Isaiah 1:15-18
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.Your hands are full of blood;
Lord eyes looks out when His children lifts their hands, Ps 134:2 “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!” Israel kept winning till the hands of Moses was lifted up. Paul taught this as a pattern of prayer. “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling;” 2 Tim 2:8
Power of God’s people is prayer. More you speak to and with God, more you be like Him. 1 Thess 5:17 “Pray without ceasing” But Lord here says Lord will hide when you lift your hands and He will not listen to your prayer because there is unconfessed sins. What is our heart full of? When the Lord looks at your heart, let us be cleansed by His precious blood. Confess to be cleansed. “Those who are pure will see God” Mat 5:8
16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong,
What is true confession? How do we make ourselves clean, how to take away our sins out the sight of God? How to stop sinning? Lord is asking to wash you, take away evil deeds and stop doing wrong. How will it happen?
Conviction of sin should bring about shame of what we did. Which results in us to have a broken and contrite spirit.(Ps 51:17 “A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise”), confession that depends on His grace will create a clean heart in us and that needs to be followed by a commitment to live holy. Confession preceded by brokenness and followed by obedience, brings His kingdom of God into our life.
17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
Do only the right things even when no one watches, even when you are discouraged. Be an encourager, never speak out negative comments (even correction should be done in gentleness as far as possible). Let only positive words flow out of your mouth.
Defend and plead for those who are weak. Do not be a bystander. Never think it is not my business. Lord expects us to be a part of it and help those in need. Lord saw walking away from situation where we could lead a helping hand as a sin. Sin of commission (we did not do what we are suppose to do) Are you so self centred that others problems, never bothers you. Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw pain. Where is the compassion in your life?
18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD.
Now what ever is the past, if we come running to Jesus? He will give the conclusion of the matter. Heb 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence”
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
My dear whatever is your sins are, even if it is too many, even if you repeated any number times, even if your earlier confessed and yet did it many times, now if you cry out, Lord will transform you to be like snow (shows purity Ps 51:7 “I shall be whiter than snow.”) and wool (have been intended to express symbolically the separateness and simplicity of God’s covenant people). To be pure and a powerful people of God.