[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 16/Apr/2023]
That sounds like an invitation to sit down for a discussion, doesn’t it? As I actually read the first chapter of Isaiah, I realise that it’s not a discussion, not a calm conversation! God is weeping in desperation – His people are far from Him, deep in sin and refusing to listen to His pleas to repent.
What upsets Him most is their persistence in performing religious rituals, thinking that their sacrifices will make things right with HIM. He threatens the direst consequences if they don’t stop! And, if we’re not careful, if we don’t ‘reason’ with Him, we’ll find ourselves either excusing our sins or – in despair – giving up on ever being able to make up to Him for the way we’ve been living. AND THAT IS EXACTLY ISAIAH’S POINT!
Our sin is far too deep, the stain is indelible – we can do nothing about it. And that’s what Jesus’s death and resurrection are all about! We’ve heard all about it many times, haven’t we? How HIS sacrifice has cleansed us. What has struck me this year is the realisation that I’ll never be able to understand what that really means! God’s invitation to me to ‘reason’ with Him is staggering! He’s asking me to accept that HE has made me as ‘white as snow’! There’s absolutely nothing I can do to make myself worthy of being His son. HALLELUJAH!!
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Last week’s reflection: All kinds of everything … by Chris Ginter
Contributed by Dennis Ginter; © Dennis Ginter