Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
- God’s people, Judah as a nation, have turned their back on God
- Isaiah’s vision is concerning Judah and Jerusalem Isaiah 1:1
- God had given them life but rebelled against Him and act as if they do not even know Him Isaiah 1:2
- They have loved sin so much that they have forsaken God and He is angry Isaiah 1:4
- They have become totally corrupt to the point they are sickening Isaiah 1:5
- Truths for us to apply today
- This passage is written to a nation that has gone away from God even though there were still people in the nation that loved God
- We should recognize that we have been loved and not take advantage of His grace Romans 6:1
- Individually we should examine our lives
- Are we living in rebellion against our God
- Have we turned from the Lord and gone backwards
- How is our walk with our God
- Judgement had already come on their country Isaiah 1:7
- It would seem that they would realize their need of God
- The country was in horrible shape
- Foreigners were destroying it all
- The beauty God had given them was all but gone
- Our application
- We should realize when God is at work in our lives.
- We should recognize His discipline in our lives
- It is time to remember who has given us everything
- God was fed up with their worship
- There were very few true believers left Isaiah 1:9
- God insults them because they are so worldly and treat Him like the wicked of Sodom and Gomorrah Isaiah 1:10
- God takes no joy in their worship, offerings mean nothing when your heart isn’t in it Isaiah 1:11
- He doesn’t want any more of their worthless worship Isaiah 1:12
- Their worship was a wearisome trouble for Him Isaiah 1: 14
- He has no intention of listening to them Isaiah 1:15
- We need to examine our worship
- Are we coming just like lost people
- Are we giving but not from the heart
- Are we singing but just out of habit and ritual
- How does God feel about my worship
- How does He respond when we come near
- Isaiah calls on them to get right Isaiah 1:16
- They should learn to do right Isaiah 1:17
- God was ready to forgive, the good news, the gospel
- He calls them to come to Him Isaiah 1:18
- He just wants them to mean it, to love Him, to serve Him and not just be religious Isaiah 1:19
- If they continue in rebellion judgement will come
Isaiah 1:20
- How could God’s people get so low Isaiah 1:21
- Nothing was genuine or what it seemed Isaiah 1:22
- How do we apply this to us
- God has given so much grace and offers it to those who hate Him
- Even today we are to live in obedience, we hunger to do right
- We want to be what we appear to be not like wine mixed with water
- God will heal His nation and tells them what He will do
- He will get rid of those who refuse to love Him Isaiah 1:24
- He will cleanse those that love Him Isaiah 1:25
- He will get the government back like it should be Isaiah 1:26
- He will destroy those that stand against Him Isaiah 1:28
- Their old worship will fail them Isaiah 1:29
- Everything false will fall apart and leave them with no hope but in God Isaiah 1:30
- Our application
- We can only depend on the God of Heaven
- God will prove Himself to be the One and only
- He will bless His people
- He will judge those that rebel and refuse Him
- The false gods will fail all who love them