John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 17:16

"As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was before thy face." — Jeremiah 17:16 (ASV)

The Prophet here implores God as his defender, having found his own nation so rebellious that they could in no way be brought to their senses.

Yet there is no doubt that he intended to increase their fear by testifying that he brought nothing of his own invention, but faithfully carried out God's command. He stressed that he did not arrogantly take on the office of a teacher but obeyed God's call.

It was as if he had said that they (as we shall find in another place) did not resist a mortal man, but God Himself.

He therefore refers the matter to God, as if saying, "Argue with God; for what concern is it of mine to you, or yours to me? I do not plead my own cause, nor did I come forth through any desire of my own. But since God has committed this office to me, I had to obey."

"Since, then, I am only God's instrument, what will you ultimately gain after quarreling so much? No doubt God will show that He is an adversary to you, and can you conquer Him?" We now understand the Prophet's objective.

But we have said elsewhere that the Prophet fled to God when he found no fairness or righteousness in the world; indeed, when all were deaf and so blinded that there was no hope of being heard.

Therefore, when people are so corrupted in their minds, we must necessarily turn to God. So the Prophet does now, as he had done before: leaving people, he addresses his words to God. This kind of apostrophe has more force than if he had directly accused them of perversity.

But I, he says, I have not hastened. Here interpreters differ, for אוף (auts) sometimes means to hasten and sometimes to be slow—two contrary things. It also signifies to be careful and to abominate or to dislike.

Thus, some render it here, "I have not disliked, so as not to become a pastor," for מן (men) in Hebrew is often taken as a negative. Others give this version: "I have not been careful," or anxious, "I have not cared to become a pastor."

But a more suitable meaning can be given to the words: that the Prophet hastened not, for it follows, "and I have not coveted." These two expressions, "לא אצתי (la atsati), I have not hastened," and "לא התאויתי (la ethaviti), I have not coveted," correspond with each other.

Both expressions deny his recklessness. Many indeed push themselves forward, as we shall see in chapter 23, without being called by God; they run on their own initiative and are misled by foolish imaginations.

The Prophet first says that he had not hastened to be a pastor after God (literally). For many are driven by ambition, which leads them to take on more than is appropriate for them, and they do not consider what might please God.

Hence, the Prophet says, in the first place, that he had not hastened, and then that he had not coveted. This does not differ in meaning but confirms the same point.

But let us first bear in mind that he thus proves the impiety of the people, for they fought against God Himself, the author of his call. How so?

If he had hastened—that is, if he had, through foolish zeal, imposed himself—the Jews could have justly argued with him and might have done so without punishment. But since he had waited for God's call, they had no basis to argue with him. By opposing God's servant, they revealed their own godlessness.

Jeremiah here prescribes a rule for all prophets and teachers: they should not aspire to this office as many do who, as we have already said, are driven by ambition.

Therefore, only he is to be considered a lawful minister and prophet of God, and a teacher in His church, who is not led by his own fleshly impulses, nor by thoughtless zeal, but to whom God extends His hand, and who, when called, obeys.

Obedience, then, is the beginning, if we wish to become lawful teachers. This is one thing.

In the second place, he shows that those who are called to the office of teaching are not endowed with absolute power, allowing them to announce whatever they please; rather, they are pastors serving God. Indeed, God would have His prophets take the lead, to show the way to the rest of the people, and He thus honors them with significant dignity.

He would have them be heads, leaders, or standard-bearers, but still He Himself retains His own unique honor. Hence, no one ever presides over God's Church in such a way as to be the chief pastor, for God takes nothing away from Himself by transferring the office of teaching to His ministers; on the contrary, He remains complete in His own authority.

In short, He does not resign, as they say, His own right, but substitutes those who teach in His place, while still retaining what uniquely belongs to Him.

Therefore, these words should be carefully noted: I have not hastened to become a pastor after You, that is, so that he might follow God. Whoever, then, takes so much liberty as not to follow God, but is carried away by his own spirit, is to be rejected and does not deserve to be counted among lawful pastors.

But this passage seems to conflict with what Paul declares when he says, he who desires the episcopate seeks an excellent work (1 Timothy 3:1). Paul does not condemn the desire there, it is said; he only reminds us how difficult and demanding the office of a bishop is.

To this, we can readily answer that Paul there does not speak of that foolish passion by which many are consumed, while they do not consider their own abilities, or rather, their own weakness. Instead, he says that if anyone offers himself to God for the office of teaching, he is to think and properly consider that it is no ordinary work.

He should then rather restrain himself, while keeping in mind how difficult it is to fulfill all the duties of a good bishop. But Jeremiah here refers to what we saw in the first chapter, for he even dreaded the prophetic office and confessed that he was not able to speak.

Since, then, he pleaded his own stammering, he was very far from having any corrupt desire. There is, therefore, nothing inconsistent in the statements that Jeremiah did not desire the office of a pastor, and that whoever desires the episcopate desires an excellent work.

He now adds a confirmation: "The day of grief," he says, "I have not desired." Some think the verb is passive, but I, with others, have rendered it as an active verb. Yet some read, "And the day of affliction, or of sorrow, has not been wished for by me." But, in reality, there is no difference.

He confirms what he had said, because he saw clearly when God chose him as a Prophet that he would be drawn into difficult conflicts. "Why," he says, "should I covet the prophetic office? It would have been an insane ambition."

He understood from the very beginning the consequence of undertaking the office: that he had to contend with the whole people, indeed, with every one of them. "I knew how great their stubbornness would be, and also how great their cruelty would be; how then could I have wished, of my own accord, to run into danger and to throw myself into so many troubles and sorrows?"

Jeremiah then shows, from what he had understood about the outcome, that he had not been led by any hasty desire.

If someone objects and says that many are nevertheless led away by a foolish ambition to undergo dangers and troubles which they cannot help but foresee, to this I answer: the Prophet assumes the fact as it was.

Not only was everything he afterwards experienced known to him from the beginning (for he had well considered what the people were like), but he had also been constrained by God's command to renounce his own will.

Many rush forward because they do not consider the difficulties of the office. Hardly one in a hundred today duly considers how difficult and demanding it is to rightly discharge the pastoral office.

Therefore, many are led to undertake it as an easy duty and of no great importance. Afterwards, experience teaches them too late that they have foolishly desired what was unknown to them.

Some think that they possess great skill and energy, and also promise themselves great things because of their own abilities, learning, and judgment. But they afterwards very soon find how inadequate, as they say, such resources are, for aptitude for the work fails them at the very beginning, not in the middle of their course.

Some also, while seeing that they are to have many and severe conflicts, dread nothing and put on an iron front, as if they were born to fight. Others, in desiring the office of teachers, are mercenaries.

Indeed, we know that all God's servants are miserable in this world, according to human perception, for they must wage war against the prevailing inclinations of everyone, and thus displease people so that they may please God.

But mercenaries, who have no true religion and corrupt God's word, desire the office. And why? Because they see that they can deal with people in a pleasing manner, for they will carefully avoid anything that might offend.

But this was not the case with the Prophet. Therefore, he assumes, as I have said, this fact: that he sincerely engaged in his office of teaching and was not motivated by anything other than promoting the well-being of the people.

He says that he hastened not. How so? "I would have been," he says, "altogether insane if I had been led by thoughtless zeal, for I knew that I would have to contend, and to contend not with just one person, but with the whole people, indeed, with every one of them."

Therefore, he calls the warfare that awaits all true pastors the day of sorrow, for if they please people, they cannot be the servants of God. And of this fact he makes God a witness: You know.

People full of empty talk profess boldly enough that they have nothing in view but to serve God and that they do not rashly begin their course. But the Prophet here places himself in God's presence and is not anxious to secure the approval of people, being content with God's approval alone.

And then he adds, Before Your face has been whatever has proceeded from my lips. By these words he indicates that he had not spoken vainly whatever came to his mind, but what he had received from God Himself.

He also indicates that everything which had proceeded from his mouth was before God. We therefore learn that it is not enough for someone to have been called once, unless he faithfully delivers what he has received from God Himself.