The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 1:16-20, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

17 Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.

19 “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.

20 “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Although I did not always obey by doing what others instructed me to do, I was always aware of what they meant for me to understand. Isaiah demanded both. In these seven imperatives, the prophet lists three positive actions related to his hearers’ preparation of themselves. The initial directive was: “wash yourselves!” The inference is that they were not clean. One has to be clean in order to cleanse what is filthy.

The prophet also demanded that the Israelites abolish, once and for all, every evil activity from their lives. Further, they were to determine never to engage in such nefarious things again! It was not a suggestion; it was intentional; a seriously heavy demand.

The prophet’s directive speaks well to us today. Our activities, our responsibilities, our intentions require that we divest ourselves of every evil that resides within us and pledge to terminate it forever. Evil and good are never compatible!

Further, we must learn to always do good. Justice will then emerge as we chastise those who are harsh in their dealings with the helpless. Still, should we fail to do what is right, we will surely receive divine vengeance from the LORD. May we always be attentive to His Word; and may He ever be gracious and merciful to us as we learn.

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need, until He becomes all that we have.” –Corrie ten Boom