Let Us Reason Together My Son

Isaiah 1:18-20
"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The first chapter of Isaiah reminded me of the Christian hymn by John H. Sammis (1887), called “Trust and Obey.”

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

The people of Judah had rebelled against their Lord. God points out their sin to them and tells them to be “willing and obedient.” Trust (willing) and Obey (obedient).

I love the picture of God speaking in verse 18. He desires His followers to trust and obey Him. He speaks to you and I while we are in our rebellion, our selfishness, and in our heart that has become cold in our affections for Jesus; “come here, let’s reason together about this.” “Lets talk this thing through.” “Your sins are many, but I will cover you.” “I will make your blood red sins, white as snow.” “Let us reason together.”

This picture of God shows us how incredibly kind and forgiving He is. It is the way that we should strive to be with our spouses, our children, and all people in general. We are fallen and sinful creatures. We sin against others. We are sinned against. When we are sinned against (like God is), we should model the way He pursues the ones He loves. He goes after them while they are in their rebellion, and draws them like the kindest Father we could ever imagine. I picture a child that is so angry with his parents. He has his arms crossed, head down, back against the wall. His father comes up and places his arm around his sons shoulder. The son coldly shrugs his shoulder, pulls away from his father and looks away in disgust. My tendency in that situation would be to get angry at my son for his rebellion. But God speaks so patiently to the one He loves, “come here son, lets reason together.”