Come, Let Us Reason Together
"White as snow"
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What does it say?
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The whole message, in shortThe main points of the whole message, in a few sentences.
Isaiah told the busy worshipers of Jerusalem that God was tired of their sacrifices because their hands were covered with blood: "Learn to do right; seek justice." Then God said, "Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow." Isaiah sang a sad song about a vineyard that grew sour grapes, and later promised a great feast on God's mountain for all peoples, where God "will swallow up death forever" and wipe away the tears from every face.
Where it is in the Bible: Isaiah 1, 5 and 25
All the sections at a glanceA map of the message, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Message
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Empty Worship | 1:10-15 | God is tired of worship without justice |
| 2. White as Snow | 1:16-18 | Learn to do right, and be washed clean |
| 3. The Song of the Vineyard | 5:1-7 | God planted a vineyard, and it grew sour grapes |
| 4. You Have Been a Refuge | 25:1-5 | Praise for God, who shelters the poor |
| 5. A Feast for All Peoples | 25:6-9 | God will swallow up death forever |
Before You Read
Who he was. Isaiah was a prophet in Jerusalem about 740 to 700 BC (1:1). His book is one of the longest in the Bible.
What was happening. Jerusalem was busy with worship: sacrifices, feasts, crowds at the temple. But at the same time, the powerful cheated the poor, and widows and orphans had no one to defend them.
What this passage is. Three of Isaiah's messages: God's complaint about empty worship, a sad love song about a vineyard, and a promise of a great feast where God swallows up death forever.
How to read it. The first two are hard to hear. The third is pure hope. Watch how God moves from warning to invitation.
Section by Section
Section 1 of 5Empty Worship
Isaiah calls the leaders of Jerusalem by shocking names: "you rulers of Sodom" (1:10).
Sodom was a city destroyed for its wickedness (Genesis 19).
"What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?" says the LORD (1:11).
The people kept bringing offerings and celebrating feasts. God says he is tired of all of it.
"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you" (1:15).
Why? "Your hands are covered with blood" (1:15).
Section 2 of 5White as Snow
"Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!" (1:16).
"Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow" (1:17).
Then God makes an amazing offer.
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD (1:18).
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool" (1:18).
Scarlet and crimson are deep red dyes that are almost impossible to wash out.
Section 3 of 5The Song of the Vineyard
Isaiah sings a love song about his friend's vineyard.
His friend did everything right. He cleared the stones, planted the best vines, and built a watchtower and a winepress.
"He waited for the vineyard to yield good grapes, but the fruit it produced was sour!" (5:2).
"What more could I have done for My vineyard than I already did for it?" (5:4).
So the owner will tear down its walls and let it go wild.
Then Isaiah explains: "For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel" (5:7).
"He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress" (5:7).
Section 4 of 5You Have Been a Refuge
Later in the book, Isaiah breaks into praise.
"O LORD, You are my God! I will exalt You; I will praise Your name" (25:1).
"For You have been a refuge for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat" (25:4).
Section 5 of 5A Feast for All Peoples
"On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a banquet for all the peoples" (25:6).
The best food, the finest wine, for everyone.
God will remove the burial cloth that covers all nations.
"He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face" (25:8).
"Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us" (25:9).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?" (1:11) | God doesn't want worship without love for others. |
| "Seek justice" (1:17) | Stand up for people who are treated unfairly. |
| "Let us reason together" (1:18) | God invites us to come and talk with him. |
| "White as snow" (1:18) | God can wash away even the deepest stains of sin. |
| "The vineyard of the LORD" (5:7) | God's people, whom he planted and cared for. |
| "A refuge for the poor" (25:4) | God protects people who have no one else. |
| "He will swallow up death forever" (25:8) | One day, death will be gone. |
Back Then
Vineyards needed years of work before they produced good grapes. A sour harvest was heartbreaking.
Widows and orphans had no one to protect them in court or provide for them. God often names them as people his people must defend.
Paul quotes Isaiah 25:8 when he writes about the resurrection: "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54).
Literal Reader Alert
Does God hate worship? No. He hates worship that pretends everything is fine while people are being hurt. True worship and justice go together.
Is the feast real? It's a picture of the joy God has ready for his people. Jesus pointed to it when he spoke of people coming from east and west to feast in God's kingdom (Matthew 8:11).
Did Jesus use this vineyard song? Yes. His parable of the tenants starts with the same vineyard (Matthew 21:33).
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| God | Weary | He is tired of empty worship (1:14) |
| God | Heartbroken | His vineyard grew sour grapes (5:4) |
| The poor | Sheltered | God is their refuge (25:4) |
| God's people | Joyful | He has saved us (25:9) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you hear in Isaiah's words? Tap one.
My sins feel permanent
Though they are like scarlet, they will be white as snow.
I go to church, but something's missing
Learn to do right. Seek justice.
I need shelter
God is a refuge for the poor and needy.
I'm grieving
God will swallow up death and wipe away every tear.
You Might Have Heard
"As long as I go to church, God is happy with me."
What's true: God gathers his people to worship him.
What the passage is mainly about: God told busy worshipers, "Learn to do right; seek justice" (1:17). Worship and love for neighbor belong together. And God invites us to come, be washed clean, and start again.
Where Jesus is: His blood makes sins white as snow, and he is preparing the great feast where death is swallowed up forever.
Good News
God doesn't just point out the stains. He washes them.
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow" (1:18).
And one day he will swallow up death and wipe away every tear.
God calls his people to seek justice, and he offers to wash their sins white as snow. He will spread a feast for all peoples and swallow up death forever.
Big Idea
God is tired of worship without justice, and grieves his sour vineyard. But he says, "Come now, let us reason together": he will wash our sins white as snow and swallow up death forever.
If this message brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther said that true worship isn't about how many ceremonies we perform, but about faith in God's promises and love for our neighbor.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads Isaiah 1:10-18 in Year C (Lectionary 31), 5:1-7 in Year A (Lectionary 27), and 25:1-9 in Year A (Lectionary 28). Isaiah 25:6-9 is also read on Easter Day in Year B and on All Saints Day.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow
How did that feel?
You finished Come, Let Us Reason Together.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Lectionary 19 Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
- Lectionary 20 Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 5:1-7
- Lectionary 27 Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 5:1-7
- Lectionary 28 Year AFirst reading, Isaiah 25:1-9
- Lectionary 31 Year CFirst reading, Isaiah 1:10-18
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Come, Let Us Reason Together, explained in plain words. God is tired of worship without justice. But he offers to wash sins white as snow, and to swallow up death forever. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/come-let-us-reason-together/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church