Isa 1:19-20 | KingComments | STEP | God calls the people to wash themselves and make themselves clean ( ; cf. ). In this call we hear the call of John the baptist to the religious leaders who come to his baptism: “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance” ( ). All the sacrifices they bring hypocritically do not cleanse their sinful deeds before God. The call to wash means they are dirty. Washing is done with water. Spiritually, this means that by reading or hearing God’s Word, which is compared to water ( ; ), a person sees that he is a sinner and acknowledges that. Confession of sins is answered by God with cleansing of sins. That cleansing happens on the basis of the blood of Christ ( ). When they have washed and cleansed themselves, they also will respond to the call to remove the “evil” of their deeds ( ) from before God’s eyes. Then there is the mind to “cease to do evil” ( ), by which the way is free “to do good” ( ; ; ). A person cannot learn to do good unless he stops doing evil first. Someone who does good will seek justice, which is reflected in caring for the weak and vulnerable in society. Seeking justice means, says Isaiah, reproving the ruthless, defending “the orphan” and pleading for “the widow”. It is precisely these weak and vulnerable who are exploited by them ( ). By a total reversal of their behavior toward them, they would show themselves to be His people. In order to achieve this the LORD calls them to enter into a trial with Him ( ). Then He will show them the righteousness of His actions. Also, when they acknowledge His righteous acts, He will cleanse them of their sins and grant them His forgiveness. He can do this on the basis of the work that His Son, the perfect Servant of the LORD, will accomplish as the guilt offering on the cross ( ; ). God offers full forgiveness and purification in an unparalleled way on the basis of righteousness, no matter how serious and often someone may have sinned. God points them to their sins that are “as scarlet” and “like crimson”. Scarlet and crimson are both a blood red color. It is the color that indicates blood guilt on them. Their hands are red with the blood they have shed and for which there is no means by which they can wash it away ( ). However, if they confess their sins and plead for God’s grace, they will become white through the forgiveness they receive from God after their confession. The whiteness is compared to snow and wool. It points to the uncontaminated cleanliness of newly fallen snow and the benevolent warmth of wool that protects against the cold of sin and the world. Prophetically, what we read here is a call to the people to acknowledge and confess their two sins. Those two sins are, first, the rejection of Christ and, second, the idolatry that leads to the acceptation of the antichrist. This prophetic aspect is discussed especially in the second part of Isaiah. The LORD tells them that they can react in two ways. He also tells them the consequences of both reactions. The first reaction may be that they consent and obey Him ( ). As a result, there will be blessing, that is, they will “eat the best of the land”. The second reaction may be that they refuse and rebel. In this case, they will be devoured by the sword ( ). They can be sure that either the blessing or the curse will come because “the mouth of the LORD has spoken”. His statements are never empty statements, but full of effective power. What He says happens. In we hear a play on words. If they consent and obey, they will eat the best of the land; but if they refuse and rebel, they will be eaten by the sword. In one case they will be allowed to take food that God gives them; in the other case they themselves will serve as food for the sword of their enemies. Prophetically there are two groups of people here that we find in the end time. We recognize the one group, those who ‘eat’, in the obedient faithful remnant. The other group, those who ‘are eaten’, we recognize in the large, disobedient mass of Israel. When Christ came, the people as a whole did not accept Him ( ), while the remnant did accept Him ( ). When the antichrist comes, the people will accept him ( ), while the remnant will reject him. Because of this, the remnant will eventually receive blessing and eat, while the refusing people will be eaten by the sword. The sword that comes out of the mouth of the LORD (cf. ) is Assyria, which is also called the rod of God’s anger ( ). To us listening to the Lord leads to spiritual blessing. To us, “eating the good of the land” ( ) means nourishing ourselves with “every spiritual blessing” ( ) that is our part through the work of the Lord Jesus. If we disobey, our spiritual life will wither and our testimony will disappear.

‏ Isaiah 1:19-20

Call For Repentance

God calls the people to wash themselves and make themselves clean (Isa 1:16; cf. Psa 51:7). In this call we hear the call of John the baptist to the religious leaders who come to his baptism: “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Mt 3:8). All the sacrifices they bring hypocritically do not cleanse their sinful deeds before God.

The call to wash means they are dirty. Washing is done with water. Spiritually, this means that by reading or hearing God’s Word, which is compared to water (Jn 15:3; Eph 5:26), a person sees that he is a sinner and acknowledges that. Confession of sins is answered by God with cleansing of sins. That cleansing happens on the basis of the blood of Christ (1Jn 1:7b ; 9).

When they have washed and cleansed themselves, they also will respond to the call to remove the “evil” of their deeds (Isa 1:16a) from before God’s eyes. Then there is the mind to “cease to do evil” (Isa 1:16b), by which the way is free “to do good” (Isa 1:17; Jam 4:8b; Rom 12:9). A person cannot learn to do good unless he stops doing evil first.

Someone who does good will seek justice, which is reflected in caring for the weak and vulnerable in society. Seeking justice means, says Isaiah, reproving the ruthless, defending “the orphan” and pleading for “the widow”. It is precisely these weak and vulnerable who are exploited by them (Isa 1:23). By a total reversal of their behavior toward them, they would show themselves to be His people.

In order to achieve this the LORD calls them to enter into a trial with Him (Isa 1:18). Then He will show them the righteousness of His actions. Also, when they acknowledge His righteous acts, He will cleanse them of their sins and grant them His forgiveness. He can do this on the basis of the work that His Son, the perfect Servant of the LORD, will accomplish as the guilt offering on the cross (Isa 53:7-12; Rom 3:25). God offers full forgiveness and purification in an unparalleled way on the basis of righteousness, no matter how serious and often someone may have sinned.

God points them to their sins that are “as scarlet” and “like crimson”. Scarlet and crimson are both a blood red color. It is the color that indicates blood guilt on them. Their hands are red with the blood they have shed and for which there is no means by which they can wash it away (Jer 2:22). However, if they confess their sins and plead for God’s grace, they will become white through the forgiveness they receive from God after their confession. The whiteness is compared to snow and wool. It points to the uncontaminated cleanliness of newly fallen snow and the benevolent warmth of wool that protects against the cold of sin and the world.

Prophetically, what we read here is a call to the people to acknowledge and confess their two sins. Those two sins are, first, the rejection of Christ and, second, the idolatry that leads to the acceptation of the antichrist. This prophetic aspect is discussed especially in the second part of Isaiah.

The LORD tells them that they can react in two ways. He also tells them the consequences of both reactions. The first reaction may be that they consent and obey Him (Isa 1:19). As a result, there will be blessing, that is, they will “eat the best of the land”. The second reaction may be that they refuse and rebel. In this case, they will be devoured by the sword (Isa 1:20). They can be sure that either the blessing or the curse will come because “the mouth of the LORD has spoken”. His statements are never empty statements, but full of effective power. What He says happens.

In Isa 1:19-20 we hear a play on words. If they consent and obey, they will eat the best of the land; but if they refuse and rebel, they will be eaten by the sword. In one case they will be allowed to take food that God gives them; in the other case they themselves will serve as food for the sword of their enemies.

Prophetically there are two groups of people here that we find in the end time. We recognize the one group, those who ‘eat’, in the obedient faithful remnant. The other group, those who ‘are eaten’, we recognize in the large, disobedient mass of Israel. When Christ came, the people as a whole did not accept Him (Jn 1:11), while the remnant did accept Him (Jn 1:12).

When the antichrist comes, the people will accept him (Jn 5:43), while the remnant will reject him. Because of this, the remnant will eventually receive blessing and eat, while the refusing people will be eaten by the sword. The sword that comes out of the mouth of the LORD (cf. Rev 19:15) is Assyria, which is also called the rod of God’s anger (Isa 10:5).

To us listening to the Lord leads to spiritual blessing. To us, “eating the good of the land” (Isa 1:19) means nourishing ourselves with “every spiritual blessing” (Eph 1:3) that is our part through the work of the Lord Jesus. If we disobey, our spiritual life will wither and our testimony will disappear.