Isaiah 1:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,

NIV: Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.

NASB: 'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil,

CSB: "Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil.

NLT: Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.

KJV: Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

NKJV: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

The Lord turns the corner from telling the people of Judah how they are failing to telling them how to begin to change. The sinful state of their hearts, minds, and actions are so extreme that all their offerings and religious observances have become meaningless (Isaiah 1:11–15). In fact, they are worse than meaningless because God receives them as a burden.(Isaiah 1:14)

To make their relationship with Yahweh meaningful again, the people must make real changes. The Lord tells them to wash and make themselves clean. He is not talking about ceremonial washing or more offerings and sacrifices. The way God intends for His people to become clean is for them to stop doing evil. He sees their evil deeds. The only way to keep Him from seeing them is to stop doing them. This was the first step toward changing how God views them and returning to a close relationship with Him.

Isaiah 1:2–20 begins a presentation somewhat like a lawsuit against the people of Judah in Israel. The Lord will show many of the ways they have broken their covenant with Him. The people are saturated with sin. They have forsaken Him. Isaiah describes a spiritual sickness Israel refuses to treat. It will lead to their physical destruction by enemy invaders. Their offerings are meaningless because of their sinful rebellion. God calls them to stop sinning and to do good. He offers to make their sins white as snow if they repent and to consume them if they rebel.

After identifying himself as the son of Amoz, Isaiah begins his vision from the Lord with the introduction of God's lawsuit against the people of Israel. His children are living in rebellion against Him. They are saturated in sin and have forsaken the Lord. Their spiritual sickness will lead to their destruction, though a few will be saved. Their offerings are meaningless because of their sinful lifestyles. If they repent now, they will be redeemed. If not, they will be destroyed. The Lord will restore justice to once righteous Jerusalem. All who do not repent will be consumed.

Isaiah 1 begins Isaiah's massive book of prophecy with the Lord presenting a lawsuit against His people Israel in Judah for breach of covenant. They live in rebellion against Him and are saturated in sin. They refuse to treat their spiritual illness and will be decimated by their enemies. Their offerings are meaningless. They must stop doing evil and start doing what is good. The Lord will burn off the corrupt from Jerusalem and return it to a place of justice and righteousness. Those who refuse to repent will be broken and destroyed.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 4/27/2024 11:46:03 AM