by Larry Ferrell | November 17, 2017
The summons to hear in verse 10 marks the beginning of a new unit, linked to the previous one by the repetition of Sodom and Gomorrah. The rulers and people of Jerusalem were involved together in something every bit as offensive to the Lord as what had gone on in those two notorious cities of old.

The rebellion referred to generally in verse 2 is now specified: worship had been divorced from justice, and the fatherless and the widow had become the chief victims (v. 17). Such disregard for justice was a fundamental violation of the Sinai covenant for which no amount of cultic observance could compensate. The exodus itself had flowed out of God’s concern for the oppressed, and from the very beginning He had demanded that His people should have a special concern for the poor and defenseless among them. Isaiah is together with other eighth-century prophets in insisting that ceremonial worship and even prayer are worthless if they are not accompanied by active concern for justice. But in the long and prosperous reign of Uzziah such concern had dried up. The rich grew richer while the rights and needs of the poor were disregarded, so that when Isaiah was called to his prophetic ministry at the end of Uzziah’s reign, the nation was already ripe for judgment.

Verses 18-20 are deservedly one of the most famous expressions of the grace of God in the Bible. The theme of rebellion has been progressively developed through verses 2-17. The guilt of the accused has been amply established, and they are reminded of it here in vivid language: their sins are scarlet, red as crimson, the color of blood. We have reached a point of crisis.

But at the very point when judgment is expected, grace intervenes. The divine judge reasons with the accused, and makes an offer which is truly amazing in its generosity: nothing less than total pardon (v.18)! What they had wrongly tried to achieve by cultic manipulation is now offered to them freely, on the one condition that they cease their rebellion (vv. 19-20). The alternative is certain destruction: they can eat the good from the land or be eaten by the sword. The choice is theirs. The Lord is gracious, but He is not to be trifled with.

The just basis for the forgiveness freely offered here will be unfolded later in the book. But it did not require the suffering of the exile to make it possible. It was always possible if only the people would repent. But grace is always hard for rebels to understand; their view of God is too small.

Isaiah 1:10-20 Reflection Questions:
Why do think it is so important to God that we have special concern for the poor and defenseless?
Where in the New Testament did Jesus talk about the poor and defenseless?
How does this study about God’s grace make you feel?

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