John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 26:4

"then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit." — Leviticus 26:4 (ASV)

Then I will give you rain in due season. He might in one word have promised a great abundance of food; but, so that His grace may be more illustrious, the instruments He employs for its supply are mentioned. He might give us bread as He formerly rained down manna from heaven. But, in order that the signs of His paternal solicitude may be constantly before us, after the seed is sown, the earth requires rain from heaven. In this way, the order of the seasons is so regulated that every day may renew the memory of God’s bounty.

For this reason, rain is mentioned, along with the increase of the fruits of the earth. The continued succession of threshing, the vintage, and sowing-time indicates a very abundant supply of grain and wine. For if the harvest is small, there will not be much work to occupy the farmer; and if the vintage is light, this will also lead to an unsatisfactory period of leisure. But when God declares that from harvest to sowing-time they shall have constant employment, He leads them to expect a fruitful year, as immediately follows: “you shall eat your bread to the full.”

And since no prosperity can be gratifying without peace, He says that they shall be quiet and free from all disturbance. This must be carefully observed: so unpalatable are all God’s blessings without the seasoning of tranquility, that nothing is more wretched than restlessness. The sum is that for the true servants of God, not only is food laid up with Him, but also its peaceful and pleasant enjoyment, since it is in His power and within His will to drive far from them all annoyances.

Still, these two things do not seem altogether consistent: that there shall be none to make them afraid, and yet that they shall subdue their enemies, so that ²¹⁰ ten shall suffice to chase a hundred. For of what use would their military strength be if there were no enemies to trouble them? But if we may take the latter statement disjunctively, there will be no absurdity—namely, if it should happen that war is brought against them, they should fight successfully. Still, the easiest solution to this difficulty is that it soon afterwards became necessary for them to contend with a great multitude of enemies in order to obtain possession of the land.

We gather from the Prophets’ application of this particular blessing of a secure and tranquil life to the kingdom of Christ that the promises, which by the nature of the Law were ineffective, are still useful for believers. For when God has reconciled them to Himself, He also liberally bestows upon them what they have not deserved; and yet their obedience, such as it is, is also rewarded.

²¹⁰ The oversight of ten for for five here is scarcely worth noticing. here is scarcely worth noticing.