“Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)
Fear Not… Then Reason
I had to throw away one of my favorite shirts. I carelessly stained it with tomato sauce, and probably a few other ingredients. DeAnne graciously tried to clean it. But sometimes a stain is a stain is a stain.
No amount of elbow grease, powerful chemicals, or soaking could get rid of it.
God’s people in Isaiah’s time were trying so very hard. Their souls were stained. They (as God’s people always do!) know how much trouble they were in. And so, they tried (read about it in the earlier verses of Isaiah’s book) ceremonies, sacrifices performed with mathematical precision, national laws, and condemnation of other people’s sinfulness. But the stain, in God’s eyes, was still there.
And now God offers them a deal.
That is what reasoning together refers to.
Changing scarlet cloth into white cloth is so very difficult. Once white wool is no longer white wool, it won’t be white wool again.
Other than when God is involved. Other than when grace is involved. Other than when Jesus is involved.
The deal is so good that it seems too good to be true.
Jesus takes our stains on His pure robes, and gives us HIS pure robes to wear instead of our stained set.
Stop trying other things. Reason with God.
Fear not, then reason