Isaiah 1:18–20 (KJV)
“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.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
God Invites Us Into a Holy Conversation
The opening words—“Come now, and let us reason together”—reveal something remarkable about the heart of God. He is not distant. He is not silent. He is not dismissive of the human condition. Instead, He calls us to step into His presence and face the truth.
Reasoning with God is not a negotiation between equals; it is the gracious summons of the Sovereign Creator, inviting fallen people to see themselves through His righteous eyes. He calls us not to condemn us, but to cleanse us. Not to crush us, but to convert us.
It is a prophetic appeal, a divine summons to repentance before judgment falls.
The Scarlet Stain of Sin
The LORD describes sin as “scarlet” and “crimson”—deep, penetrating colors that cannot be washed out by human effort. These were dyes in ancient Israel that permanently stained fabric. The point is unmistakable:
Our sin is not superficial. It is not accidental. It is not erasable by self-improvement, religion, or good intentions.
Yet God speaks the unimaginable:
He Himself will cleanse what we cannot cleanse.
He will turn scarlet into snow-white, crimson into pure wool. This is the miracle of divine forgiveness—full, complete, supernatural purification made possible through the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The Conditional Blessing: Willing and Obedient
After the promise of cleansing comes the requirement:
“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.”
Willingness is the posture of the heart. Obedience is the practice of the life.
Together they form the response God requires from those who have received His offer of mercy.
Israel was promised blessing—provision, protection, prosperity—if they aligned themselves with the will and ways of the LORD. The principle remains true today:
Where there is surrender, there is blessing.
Where there is obedience, there is favor.
This is not works-based salvation; it is covenant faithfulness. The forgiven life becomes the obedient life because grace transforms the heart.
The Warning: Refuse and Rebel
“But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword.”
Every promise of God carries both mercy and justice.
Rebellion against the God who offers cleansing brings inevitable consequences.
Refusal is the hardening of the heart.
Rebellion is the outward expression of that hardened heart.
And God declares in unmistakable prophetic authority that destruction follows rebellion—“for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
It is not cruelty; it is holiness.
It is not divine harshness; it is divine justice.
When a nation or an individual rejects God’s offer of cleansing, they embrace the consequences of their own sin.
Conclusion: The Decision Before Every Soul
Isaiah 1:18–20 presents humanity with a simple but eternal choice:
Come, reason with God—be cleansed, transformed, and blessed.
Or
Refuse and rebel—remaining stained, unchanged, and ultimately judged.
The God who calls you to reason with Him is the same God who sent His Son to redeem you. His offer still stands. His promise still holds. His warning still echoes.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken it.
The only question is how we will respond.