John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 41:15

"But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon." — Jeremiah 41:15 (ASV)

He indeed met with poor success; he fled from his enemy when the whole people abandoned him, when he lost his soldiers; and he could not appear before the king of Ammon without the greatest disgrace. It seems, however, very strange that he was allowed to escape; for how was it that God did not carry out those well-known sentences—

“He who smites with the sword shall perish by the sword;” “Whosoever sheds man’s blood, his blood shall be shed.” (Matthew 26:52; Revelation 13:10; Genesis 9:6)

Ishmael had not only killed a man, but the governor of the people—and that governor by whose protection and favor a remnant had been preserved as a seed. He had also killed all whom he found with him; and lastly, he had killed seventy men with whom he had no conflict, no war, no quarrel. Since, then, Ishmael had so polluted himself with innocent blood and with so many murders of good men, how was it that he was allowed to escape?

As we have said before, God does not now observe an equal or the same course in His judgments. He often extends the life of the most wicked, so that they may be exhibited, as it were, as a spectacle.

Nor does the truth of the words, “Whosoever sheds man’s blood, his blood shall be shed,” become void; but God has various ways by which He renders a just reward to murderers and assassins. And we should notice what is said in the book of Psalms:

“Slay them not, lest my people should forget.” (Psalms 59:11)

The Psalmist there asks God not to destroy the wicked immediately, for forgetfulness of a remarkable punishment might easily creep in if God executed it suddenly and immediately.

But when God impresses a mark of His curse on the impious and the wicked and prolongs their life, it is as though He placed them in a theater to be observed leisurely and for a long time.

Conspicuous, then, are the marks of God on the impious when God pursues them slowly and by degrees, and summons them, in a way, day by day before His tribunal. There is, therefore, no doubt that God thus executed vengeance on the barbarity of Ishmael.

For why did he kill Gedaliah? It was because he was of the royal seed, and foolish pride still filled his heart, though God by His powerful hand had broken down whatever dignity once belonged to the royal seed; indeed, He had completely torn it to pieces. And yet this man cherished his own ferocity.

Hence God executed a twofold punishment on him by depriving him of his company. For he went to the king of Ammon, whom he had no doubt flattered with great promises and from whom he also expected no common rewards—he went there a fugitive with his eight companions, also filled with shame, and he saw no hope of a return.

Thus, then, it happened that he was despised and rejected; and this was, no doubt, more bitter to him than if he had died ten times.

Let us then learn not to form our judgment according to the present appearance of things, but let us patiently wait while God openly makes known to us the various ways He adopts in punishing the wicked.

Indeed, this should especially serve as a confirmation of our faith when we see the godly cruelly slain and the wicked remaining in security; for from this it follows that we are to look for another judgment of God, which does not yet appear.

For if God rendered to each his just reward, then the Sadducees would have some ground to boast that there is not another life. But when things are thus in a state of confusion in the world, we know that God’s judgment is suspended and deferred to a later time.

Then this variety or confusion, if you will, confirms our minds in the hope of the last judgment and of a blessed resurrection. I cannot proceed further now.

Prayer:

Grant, omnipotent God, that as this world is filled with the filth of the wicked and as we are on every side surrounded by enemies, O grant that we may learn to flee under Your protection and so hide ourselves under the shadow of Your wings, that we may look nowhere else for safety but from Your defense. May we also know that in everything that happens to us, our life and our death are so ordered by Your wonderful providence that all events advance our salvation, enabling us to go onward, not only through many calamities but, if need be, through the midst of slaughters, until we finally come to that blessed rest which Your only-begotten Son has obtained for us by His own blood. Amen.