“Come now, let us argue this out.” Says the LORD. “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 NLT)
Isaiah was a prophet and a poet. He began his ministry in Judah around 740 BC, about two decades before Assyria invaded and conquered the 10 northern tribes known as the nation of Israel. Isaiah witnessed the final years of Israel’s spiritual decline and the disaster that followed. God called Isaiah to warn the nation of Judah and its capitol, Jerusalem, about a similar outcome.
In today’s verse, “let us argue this out” means to come to a legal decision. In this case, God is the judge, and He would rather pardon the sins of His people. The image of crimson suggests hands full of blood, while the image of snow signifies the removal of all sin through forgiveness (ref. Psalm 51:7). But the context of this cleansing is contingent upon the people of Judah changing their sinful ways and obeying God.
Although Isaiah 1:18 was Isaiah’s prophecy to people of Judah, it applies to us today, both as a country and also on an individual basis. None of us is sinless, and we are all called to repent of our sins so that we can be made as clean as freshly fallen snow and white as wool. Through the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross, God’s grace of forgiveness is freely given to all who will believe.
"It is better to be affected with a true penitent sorrow for sin than to be able to resolve the most difficult cases about it."
- Thomas a Kempis