John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 25:31

"A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 25:31 (ASV)

He pursues the same subject; he says that there would be a dreadful assault, and that it would extend to the extreme parts of the earth. The word שאון, shaun, means a noise or sound, but it is also taken for violence or assault, and either meaning would not be unsuitable here. The sound then, or assault, shall come to the extreme parts of the earth.

It then follows that God had a strife with all nations. Here the Prophet seems to address a potential question: “What does this mean? That God will suddenly cause a commotion after having been quiet and still for so many ages, without giving any sign of His vengeance?” For we have said that the nations mentioned here had long been in a tranquil state. Therefore, the Prophet answers this unspoken objection, saying that God had a contention with them.

The time for contending is not always. He who does not immediately bring his adversary before the judge, but deals kindly with him and seeks to amicably obtain from him what is right, does not thereby give up what is justly due to him. But when he finds that the contumacy of his adversary is such that his kind dealing achieves nothing, he may then litigate with him.

The same thing is now expressed by the Prophet: namely, that God would now contend with the nations and dispute with all flesh. God is indeed, properly speaking, the judge of the world, and there is no arbiter or judge in heaven or on earth before whom He can be brought to dispute. Yet this way of speaking should be especially noted, for God thus silences all those complaints which men usually make against Him.

Even those who are proven guilty a hundred times still complain against God when He severely punishes them, saying that they are made to suffer more than they deserve. For this reason, God says that when He punishes, He does not exercise tyrannical power but, as it were, disputes with sinners.

At the same time, He demonstrates His own goodness by showing the purpose He has in mind. For His aim in rigidly punishing wickedness is nothing less than to obtain His own rights; and since He cannot secure these by kind means, He, as it were, extorts them by the aid of laws.

Let us then observe that nothing is detracted from God’s power and authority when it is said that He disputes or contends with men. Instead, in this way, all those outcries which the ungodly raise against Him—as though He raged excessively against them—are silenced. Furthermore, the purpose of all punishment is thus revealed: namely, that God condescends to assume the role of an opponent and proposes nothing other than to require what is reasonable and just.

This is like someone who, having a case to try before a judge, would willingly agree beforehand with his adversary if possible; but seeing no hope, he resorts to that remedy. So God contends with us; for unless we were wholly irreclaimable, we could be restored to His favor, and reconciliation would be ready for us, if we would only allow Him His rights.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as You continually seek in various ways to restore us to Yourself—O grant that we may not, through our untamable perverseness, resist Your holy and kind admonitions, nor continue torpid in our drowsiness, but anxiously flee to You, and so humbly seek pardon, that we may thus show that we truly and habitually repent, so that Your name may be glorified in every way, until we come into Your celestial glory, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.