Isaiah 1:18, commentary and pictures

God invites guilty people to come and reason with Him now, appealing to their mind and conscience for willing and intelligent response rather than forcing them. Though their sins are deeply stained as scarlet and red like crimson, He promises to make them fully clean and white as snow and as wool. That cleansing comes through Christ alone, whose blood washes away the stain when the sinner trusts and surrenders to Him by faith. It is received only by the contrite who repent, confess and forsake sin, and turn to obedient doing of good in relieving the oppressed and caring for the fatherless and widow. The call is urgent today in probationary time, for mercy still pleads but will end, so doubting and burdened sinners must come at once without waiting and without giving up hope.

Historical Setting and Context

The call to reason together was spoken to apostate Judah and Jerusalem when laden with iniquity, sick from head to foot, and desolate, and addressed as rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah. Their multitude of sacrifices, vain oblations, new moons, sabbaths, solemn assemblies, and many prayers were rejected while their hands were full of blood. They transgressed His holy law while claiming to be righteous, with worship that was empty.

It rebukes a faithful city become an harlot, once full of judgment and righteousness but now of murderers. Its silver is become dross and its wine mixed with water. Its princes are rebellious and companions of thieves, loving gifts and following after rewards, failing to judge the fatherless and to hear the widow's cause. The same word exposes the men Christ drove from the temple courts and shows how God regards all who profess righteousness while breaking His law.

It reveals Christ's heart still pleading and weeping over the rebellious, unfaithful city. He holds out His hand to take theirs and help them into the narrow path of self-denial and self-sacrifice to share heirship as sons of God. Abundant animal offerings without true repentance and obedience cannot provide the cleansing offered, and Jerusalem's sacrifices could not replace a broken, contrite heart. Rejecting present mercies and warnings left that generation guilty.

Invitation to Reason Together

The call to reason together is an appeal to intellect and conscience, not a demand for blind or forced submission. Willing, intelligent service is sought, leaving each person the choice to accept grace and be freed from sin. The divine government is not founded on blind submission and unreasoning control, for the will of creatures is not forced and homage that is not willingly and intelligently given cannot be accepted.

The purpose is that all inhabitants of the universe shall be convinced of justice in the final overthrow of rebellion and the eradication of sin, with the real nature and dire effects of sin clearly manifested so that the wisdom and justice of the divine government are assured. It is condescension that the Lord invites His people to reason with Him, in contrast to those who proudly refuse to reason with others. Human reasoning itself is to be actively exercised in dependence on God and learned through His word, giving wisdom to distinguish right from wrong and to refuse evil and choose good.

Come now means come today, believing and taking hold at once without waiting for a future time. It is not too late to be righteous, for even scarlet and crimson guilt can be cleansed to white as snow and wool. Coming brings love, dying to self, present consecration, hiding in Him, receiving light to give to others, breathing of the Holy Spirit, elevation and ennobling of character, and growing up into Christ the living Head by committing the keeping of the soul to Him as a faithful Creator.

The offer is urgent during probationary time, for there is no second probation and mercy will eventually end. The day of grace is nearly past, yet Jesus still pleads for the sinner in the sanctuary and the atoning Sacrifice pleads for cleansing. Sins should therefore be confessed and put away now rather than left for the final accounting, not by trusting in personal works or righteousness, with pride and self-esteem no longer keeping anyone from confession. The cleansing is offered as a personal blessing through Christ, who died to restore the world to favor and make people loyal and obedient to the commandments, to be received by personal faith, and even scarlet sin is forgiven and made clean when the sinner turns back and makes wrongs right.

Doubting souls must stop talking darkness and distrusting the Father's love, for the broad and deep love seen at Calvary and the shed blood that cleanses from all sin show Jesus interceding to receive sinners to repentance. Even one fearing God will not hear prayer is to come at once in prayer, believing, and to find assurance and comfort in asking for a clean heart. The promise is a free gift received by faith in divine love, without price, yet requiring action and cooperation through willing obedience while humbly clinging to the cross.

The invitation to reason together also applies among people rather than imposing one person's judgment. There is to be open discussion with the brethren, especially on matters that concern them and in which they should have a voice. Parents likewise are required to use reason and act conscientiously before God in deciding whether they can train their children to meet the standard of righteousness.

Promise of Complete Cleansing

Though sins are as scarlet and red like crimson, they shall become as white as snow and as wool, for God can cleanse even the most deeply stained sin and make the guilty fully clean with a complete, full and free forgiveness. This cleansing is God's answer to sin, joined to Christ's saving work and His power to bring people to God, and it frees erring Israel from sin's burden and penalty together with the call to wash, put away evil, cease wrongdoing and learn to do good. Even those sunk in deep pollution and laden with the gravest guilt can be rescued, for no sinfulness is beyond the mercy still offered through Jesus the sinner's only hope. Past mistakes and shortcomings, however great, are no reason to stay away from Jesus or give up hope of salvation, since the Lord invites even the deeply sinful to come and receive cleansing and forgiveness through the provision made in Jesus Christ.

Sin is not infinite, so however aggravated the character of sin or oppressive the guilt of conscience, the repentant one burdened by intolerable guilt need not despair. God promises complete forgiveness and cleansing that makes the guilty fully white and clean through Christ who died as the price above all price, giving hope that outweighs all discouragement and despair and leaving no reason for discouragement but calling sinners to come and submit to His refining work. The cleansing involves as great a transformation of character as possible, with inward cleansing shown in a changed outward life. It is connected with overcoming sin and living in purity rather than continuing to defile oneself, and it includes forgiveness, justification and sanctification, while purging away dross and removing what is impure.

The wool's whiteness after washing illustrates this cleansing, and fresh snow clothing the earth in white is a beautiful symbol of it. Snow's whiteness pictures the cleansing promised to all who come with broken hearts and contrite spirits, picturing the white clothing of Christ's righteousness and the white garments worn by the faithful who are made pure and white, whiter than snow. It is the Lord's sure word that will not fail, calling sinners to accept it, trust God to fulfill what He has promised, and believe in Him for salvation through the provision made in Jesus Christ. No matter how serious sins and shortcomings are, salvation is provided in Jesus Christ, with sin and uncleanness forgiven and cleansed.

This cleansing, with peace and love in the soul, is a gift from God, not obtained by money, wisdom, personal effort, or trust in one's own works or righteousness. It is found through Christ, the Lamb who takes away the world's sins, and is claimed by those who confess their sins, so pride, self-esteem and self-righteousness must not keep anyone from confession. The fear that defilement will never be cleansed is a weapon Satan uses to weaken God's people and make them abandon faith. Against it stands the promise that even deeply stained sin can be cleansed, assuring those struggling against sin that it is not too late for the fallen to rise and begin again in willingness and obedience.

Conditions for Receiving Cleansing

The promise is inseparable from the command to wash and be clean, to put away evil from before God's eyes, to cease doing evil and learn to do well, to seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless and plead for the widow. Scarlet and crimson guilt is offered cleansing to white as snow and wool only together with turning from wrong to right and practicing justice and mercy toward the oppressed, fatherless and widow. The call moves beyond merely ceasing evil to following the light in active well-doing.

Its outcome turns on the choice set beside it: if willing and obedient, eating the good of the land, but if refusing and rebelling, being devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. The word will not fail for those who trust God to fulfill what He has promised, yet willingness and obedience bring good while refusal and rebellion bring destruction. Those who have fallen short are therefore summoned to repent and make good use of the present time.

Cleansing requires repentance and a changed life, putting away evil, reforming and walking in obedience to His commandments. The invitation joins coming to God with turning from evil, learning to do good and choosing willing obedience, and God pardons the sinner who repents and comes to Jesus. Those who so seek His help receive divine aid, while those who appear to repent but continue in evil doings disappoint God and are left ashamed.

Sinners are to confess and forsake their sins, claim God's promises of pardon, and receive Christ's righteousness which God accepts. Even scarlet sin is cleansed through Christ's blood when truly repented of and forsaken, with no sin beyond pardon on those terms. When they sincerely give Him their hearts and seek His forgiveness, He accepts them and makes them clean through Jesus' blood.

The promise belongs to the contrite, repentant soul who realizes he has sinned against God, repents and confesses, strives to make restitution for the past, and comes to God feeling need of a Saviour. It is received with a broken heart and contrite spirit, a humble heart and changed spirit and words, and by repenting and walking humbly in the fear of the Lord sins are washed away. It cannot be received by those filled with pride and self-sufficiency who think their ways perfect and refuse to admit sins needing repentance and forsaking.

Scarlet sins are forgiven and cleansed when a person comes to Christ confessing them and trusting Him as the sin-pardoning Redeemer. Faith in Him brings forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness, and God's grace and mercy are available to those who return to Him with humility, confession and repentance.

Past neglect itself can be repented of and forgiven, with scarlet and crimson made white as snow or wool for the sinful and polluted who come to God. The call summons those who have fallen short to repent, make good use of the present time, seek the Lord and be ready for His coming. It bids making up for past failures toward children and youth, and is given to every Christian and every church in need of revival and reformation beginning with true self-knowledge of personal weakness and reaching a higher standard of righteousness. Willingness and obedience remain joined to the assurance that the obedient will enjoy the good of the land.

The cleansing embraces forgiveness, justification and sanctification, with inward cleansing shown in a changed outward and cleansed life. The Holy Spirit first convicts of sin and shows that human actions are mixed with selfishness and sin, then Christ pardons and takes sin away. God also promises the penitent a new heart and His Spirit within them, leading them to walk in His statutes and belong to Him, and He purges away dross and removes what is impure.

Cleansing Through Christ Alone

The promise is fulfilled through Christ alone, whose blood alone can make the sinner clean, and it is received by faith as the repentant sinner comes to Him, trusts His offer of forgiveness, and surrenders to Him. This cleansing is joined to Christ's saving work and His power to bring people to God, turning guilt as deep as scarlet or crimson into purity like snow or wool. On the cross the deeply red sins of a guilty world were imputed to Christ as the divine Surety, with guilt transferred from the person of the transgressor to the divine Substitute. His crucified body did not lessen His divinity and His power as God to save, and through His human sacrifice He saves all who accept His righteousness by faith in Him as their personal Redeemer.

His blood washes away the crimson stain, and the cities of refuge symbolize the Refuge provided in Jesus, whose offering is of sufficient value to make full expiation for the sins of the whole world. All who by repentance and faith flee to this Refuge find security, peace from the heaviest pressure of guilt, relief from the deepest condemnation, and reconciliation to God through His atoning sacrifice and mediation. By shedding His own blood the pitying Saviour has wrought out for transgressors a sure Refuge from the pangs of the second death, and no power can take out of His hands the souls who flee to Him for pardon. As the manslayer was in constant peril until within the city, the transgressor is exposed to divine wrath until hidden in Christ, and as loitering could cost the fugitive his life, delay and indifference can ruin the soul. His death bears the penalty for sin and is sufficient for redemption, so that those who repent, accept the merits of the Son of God, take God at His word, trust His word, and obey His law may have hope of eternal life and power to live the truth even in the most trying circumstances.

The invitation expresses His compassion, for He knows sins and motives yet does not turn away from people or reject them because they are imperfect. He welcomes the truly penitent regardless of the greatness of guilt, and having borne human weakness He meets sinners with understanding, reasons with them, calls them from iniquity, and knows how to help them and restore them. Though helpless and unworthy, sinners who come to Jesus may receive His righteousness, pictured as white clothing, and be presented to the Father in the character of Jesus. Christ their Surety is worthy and able to save them, and His blood pleads more powerfully than Satan's accusations. The robe of His righteousness makes the believing soul clean and white, but it covers no sin that is unrepented of, and it must be received by accepting the Saviour's mercy and love, for He died to save sinners from their sins, not in their sins.

By faith repentant sinners may receive His character, be changed into the divine likeness, and be purified and made white through His righteousness. Fallen man could never keep the law without the help of the Saviour, but the atonement is glorious truth and gives a firm foundation for hope of salvation, for not one promise can fail, and the Redeemer who carried the world's burden of guilt and woe is able to strengthen His children for daily conflicts in the path to heaven. He brings victory and makes cleansing possible even for those who seem unable to change, so that even people deeply stained by sin can be cleansed and made pure. The promise gives the erring hope in mercy as they repent, cling to the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour, and seek strength in Him, calling for labor to restore sinners rather than abandon them, while still reproving sin.

The cleansing is an invitation to leave the service of evil and enlist under Christ's banner. It is offered as a personal blessing through Christ, who died to restore the world to God's favor and to make people loyal to Him and obedient to His commandments, and it must be received by personal faith. Even the most guilty person who sincerely repents and comes through Christ can be forgiven and cleansed, with scarlet made white as snow, including forgiveness, justification, and sanctification, with inward cleansing shown by a cleansed life. God's mercy and power to save are without limit, so such a one is to be encouraged to serve God humbly rather than rejected.

Assurance and Present Application

To erring Israel the promise holds out full and free forgiveness, that even sins as scarlet or as red like crimson can be made clean like snow or wool, bringing freedom from sin's burden and penalty together with the call to wash, to put away evil, to cease doing wrong and to learn to do good. The same cleansing is held out to liquor dealers whose hands are full of blood, that if willing and obedient they shall be made white as snow and as wool and shall eat the good of the land, but if they refuse and rebel they shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. They are invited to reason with God and are called to wash, to be clean, to put away evil, to cease to do evil, to learn to do well, to seek judgment, to relieve the oppressed, to judge the fatherless, and to plead for the widow. This rebukes a faithful city become a harlot, once full of judgment and righteousness but now of murderers, whose silver is become dross, whose wine is mixed with water, and whose princes are rebellious and companions of thieves, loving gifts and following rewards while failing to judge the fatherless and to hear the widow's cause.

It belongs to the work begun in those who are poor in spirit, forgiving and cleansing the scarlet guilt of the penitent unto purity and making them fit to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. It offers complete pardon and cleansing to every Christian and every church in need of revival and reformation, beginning with true self-knowledge of personal weakness and reaching a higher standard of righteousness. To those who turn from evil and learn to do what is right the cleansing follows the call to repentance, justice, and care for the oppressed, the fatherless, and the widow.

To sinners burdened by intolerable guilt and to all who have sinned in the past it gives assurance to come now without staying away from Jesus or giving up hope, for God will receive the penitent and forgive past errors of those who come with humility and repentance. Sin is not infinite, so however aggravated the character of sin or oppressive the guilt of conscience, the repentant one need not despair, because God promises complete forgiveness that makes the guilty fully white and clean through Christ who died as the price above all price, giving hope that outweighs all discouragement and despair. Related to this is that the Lord seeks the heart so He can shape it after the divine likeness.

God can cleanse the record of sin through Christ who bore sins on the cross, and the contrite heart receives pardon, with willingness and obedience linked to receiving the good of the land. Even the most guilty person who sincerely repents and comes to Him through Christ can be forgiven and cleansed, and the cleansing includes forgiveness, justification, and sanctification, with inward cleansing of the heart shown in a changed outward life. Joined to this, verse 25 adds that He purges away dross and removes what is impure.