John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 50:25

"Jehovah hath opened his armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation; for the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, hath a work [to do] in the land of the Chaldeans." — Jeremiah 50:25 (ASV)

The Prophet here expresses more clearly what he had touched upon, namely that this war would not be that of the Persians, but of God Himself. He then says that God had opened His treasure, because He has various and manifold ways and means, which are beyond human comprehension, when He resolves to destroy the ungodly. That monarchy was impregnable according to human judgment; but God here says that He had hidden means by which He would lay waste Babylon and reduce it to nothing. Then what is, by an analogy, called the treasure of God, means such a way as is beyond human understanding; that is, when God executes His judgments in a hidden and unexpected way.

Since, then, the faithful could hardly conceive what Jeremiah said, he lifts their thoughts to God’s providence, which ought not to be subjected to human judgment. For it is absurd for humans to judge God’s power according to the perceptions of the flesh; it is as if they attempted to hold heaven and earth in the hollow of their hand. God Himself says that He takes heaven and earth in the hollow of His hand. When, therefore, humans seek to comprehend God’s power, it is like a fly attempting to devour all the mountains. Hence the Prophet rebukes this presumption to which we are all by nature inclined—namely, to determine according to the comprehension of our own minds what God is doing or ought to do, as though His power were not infinite.

This is the reason why the Prophet says, God has opened His treasury; and then, He has from there brought forth the instruments of His wrath, that is, from His treasury, even in a way and manner that was then incomprehensible. And the reason is added: Because this is the work of God alone, the God of hosts, in the land of the Chaldeans. Here the Prophet briefly concludes, implying that the faithful ought to wait quietly until what he taught came to pass, because it was the work of God. And there is nothing more absurd than for humans to seek to measure God’s power by their own judgment, as has been said. It follows—but I cannot explain the verse now.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since You have been pleased to set before us Your judgments on the unbelieving, we may not only fear You, but also learn to cast on You the hope of our salvation, so that we may make progress in the truth, that we may neither be insensitive to Your threatenings, nor tremble in our extreme afflictions, but so learn to raise our eyes to You, that we may, during the whole course of our life, call on You through Christ Jesus our Lord. — Amen.