John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 17:24-25

"And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith Jehovah, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but to hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain for ever." — Jeremiah 17:24-25 (ASV)

Jeremiah introduced, as I have said, a condemnation concerning the fathers, so that he might make the Jews of his age ashamed of themselves, lest they should imitate the example of those whom they saw had been disobedient to God. Yet he shows that God would be reconciled to them, provided they repented from the heart; as if he had said, "Your fathers indeed provoked, for many years, and even for ages, the vengeance of God; but as He is ever inclined to mercy, He is ready to forgive you, if only you cease following your fathers and return to Him." In short, he promises them pardon for the past, if they turned to God.

He says, If by hearing ye will hear, so as to carry no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and to sanctify (this is connected with “hear”) the Sabbath day, so that ye do no work on it; then kings and princes shall enter through the gates of this city, etc.

He first promises them the perpetuity of the kingdom; and it was the chief happiness of the people to have a king from the posterity of David, for thus they saw, as it were with their eyes, the favor of God present with them, since David and his posterity were visible pledges of God’s favor.

We must also remember that that kingdom was a type of a better kingdom, which had not yet been plainly revealed. Hence, in the posterity of David, the Jews beheld Christ until He was manifested. For this reason I said that they were miserable without a king, and that the perpetuity of the kingdom was a main part of their happiness. This is why Jeremiah now sets before them, as a singular benefit, the continuance of David’s kingdom among them, provided they observed the Sabbath day. Thus, God not only strictly demanded what He had a right to do but also allured them by the sweetness of His promise, according to His usual manner. He may indeed, in one word, command what He pleases; but when He invites us by promises, He has regard for our weakness.

But it may be asked here: Was the rest on the seventh day of such importance that God should on that account promise them the perpetuity of the kingdom? The answer has already been given: namely, that the end, which was spiritual, was connected with the outward rite. For God commanded the people to keep this day holy, so that they might have a manifest symbol, as has been said, of their own sanctification.

Therefore, when the Prophet says, If ye carry no burden through the gates of this city (which means, if you observe the Sabbath day, the perpetuity of the kingdom will be secured to you), he doubtless had, as I have said, regard for a true observance of the day. This observance consists not in the mere rite but included something greater and more excellent: namely, that they might learn by self-denial to surrender themselves to God to be ruled by Him. For God will not work in us unless we first renounce our own reason and the thoughts and feelings of our flesh. In the observance of the Sabbath, therefore, the whole of religion is briefly included. Hence he says, Enter in shall kings and princes, sitting on the throne of David.

The state of things at that time should also be noted: It was a time when the country was nearly in ruins and the kingdom greatly weakened, so that the kings and the whole people were daily exposed to danger. Therefore, when there were hardly any means to defend the city and to support the kingdom, Jeremiah promised, as a special favor from God, that the kings and the princes would be made secure.

From the family of David, as is well known, were descended the royal counselors. Hence, he says of the counselors as well as of the king that they would sit on the throne of David. He further says, They shall ride in a chariot and on horses, they the kings and their princes; and he adds, the men of Judah, etc. He extends the promise to the whole body of the people; after speaking of the chief men, he then adds that the whole community would be partakers of this blessing and favor of God. For the kingdom was formed so that the whole people might know that they were under God’s care and protection. It was not, then, without reason that Jeremiah states here that this blessing would be conferred in common on the whole people.

And inhabited, he says, shall be the city perpetually. For the same reason, he also adds this, for Jerusalem was then in great danger. Indeed, there were new terrors daily, and there was a horrible desolation in every part, for the whole country had been visited with many calamities. Jeremiah, therefore, now promised what in a way seemed incredible: that is, that the city would be made safe if they truly and faithfully worshipped God and testified to this by observing the Sabbath. The meaning is that it would be their own fault if they did not find God’s aid sufficient for them; that even if they were besieged by enemies, God would yet be a sure protector of their safety, provided they became His true and faithful servants. He afterwards adds—