And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever
False security
I. THE CAUSE OF THEIR SECURITY. They did not lay this to heart (Isaiah 47:7), did not apply it to themselves, and give it due consideration. They lulled themselves asleep in ease and pleasure, and dreamed of nothing else but that “to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” They did not “remember the latter end of it”--the latter end of their prosperity, that it is a fading flower and will wither; the latter end of their iniquity, that it will be bitterness; that the day will come when their injustice and oppression must be reckoned for and punished.
II. THE GROUND OF THEIR SECURITY. They trusted in their wickedness and in their wisdom (Isaiah 47:10).
1. Their power and wealth, which they had gotten by fraud and oppression, was their confidence.
2. Their policy and craft, which they called their wisdom, was their confidence.
III. THE EXPRESSIONS OF THEIR SECURITY. Three things this haughty monarchy said in her security.
1. “I shall be a lady for ever.” She looked upon the patent of her honour to be, not during the pleasure of the Sovereign Lord, the fountain of honour, or during her own good behaviour, but to be perpetual to the present generation, and their heirs and successors for ever (Revelation 18:7).
2. “I shall not sit as a widow,” in solitude and sorrow; shall never lose that power and wealth I am thus wedded to. The monarchy shall never want a monarch to espouse and protect it, and to be a husband to the State; nor shall I “know the loss of children.”
3. “None seeth me” when I do amiss, and therefore there shall be none to call me to account. It is common for sinners to promise themselves impunity because they promise themselves secrecy in their wicked ways.
IV. THE PUNISHMENT OF THEIR SECURITY. It shall be their ruin.
1. A complete ruin; the ruin of all their comforts and confidences (Isaiah 47:9).
2. Sudden and surprising. The evil shall come in one day, nay in a moment. “Thou shalt not know from whence it riseth,” and therefore shalt not know where to stand upon thy guard. Babylon pretended to great wisdom and knowledge, but with all her knowledge cannot possess, nor with all her wisdom prevent, the ruin threatened.
3. Irresistible (Isaiah 47:11). (M. Henry.)
Earthly honour fleeting
Saints shall be saints for ever, but lords and ladies will not be so for ever. (M. Henry.)
Afflictions in perfection
(Isaiah 47:9):--Afflictions to God’s children are not afflictions in perfection; widowhood is not to them a calamity in perfection, for they have this to comfort themselves with, that their Maker is their husband. Loss of children is not, for He is better to them than ten sons. But on His enemies they come in perfection. (M. Henry.)
Sinful boasting
The utterance of proud Babylon is identical with that of the vain and self-confident in all ages. 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--
1. False security.
2. Presumption. “A lady for ever,” i.e in my own right; “no contingency can arise to deprive me of any title and wealth.”
3. Boasting. The vernacular of pride--“a lady,” superior to others.
4. Self-satisfaction. “A lady.” “I am that now. None will dispute it” Revelation 3:17).
5. Abandonment to luxury. “A lady for ever.” I mean to be at ease, to enjoy life.
6. Spiritual blindness. Prosperity dazzles the eye; the future is willfully disregarded. Conclusion--Remember the desolation of self-confident Babylon-widowhood, childlessness, poverty, famine, shame, disease, insanity, exile, death. (R. A. Griffin.)
Thou didst not lay these things to thy heart
Neglected warnings
God warns before He strikes.
I. THE COURSE OF CONDUCT CONDEMNED. “Thou didst not lay,” &c. This insensibility to the threatened judgments of heaven is--
1. Very common.
2. Very sinful.
3. Very foolish.
4. Very dangerous.
II. THE FEARFUL JUDGMENT DENOUNCED--a type on a large scale of the overthrow of sinners.
1. The certainty of it (Isaiah 47:8-9).
2. The suddenness of it. “In a moment” (Isaiah 47:9).
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). (S. Thodey.)