"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A PROMISE AND A WARNING FROM GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A PROMISE AND A WARNING FROM GOD"

(Taken from today's reading in the One Year Bible for September 8th)

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and 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 be as wool.

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

Isaiah 1:20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

Isaiah was a prophet of God, sent by God to minister to the nation of Israel. He ministered over a span of time that included a handful of different kings. As with most of the prophets, if not all, Isaiah's message was a plea to acknowledge their sins, and turn back to the Lord who would restore and bless them. And if they did not, He would judge them. These messages could not have been any more important for the people, and the principles of these messages still apply to us today.

1. God calls His people to come to Him, and reason together.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and 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 be as wool.”

Come now, or come to me, is one of God's favorite sayings. He wants His people to come to Him. In this case the people had been going away from Him, and He is inviting them to come back to Him. It's their choice, and it's God's hope and desire that they would respond to Him.

2. God promises to forgive the sins of His people.

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and 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 be as wool.”

Only God can forgive sins. Man cannot forgive his own sins. God wanted to forgive His people.
Here is how this part of the verse reads in the NLT:
“No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.”

Isn't that beautiful. God can remove our sins.

3. God also explains the blessings of obedience to Him.

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

Here we see that God does not force His people to come to Him, but rather identifies the fact of their being able to make a choice.
If you are willing, He says, and if You are obedient. Willingness and obedience will lead to blessing, that's what God was promising his people.

In essence, God was saying, "If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat."

4. Additionally, God explains the consequences of disobedience to Him.

Isaiah 1:20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Now this is the proverbial "other side of the coin”. God is telling His people that if they do not come to Him, and are not willing and obedient to Him, and if they keep going away from Him, and refuse to listen to Him, destruction through their enemies was coming.

To try and make them know the seriousness and truth of this consequence God tells them, "For the mouth of the LORD has spoken”.
In other words, these are not empty words, but rather these are the words of God who cannot lie.

Questions/Application:

1. Do we not have a gracious and loving God?

2. Isn't it true that He loves us so and desires that we walk with Him?

3. Do you believe His promises to forgive sins?

4. Are you by any chance away from Him at this time in your life?

5. If you are away from Him, take hope, because He is calling You back to Himself, and He will receive you and wash you of your sins.

6. May God help us to be balanced in our understanding of both the goodness and the severity of the Lord.

A Prayer:

Lord God, our Father in heaven, we honor You and exalt Your name today. Who do we have in heaven like You? Who do we have on earth like You? Who can do for us what You can do? No one, no not one single person. You alone are God. You are gracious and patient, long-suffering and forgiving. Thank You for Your Word which gives us Godly wisdom on how to live our lives while we wait to be with You.
Thank You again, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.