John Calvin Commentary Joel 2:20

"but I will remove far off from you the northern [army], and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things." — Joel 2:20 (ASV)

In this verse he more fully confirms the Jews, so that they might not be afraid of reproach from the Gentiles. It may have been that the Assyrians were now ready, prepared for war; it was then difficult to free the Jews from all fear. The Prophet had said generally that they would no longer be subject to the mockeries of the Gentiles; but they still could not help but feel fear.

“We see the Assyrians already armed; and what can we expect but to be devoured by them? For we are not able to resist them.” Anxiety then would have constantly tormented the Jews, if he had not distinctly and in express words declared, “It is in God’s power to drive away the Assyrians and to confound all their attempts.” The Prophet, therefore, now addresses this subject.

The Northlander, he says, will I remove far from you. The Chaldeans and the Assyrians, we know, were north of Judea. By 'the North,' he then means those enemies whose preparations terrified the Jews. Hence he says, I will drive them from you, and drive them far into a land of desert and of drought.

By these words he intimates that, though furnished with the greatest forces, gaping for the land of Judea, and ready in their greed to devour it, the Assyrians would yet return home without accomplishing anything: I will cast them into a desert land. In vain, he says, they covet your abundance and desire to satisfy themselves with the fertility of your land; for I will drive them and their terror away.

He then adds, His face to the east sea, and his rear to the hindmost sea; that is, I will scatter them here and there, so that his front will be toward one sea (thought to be the Salt Sea), and his rear toward the hindermost sea, which was undoubtedly the Mediterranean. For the Salt Sea was east of the Jews; that is, it lies, as is well known, toward the east.

We now perceive in part what the Prophet means. But it must, at the same time, be added that the Prophet removes fear from the Jews, a fear which occupied their minds because they observed the great and extensive power of the Assyrians.

They thought, “What is to be done? Though God is present with us and protects us by His help, yet how will He resist the Assyrians, for that army will fill the land?” “God will yet find means,” says the Prophet. “Though the Assyrians should occupy the whole land, from the Salt or the East Sea to the Meridian or Mediterranean Sea, yet God will drive away this vast multitude. There is no reason then that you should fear.”

Hence the Prophet has deliberately set forth how terrible the Assyrian forces would be, so that he might show that they could not be resisted unless the Lord should disperse them and frustrate all their efforts. At last he adds, And his ill savor shall ascend: but I am not able to finish today.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, that as we continue to provoke Your wrath against us and are so insensitive, though You exhort us daily to repentance—O grant, that what Your Prophet teaches may penetrate our hearts and be like a sounding trumpet, so that we may be truly and sincerely humbled before You, and be so touched with the sense of Your wrath, that we may learn to put off all the depraved affections of our flesh, and not merely to deplore the sins we have already committed; and do You also look upon us in the future, so that we may diligently walk in Your fear and consecrate ourselves wholly to You. As You have deigned to choose us as Your inheritance and gather us under Your Christ, may we so live under Him as our leader, until we are at length gathered into Your celestial kingdom to enjoy that happy rest, which You have promised to us, and which You also promise daily, and which has been purchased by the blood of the same, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.