John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 51:15-16

"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens: when he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries." — Jeremiah 51:15-16 (ASV)

The Prophet commends here, as I have already said, in high terms, the power of God. But we must bear in mind his purpose, for abrupt sentences would be otherwise uninteresting. His object was to encourage the Jews to entertain hope.

For they were not to judge Babylon according to its splendor, which dazzled the eyes of all. Nor were they to measure by their own notions what God had testified. He bids the faithful to raise all their thoughts above the world and to behold with admiration the incomprehensible power of God, so that they might not doubt that Babylon would at length be trodden under foot.

For had they fixed their eyes on that monarchy, they could have hardly believed the words of prophecy, because the Prophet spoke of things which could not be comprehended by the human mind.

We now understand then why the Prophet set forth the power of God: even that the faithful might learn to think of something more sublime than the whole world while contemplating the destruction of Babylon. For that would not be effected in a usual or natural way, but through the incredible power of God.

The same words are also found in the tenth chapter, and the five verses we encounter here were explained there. But Jeremiah had then a different object in view, for he addressed the Jewish exiles and instructed them to persevere firmly in the worship of God.

Though religion was oppressed, and though the victorious Chaldeans proudly derided God, he still instructed them to stand firm in their religion, and then said,

“When you come to Babylon, say, Cursed are all the gods who made not the heaven and the earth.” (Jeremiah 10:11)

And there, indeed, he used a foreign language and taught them to speak in Chaldean, so that they might more plainly profess that they would persevere in the worship of the only true God.

He afterwards added what he now repeats: that the power of God was not diminished, though he had chastised his own people for a time.

But now, as we have said, he speaks in sublime terms of the power of God, so that the faithful might know that what the judgment of the flesh held as impossible could easily be done by that God who can do all things.

He says first, He who made the earth. He does not mention God’s name, but the expression is more emphatic when he says, the Maker of the earth, as if he had said, “Who can be found to be the creator of the heaven and the earth except the only true God?”

We therefore see more force in the sentence than if God’s name had been expressed, for he thus excluded all the fictitious gods who had been devised by the heathens, as if he had said, “The only true God is He who made the earth.”

Then he says, by his power. He speaks of God’s power in connection with the earth, probably on account of its stability.

He afterwards adds, Who hath constituted the world by his wisdom, and by his knowledge extended the heavens. The wisdom of God is visible through the whole world, but especially in the heavens. The Prophet indeed speaks briefly, but he leads us to contemplate God’s wonderful work in its manifold variety, which appears above and below.

For though it may seem a light matter when he says that the world was constituted by the wisdom of God, yet if anyone were to apply his mind to the meditation of God’s wisdom in the abundance of all fruits, in the wealth of the whole world, in the sea (which is included in the world), he would undoubtedly be filled a thousand times with wonder and admiration.

For the more carefully we attend to the consideration of God’s works, we ourselves in a manner vanish into nothing; the miracles which present themselves on every side, before our eyes, overwhelm us.

As for the heavens, what do we see there? An innumerable multitude of stars so arranged, as if an army were drawn up in all its ranks. Then there are the wandering planets, not fixed, each having its own course, and yet appearing among the stars. Then the course of the sun—how much admiration ought it to produce in us!

I say, this admiration ought to be not only in those who understand the whole system of astronomy, but also in those who see it only with their own eyes.

For when the sun, in its daily course, completes so great and so immense a distance, those who are not amazed at such a miracle must be more than stupid.

And then the sun, as is well known, has its own course, which is performed every year, and it never passes in the least beyond its own boundaries.

The bulk of that body is immense (for, as is well known, it far exceeds the earth), and yet it rolls with great swiftness and at the same time in such order, as if it advanced gradually and quietly.

Surely it is a wonderful specimen of God’s wisdom. The Prophet, then, though he speaks in an ordinary way, yet supplies the godly with materials for thought, so that they might apply their minds to the consideration of God’s works.

Some explain the words to mean that God expands the heavens whenever they are covered with clouds, but this is wholly foreign to the Prophet’s meaning. For there is no doubt that he points out in this verse the perpetual order of nature, just as in the next verse he speaks of those changes which sometimes happen.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that since You have once deigned to receive us under Your protection, we may learn to rely on the power of Your hand. As so many terrors on every side meet us through the assaults and cruelty of our enemies, may we yet continue firm and persevere in calling on Your name, until You appear as our Redeemer—not only once, but whenever we may need Your help—until You gather us at last into that blessed rest which has been prepared for us in heaven, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

In our last lecture, we stopped where the Prophet commends the power of God, as manifested in his ordinary works. Having previously spoken of creation, and briefly shown that there are many clear evidences in both heaven and earth of God’s wonderful wisdom as well as of his power, he now comes to the rains and winds.

We have further said that there is a difference between a fixed order of nature and those changes which are daily observed. For if the appearance of the heavens and the earth were always the same, God’s power and wisdom could not appear so wonderful.

But when the heavens are covered with clouds, when the air is now tranquil and then disturbed by winds, when storms suddenly arise and then rains follow, God thus vividly sets forth his manifold wisdom and power.

This, then, is the reason why the Prophet, after having briefly touched on what we have seen, adds, as evidences of God’s power and wisdom, those things which appear to us in their various changes. He then says that by his voice alone he gives abundance of waters in the heavens, and then that he raises vapors from the extremity of the earth, that he creates lightnings and the rain, which yet seem to be contrary things.

At last he says that he brings the winds out of his treasures. Philosophers indeed mention the causes of these things, but we ought to come to the fountain itself, and the original cause: that things are so arranged in the world that, though there are intermediate and subordinate causes, yet the primary cause—the wisdom and power of God—always appears eminently.

Winds arise from the earth because exhalations proceed from it. But by whom are exhalations created? Not by themselves. It therefore follows that God is their sole author.

And he calls hidden places treasures: just as one draws out this or that from his storehouse, so he says that winds come forth from hidden places, not of themselves, but through God, who holds them as if they were shut up.

I pass by these things, only touching on them, because I have already reminded you that we have previously explained in the tenth chapter (Jeremiah 10) what is literally repeated here.