Isaiah 52:12

>18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Here is, 1. A necessary caution against entertaining any favourable thoughts of prospering profaneness: " Let not thy heart envy sinners; do not grudge them either the liberty they take to sin or the success they are to be pitied rather than envied. Their prosperity is their portion ( Ps. xii. 14 ), nay, it is their poison," Prov. i. 32 . We must not harbour in our hearts any secret discontent at the providence of God, though it seem to smile upon them, nor wish ourselves in their condition. " Let not thy heart imitate sinners " (so some read it); do not as they do; walk not in the way with them; use not the methods they take to enrich themselves, though they thrive by them. 2. An excellent direction to maintain high thoughts of God in our minds at all times: Be thou in the fear of the Lord every day and all the day long. We must be in the fear of the Lord as in our employment, exercising ourselves in holy adorings of God, in subjection to his precepts, submission to his providences, and a constant care to please him; we must be in it as in our element, taking a pleasure in contemplating God's glory and complying with his will. We must be devoted to his fear ( Ps. cxix. 38 ); and governed by it as our commanding principle in all we say and do. All the days of our life we must constantly keep up an awe of God upon our spirits, must pay a deference to his authority, and have a dread of his wrath. We must be always so in his fear as never to be out of it. 3. A good reason for both of these ( v. 18 ): Surely there is an end, an end and expectation, as Jer. xxix. 11 . There will be an end of the prosperity of the wicked, therefore do not envy them ( Ps. lxxiii. 17 ); there will be an end of thy afflictions, therefore be not weary of them, an end of thy services, thy work and warfare will be accomplished, perfect love will shortly cast out fear, and thy expectation of the reward not only will be not cut off, or disappointed, but it will be infinitely outdone. The consideration of the end will help to reconcile us to all the difficulties and discouragements of the way. 19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Isaiah 5:11

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! inflame: of, pursue

Isaiah 5:22

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:

Isaiah 20:1

In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

Isaiah 22:13

And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Isaiah 28:7

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

Isaiah 31:6

Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

Isaiah 31:7

For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. his idols of gold: Heb. the idols of his gold

Matthew 24:49

And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Luke 15:13

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

Luke 16:19

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Luke 21:34

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Romans 13:13

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. honestly: or, decently

Ephesians 5:18

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

1 Peter 4:3

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

1 Peter 4:4

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: