Let Us Reason Together
Isaiah 1:1-20
I struggled with what to preach this morning, mainly because of my own stubbornness.
Sometimes I will have a sermon idea that I dismiss because it is something that appeals to me but I fear it will not make a good message.
That happened with this sermon.
Isaiah 1:18 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.
It just seemed too easy that it would be my text.
So finally, earlier this morning I finally submitted to God and went ahead with it.
You should always submit to God’s will.
I would caution though that you should make sure it is God’s leading and not your own.
I said of a preacher I knew once that he did not know the difference between God’s voice and his stomach growling.
A lot of people make that mistake I am afraid.
We are in the middle of Isaiah right now with the daily Bible reading.
Chapters 14-18 were today’s assignment.
I have wanted to do a deep dive into Isaiah for a few years.
I am very much enjoying it, but these early chapters about judgement are making me work.
Sometimes it is hard to tell which prophecies have already been fulfilled in the distant past and which will occur in the End Times.
The first 35 chapters of Isaiah deal primarily with judgment and then chapters 36-39 are historical records concerning it.
In chapter 1, the children of Israel are called to give account of themselves before the thrice-holy God.
I love Isaiah’s writing style.
He compares the wayward Jews to rebellious children and to animals that do not recognize their master.
Reese’s Chronological Bible says this was written shortly after King Uzziah attempted to intrude into the priestly office by forcing his way into the Temple in order to offer incense in the Holy Place for himself.
The priests stood against him and God struck him with leprosy.
II Chronicles 26:5 says of Uzziah that “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.”
As happens so many times, God’s goodness causes us to be distracted and forget the source of those blessings.
You might say Uzziah got a little too big for his britches.
He paid the price for pride.
He was an outcast because of the leprosy.
His son Joatham took over ruling in his stead.
It looks like he died within a year.
That is the background of what we are reading here.
The nature of the times is that men so full of pride feel that they may approach God on their own merits and standing.
It is part of our human nature that we think we know best.
It is a principle found numerous times in the Bible.
It is the characteristic of the confusion and anarchy of the time of the Judges.
Twice the Scripture says in Judges 17:6 and 21:25 this:
Jdg_17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Solomon writes of it multiple times in Proverbs:
Pro_12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Pro_21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
So here in the first chapter of Isaiah, God has to make the case that Judah was guilty before Him.
He has to convince them of their sin when they feel like they have done no wrong.
They thought they were all right, Dr. Isaiah says they are sick head to toe.:
Isa 1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
He goes on to talk about how desolate the nation truly was though they thought they were prosperous.
In vs. 9 he compares them to the nation to the proverbial worst nations that had ever existed: Sodom and Gomorrah.
While it is no stated here, I can hear a response from the Jews here.
“What do you mean we are so evil? We have the Temple! We are God’s chosen people! We keep the Law! We offer sacrifices!”
Beginning in vs. 11, God gives His opinion of their religious piety.
They may have offered burnt sacrifices without number, but God was not moved by these.
He goes so far in vs. 14 to say that He hates their activities that were supposedly done in His honor.
In vs. 15 He says He will not hear their prayers because of the blood on their hands.
What are they to do?
God tells them:
Isa 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
This is a great counter to those who think Old Testament saints were made righteous through their sacrifices and obedience to the Law.
God did not want rigid, heartless performance – He wanted their hearts to be transformed through faith.
We come now to the crux of the matter.
God says, “Let’s reason together.”
The commentaries say this is a legal term being used.
God is saying, “Let’s put this on trial – My way vs. your way”.
Which way is best?
Let us see…
First up, we have the people make their case.
Isaiah has already given it.
They do the right things.
They say the right things.
But this is a veneer – it is all show.
While with one hand they praise God and offer sacrifices, with the other they commit the grossest of sins.
Like a slight of hand magician, they think the good they do is distracting God from the evil that they do.
But they cannot do anything about the blood stains.
In vs. 18 these sins are compared to scarlet dye on white wool.
The linguists say that the word used there has a root that means double-dipped.
This type of dye was made by crushing an insect.
It was not only known for its vividness, but also for its permanence
Wash blue jeans and they will fade – the dye washes out.
This dye stayed true unlike many other dyes of that time.
I want to point out that they think all the good they do negates the evil they do.
It is a vain pursuit.
Isaiah writes later:
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Try as you may, the stain of sin cannot be removed by human means.
Next up, we have God make His case.
He offers forgiveness.
He can take that sin-stained garment that we are clothed in and make it white as snow.
What a deal!
We cannot even fade the stains of sin but He can remove them completely!
God says, “let’s reason this out”.
This is the biggest no-brainer there has ever been!
If I was selling gold bars for a dollar each, there would be a line from here to Ft. Worth to get some.
This is infinitely better.
We can do nothing about sins, but God can fully forgive them!
What does He ask in return?
It is there in vs. 16-17
“cease to do evil;… Learn to do well;”
That is repentance.
We turn from our sin and turn to His righteousness.
We turn from our good works to the finished work of Christ.
We turn from trusting in sin to trusting in God.
This is how we find salvation.
Now, I want to make this a little more practical for Christians today.
Sometimes we forget that
By the way, that is a terrible excuse to make.
I see that same one made today when Christians and ministries fall into sin.
They say, “How can we be so bad? Look at all the good we are doing!”
As if all our good could even remove the slightest spot of sin from our record.
Our good works do not save us, nor do they bring any forgiveness for the believers sins.
Don’t try to atone for your sins in your own power.
If you sin, confess it to God and repent of it
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you hurt someone, make it right.
Mat_5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat_5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Christian, we will mess up.
When we do, deal with it right.
Own up to it – don’t make excuses.
Confess it before God and man – don’t hide it.
Repent of it – try to turn you back on it and forsake it – don’t keep doing it, as hard as that is.
Let God forgive you and cleanse you.
Quit trying to get rid of the stains in your own power.
You cannot wash them out.
You cannot dye it a different color.
Only God can truly forgive our sins.
CONCLUSION
- The Christian faith makes sense.
- Put it to the test – “Let us reason together”
- But it does take faith.
- There is a point where we must choose to believe it and act on it.
- Believers, do not try to cleanse your faults in your own power.
- Sinners, seek God’s forgiveness.
