John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 27:1-5

"In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah to me: Make thee bonds and bars, and put them upon thy neck; and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the children of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers that come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; and give them a charge unto their masters, saying, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Thus shall ye say unto your masters: I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me." — Jeremiah 27:1-5 (ASV)

Jeremiah prefaces this prediction by saying that it was delivered to him at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign. But this beginning, as we have said, extended to the whole of his reign while it was prosperous and complete. While, then, Jehoiakim enjoyed a quiet possession of the kingdom, Jeremiah was commanded to make known what had been committed to him—not to Jehoiakim himself, but, as we learn from the third verse, to Zedekiah, who had not immediately succeeded him but eventually became king after various changes. God, then, committed this prophecy to His servant but did not intend for it to be immediately proclaimed. If it is asked why God intended for what He purposed to be made known to be concealed for so long, the answer is this: it was done for the sake of the Prophet himself, so that he might perform his office with more eagerness, knowing for certain that no one thought it could ever happen—and indeed, the event was incredible.

God’s purpose then was to communicate this to His Prophet himself, so that he might see from afar what no one, as I have just said, had thought could ever happen. This is the reason, as I think, why this prophecy was not immediately published but was like a treasure deposited in the Prophet’s heart until the due time came. I will defer until tomorrow the explanation of this prophecy.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that when at any time You grievously threaten us, we may not, on that account, become angry, but learn to acknowledge our sins, and truly to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. May we also plead for deliverance from Your wrath, and prove by true repentance that we profit by Your word and believe Your denunciations, so that we may become partakers of that mercy through which You promise to be merciful to all who turn to You. And may we thus advance more and more, and persevere in the right course of repentance, until having at length put off all the vices of the flesh, we shall attain to a perfection of righteousness and the enjoyment of that glory which has been prepared for us in heaven by Jesus Christ our Lord. — Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We explained yesterday why this command was given to Jeremiah at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, which was not yet to be executed until the time of Zedekiah: it was God’s design to strengthen him in the meantime, so that he would not falter in his course. Let us now see what was the object of this prophecy and what is its meaning.

The Prophet seems to have addressed the ambassadors who were sent by neighboring kings to King Zedekiah; and he was commanded to instruct them to declare, each to his master, that they were all to come under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Moreover, there is no doubt that God designed especially and chiefly to give a lesson to Zedekiah and to the Jews, for these delegations mentioned here might have so emboldened them as to despise all prophecies and to think themselves beyond all danger.

The purpose for which these delegations were sent by the king of Sidon, by the king of Tyre, by the king of Moab and Ammon, should be particularly noted: when they saw that the king of Babylon would not spare them, they began to join their forces. At first, everyone consulted his own advantage and saw no need for mutual help; and so it was that the Chaldeans easily overcame them while they were disunited.

Experience eventually taught them that neither the king of Judah nor any ally of the neighboring kings could withstand the conflict unless they formed a confederacy. Thus, it happened that the king of Tyre, the king of Sidon, the king of Moab, and the king of Ammon offered their forces and their money to the king of Judah, and he also promised to help them in return if the Chaldean attacked them. It was therefore a new occasion for confidence for the Jews, so that they gathered courage and thus were emboldened to resist, relying on so many neighboring kings.

The Chaldeans had previously been successful, for they had attacked each one individually; but when all of them were ready with their united forces to oppose and restrain their attacks, it was hardly credible that they could be conquered. It was therefore God’s purpose to remove this false confidence and to warn Zedekiah and the whole people, so that they would not be deceived by such allurements, but that they might know that they were patiently to endure the punishment inflicted on them by God.

This, therefore, was the reason why the Prophet was sent to the ambassadors who had come to Jerusalem. He was not appointed as a teacher over them, but this was done with reference to Zedekiah and the people. It is also probable that these commands were presented to the king, so that the king might know that he had been wholly deceived and that he still foolishly trusted in the subsidies which had been offered.

We may easily imagine how grievous it must have been for the king and the people to hear this prophecy. The ambassadors were, in a way, dishonored; the kings by whom they had been sent might have complained that they were treated with great indignity. Hence, the king and the people must have been very incensed against Jeremiah. But the Prophet boldly performed what God commanded him, as was his duty. And we shall later see that his words were addressed to King Zedekiah rather than to these Gentiles.

We now understand the reason why God would have His Prophet give these commands to the ambassadors, who had been sent by Gentile kings to King Zedekiah: it was so that the king might know that it was completely useless for these kings to promise their assistance. For he had to deal not with the Chaldean king, but rather with the judgment of God, which is irresistible, and which men struggle with in vain.

Though the Prophet was commanded to instruct the ambassadors to say to the kings by whom they had been sent, Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, they still might have refused to do so, and that with indignation: “What! Have we come here to be ambassadors to you? And who indeed are you who command us? Besides, do you think that we are so mad as to threaten, for your sake, our kings and masters, and to declare to them what you command—that they are soon to become the servants of the Chaldean king?” The ambassadors then might have thus treated the holy Prophet with derision and laughter.

But, as we have said, the whole was done for the sake of Zedekiah and the people, so that the Prophet might dissipate that vain splendor and pomp by which he saw that Zedekiah and all the Jews were deceived. For they thought that they had, as it were, high and large mountains to set in opposition to the Chaldean king and his army: “On what part can they attack us, since the king of Tyre is on our side, and also the king of Sidon, the king of Moab, and the king of Ammon? These rule widely, and their cities are impregnable.”

Thus, then, the Jews were convinced that they would be exempt from every trouble and disturbance; but so that they might not deceive themselves with that vain display, Jeremiah said,

“Declare, you ambassadors, to your masters what God has spoken, even that you must submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

And a visible symbol was added to confirm the prediction: the Prophet was commanded to put a yoke on his neck, or yokes, for he speaks in the plural number. מוט muth, means a pole, a yoke, a transverse piece of wood; and no doubt he applied some pieces of wood to his neck, like the yoke laid on oxen. Then he tied this yoke or crossbar; for יסר, isar, means to bind or tie, and so מוסרות, musarut, are bands; מוסר, musar, also means sometimes a girdle, but here it is to be taken for bands or ligaments.

It was a sad spectacle to see on Jeremiah’s neck, when he went out, the symbol of the bondage of all kings and nations: he was, as it were, in the place of all, a captive ahead of time. But when God laid a yoke on the Jews and on all other nations, Jeremiah was then a free man; for though he bore this mark of bondage, he still expected God’s judgment with a resigned mind, while others disregarded it.

But this confirmation made them more inexcusable, as is the case when God, to strengthen faith, adds sacraments or other aids to His word, by which means He impresses us more deeply. For He thus teaches not only our ears, but also our eyes and all our senses. When God thus omits nothing that may tend to strengthen our faith in His word, a heavier condemnation awaits us if such signs do not avail.

We then perceive the reason why the Prophet applied to his neck the symbol of future bondage: if there were any teachable people among them, seeing such a sign with their eyes must have been useful to them. But as the greater part had hardened themselves in their obstinacy, what should have done them good—by humbling them in due time before God so as to anticipate His judgment—had no other effect than to make their punishment more grievous.

Then follow these words: I have made the earth, the man and the beast, which are on the face of the earth, by my great power, and by mine extended arm. The spectacle would have been meaningless and to no purpose if Jeremiah had only put the yoke on his neck and added no instruction; for we know that all signs are, as it were, dead, unless life is given to them by the word.

As then an image is of little use, so whatever signs may be set before our eyes, they would be frivolous and without meaning if no doctrine were added as the life. And hence also is condemned the madness of the Papists, who amuse the minds of the people with many signs, while no doctrine is conveyed.

It therefore follows that they are mere figments, offering no profit. God, then, has always added His doctrine to signs, which may therefore be truly compared to the soul, which gives life to the body that would otherwise be without motion or strength. On this account, Jeremiah shows what the yoke meant.

He also speaks of the power and sovereign authority of God; for kings, though they confess that God holds the government of the world, cannot yet conceive the idea that they can be in a moment overwhelmed and cast down from their dignity. For they seem to themselves to be fixed in their nests, and so they promise themselves a permanent condition and imagine that they are not subject to the common lot of mortals.

As, then, kings are so inflated with pride, the Lord used this preface: that He made the earth and all living beings. He does not speak of heaven, but mentions only that He made the earth, and man, and the animals which are on the face of the earth; and adds, by my great power and extended arm. Why was this said, except that men might be awakened on hearing that the earth does not continue as it is, but as it is sustained by God’s power by which it was once created?

The same power preserves men and animals, for nothing can remain safe unless God exercises His hidden power from heaven. This, then, was the reason why these words were introduced. God set His own arm and power in opposition to the pride of those who thought that they stood by their own power and did not acknowledge that they were dependent on the will of God alone, who sustained them as long as He pleased, and then overthrew and reduced them to nothing when it seemed good to Him.

This doctrine, then, should be applied to ourselves: for Jeremiah did not speak generally and indiscriminately of God’s power, but adapted what he said of God’s power to the subject at hand, so that men might know that there is nothing fixed or permanent in this world. Rather, God preserves men and animals, yet in such a way that at any moment He can by a single breath reduce to nothing all those who exist and all that they have.