Isaiah 1:18-20 (NIV)

""Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord,
"though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat from the land;
but if you rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword,"
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Words from God spoken to His people the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah.

My personal reflections:
- It is absolutely amazing how loving God is. The first half of this chapter 1 describes how Israel has completely rebelled and turned away from God, though they think they can please God with sacrifices, their hearts are full of evil. Yet, from verse 18 God actually pleads with them and invites them to reason with God, that though they have been so rebellious, if they are willing and obedient to God, He promises to bless them (v19). Instead of, punishing them for their rebellion with death, which they completely deserve, He is gracious and loving in giving them a way out of their suffering; even more than this promises blessings of they obey.
- Following on from this, and this sort of stems from what I learnt from Lamentations from Summit; another way that God is loving is that He did not destroy them. Though chapter 1 does mention that they are suffering because of their sin and rebellion, God is loving in not destroying them. That is, since they are still alive they are still able to repent and turn back to God.
- Even more so, their sin was so atrocious and evil, but still God promises that their sin 'shall be white as snow' if they are willing and obedient. It's not even that God goes: 'well if you obey now, I'll bless you, but I'll still remember/have a grudge against how you used to treat me, and you still have some sin.' but instead it's: 'if you obey me now, I'll bless you. But even more than that, whatever you did in the past all completely forgiven AND you will appear to me as completely sinless." AMAZING.
- But as God is just, he also promises that if they still do not obey, then they will get what they deserve which is death or 'devoured by the sword'.

God is wonderful and loving and just!