Fire, and Hail; Snow and Vapours; Stormy Wind Fulfilling His Word
God actively watches over his creatures and controls the elements, and we should pray to him for his goodness and protection.
John Calvin preaches about the sovereignty of God over nature, emphasizing how elements like hail, snow, storms, and winds all fulfill God's word and are under His control. He highlights that every weather change, from rain to thunder, is orchestrated by God's will to either show His goodness or bring judgment. Calvin teaches that in times of drought or excessive rain, we should pray to God for His intervention, recognizing His power over creation and His ability to calm the troubled elements.
Text
Fire, and hail; snow and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: --Psalm 148:8
He then ascends to hail, snows, and storms, which he says fulfill the word of God; for it is not by an effect of chance that the heavens are clouded, or that a single drop of rain falls from the clouds, or that the thunders rage, but one and all of these changes depend upon the secret will of God, whether he will show his goodness to the children of men in irrigating the earth, or punish their sins by tempest, hail, or other calamities.
The passage contains instruction of various kinds, as, for example, that when dearth impends, however parched the earth may be by long continued heat, God can promptly send rain which will remove the drought at his pleasure. If from incessant rains, on the other hand, the seed rot in the ground, or the crops do not come to maturity, we should pray for fair weather. If we are alarmed by thunder, we are taught to pray to God, for as it is he who sends it in his anger, so he can still all the troubled elements.
And we are not to take up the narrow view of this truth which irreligious men advocate, that things in nature merely move according to the laws impressed upon them from the beginning, while God stands by idle, but are to hold firmly that God watches over his creatures, and that nothing can take place without his present disposal, as we have seen (Psalm 104:4) that "he maketh the winds his messengers, and his ministers a flaming fire." --Commentaries
Sermon Outline
- God's Sovereignty Over Nature
- God's Instruction for Our Lives
- God's Active Role in Creation
- God watches over his creatures
- Nothing happens without God's present disposal
- Examples of God's active role: winds, fire
Key Quotes
“He maketh the winds his messengers, and his ministers a flaming fire.” — John Calvin
“It is not by an effect of chance that the heavens are clouded, or that a single drop of rain falls from the clouds, or that the thunders rage, but one and all of these changes depend upon the secret will of God,” — John Calvin
Application Points
- We should pray to God for his goodness and protection, especially during times of drought or excessive rain.
- We should recognize God's active role in creation and not attribute natural events to chance or laws alone.
- We should trust in God's sovereignty over nature and his ability to calm the elements during storms.