"...there is no throne...." Isaiah 47:1
All of chapter 47 is God's declaration of destruction upon Babylon, and its destruction hits right at it core: "Thou...sayest in thine heart, 'I am, and none else beside me'...thou hast said in thine heart, 'I am, and none else beside me." (vs. 8, 10) They had set themselves up to be God; not gods, but God ("I am"). This is the Satanic attitude ("I will be like the Most High," Isaiah 14:14), and thus the height of evil. God cuts them right at their hearts: "Come down, and sit in the dust...there is no throne," their power and status is but a self-delusion, and God unravels all of it (vs. 8-15; c.f. Isaiah 14:15-17)
The height of all evil, nay, the very source of all evil is the desire to be God, to be the highest, the controller and ruler of either all things or just yourself. It is the disposition of Satan (Isaiah 14:13, 14), the very temptation whereby Adam fell (Genesis 3:5) and we fell with him (I Corinthians 15:22a). We have all inherited the Satanic disposition of "Me first." This is why it is only desolation that leads to glory: we must be brought to the dust before God can help us, made helpless before we will accept any help. The throne that we set up for ourselves must be revealed as a throne of lies before we realize our true condition: damned sinners with no hope outside of Christ. Many will reject Christ and forever abide in desolation. Others will take hold of Christ's outstretched hand and be returned to God.
"Destroy all my thrones,
Till I rest only in You.
Take me to the dust,
And lift me to Heaven..."
-Jon Vowell
All of chapter 47 is God's declaration of destruction upon Babylon, and its destruction hits right at it core: "Thou...sayest in thine heart, 'I am, and none else beside me'...thou hast said in thine heart, 'I am, and none else beside me." (vs. 8, 10) They had set themselves up to be God; not gods, but God ("I am"). This is the Satanic attitude ("I will be like the Most High," Isaiah 14:14), and thus the height of evil. God cuts them right at their hearts: "Come down, and sit in the dust...there is no throne," their power and status is but a self-delusion, and God unravels all of it (vs. 8-15; c.f. Isaiah 14:15-17)
The height of all evil, nay, the very source of all evil is the desire to be God, to be the highest, the controller and ruler of either all things or just yourself. It is the disposition of Satan (Isaiah 14:13, 14), the very temptation whereby Adam fell (Genesis 3:5) and we fell with him (I Corinthians 15:22a). We have all inherited the Satanic disposition of "Me first." This is why it is only desolation that leads to glory: we must be brought to the dust before God can help us, made helpless before we will accept any help. The throne that we set up for ourselves must be revealed as a throne of lies before we realize our true condition: damned sinners with no hope outside of Christ. Many will reject Christ and forever abide in desolation. Others will take hold of Christ's outstretched hand and be returned to God.
"Destroy all my thrones,
Till I rest only in You.
Take me to the dust,
And lift me to Heaven..."
-Jon Vowell
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