Commentary on Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah and Nahum John Calvin (continued)
MINOR PROPHETS
excuse none, he will compel all to become warriors, he will even draw out all the sick from their beds; all will be constrained to put on arms''. It hence appears how ardently the Lord loves his Church, since he spares no nations and no people, and exempts none from punishment; for all who have vexed the Church must necessarily receive their recompense. Since then God so severely punishes the enemies of his Church, he thereby gives a singular evidence of his paternal love to us.
At length he concludes, There will Jehovah overthrow thy mighty ones. Though the Prophet uses the singular number, ``thy'', he no doubt refers to the whole earth; as though he said, ``Whatever enemies there may be to my people, I will cut them down, however strong they may be.'' We now perceive that everything the Prophet has hitherto said has been for this end --- to show, that God takes care of the safety of his Church, even in its heaviest afÒictions, and that he will be the avenger of wrongs, after having for a time tried the patience of his people and chastised their faults --- that there will be a turn in the state of things, so that the condition of the Church will be ever more desirable, even under its greatest evils, than of those whom the Lord bears with and indulges, and on whom he does not so quickly take vengeance.
Prayer.
Grant, Almighty God, that as we are assailed on every side by enemies, and as not only the wicked according to the flesh are incensed against us, but Satan also musters his forces and contrives in various ways to ruin us, --- O grant, that we being furnished with the courage thy Spirit bestows, may fight to the end under thy guidance and never be wearied under any evils. And may we, at the same time, be humbled under thy mighty hand when it pleases thee to afÒict us and so sustain all our troubles that with a courageous mind we may strive for that victory which thou promises to us, and that having completed all our struggles we may at length attain that blessed rest which is reserved for us in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lecture Forty-eighth
Joel 3:12
12. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
12. Expergefiant et ascendant gentes ad vallem Josaphat: quia illic sedebo ad judicandum omnes gentes ex circuitu.
The Prophet proceeds with the same subject, --- that God will at length become an avenger of the wrongs of his people, when they shall be unjustly harassed by profane men. We indeed know that God does not immediately succor his servants but rests as though he did not regard their troubles; but this he does to try their patience; and then at a suitable time he declares that he had not been indifferent, but had noticed the evils done to them, and deferred punishment until the wickedness of his enemies had been completed. So he says now, that God will at length be the defender of his people against all the nations assembled from every quarter in the valley of Jehoshaphat. Of this valley we have said enough already. But the chief thing is, that the afÒictions of the Church shall not go unpunished; for God at the right time will ascend his tribunal, and cause all nations from every part of the earth