Isaiah 44:22
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
God has wiped away wrongdoing as completely as a thick cloud vanishing from the sky, putting transgressions and sins out of sight. That removal is total and lasting, with the past forgiven and forgotten forever and never thrown back at the repentant person with taunting or reproach. Because He has bought His people back, He calls those who have wandered far on their own way to return to Him and to His house and renew their walk with Him. They do not have to make themselves better or good enough first, but may come as sinners and be received with embrace and honor like the prodigal welcomed home by his father. This pardon shows Him as tenderly compassionate and abundantly merciful, accepting the forgiven into His presence so they can behold His glory and answer with praise and testimony.
Blotted Out and Redeemed
God has blotted out transgressions as a thick cloud and sins as a cloud, removing them from view like a cloud disappearing. This removal is merciful and expresses His tender compassion. The pardon is abundant and compassionate, not limited as people limit one another.
The blotting out is complete and final: the past evil course is forgiven and forgotten forever, not held against the repentant sinner. There is no taunting and no casting up of sins, and no reproach toward the one who returns. He is shown as a compassionate father longing to embrace his returning child, not as hard and exacting, tyrannical and relentless.
The ground for the pardon and the call to return is redemption: because He has redeemed them, their transgressions and sins are blotted out and they have reason to return to Him and renew relationship with Him. The promise was spoken to Israel and to those who turn from evil, calling them to return because He has redeemed them. It gives comfort and encouragement to those who choose to turn back, assuring repentant Israel that they are not forgotten by God. It belongs among His covenant promises of what He has done and will do for His people, calling for greater appreciation of what He has done and will do and for a missionary spirit through which He can use His people to glorify His name.
The forgiven are accepted before God, their sins no longer standing between them and Him, so that they can behold His glory. This forgiveness belongs to His special work of supplying the needs of His created universe, satisfying the desires of the soul. It also gives temporal help like moisture for dry lips and cooling for the tongue. It proves Him good and gracious in both spiritual necessities and temporal needs.
Call to Return Home
The verse is God's invitation and command to His redeemed people to return to Him and to His Father's house, because He has redeemed them. It sets forth His purpose that they return to Him and follow on to know Him, rather than turning from Him to depend on finite human beings for wisdom. It is addressed to the one who has chosen his own way and wandered far from God.
That wanderer sought to feast on transgression only to find ashes, with substance spent and life plans thwarted and hopes dead, sitting alone and desolate. To him comes the call to arise and come back to God. He is not required to make himself better or good enough first, but may come as a sinner and rely on the promise of welcome, cleansing, reception, and embrace.
The message gives comfort and encouragement to those who choose to turn back, assuring the humble, contrite, and repentant heart that God is willing to receive them. The blotting out of sin is as the father welcoming the prodigal son, embracing and honoring his returning child. So God receives, embraces, and restores the returning sinner with compassion and without reproach.
Jesus applies this blotting out in forgiving the humble, contrite person who is justified through faith in Christ. The bright sunshine of Christ's love thus brings comfort to the repentant heart. That redemption gives reason for heaven and earth to sing and for Israel to glorify Him.
The forgiven are led to praise and testimony about His mercy, to greater appreciation of what He has done and will do, and to a missionary spirit through which He can use them to glorify His name.