SUNDAY'S SACRED SCRIPTURES: WASH YOURSELVES CLEAN!!!

ISAIAH 1: 16-20...

16/ Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil;

17/ learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

18/ Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.

19/ If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land;

20/ But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!

 

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
1:16-20 Not only feel sorrow for the sin committed, but break off the practice. We must be doing, not stand idle. We must be doing the good the Lord our God requires. It is plain that the sacrifices of the law could not atone, even for outward national crimes. But, blessed be God, there is a Fountain opened, in which sinners of every age and rank may be cleansed. Though our sins have been as scarlet and crimson, a deep dye, a double dye, first in the wool of original corruption, and afterwards in the many threads of actual transgression; though we have often dipped into sin, by many backslidings; yet pardoning mercy will take out the stain, Ps 51:7. They should have all the happiness and comfort they could desire. Life and death, good and evil, are set before us. O Lord, incline all of us to live to thy glory.

 

As I re-read 1 SAMUEL through 2 CHRONICLES, which, I do often, I am amazed by the defiance of the Kings, and, the people of *GOD*! HE was WITH them, speaking to them, granting them their wishes, listening to their prayers, protecting them, strengthening them, comforting them, BLESSING them in diverse ways, and, for a while, they would be obedient, then, return to ways worse than previously! HE LOVED them SO much, HIS anger would flare, and, as soon as one would repent, and, cry out to HIM, HE would stay HIS wrath! It, seriously, blows my mind, the audacity of these people, but alas, is it any different today???

 

Over, and, over, and, over again, THE WORD advises us to change our heart, thus, our ways, but, we believe that we are free in the world, because of deception, and, the many veils over THE TRUTH! THE WAY, CHRIST, our LORD, came to SHOW us, and, teach us, that, while we are not bound to the ancient COVENANT, we ARE bound to HIM, therefore, we ARE to become as IS HE, from the spirit outwardly!!!

 

My 2 favourite verses are ISAIAH 1:18, Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool., and, JOHN 14: 15, If you love me, you will keep my commandments., because they SPEAK to my conscience, and, my deepest being! These two verses speak volumes of MY role in a relationship with HIM! They INVITE me to consider what is pleasing to HIM, and, how my LOVE for HIM, can best be expressed, or, evident!!!

 

In the days when *GOD* was visibly present amongst humanity, only a fraction of the people, served HIM with their whole hearts, their whole souls, their whole minds; the rest remained defiant, and, boldly refused to comply! Well, no doubt, LOTS of people fell by HIS wrath, and, only after the evidence of HIS anger, did more comply, though, this rarely lasted, long enough for them to become cleansed. Still, HIS LOVE for HIS people, did NOT die, dwindle, or, fade! HE did, however, remove HIMSELF from their company, and, did what HE promised HE would do, throughout the many generations, WITH an ultimate, pre-existence PLAN to rescue the remnant of HIS BELOVED people; CHRIST! Even with this remarkable act of LOVE, defiance, pride, and, arrogance remain the norm, even to this day, and yet, HE still says, "Come, let us set things right"!!!

 

REV. LWINSOR © 2012
BIBLICAL, and/or, other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS