“Come now, and let us reason together,” says YHWH.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Reason Together – Once we discover the real meaning here, we might wish it were still about apologetics.  We would like this invitation to be about a comfortable discussion over spiritual matters.  But that’s not what the word yakah suggests.  This word is typically about an assessment of moral right-standing.  This is an invitation to present our case before the Lord and see if it stands up to His holiness.  It is God’s way of saying, “Bring it on!”

Often taken out of context, we assume that God’s request is a gentle RSVP.  Once we read the context, we see that such a naïve view is impossible.  Read what God says before He uses yakah.  “Listen heaven and earth.  You, Israel, have rebelled.  Even animals know who their master is, but not you.  This nation has forsaken its Deliverer.  Look at the results:  your land is devastated, you are beaten down, you are overthrown, your sacrifices are worthless, I have rejected your rituals, I no longer attend to your impure religion.”

“Now, then, come to the judgment seat.  Present your case.  Let’s see how you fare.  Bring your evidence before Me and let’s examine it together.”

Oh, that’s not quite what we thought, is it?  This is the call from the Judge of all Mankind, not the invitation to a scholarly debate.  This is a serious accounting exam.  We might be inclined to run rather than show our hand.  We might see only the smoke and fire of Mt. Sinai appearing on the horizon.  Except for one small letter in Hebrew.  You see, the call is not le-hoo.  It is le-hoo-na.  At the end of the verb we find the attached particle na.  This changes the command to a request.  “Please, come.”  Even in the invitation to an audit, God displays His hesed, His kindness.  He could demand punishment from the evidence in the books of life.  He could justifiably reject our arguments and dismiss us to outer darkness.  But even in His scrupulous review of our failed state, He shows His true colors.  “Please.”

Perhaps it’s time to rethink our propensity to treat God as an equal in the dialog of life.  It’s time to stop insisting that we have as much to say about things as He does, that we have a  right to be heard, that He needs to see our point of view.  When He invites us to conversation, maybe we would be far better served by listening.  Then we might discover His unfathomable mercy wrapped around His infinite holiness.

Topical Index:  reason together, yakah, na, please, Isaiah 1:18