(Calvin, Commentary on Joel, Part 6)
Lecture Forty-third.
Joel 2:15-17
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn
assembly:
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the
elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let
the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her
closet.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the
porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and
give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule
over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is]
their God?
Here again the Prophet reminds them that there was need of deep
repentance; for not only individuals had transgressed, but the whole
people had become guilty before God; and we also know how many and
grievous their sins had been. There is no wonder then that the
Prophet requires a public profession of repentance.
He bids them first to sound the trumpet in Zion. This custom,
as we have seen at the beginning of the chapter, was in common use
under the Law; they summoned their meetings by the sound of
trumpets. There is then no doubt but that the Prophet here refers to
an extraordinary meeting. They sounded the trumpets whenever they
called the people to the festivals. But it must have been unusual
for the Jews to proclaim a fast on account of God's heavy judgment,
which was to come on them unless it was prevented. He then shows the
purpose of this, bidding them to sanctify a fast. By this word
"kadash", he means a proclamation for a holy purpose. "Sanctify,
then a fast", that is, Proclaim a fast in the name of God.
We slightly touched on the subject of fasting in the first
chapter, but deferred a fuller discussion to this place. Fasting, we
know, is not of itself a meritorious work, as the Papists imagine it
to be: there is, indeed, strictly speaking, no work meritorious. But
the Papists dream that fasting, in addition to its merit and worth,
is also by itself of much avail in the worship of God; and yet
fasting, when regarded in itself is an indifferent work. It is not
then approved by God, except for its end; it must be connected with
something else, otherwise it is a vain thing. Men, by private
fastings prepare themselves for the exercise of prayer, or they
mortify their own flesh, or seek a remedy for some hidden vices. Now
I do not call fasting temperance; for the children of God, we know,
ought through their whole life to be sober and temperate in their
habits; but fasting, I regard that to be, when something is
abstracted from our moderate allowance: and such a fast, when
practiced privately, is, as I have said, either a preparation for
the exercise of prayer, or a means to mortify the flesh, or a remedy
for some vices.
But as to a public fast, it is a solemn confession of guilt,
when men suppliantly approach the throne of God, acknowledge
themselves worthy of death, and yet ask pardon for their sins.
Fasting then, with regard to God, is similar to black and mean
garments and a long beard before earthly judges. The criminal goes
not before the judge in a splendid dress, with all his fine things,
but casts away every thing that was before elegant in his
appearance, and by his uncombed hair and long beard he tries to
excite the compassion of his judge. There is, at the same time,
another reason for fasting; for when we have to do with men, we wish
to please their eyes and conciliate their favor; and he who fasts,
not only testifies openly that he is guilty, but he also reminds
himself of his guilt; for as we are not sufficiently touched by the
sense of God's wrath, those aids are useful which help to excite and
affect us. He then who fasts, excites himself the more to penitence.
We now perceive the right use of fasting. But it is of public
fasting that the Prophet speaks here. For what purpose? That the
Jews, whom he had before summoned, might present themselves before
God's tribunal, and that they might come there, not with vain
excuses, but with humble prayer. This is the design of fasting. We
now see how foolishly the Papists have abused fasting; for they
think it to be a meritorious work; they imagine that God is honored
by abstinence from meat; they also mention those benefits of fasting
to which I have referred; but they join fasts with festivals, as if
there was some religion in abstaining from flesh or certain meats.
We now then perceive by what gross puerilities the Papists trifle
with God. We must then carefully notice the end in view, whenever
the Scripture speaks of fasting; for all things will be confounded,
except we lay hold on the principle which I have stated - that
fasting ought ever to be connected with its end. We shall now
proceed.
"Proclaim, he says, a meeting". "'Atsarah" is not properly an
assembly, but the deed itself: hence also the word is transferred to
festivals. "Proclaim, then, a meeting, call the people, sanctify the
assembly". The word, sanctify, seems to be taken here in a sense
different from what it had been before. The people, in order to
engage in holy services, performed those rites, as it is well known,
by which they cleansed themselves from their pollutions. No one
entered the temple without washing; and no one offered a sacrifice
without abstaining from an intercourse with his wife. The Prophet
then alludes to these legal purgations when he says "Sanctify the
assembly".
He afterwards adds, "Bring together the old, gather the young
sucking the breasts". With regard to the old, we have said before
that they are separately named, because they ought to have taken the
lead by their example; and further a greater guilt belonged to them,
for we know that it is a duty incumbent on the old to govern others,
and, as it were, to hold the reins. But when the old themselves
become dissolute, and restrain not the lusts of the young, they are
doubly culpable before God. It is no wonder then that the Prophet
bids here the old to be called; for it became them to be the leaders
of others in confessing their repentance. But what follows seems
strange. He would have the young, sucking the breasts, to be
assembled. Why are these brought in as involved in guilt? Besides,
the people were to own their repentance; and yet infants are without
understanding and knowledge; so that they could not humble
themselves before God. It must, then, have been a mockery and a vain
show; nay, the Prophet seems to encourage the people in hypocrisy by
bidding young infants to assemble together with men and women. To
this I answer, that children ought to have been brought together,
that those grown up and advanced in years might through them
perceive what they deserved; for the wrath of God, we know, reached
to the very infants, yea, and to brute animals: when God puts forth
his hand to punish any people, neither asses nor oxen are exempt
from the common scourge. Since, then, God's wrath comes upon brute
animals and upon young infants, it is no wonder that the Lord bids
all to come forth publicly and to make a confession of repentance;
and we see the same to have been the case with brute animals; and
when, if the Lord grants, we shall come to the Prophet Jonah, we
shall then speak on this subject. The Ninevites, when they
proclaimed a fast, not only abstained themselves from meat and
drink, but constrained also their oxen and horses to do the same.
Why? Because the very elements were involved, as it were, with them
in the same guilt: "Lord, we have polluted the earth; whatever we
possess we have also polluted by our sins; the oxen the horses, and
the asses, are in themselves innocent, but they have contracted
contagion from our vices: that we may therefore obtain mercy, we not
only offer ourselves suppliantly before thy face, but we bring also
our oxen and horses; for if thou exercises the fullest severity
against us, thou wilt destroy whatever is in our possession." So
also now, when the Prophet bids infants to be brought before God, it
is done on account of their parents. Infants were in themselves
innocent with regard to the crimes of which he speaks; but yet the
Lord could have justly destroyed the infants together with those of
advanced age. It is then no wonder that in order to pacify God's
wrath the very infants are summoned with the rest: but as I have
already said, the reason is on account of their parents, that the
parents themselves might perceive what they deserved before God, and
that they might the more abhor their sins by observing that God
would take vengeance on their children, except he was pacified. For
they ought to have reasoned from the less to the greater: "See, if
God exercises his own right towards us, there is destruction not
only hanging over us, but also over our children; if they are guilty
through our crimes, what can we say of ourselves, who are the
authors of these evils? The whole blame belongs to us; then severe
and dreadful will be God's vengeance on us, except we be reconciled
to him."
We now then perceive why infants were called, together with
their parents; not that they might confess their penitence, as that
was not compatible with their age, but that their parents might be
more moved, and that such a sight might touch their feelings, and
that dread might also seize them on seeing that their children were
doomed to die with them for no other reason, but that by their
contagion and wickedness they had infected the whole land and
everything that the Lord had bestowed on them.
He afterwards subjoins, "Let the bridegroom go from his closet,
or recess, and the bride from her chamber". It is the same as though
the Prophet had bidden every joy to cease among the people; for it
was of itself no evil to celebrate nuptials; but it behooved the
people to abstain from every rejoicing on seeing the wrath of God
now suspended over them. Hence, things in themselves lawful ought
for a time to be laid aside when God appears angry with us; for it
is no season for nuptials or for joyful feasts, when God's wrath is
kindled, when the darkness of death spreads all around. No wonder,
then, that the Prophet bids the bridegroom and the bride to come
forth from their chamber, that is, to cast aside every joy, and to
defer their nuptials to a more suitable time, and now to undergo
their delights, for the Lord appeared armed against all. It would
have been then to provoke, as it were, His wrath, to indulge
heedlessly in pleasures, when he wished not only to terrify, but
almost to frighten to death those who had sinned; for when the Lord
threatens vengeance, what else is indifference but a mockery of his
power? "I have called you to weeping and wailing; but ye have said,
'We will feast:' as I live, saith the Lord, this iniquity shall
never be blotted out." We see how extremely displeased the Lord
appears there to be with those who, having been called to weeping
and fasting, did yet indulge themselves in their pleasures; for
such, as I have said, altogether laugh to scorn the power of God.
The Prophet's exhortation ought then to be noticed, when he bids the
bridegroom and the bride to leave their nuptials, and to put on the
same mournful appearance as the rest of the people. He thus shook
off heedlessness from all, since God had appeared with tokens of his
wrath. This is the sum of the whole.
Then it follows, "Between the court and the altar let the
priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep". It was the priests'
office, we know, to pray in the name of the whole people; and now
the Prophet follows this order. It was not, indeed, peculiar to the
priests to pray and to ask pardon of God; but they prayed in the
name of all the people. The reason must be well known to us; for God
intended by these legal types to remind the Jews, that they could
not offer prayers to him, except through some mediator; the people
were unworthy to offer prayers by themselves. Hence the priest was,
as it were, the middle person. The whole of this is to be referred
to Christ; for by him we now pray; he is the Mediator who intercedes
for us. The people stood then afar off, we now dare to come nigh to
God; for the vail is rent, and through Christ we are all made
priests. Hence, we are allowed in familiar way and in confidence to
call God our Father: and yet without Christ's intercession, no
access to God would be open to us. This then was the reason for the
legal appointment. Hence the Prophet now says, "Let the priests
weep"; not that he wished the people in the meantime to neglect
their duty; but he expresses what had been prescribed by the law of
God; that is, that the priests should offer supplications in the
name of the people.
And he says, "Between the court and the altar"; for the people
remained in the court, the priests themselves had a court by its
side which they called the sacerdotal court; but the people's court
was over against the sanctuary. Then the priest stood, as it were,
in the middle between God, that is, the ark of the covenant, and the
people: the people also were standing there. We now perceive that
what the Prophet meant was, that the people had the priests as their
mediators to offer prayers; and yet the confession of them all was
public. He calls the priests the ministers of Jehovah, as we have
before found. He thus designates their office; as though he had
said, that they were not more worthy than the rest of the people, as
though they excelled by their own virtue or merits; but that the
Lord had conferred this honor on the tribe of Levi by choosing them
to be his ministers. It was then on account of their office that
they came nearer to God, and not for any merit in their own works.
He further adds, "Spare, Lord", or be propitious to, "thy
people; and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the Gentiles may
rule over them". Here the Prophet leaves nothing to the priests, but
to flee to God's mercy; as though he had said that now no plea
remained for the people, and that they were greatly deceived if they
pretended any excuse, and that their whole hope was in God's mercy.
He afterwards shows the ground on which they were to seek and to
hope for mercy; and he calls their attention to God's gratuitous
covenant, Give not thy heritage for a reproach to the Gentiles. By
these words he shows, that if the Jews depended on themselves, they
were past recovery; for they had so often and in such various ways
provoked God's wrath, that they could not hope for any pardon: they
had also been so obstinate that the door as it were had been closed
against them on account of their hardness. But the Prophet here
reminds them, that as they had been freely chosen by God as his
peculiar people, there remained for them a hope of deliverance, but
that it ought not to have been sought in any other way. We now then
understand the design of the Prophet, when he speaks of God's
heritage; as though he had said, that the people could now undertake
nothing to pacify God, had they not been God's heritage: "Give not
then thy heritage to reproach". He had in view the threatening,
which he had before mentioned; for it was an extreme kind of
vengeance, when the Lord determined to visit his people with utter
destruction; after having worn them out and consumed them by famine
and want, God resolved wholly to consume them by the sword of
enemies. It is then to this vengeance that he now alludes when he
says, "That the Gentiles may not rule over them". It is therefore
absurd, as many do, to connect with this the discourse concerning
the locusts: such a thing is wholly inconsistent with the design of
the Prophet.
It is then added, "Why should they say among the people, Where
is their God?" The Prophet now adduces another reason, by which the
Jews might propitiate God, and that is, because his own glory is
concerned: this reason has indeed an affinity to the former, for God
could not expose his heritage to the reproaches of the Gentiles
without subjecting also his holy name to their blasphemies. But the
Prophet shows here more distinctly that God's glory would be subject
to reproach among the nations, if he dealt with the people according
to the full demands of justice; for the Gentiles would
contemptuously deride him, as though he could not save his people.
Hence in this second clause he reminds us, that when engaged in
seeking pardon, we ought to place before our eyes The glory of God,
that we ought not to seek our own salvation without remembering the
holy name of God, which ought of right to be preferred to all other
things. And at the same time he strengthens also the hope of the
people, when he teaches that the glory of God is connected with the
salvation of those who had sinned; as though he had said, "God, that
he may provide for his own glory, will have mercy on you." They must
then have come more willingly to God's presences when they saw that
their salvation was connected with the glory of God, and that they
would be saved that the name of God might be preserved safe and free
from blasphemies.
We now then perceive what the Prophet meant in this verse: he
first strips the Jews of all confidence in works, showing that
nothing remained for them except they fled to God's free mercy. He
then shows that this mercy is folded on God's gratuitous covenant,
because they were his heritage. In the third place, he shows that
God would be merciful to them from a regard to his own glory, lest
he should expose it to the reproaches of the Gentiles, if he
exercised extreme severity towards his people. Let us now proceed -
Joel 2:18,19
Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will
send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied
therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
The Prophet here again repeats, that prayers would not be in
vain, provided the Jews truly humbled themselves before God. Then
God, he says, will be jealous for his land and spare his people. He
confirms what I have already said that God would deal mercifully
with his people, because they were his heritage, that is because he
had chosen them for himself. For the title of heritage, whence does
it proceed except from the gratuitous covenant of God? for the Jews
were not more excellent than others, but election was the only
fountain from which the Jews had to draw any hope. We now then see
why these words, "God will be jealous for his land", are added; as
though he said "Though this land has been polluted by the wickedness
of men, yet God has consecrated it to himself: He will, therefore,
regard his own covenant, and thus turn away his face from looking on
their sins." "He will spare, he says, his people", that is, his
chosen people: for, as I have said, the Prophet no doubt ascribes
here the safety of the people, and the hope of their safety, to the
gratuitous election of God; for the jealousy of God is nothing else
but the vehemence and ardor of his paternal love. God could not,
indeed, express how ardently he loves those whom he has chosen
without borrowing, as it were, what belongs to men. For we know that
passions appertain not to him; but he is set forth as a father, who
burns with jealousy when he sees his son ill-treated; he
acknowledges his own blood, his bowels are excited, - or, as a
husband, who, on seeing dishonor done to his wife, is moved; and
though he had been a hundred times offended, he yet forgets every
offense; for he regards that sacred union between himself and his
wife. Such a character, then, does God assume, that he might the
better express how much and how intensely he loves his own elect.
Hence he says, "God will be jealous for his land". As he has
hitherto been inflamed with just wrath, so now a contrary feeling
will overcome the former; not that God is agitated by various
passions, as I have already said, but this mode of speaking
transferred from men, is adopted on account of our ignorance.
He afterwards says, "God has answered and said to his people,
Behold, I will send to you corn, wine, and oil". The Prophet does
not here recite what had been done, but, on the contrary, declares,
that God in future would be reconciled to them; as though he said,
"I have hitherto been a herald of war, and bidden all to prepare
themselves for the coming evil: but now I am a messenger to proclaim
peace to you; if only you are resolved to turn to God, and to turn
unfeignedly, I do now testify to you that God will be propitious to
you; and as to your prayers know that they are already heard; that
is, know that as soon as they were conceived, they were heard by the
Lord." Hence he says, He "has answered"; that is "If, moved by my
exhortation, ye return with sincerity to God, he will meet you, nay,
he has already met you; he waits not until ye have done all that ye
ought to do; but when he bids you to come to his temple and to weep,
he at the same time wipes off your tears, he removes every cause of
sorrow and anxiety." God, then, has answered; that is, "I am to you
a certain and sufficient witness, that your prayers have been
already accepted before God, though, as I have before reminded you,
ye have not offered them."
And, at the same time, he speaks of the effect, "Behold, I will
send to you corn, wine, and oil; and ye shall be satisfied". Here,
by the effects, he proves that God would be propitious; for want of
food was the first evidence of God's displeasure, to be followed by
the destruction which the Prophet had threatened. What does he say
now? God will restore to you abundance of corn, wine, and oil; and
he says further, "I will not give you to the Gentiles for a reproach
that they may rule over you".
We now then apprehend the meaning of the Prophet; for he not
only promises that God would be placable but also declares that he
was already placable; and this he confirms by external tokens; for
God would immediately remove the sins of his wrath, and turn them
into blessings. Hence he says, 'He will give you abundance of corn,
wine, and oil, so as fully to satisfy you.' As they had perceived
that God was angry with them by the sterility of the land, and also
by its produce being consumed by chafers, by locusts, and other
animals or insects; so now the Lord would testify his love to them
by the abounding fruitfulness of every thing. And then he joins
another sentence, "I will not give you any more for a reproach to
the Gentiles". When he says, "any more," he intimates that they had
been before exposed to reproach; and we indeed know that they were
then suffering many evils; but there remained that destruction of
which we have heard. God does then here promise, that they should no
more be subject to the reproaches of the Gentiles provided they
repented; for the Prophet ever speaks conditionally. It now follows
-
Joel 2:20
But I will remove far off from you the northern [army], and will
drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the
east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink
shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he has done
great things.
In this verse he more fully confirms the Jews, that they might
not be afraid of reproach from the Gentiles. It may have been that
the Assyrians were now in readiness, prepared for war; it was then
difficult to free the Jews from every fear. The Prophet had said
generally that they would be no more subject to the mockeries of the
Gentiles; but yet fear could not but be felt by them. "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 must have
constantly tormented the Jews, had he 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, is now
on this subject. The "Northlander, he says, will I remove far from
you". The Chaldeans and the Assyrians, we know, were northward of
Judea. He then means here by the North 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, and gaping for the land of Judea, and ready in their
cupidity to devour it, the Syrians would yet return home without
effecting 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
dread 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 shall be to one sea, (supposed to be the Salt Sea,) and
his extremity to the hinder most sea, which was doubtless the
Mediterranean: for the Salt Sea was east to the Jews, that is, it
lies, as it is well known, towards 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, which occupied their
minds by observing the power of the Assyrians so great and
extensive. "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
will God drive away this vast multitude: there is no reason then
that ye should fear." Hence the Prophet has designedly set forth how
terrible the Assyrian forces would be, that he might show that they
could not be resisted, unless the Lord should disperse them and
disappoint all their efforts. At last he adds, "And his ill savour
shall ascend: but I am not able to finish to-day.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as we continue to excite thy wrath against
us, and are so insensible, though thou exhortest us daily to
repentance, - O grant, that what thy Prophet teaches may penetrate
into our hearts, and be like a sounding trumpet, that we may be
really and sincerely made humble before thee, and be so touched with
the sense of thy 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 thou also look upon us in future,
that we may diligently walk in thy fear, and consecrate ourselves
wholly to thee; and as thou hast deigned to choose us for thine
inheritance, and gather us under thy Christ, may wc so live under
him as our leader, until we be at length gathered into thy celestial
kingdom to enjoy that happy rest, which thou hast promised to us,
and which thou promisest also daily, and which has been purchased by
the blood of the same, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Calvin, Commentary on Joel
(Continued in part 7...)
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