John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 5:9

"Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" — Jeremiah 5:9 (ASV)

God again holds, as it were, a conference with them, and for this purpose—that He might check all their complaints and close their mouths, so that they would not object and say that they were too severely treated. So that this objection might then be removed, God repeats that He could not pardon such atrocious sins. And this principle is adopted: it was impossible not to punish such wicked men who would not repent. For since God is the Judge of the world, He can no more surrender His judgment than His essence. Since, then, the majesty of God and His office as Judge are inseparably connected, the Prophet concludes that what the Jews thought—that is, that they could escape unpunished while continuing to provoke God, as it were, by open war with their dreadful sins—was impossible: Should I not then visit for this, saith Jehovah?

Here the name of Jehovah is introduced. An earthly judge may pardon the ungodly and the worst of men, but this cannot be done by God; for whenever God pardons, He leads sinners to repentance, so that He never allows sins to go unpunished. For he who repents becomes his own judge and thus anticipates God’s judgment. Where then there is true conversion, God shows no indulgence to sins. But when persistence in sins is such that those who are warned despise all instruction, it is impossible that God should forgive, as in that case He would renounce His own glory, which can never be. Should I not then visit for this, saith Jehovah?

And on such a nation as this should not vengeance my soul take? God speaks here in human terms, for He seeks no vengeance; and when He speaks of His soul, even this is not strictly appropriate for Him. But there is nothing obscure here, for what is meant is that He is at enmity with wickedness, as it is said in Psalm 5:5, that He cannot bear iniquity.

Since this is so, it follows that He must either be thrust from His celestial throne, or punishment must be inflicted on the wicked who remain perverse and set no end or bounds to their sins. Whenever delusion then creeps over us and Satan seeks by his allurements to lead us to forget God’s judgment, let this come to our minds—that God would not be God unless He were to punish sins.

It is then necessary that He should punish sins or be displeased with us. But, as it has been said, He cannot be inconsistent with Himself or dissimilar in His nature, since no change can take place in Him. Either then His hand is stretched out to punish our sins, or His judgment must be anticipated by us. And how can this be done? By learning to bring sentence against ourselves, by becoming displeased with our sins.

When therefore our conversion is of this kind, then God will be merciful to us; and thus He will not pardon our sins as though He approved of them, or as though He did not exercise His office as a judge. But as I have said, what is taught here is rightly addressed to those who are either refractory, or whom Satan renders so stupid and forgetful that they do not call themselves to account. In short, what is said here will render the ungodly, who go on in their perverseness, inexcusable, or it will awaken those who can be healed, so that they may judge themselves and not wait until God stretches out His hand to execute extreme punishment.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are today inclined to those vices to which we learn Your ancient people were too much given—O grant, that we, being governed by Your Spirit, may not harden ourselves against those Your holy warnings by which You daily reprove us and our sins, but that we may be teachable and obedient. And as we have until now too much resisted You and carried on war with Your justice, may we learn to fight with ourselves and with our sins, and rely on Your word, until we gain the victory, and at length attain that triumph which has been prepared for us in heaven by Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.