Martin Luther on Psalms 132:17

Verse. 17. There will I make the horne of Dauid to budde: I haue ordeyned a light for myne anoynted.

He continueth in the promise of the kingdom & the priesthood, A promise concerning the defence and preseruation of the Church. that not onely the saluation and ioy of the Priestes and the faithfull people should be defended against fantasticall spirites which that nation was neuer without, but also that this kingdom should be defended against outward enemies and other nations abroad, and at home against seditious persons. For like as amonges the Leuites there were many fantasticall and hereticall spirites: so in the other estates there were also many seditious heades, as the histories doe shewe. Howe many had Saul which woulde not acknowledge him for their King? After that Saul was killed and Dauid was saluted and taken of the trybe of Iuda for their King,2. Sam. 2.10. all the rest of the tribes forsooke him and followed Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul. This dissension endured seuen yeares and six monethes as it is declared 2. Samuel 2. Now who knoweth not what stormes of seditions and battayles Dauid afterwardes suffered in the kingdom? Agayne, after the death of Salomon this kingdome was vexed with infinite seditions by wicked Ieroboam. Agaynst these enormities the Psalme armeth and confirmeth the people, and promiseth that the horne of Dauid shall endure, being exalted and stablished by the Lorde him selfe. Such was the condition of this kingdom, that the pure and holy Priesthoode Satan corrupted by sectes and schismes, to ouerthrowe the sound and true doctrine of the worde: and in the ciuill gouernment he stirred vppe rebellious and disobedient persons. Thus Satan rageth with lying and falshood agaynst the spirituall kingdom, and with murthers against the politike gouernment, that offences of lying and murther might no where be lacking.

Wherefore, as this kingdome must not be esteemed and iudged according to the outward face thereof (for then it shall appeare to be a weake, The outward shew & face of the Church. a seditious and a miserable kingdome): so the Church hath also certeyne promises of peace: but yet so, that for the most parte it is vexed with offences, with persecutions and other afflictions. Wherefore we must rest in the greatnes and the excellencie of the promise, in the Maiestie of the worde, and in the aucthoritie of the promiser, who hath promised saluation, but yet so notwithstanding, that in the common wealth there shall remayne seditious and rebellious persons, and in the Church heretiks and sectaries. Here haue we neede to be of good courage and comfort, assuring our selues, that if we were of the world, the world would loue vs. If we would flatter the Pope and teach the thinges that please him, he would loue vs, he would not persecute vs, he would not throw out the thunderboltes of cursing & excommunication against vs as he doth. They therefore which will be of the true Church, must prepare them selues with a valiant mind to beare and ouercome these offences, resting vppon the promises of God, which doe wholy consist in this, that he is and will be louing and gaatious vnto vs, that he will neuer leaue vs comfortles, and that the enemies of the word, rage they neuer so furiously, shall not preuaile against the Church, because the Lord hath promised that he wil there make the horne of Dauid to budd. Some do vnderstand that by this word [to budd] Christ, in whom the kingdom of Dauid is truely established, is couertly bere shadowed and signified. Against this interpretation I will not greatly stand: and yet I rather rest in the simplicitie of the letter, which seemeth playnely to promise vnto Dauid a certeyne place and posteritie. The name of budding he vseth here, to signifie an encrease: and to encrease is to be preserued. So the Church buddeth and encreaseth (although outwardly it seemeth to be diminished and defaced) because God preserueth and encreaseth it daily by his worde and his spirite. The sense and meaning then is this, that God will blesse, defend and preserue the horne of Dauid, that is to say, the kingdome, the strength and the power of that nation. For here he would specially notifie the person, to this ende that the posteritie might be certeyne of the house, of the person and of the place of this kingdom.

That which followeth: I haue ordeyned a light for mine anoynted, is an hebrewe phrase: which kinde of speech we also doe vse: As when we saye that Iohn Hus was the lyght of the Church of Bohemia. Leonard Kesar, for his singular confession of the fayth, and constancie in the truth of the Gospell, was the lyght of Bauaria. This maner of phrase is vsed also 2. Samuel 21. That the lyght of Israell be not quenched. And in the 2. Chronic. 21. as touching Ioram. For God would not destroy the house of Dauid, because he had promised to giue a light to him and to his children for euer: For Ioram was the laste of the posteritie of Salomon. They that reigned after him, were of the posteritie of Nathan, which at the captiuitie of Babylon, when the Citie was destroyed and the Kinge in captiuitie and bandes, seemed to be vtterly extinguished. But the Lorde chastised both the place and the person: he neither chaunged nor reiected them. Againe, at the birth of Christ the kingdome was translated from the stocke of Dauid to the Machabees and the Romanes. Wherefore as touching the outwarde appearance, this light was vtterly quenched: but to the spirituall man and to the eyes of faith, it was yet glorious. For there were certeine persons remayning of the tribe of Iuda, of whome afterwardes Christ was borne. Wherefore he calleth the preseruation of the kingdom, a light: but in respect of the thing it selfe, and not of the outward shew: for therby it seemed that both the place and the person were clene gone: for God through idolatrie and presumption was constreined to destroy them. So the kingdom was taken from the tribe of Iuda. Then came Christ, who builded a new Ierusalem which shall remaine for euer.

There is also a certaine vehemencie in this word: To prepare a light, what it signifieth. haue prepared: for it signifieth that this kingdome was defended, not onely against all enemyes and conspiratours at home and amonges them selues: but also against all the deuills and the gates of hel, euen to the comming of Christ. Yet notwithstanding the historie sheweth howe it was humbled through many calamities and afflictions. Likewise we haue a promise as touching the Church, that it shall continue vnto the ende of the worlde, and that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it: and yet who knoweth not howe it hath beene humbled, oppressed and in a manner abolished vnder the Pope? There was taught and worshipped, not Christ, but the virgine Mary, the Apostles, &c. So that according to the saying of Christ, except the Lorde had shortened those dayes, Marke. 13.20 no flesh shoulde haue beene saued. Wherefore we must regarde the Maiestie and power of the promiser, more then all the offences that either the world or the deuill can raise vppe against vs: and let vs not be discouraged when the Pope with his curse, and the world with the sworde doe rage against the Church. For although the Church neither in number nor in power be like vnto ye aduersaryes, yet shall it endure and the aduersaries shall perish.1. Iohn. 4. For he is greater that is in vs, then he that is in the world: and the word, because it is the eternall power of God, shall easily ouercome Satan and all the furies of hel.