John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 25

O Lord, you are my God. Until now, Isaiah has prophesied about the judgments of God, which threatened not only a single nation but almost the whole world. Now, it was impossible that contemplating such dreadful calamities as those he foresaw should not cause him great distress. For godly people desire that all humankind be saved; and while they honor God, they also desire to love all that belongs to God.

In short, to the extent that anyone sincerely fears God, they have a powerful and lively sense of the divine judgments. While wicked people are stunned by God's judgments but are not moved by any terror, godly people tremble at the slightest sign of his anger. If this is the case with us, what do we suppose the Prophet experienced, who had almost before his eyes those calamities he foretold? For, so that the ministers of the word might be convinced of the certainty of what they taught, it was necessary that they should be more powerfully impressed by it than most people.

Therefore, since the Lord presented to Isaiah, as in a picture, those dreadful calamities, he found it necessary, under the overpowering influence of grief and anxiety, to turn to the Lord; otherwise, the confused emotions of his mind would have agitated him beyond measure. He therefore draws courage from the belief that, in the midst of these storms, the Lord still determines to promote the benefit of his Church and to bring under his own subjection those who were previously estranged. Isaiah therefore remains firm and steadfast in his calling and does not allow himself to be diverted from his purpose, but continually relies on the hope of mercy and therefore perseveres in celebrating God's praises.

Thus we learn that this thanksgiving is connected with the previous prophecies, and that Isaiah considers not only what he foretold, but why the Lord did it—that is, why the Lord afflicted so many nations with various calamities. It was so that he might subdue those who were formerly incorrigible, who rushed forward with brutal eagerness, and who had no fear of God and no sense of religion or godliness.

You are my God. Being, so to speak, perplexed and confused, he suddenly raises his thoughts to God, as we have already said. From this we should draw a very useful doctrine: namely, that when our minds are perplexed by a variety of troubling thoughts because of numerous distresses and afflictions that happen daily, we should immediately turn to God and rely on his providence. For even the smallest calamities will overwhelm us if we do not turn to him and support our hearts with this teaching.

To bring out the Prophet's meaning more fully, the word but or nevertheless may be appropriately inserted in this manner: “Whatever temptations from that quarter may disturb me, nevertheless I will acknowledge you to be my God.” Thus he promises that he will give to God the praise that is due to him. This cannot happen unless a firm belief in his grace lives in our hearts and holds preeminence, from which grace springs a joy that gives us the most abundant reason for praise, when we are certain of our salvation and are fully convinced that the Lord is our God.

Consequently, those who have no desire to praise God have not believed and have not tasted the goodness of God; for if we actually trust in God, we will inevitably delight in praising his name.

For you have done a wonderful thing. He uses the word פלא (pĕlĕ), wonderful, in the singular number instead of the plural. The Prophet does not limit his view to the present appearance of things but looks to the end. For even people who are otherwise pagans see astonishing events in the governance of the world, the sight of which fills them with amazement; this undoubtedly happened to the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, and to the Babylonians and Moabites.

But only those who have tasted his goodness and wisdom can profit from God's works. Otherwise, they undervalue and despise his works and do not understand their excellence, because they do not perceive their ultimate purpose. This purpose is that God, wonderfully bringing light out of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6), raises his Church from death to life, and regulates in the best way, and directs to the most valuable end, those things that to human perception appear to be confused.

Counsels which have been already decreed of old. Now, to give even higher praise to God's providence, he adds that the counsels have been already decreed of old; as if to say that for God, nothing is sudden or unforeseen. And indeed, though he sometimes appears to us to act suddenly, yet all things were undoubtedly ordained by him before the creation of the world (Acts 15:18).

By this word, therefore, the Apostle means that all the miracles that happen contrary to human expectation are the result of that regular order God maintains in governing the world, arranging all things from the beginning to the end.

Now, since we do not understand those secret decrees, and our understanding cannot reach so high, our attention must therefore be directed to their manifestation. For they are concealed from us and exceed our comprehension until the Lord reveals them by his word, in which he adapts himself to our weakness; for his decree is (ἀνεξεύρητον) unsearchable.

Firm truth. From the eternal decrees of God, the Prophet thus proceeds to doctrines and promises, which he undoubtedly indicates by the word truth. For the repetition would be pointless if this word did not signify a connection; because, when God has revealed his purpose to us, if we believe what he says, he then shows himself to be genuinely true. He praises the firmness and certainty of the word when he says that it is steadfast truth; that is, that everything that comes from God, everything that is declared by him, is firm and unchangeable.

For thou hast made of a city a heap. Some refer this to Jerusalem; but I think that there is a change of number, as is very customary with the prophets. For the Prophet does not speak merely of a single city, but of many cities, which he says will be reduced to heaps.

As for the view held by some that the Romans made Jerusalem a palace, it has nothing to do with the Prophet’s meaning. The Prophet's meaning will be easily understood if we keep in mind what has already been stated. The Prophet does not confine his thoughts to those calamities by which the Lord afflicts many nations; instead, he extends his view to the end of the chastisements. In this manner, the Lord determined to tame and subdue the obstinacy of men, whom he would never have brought into subjection to him without their being broken down by various afflictions.

A palace of foreigners, that it may not be a city. The Prophet does not merely mean that, when the natives have been driven out, “foreigners” will inhabit the captured cities. This interpretation would not agree with what he immediately adds: “that it may be no longer a city.” Instead, he means that wandering bands of men, who are in need of a dwelling, will find abundant room there because no inhabitants will be left. Since ארמון (armōn) denotes a magnificent palace, the Prophet thus says ironically that highwaymen will dwell as in palaces, on account of the vast extent of the place that will be deserted.

Therefore the strong people will glorify you. This is the purpose I mentioned; for if the Lord were to destroy the world, no good result would follow. Indeed, destruction could produce no feeling but horror, and we would never be led by it to sing His praise. On the contrary, we would be deprived of all feeling when we perceive nothing but wrath.

But praises flow from a sense of grace and goodness. It is therefore as if he had said, “You will not only strike and afflict, O Lord, but You will also cause the chastisements to have their effect; for by them You will subdue the fierceness of men, so that those who were formerly estranged from You will bend their neck to You.” This passage should lead us to observe how much we need chastisements, which train us to obedience to God. For we are carried away by prosperity to such an extent that we think we have a right to do anything, and we even become rebellious and insolent when God treats us with gentleness.

The city of the terrible nations will fear you. When the Prophet next mentions fear, he shows that this praise does not consist in words or outward gestures, but in the sincere feeling of the heart. Hence we infer that he now speaks of the entire worship of God. However, because many people think they have fully discharged their duty as soon as they have made a confession with the mouth, he adds, for the sake of explanation, “The nations will fear you.” When he calls them strong and powerful, by these epithets he denotes their pride and arrogance, for they were elated by their prosperity. They rebel against God and cannot be made humble or submissive unless they have been deprived of all things.

Therefore, our thoughts should be directed to such views amidst the calamities we perceive. The fierceness of men must be restrained and subdued so that they may be prepared for receiving doctrine and for rendering true obedience. As long as they remain blinded by their wealth and vain confidence, they will fearlessly mock God’s judgments and will never submit to Him.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor. Therefore, we see the fruit of conversion: namely, that the Lord raises us from the dead and brings us, as it were, out of the grave, stretching out his hand to us from heaven to rescue us even from hell. This is our first access to him, for it is only in our poverty that he finds the means of exercising his kindness. Therefore, in turn, it is necessary for us to be poor and needy, so that we may obtain assistance from him; and we must lay aside all reliance and confidence in ourselves before he displays his power on our behalf. This is the reason why he visits us with chastisements and with the cross, by which he trains us, so that we may be able to receive his assistance and grace.

A refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat. It is not without good reason that Isaiah adorns this description with these comparisons, for numerous and diversified temptations arise, and, in order to bear them courageously, it is necessary for the weak minds of men to be strengthened and fortified. For this reason he says that God will be a strength to the poor, a refuge from the storms, and a shadow from the heat; because, whatever may be the nature of the dangers and assaults that threaten them, the Lord will protect his people against them and will supply them with every kind of armor.

The breath of the strong or of the violent ones. In this passage, as in many others (Genesis 8:1; Exodus 15:10; 1 Kings 19:11), רוח (rūăch) signifies “the blowing of the wind,” and denotes the tremendous violence with which wicked men are hurried along against the children of God; for not only do they breathe out threatenings and terrors (Acts 9:1), but they appear to vomit out fire itself.

A storm or flood against the wall. This has the same meaning as the former statement. By this figure, he means that wicked men, when they obtain freedom to do mischief, rush on with such violence that they throw down everything in their way. This is because overthrowing and destroying walls is a more severe action than water merely flowing over the fields.

As the heat in a dry place. If the Lord did not aid when violent men rush upon us, our life would be in imminent danger; for we see how great the rage of wicked men is, and if the Lord overturns walls, what can a feeble man do against Him? These things, therefore, are added to magnify the grace of God, so that we may consider what would become of us if the Lord did not render assistance.

Yet there are two ways in which commentators explain this passage. Some understand it to mean that wicked men will be consumed by God’s indignation, in the same manner as the violence of the heat burns up fields that are inherently barren. Others render it in the ablative case, As if by heat, and their interpretation is: “Though wicked men, relying on their power, are so violent, yet the Lord will prostrate them in a moment, as if they were overpowered by heat in a dry place.” But I consider the meaning to be different, for, after having shown how great the rage of wicked men against believers is, he adds:

You will bring them down, O Lord. Alluding to the metaphor of the deluge, which he had formerly used, he says, “You will quench their heat, which would otherwise consume us, just as rain, or a shower, falling from heaven, quenches the heat that scorched the thirsty fields.” And thus the passage flows naturally, for the other interpretation is forced and, as they say, does violence to the letter.

The noise of the strong ones will He lay low. This clause is subjected to various strained interpretations. Some think that זמיר (zĕmīr) means seed; others that it means a root; as if he had said, that God will not only destroy wicked men, but will utterly root them out. This meaning would be probable if it were not opposed by the metaphor of the heat. In my opinion, therefore, it is more correctly interpreted by others to mean “singing and shouting,” or “cutting off,” although even those interpreters do not fully succeed in grasping the Prophet’s meaning. He therefore confirms the preceding statement: that the violence of wicked men, or the shouting which they haughtily and daringly set up, will soon be laid low, as the heat of the sun is overpowered by the falling rain, which is meant by the shadow of a cloud.