John Calvin Commentary Zechariah 1:15

"And I am very sore displeased with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction." — Zechariah 1:15 (ASV)

God here removes the doubt that might have easily entered the minds of the godly. Why then should He give up the miserable Jews to the will of the Gentiles, and allow these heathens at the same time to be in a quiet state and to enjoy their pleasures? This indeed at first glance seemed very strange: if God had such zeal for Jerusalem, why did He not give at least some sign of His favor? He therefore gives this answer: that though the condition of the Gentiles was now better, there was still no reason for the Jews to be discontented in their troubles, because they were to look forward to the end that was to come. It must further be noticed that God speaks only here and is not going forth prepared to execute His vengeance; and it is a real and just trial of faith when God bids us depend on His word.

The manner of speaking used here deserves notice: God was angry with the quiet nations. It is not a superfluous repetition when it is said that the nations were quiet. Some render the word 'wealthy,' but not as suitably, for as we have said before, the angel complained that while the whole world was tranquil, God severely chastised His Church alone. God then anticipates here a temptation that would have otherwise distressed and even wholly disheartened the faithful. He, in effect, says, 'It is indeed true that the Gentiles all around are quiet, that there are no calamities, that there is no enemy, and that they are subject to no evils. This is no doubt true. But as I am angry, their happiness—while I am opposed to and displeased with them—is a curse.' God, then, elevates the thoughts of the godly here, so that they might know that happiness is to be found in His favor alone. Whenever He is angry or displeased, though people may think themselves happy, flatter themselves, and exult in their condition, they are yet in a most miserable state. For all happiness is ruinous that does not flow from the fountain of God’s gratuitous love. In short, when God is not our Father, the more we abound in all kinds of blessings, the deeper we sink in all kinds of miseries. This then is the meaning when God says that He was angry with the quiet nations.

What, then, is the application of this doctrine? It was fitting for the Jews, though their condition was very hard according to human perception, to have nevertheless found peace in the love of God, for they knew that He was their Father. Also, though they saw their enemies happy, they were still to regard it as nothing other than a cursed happiness. So also in Psalm 37, the faithful are told not to envy the unbelieving when they saw them flourishing in wealth and rolling in pleasures, for it was necessary for them to consider their end. Let us therefore learn to raise our thoughts to the contemplation of God’s hidden love when He deals severely with us, and to be satisfied with His word, as we have there an undeniable evidence of His favor. Nor let us envy our enemies and the wicked, however much the whole world may applaud them and they themselves luxuriate in their blessings, for we know that God is opposed to them.

A reason also follows: Because God was a little angry, and they helped forward the evil; that is, they exceeded moderation. The meaning is that the reward of cruelty would be paid back to all the enemies of the Church, because they had exercised immoderate severity when it was God’s purpose to chastise His children in a gentle and paternal manner.

It may be asked here first: How is it that God declares that He had been a little angry with His people, since His judgment, as pronounced by His servants, was most severe?

Whosoever shall escape the famine, shall fall by the sword;
whosoever shall escape the sword, shall fall among wild beasts (Ezekiel 14:14).

And in many other places He declares the same: that there would be no hope of pardon for the people, but that they were all to perish—that is, the whole body. "Though Noah, Daniel, and Job," He says, "were in this city, they shall deliver only their lives; but I will not hear their prayers for this irreclaimable people." But the particle 'little' (Hebrew: מעט, mot), must be applied to the elect. For though God in His dreadful vengeance consumed almost the whole people, yet a remnant, as we know, was preserved. This is the reason why God says that He was but little angry with His people, for He speaks not of the reprobate and of that impure mass from which He purposed to cleanse His own house; but He has respect to His covenant. We now perceive for what purpose Zechariah says that God was but moderately angry with His people.

But another difficulty meets us: In what sense did the nations help on the evil? For from this it follows that the heathens were not restrained from raging immoderately and at their pleasure. And this passage has also been seized upon by that villain who has recently been writing against God’s providence, holding that the wicked become unrestrained by means of God’s hand and power, and are not thereby restrained.

But this is extremely foolish, for the Prophet here does not consider what the nations were able to do or had done. On the contrary, He speaks of their cruelty—that they thought there ought to have been no end until the memory of that people had been wiped out. And this is the reason why Isaiah says, “Thou hast not seen her end.” He therefore reproaches the unbelieving because they did not correctly calculate the end of the Church; for the unbelieving furiously attempted to destroy it, as though that promise could be made void: “My mercy I will not take away.” Since the unbelieving did not see her end—because it was the Lord’s will always to preserve some remnant among His chosen people—the Prophet says that they helped forward the evil. We now then perceive the Prophet’s intention and see that the object is none other than to sustain the hope of the faithful, until what they heard from the mouth of God really took place. Let us proceed.