might be buried in ſome open and well-known place, that ſo the Iſraelites (who were alwaies too prone to idolatay) might thereby be drawn to give Moſes Divine adoration; Deut. 34.6.Michael in zeal to the honour, and obedience to the will of God, oppoſed the Divel, and contended that the body of Moſes ſhould be buried in a ſeeret place, Vid. Chryſoſt. Hom. 5 in Mat. Auguſt. To. 3. p. 731. Ambr. 2 Offic. c. 7.where no man might know of his Sepulchre. This laſt is the opinion of moſt, if not of all Modern Writers both Proteſtant and Popiſh, and of ſundry of the Antients.
The moſt think that Satan in his contention aim'd at ſtirring up the people idolatrouſly to worſhip the very dead body of Moſes; and ſome affirm (though I ſuppoſe without ground) that after his death his face retained its former ſhining luſtre: and to prevent the idolizing of Moſes his very Rod, they conceive, that Moſes took it away with him when he went to dye; it being that Rod, whereby he had wrought ſo many Miracles, and which was called the Rod of God. Others rather think that Satan intended to have put the Iſraelites upon the idolatrous worſhipping of Moſes ſoul or Ghoſt, by the diſcovery of his Sepulchre; this opinion ſeems to me very probable. I know not, that the worſhipping the reliques of dead mens bodies, was an idolatry uſed in thoſe times. I ſuppoſe it will not be denyed, but that it was the practice of the Heathens to worſhip the ghoſts or ſouls of the dead, who in their life time had been eminent for their greatneſs and beneficence; hence Jupiter, Mercury, Eſculap. &c. were counted Deities after their deaths, for that good which their ſurvivers had received from them while living; and Heathens uſed this their idolatry, by occaſion of their having among them the Tombs and Sepulchres of the deceaſed: Thus the Cretians worſhipped Jupiter for their God, whoſe Sepulchre they boaſted that they had among them. And hence Lactantius holily and wittily derides them, Quomodo poteſt Deus alibi eſſe vivus, alibi mortuus; alibi babere Templum, alibi Sepulchrum? Lactant. l. 1. c. 11.for honouring a God, who (as they thought) was in one place living, in another place dead; who in one place had a Sepulchre, in another a Temple.
The Roman Emperors after their deaths, were Deifi'd at the burning of their bodies; which being burnt, their ſouls were worſhipp'd by the name of manes; and upon their Sepulchres they engraved theſe words, To the gods, Dijs manibus.the ghoſts or ſouls of the departed; they blindly believing, that the ſouls of the departed did reſide about, or were preſent at the places, where their bodies were buried; and theſe ſoules of the departed, Heathens were wont to worſhip and conſult with at their graves and Sepulchres; a practice which from heathens was received by the Iſraelites alſo Hence we read, Iſaiah 65.4. of the idolatrous Jewes, who remained among the graves, and lodged in the monuments, namely, to conſult with the ſpirits of the dead; as is clear from Iſaiah 8.19. where the Prophet reproves the people for conſulting for the living with the dead; i e. with the ſouls or ghoſts of thoſe who were dead and departed. And at theſe graves and Sepulchres of the dead, were idolaters wont idolatrouſly to Feaſt and Banquet with thoſe ſacrifices which they had offered to the honour of the dead. Hence we read, Pſalm 106.28. of the great idolatry of the Iſraelites, in eating the ſacrifices of the dead. And this idolatrous cuſtome of ſeeking to the dead at their Tombs or Sepulchres, the Divel invented, that theſe deluded idolaters, who expected to conſult with dead men, might indeed, and really receive anſwers from, and ſo worſhip him: for though he perſwaded his Vaſſals, that they who were dead, gave them their anſwers; yet indeed, thoſe anſwers came from him. And to this practice the Divel might eaſily have brought theſe Iſraelites, could he have obtained the diſcovery of Moſes his Sepulchre; which, containing the remains of ſo famous a Law-giver, and one ſo eminent above all the men in the world for acquaintance with God, would in probability upon all exigencies, have drawn idolaters to it, for the adoration of, and conſultation with Moſes: (eſpecially conſidering the great and conſtant need of direction, in which the Iſraelites ſtood wh…le they were in the Wilderneſs, for their paſſage to Canaan;) though▪ indeed the name of Moſes was to have been but a ſtale or ſtirrup, to have advanced the adoration even of the Divel himſelf; who, as he was the ſole contriver of this idolatry, ſo would have been pleaſed moſt with it, and honoured onelyonly by it; it being as much beyond the power of idolaters or Divels to deal with a true, ſince dead Moſes, as it ever was againſt the will of Moſes, to have any ſuch dealing with them. If it be here objected, that the Iſraelites did not worſhip at the Sepulchres of Abraham, Jacob, Joſeph, and the other Patriarchs, and therefore that neither they would have idolatrouſly worſhipped Moſes, if they had known the place of his burial. Its anſwered, that there was far greater likelihood and danger of their idolizing Moſes, then any of the fore-mentioned Patriarchs; and that both in regard of the honour that Moſes had received from God, and alſo of that good which the Iſraelites had received by Moſes. 1. In reſpect of the former, none of the godly Anceſtors of the Iſraelites were ſo illuſtrious as was Moſes, for working Miracles, and ſo many renowned performances, both in Aegypt, and after the Iſraelites came out of it; none by the teſtimony of truth it ſelf, being like Moſes, whom God knew face to face; none who had the reputation of being ſo frequently and long with God, and of being a Law-giver to the people, and a Mediator between God and them, to fetch them Lawes from God, and to carry their deſires again to God; to be taken up (that he might converſe with God) to the top of a flaming Mount, the foot whereof no other perſon might touch upon pain of death; to have a face ſo gloriouſly ſhining, (upon deſcent from God) as if God had imparted to him a kind of ray of Divinity. In a word, To have God ſay of him, as he did to, and of Moſes, I have made thee a God (a ſpeech (haply) not yet forgotten by Iſrael) to (ſo great and puiſſant a Monarch as) Pharaoh. 2. In reſpect of the great benefits that God beſtowed upon the Iſraelites by Moſes; never did they receive the like by any other Inſtrument in any age; who ever was there beſides Moſes, by whom God ſent ſo many miraculous plagues upon their Enemies? by whom (at the holding up of a Rod) he divided the Sea, and ſent ſix hundred thouſand men through it dry-ſhod, and afterward cauſed it to return upon, and ſwallow up their Enemies; by whom he ſplit the Rocks into Cups, and gave them water in a ſcorching Wilderneſs, and fed them with miraculous ſhowres of bread from heaven, &c. Its therefore probable, that one ſo eminently honored of God, and beneficial to Iſrael, as was Moſes, had his grave been known, would after his death have been idolatrouſly worſhipped, and perheps too, conſulted with, as their guide in the Remainder of their journey into the Land of Canaan. Yea, Haereſ. 55.Epiphanius reports, that in Arabia, Moſes, for the Miracles wrought by him, was accounted a God, and that there his Image was worſhip'd.
And whereas it may be ſaid, that the Iſraelites could not be ſo blockiſh as to have worſhip'd a dead Moſes, his mortality being ſo pregnant a confutation of their idolatry, and his Divinity. Its anſwered, Idolatry is a ſottiſh ſin; Spiritual, as well as Carnal Whoredome, taking away the heart. Its juſt with God, that they who lay by his rule, ſhould alſo lay off their own reaſon. Nor yet would the knowne Zeal of Moſes (while living) againſt ſuch a practice as this, have, in probability, kept the Iſraelites from this idolatry, had Moſes his body been diſcovered: conſidering not only their proneneſs to that ſin, and their forgetfulneſs of holy inſtruction; but alſo, for that they might haply impute the unwillingneſs of Moſes to be worſhip'd in his life time, and while he was among them, rather to his modeſty and humility, then to his diſallowing of ſuch a practice after his death, when he ſhould be both abſent in body, and glorious in ſoul. In ſhort, needs muſt that be bad, which that evil one is ſo violent in contending to have effected; nor certainly, would Satan much have regarded Moſes his body, had it not been to do hurt to the Iſraelites ſouls; and he who by his ſubtilty had once before with ſo much ſucceſs drawn the people to Idolatry, and almoſt to deſtruction, by the company of the Midianitiſh women, was much more induſtrious and hopeful, by this means, which had a face of greater plauſibility, and would have proved far more hurtful, to have effected the like again.