Isaiah 1:16-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow’s cause.

18 “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 like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

God is speaking to Israel as a nation not to individuals. Verse 9 speaks to a remnant of survivors who have not given themselves over to the evil perpetrated by the majority. For their sake He has not destroyed Israel like Sodom and Gomorrah. How many that might be we do not know.

I cannot help but think about God’s willingness to reason with that nation, a national discourse. He invites them to reason together after they turn from their evil ways and do those thing laid out in verses 16 and 17.

How much of this example points the finger at any nation in rebellion against God? Perhaps to all that have a remnant of the faithful. This begs me to ask what of the remnant? What are they to do?

Verse 27 “Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.” (ESV)

No matter how bad it gets God continues to speak redemption by justice and repentance. He speaks hope to the remnant that are faithful to speak of justice and repentance.

Speak hope as long as there is hope.