Wo Gott der herr nicht bey vns helt
The Refuge of the Faithful
The believer finds security in God's sovereignty even when enemies rage and plot.
If God the Lord doesn't stand by us when our enemies rage, and if he doesn't uphold our cause from heaven above, if he isn't Israel's protection and doesn't break the enemy's schemes himself, then all is lost for us. The force and cunning people bring against us should not frighten us. God sits enthroned on high, and he will expose their schemes. Even when they make their cleverest plans, God still takes a different course. Everything rests in his hands.
The Persecution of the Righteous
The wicked attack the faithful with violence and hypocrisy, yet God remains the ultimate judge.
They rage and charge at us as if they meant to devour us. They only want to kill; they have forgotten God. Like waves of the sea, they come crashing in, intent on taking our bodies and our lives. God will have mercy on us for this.1 They hunt us down as heretics; they're out for our blood. Yet they proudly call themselves Christians who honor God alone. Ah, God, your precious name must serve as a cover for their wickedness. One day you will wake up.
God's Deliverance and Comfort
God intervenes to break the snares of the enemy and provides comfort to those who feel forsaken.
They open their jaws wide, intending to swallow us whole. Praise and thanks be to God always: they won't succeed. He will tear their snare apart and bring their false teaching down. They won't be able to stop God. Ah, Lord God, how richly you comfort those who have been utterly forsaken. The door of grace never closes; reason cannot comprehend this. Reason says, “Everything seems lost,” even though the cross has brought new life to those who wait for your help. All our enemies are in your hand, along with every thought they have. You know their plans well; just help us not to waver. Reason fights against faith and refuses to trust what lies ahead. But then you yourself will bring comfort.
A Prayer for Steadfastness
A concluding petition for the light of God to sustain the believer's heart in love and faith until the end.
Lord God, you founded heaven and earth; let your light shine brightly in us, so that our hearts may be set ablaze, and remain steadfast to the end in true love for your faith—let the world grumble as it may.
Read the original Latin
Wo Gott der herr nicht bey vns helt / wen vnser feynde tobenn. Vnnd er vnnser sach nicht zufelt / ym hymel hoch dort oben. Wo er Israhel schutz nicht yst / vnd selber bricht der feynde lyst. So ysts mit vns verloren.
Was menschen krafft vnnd witz anfeht / soll vnns billich nicht schrecken Er sytzet an der hochsten stet der wirt yhrn radt aufdecken. Wen sies auffs klugest greyffen an / so geht doch Got eyn ander ban. Es steht yn seynen henden.
Sie wueten fast vnd faren her / als wolten sie vns fressen. Zu wurgen steht al yhr beger / gots ist bey yhn vergessen. Wie meeres wellen eynher schlahn nach leib vnnd leben sye vns stahn. des wirt sych got erbarmen.
Sie stellen vns wie ketzern nach / zu vnserm blut sy trachten. Noch rhumen sye sych Christen hoch / dy Gott alleyn gros achten. Ah got der theure name deyn / mus yhrer schalckheyt deckel seyn. du wirst eyn mal auffwachen
Aufsperren sy den rachen weyt / vnd wöllen vns verschlingen. Lob vnd danck sey got allezeyt / es wird yhn nicht gelingen. Er wird yr strick zureyssen gar / vnd störtzen yre falsche lar. Sie werden Got nicht weren
Ah herr got wie reich trostestu / die gentzlich synd verlassen. Der gnadenthur steht nymer zu / vernunfft kan das nicht fassen. Sie spricht / es ist nu als verloren da doch das creutz hat new geporn. die deyner hulff erwarten
Die feynd synd all yn deyner hand / dazu al yr gedancken. Yhr anschlag ist dir wol bekant / hylff nur das wir nicht wancken. Vernunfft wider den glauben fycht / auffs kunfftig wil sie trawen nicht. da du wirst selber trosten
Den hymel vnd auch die erden / hastu her got gegrundet Dein liecht las vns helle werden. das hertz vns werd enzundet. yn rechter lieb des glaubens dein / biß an das end bestendig seyn die welt las ymer murren.
Notes
- 1 ↩The pronoun refers to the persecution just described; the English makes the implied object of God's mercy explicit.
Erfurt Enchiridion (Early Lutheran Hymns) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
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