John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 13:15-16

"Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for Jehovah hath spoken. Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness." — Jeremiah 13:15-16 (ASV)

The Prophet shows here more fully what we have stated—that the temperament of those with whom he had to deal was so refractory that it was necessary to use various means to subdue them. He did not add this exhortation, which shows indignation, in vain; nor did he require a hearing without displeasure: Hear, and give ear; do not be lifted up, for the Lord is he who speaks.

Therefore, we may gather from this either that Jeremiah was ridiculed, or that his words were disregarded by the Jews. This is intimated by the words, For Jehovah has spoken; for if they were persuaded that he announced what God had commanded him, these words would have been pointless. But we will see elsewhere that he was considered an impostor and was attacked with many rebukes and curses.

He therefore defends his calling here against their slanders and reproaches when he says that God had spoken. For by these words he affirms that he brought nothing of his own but spoke, as it were, from the mouth of God, or, what is the same thing, that he was the instrument of the Holy Spirit. He said this so that they might know that they contended with him in vain, since the contest was actually between them and God.

And for this reason he says, Hear, and give ear; for he saw that they were deaf and sluggish, and needed many stimulants. At the same time, he points out the cause and the source of evil by saying, Do not be lifted up. The cause then of their stubborn resistance was pride, for they dared to quarrel with God. So also, the main principle of obedience is humility—that is, when people acknowledge that they are nothing and ascribe to God what is due to him.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are by nature frail vessels, and our frailty is such that by ourselves we melt away, and even when we become stronger, we cannot stand by our own power—O grant that, being supported by Your power, we may indeed rejoice in the perpetuity of our salvation, not relying on any earthly protection, but because You have been pleased to choose us as Your people; and may we at the same time so pursue the course of our life that we may not by our faithlessness exclude Your grace from us, but give place to You, so that we may be more and more enriched by those gifts which pertain to the hope of a future life, until at length we come to that full and perfect happiness in Your celestial kingdom, which is laid up for us by Christ our Lord. Amen.