What does it mean that our sins are as scarlet (Isaiah 1:18)?

Like Adam, Israel turned away from the God who had given them to taste of His goodness and bounty. Adam had been settled in a garden of God’s own planting, where there was everything to gratify and delight his heart: Israel had been brought into a land flowing with milk and honey. The opening verses of Isaiah show the dreadful state of God’s earthly people, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isa. 1:4). Divine discipline had no real effect, and only God’s mercy had spared a remnant, the most of whom continued in their sinful ways.

There was no lack of religious pretension, with sacrifices, incense, solemn assemblies and all that pertained to outward ceremony, but God had no pleasure in it because of the low moral state of the nation. Jehovah addressed the leaders of the people as “rulers of Sodom,” because of the corruption that existed, and because of the violence He said, “your hands are full of blood” (verses 10–15). What the Lord desired was departure from evil, and the fruits meet for repentance (verses 16-17).

Having exposed the evil of His people, and shown them the way to blessing, the word to them was, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord” (verse 18). How wonderful is the condescension of Israel’s God in stooping thus to plead with His rebellious and wayward people, seeking to bring them back to Himself, and to save them from the consequences of their evil ways. God yearned after them, desiring to bless them, but this could only be in righteousness if they turned from their sins to Him.

The subject upon which God desired to reason with His people was their sins. So long as men are away from God there is nothing else that God can speak to them about, saving that He can tell them that blessing will follow upon their repentance and obedience, and that judgment will result if they continue in their sins. For those who repent and turn to God there is much that God will be pleased to make known to them, not only of their blessing, but of His own thoughts.

God alone can deal with the sins of those who come to Him in contrition of heart, whether it be a repentant earthly people, or any from outside that favoured circle. The sins of His people may be as scarlet, manifest for all to see, but He can make them “white as snow,” so that they are no longer seen. They may be purified, but He is able to make the heart pure. The secret of the divine power for this moral cleansing is not given here; it awaited the coming of God’s Son, and His great work of propitiation on the cross.

As to Israel, they were more guilty than the heathen, as bad as the worst. Hence it is no longer the doom, but the abominations of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? says Jehovah: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies, - I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates: they are a trouble to me; I am weary to bear [them]. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken" (vv. 10-20).

There was no lack of zeal in religion, nor did they fail to seek a remedy for the evident gravities of their day; but their remedies were worse than useless. Divine privileges only rendered their moral state more portentous and intolerable. If they approached the doom of Sodom but for Jehovah's mercy, morally they were already Sodom, and, therefore, their sacrifices, feasts, and assemblies all the more odious to Jehovah, Who felt His courts to be profaned by their tread, and refused to hear their multiplied prayers. There was no real repentance, no trembling at His word, but a religious veil over utter and shameless iniquity.

Yet Jehovah deigns to call them to repentance and the fruits suited to it. The language is clearly founded on the ceremonial washings so familiar to the Jews; but moral reality is the point, as is immediately after made plain. God can tolerate iniquity nowhere, least of all in His people. They must therefore cease from evil and learn to do well, proving it in ways of ordinary life. But He adds withal a gracious invitation that He and they should reason together. Soon would they then find where the fault lay, and with Whom is the grace that is willing to wash the foulest clean. The call ends with His promise to help them if they were broken down and obedient, and the threat to devour them by the sword if they refused. In the earlier of these verses there is much which we can freely take to ourselves now, for the immutable principle of God is to ally repentance to faith, and to insist on suitable works and ways in all whom He draws to Himself. Particularly do the words apply to saints who shirk responsibility and trifle with a pure conscience; and we may fairly encourage timid souls by the words "Come now, and let us reason together, says Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." But we necessarily stop there. Vers. 19 and 20 cannot be torn away from the Jewish stock. Christians have ample appeals, and more direct in the later volume of inspiration. For God's moral government as Father follows His grace.

Sin may be viewed in two ways, either as an offence against God, or as defilement to the sinner. God has His sovereign rights and claims over all His creatures, and it is this fact that constitutes sin a wrong done to Him, an outrage upon His majesty and glory. Sin in this aspect needs forgiveness, the way of which has been shown in a former paper. But sin also is in its very essence and nature defiling, polluting; and it is to this allusion is made in that striking entreaty in the prophet Isaiah: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. 1:18.) There is also a recognition of this by the psalmist when he cries, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Ps. 51:7.) The word guilt perhaps combines these two aspects of sin, because it tells of the soul's sin against God and the effect upon the soul itself; and the first question for our consideration is, the method God has provided for cleansing the guilty soul from its deep-dyed iniquity.

Sin may be viewed in two ways, either as an offence against God, or as defilement to the sinner. God has His sovereign rights and claims over all His creatures, and it is this fact that constitutes sin a wrong done to Him, an outrage upon His majesty and glory. Sin in this aspect needs forgiveness, the way of which has been shown in a former paper. But sin also is in its very essence and nature defiling, polluting; and it is to this allusion is made in that striking entreaty in the prophet Isaiah: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. 1:18.) There is also a recognition of this by the psalmist when he cries, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Ps. 51:7.) The word guilt perhaps combines these two aspects of sin, because it tells of the soul's sin against God and the effect upon the soul itself; and the first question for our consideration is, the method God has provided for cleansing the guilty soul from its deep-dyed iniquity.

These scriptures give us one use of the color — the pomp and splendor of earth. But there is another and quite opposite use of the word, though related to this: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isa. 1:18). The full word for scarlet is Tolaath shani, "scarlet worm." It is possible that shani, scarlet, means "double," referring to the double dye which makes the scarlet. It is very suggestive that the pride and glory of man are closely connected with the double dye of sin.

The fleece of sheep and other animals. That of sheep was used for weaving into cloth, and is generally referred to as 'wool.' In the figurative language of Isa. 1:18 undyed wool represents the state resulting from the removal of sin by Jehovah from His people; the sin being compared to that which had been dyed crimson. The law forbade the wearing of a garment made of linen and wool: it was an unnatural mixture, figurative of the working of the Spirit and the flesh in a Christian. Lev. 19:19; Deut. 22:11.

If I talk of having fellowship with God, I must be able to bear and to enjoy His presence. It is not that I am good, but that God has cleansed me. It does not depend on my filthiness, but on His power to cleanse. When I have washed something, I do not keep thinking whether it was much dirty or little dirty, but that now it is clean. And so with saints, "But now ye are clean," and God delights to look on me, because He has washed me. It does not depend on my great or little sins, but on the good washing, on the value of the blood. So I read, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow"; that is the good washing.

Next to its coldness, perhaps more striking than that, snow is the standard for absolute whiteness, of purity. Perhaps Job did not know that this whiteness was caused by the pure white light reflected from the countless faces of its crystals. But what "treasures" of whiteness are reserved by God? He is light, and the snow reflecting the sunlight, suggests how completely His essential righteousness is displayed in that work of redemption which enables Him to say: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isa. 1:18). Sins that once cried for vengeance, now, through the precious blood of Christ, reflect the glory of God's character! "To declare His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26). In the "redemption that is in Christ Jesus," He has exhaustless stores of whiteness and protection for the sins of the world. What fearful judgments will follow the rejection of that grace! "The wrath of the Lamb!" — the "snow" now falling in a pitiless storm of destruction.

In the first section (1-12) we find that the Lord begins by dealing with His people’s sins. It is because of Him, the coming King, that His people’s sins, though they be as scarlet and red like crimson, shall be as white as snow, and as wool (Isa. 1:18). He will straighten out that which they have perverted, when He rules. He will restore Zion’s judges as at the first, and her counsellors as at the beginning: afterward she shall be called, “The city of righteousness, the faithful city (v. 26).

Thus throughout their entire history there was a distinct covenant relationship recognized by God and the people. There was a provision made for forgiveness and recovery, oftentimes made in the most touching way. "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword" (Isa. 1:18-19). "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:7). "If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed … he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live" (Ezek. 18:21-22).