THE BOAST OF BABYLON
Isaiah 47:7. I shall be a lady for ever.
The utterance of proud Babylon is identical with that of the vain and self-confident in all ages (Revelation 18:7). The delusion prosperity produces in such men, or nations, is always of this sort. This expression suggests that lengthened prosperity in the case of the ungodly leads to—
I. False security (Psalms 49:6; Job 29:18). The tendency of riches and honour is to blind the heart to the future; and too often to steel it toward God. Who is so unconcerned about death as the miser? Who is so indifferent to the claims of God, as those (like Herod) who live upon the breath of popular applause? (H. E. I. 3997–4014.)
II. Presumption. “A lady for ever,” i.e., in my own right, “no contingency can arise to deprive me of my title and wealth.” The prosperous man is tempted to forget he is as dependent upon God now as he was in the days of his adversity (Proverbs 30:8-9).
III. Boasting. The vernacular of pride—“a lady,” superior to others. Prosperity leads its slaves to imagine they are a higher order of being. In God’s sight too!
IV. Self-satisfaction. “A lady.” “I am that now. None will dispute it. I need aim no higher. I am rich, increased in goods,” &c. (Revelation 3:17). How dreadful the delusion! “Thou art wretched,” &c. (Revelation 3:17).
V. Abandonment to luxury. “A lady for ever,” i.e., “I mean to be at ease, to enjoy life.” Let us beware, if our worldly position be prosperous, lest we live on the gifts, rather than on the Giver. Let us beware lest we appropriate the talents God has given us to our own ends. That is robbery. If the man who hid his Lord’s money was condemned, what shall be the doom of those who use it for self-indulgence?
VI. Spiritual blindness. The certain future of man is declared. But the vain and foolish will not consider their latter end! Prosperity dazzles the eye; the future is wilfully disregarded. The cry of the world, though uttered in other dialects and in different words, is the boast of Babylon, “I shall be a lady for ever.” The boast is its belief.
CONCLUSION.—Remember the desolation of self-confident Babylon—widowhood, childlessness, poverty, famine, shame, disease, insanity, exile, death. Nor shall the future of those who disobey the Gospel be less dreadful or severe.—R. A. Griffin: Stems and Twigs, p. 256.
THE NEGLECT OF WARNINGS
Isaiah 47:7. Thou didst not lay these things to heart, neither didst thou remember the latter end of it.
God warns before He strikes. He gives tokens and premonitions of His approaching judgments, before He proceeds to the fulfilment of His threatenings (Amos 3:7; Genesis 18:17, &c.) He would have men forewarned that they may be forearmed; that “that day” may not come upon them unawares. He condescends to forewarn His enemies as well as His friends. The men of the old world were warned by the preaching of Noah; the inhabitants of the cities of the plain by Lot; Babylon of her doom and desolation by Isaiah and the other prophets. It was a great enhancement of the guilt of Babylon, and the cause of a great aggravation of her doom, that these merciful warnings were despised; and woe will be unto us if we follow in the same track, and neglect the warnings that are addressed to us.
I. THE COURSE OF CONDUCT CONDEMNED. “Thou didst not lay these things to heart.” Though the desolation of Babylon was distinctly foretold—by Isaiah 160 years before the event; by Jeremiah fifty years; and by Daniel when the event was just at hand—yet she took no heed. Let him that is without sin cast the first stone! This insensibility to the threatened judgments of Heaven is—
1. Very common. It is the miserable result of depravity that we delay to the last what we ought to seek first. Though God warns us in every possible way—by His Word, by His providence, by the death of friends, by the calamities that occur around us, by the consequences of sin in the family circles of others—we continue blind and thoughtless. We see this in the young; in the busy, the enterprising, the prosperous; in those who are troubled and tried; in the confirmed and hardened transgressor.
2. Very sinful. It arises from guilt, and leads to greater guilt. It cannot be a trivial thing that God should speak to man, and that man should refuse to hear.
3. Very foolish. To the Babylonians the fabric of their power seemed so fair and strong that no human power could shake it; and they were much too far gone in presumption to dread the divine indignation. Their arrogance and conceit of their extended dominion and invincible prowess was so great, that it never entered into their mind that there was One above them, or that it was possible for them to fall into such calamities as were here threatened. But Babylon was not the first, and will not be the last, in whom the saying will be made good, that “pride goeth before a fall” (Psalms 10:4-6; Psalms 73:11-19).
4. Very dangerous. Dangerous because it hardens the man in sin, closes the heart to all heavenly influences, and opens it to those that are earthly and carnal: commits the man to the downward road, all his habits, pursuits, and tendencies impelling him in the one direction; does the work of Satan in the soul; darkens the light of reason and conscience; paves the way for greater departures from God, and blocks up the avenues of return (H. E. I. 1446–1456, 4232–4252). Dangerous because it grieves the Holy Spirit, and provokes Him utterly to depart from us. The business of salvation must be done in God’s time. Where has He given any man leave to put off repentance for a single day? He who bids you repent at all, bids you repent to-day. Those who put off repentance for another day, have a day more to repent of, and a day less to repent in.
II. THE FEARFUL JUDGMENT DENOUNCED—a type on a large scale of the overthrow of sinners.
1. The certainty of it. “Therefore hear now this.… these two things shall come to thee.” As certainly as she was guilty, careless, and impenitent, so certainly should the wrath of Heaven fall upon her, and fall the more heavily by reason of her hardened impiety and presumption. Impenitent sinner, think of the certainty of your overthrow! It is not more certain that he that believeth shall be saved, than that he that believeth not shall be damned; that the righteous shall go away into life eternal, than that the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment.
2. The suddenness of it. “Those two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day.” Your ruin may come from the quarter least expected: from the treachery of an accomplice; from your nearest and dearest friend; from an unguarded word from your own lip (Isaiah 47:11). Nothing heightens ruin like unexpectedness. The foolish virgins left in the outer darkness; Haman overthrown at the banquet of Esther; Belshazzar feasting with his nobles when his doom was written upon the wall; the Philistines triumphing when Samson pulled down the pillars of the temple; the man without the wedding garment who had actually taken his place at the wedding feast; Jonah had made good all his plans and preliminary movements, and was asleep when the storm came on (Proverbs 29:1).
3. The retributory character of it. An exact proportionment of the punishment to the crime. No undue severity shown even to Babylon (Isaiah 47:6; James 2:13; Revelation 18:5-6). Nor even to the chief of sinners. Always a just recompense of reward.
4. The utter hopelessness of those on whom it comes (Isaiah 47:12-15).
CONCLUSION.—The blessedness of those who have given wise heed to God’s merciful warnings. They have the best friend (Isaiah 47:4). The surest promises (Isaiah 48:15; Isaiah 48:17). A heavenly home.—Samuel Thodey.