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When God instructed His people, he wanted them to fully comprehend what He was saying...

He wanted there to be no excuses, loopholes, etc...

He used words and illustrations they would not have any problems understanding...

When he described their condition of sin and unrighteousness...

and explained that there was no way they could “work” their way out of their sin, or “earn” remittance, or “do all that they could do” in order to gain entrance into His kingdom, God told Isaiah to use the illustration of the most polluted item the people knew about..

the rags of a menstruous woman..

Isaiah 64:6

King James Bible
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And we are all become as one unclean, and all our justices as the rag of a menstruous woman: and we have all fallen as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

God had already taught the people not to go near a woman who was menstating nor to touch anything she touched..

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. Leviticus 12:2

And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. Leviticus 15:19

Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. Leviticus 18:19

Ezk 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Eze 18:5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

Eze 18:6 [And] hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, ... he shall surely live. Ezekiel 18:4-6, 19b

...in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. Exekiel 22:10b

Lev 15:19 And if a woman have an issue, [and] her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.

Lev 15:20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

Lev 15:21 And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

Lev 15:22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

Lev 15:23 And if it [be] on [her] bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

Lev 15:24 And if any man lie with her at all, and her flowers be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

Lev 15:25 And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she [shall be] unclean.

Lev 15:26 Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

Lev 15:27 And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even.

Lev 15:28 But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

Lev 15:29 And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtles, or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Lev 15:30 And the priest shall offer the one [for] a sin offering, and the other [for] a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.

Lev 15:31 Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that [is] among them. Leviticus 15:19-31

All of the Hebrews knew about God’s order to stay away from the uncleanness of a woman who was menstrating and anything she touched..

To do so was to be cut off from God..

No man would have disobeyed that commandment of God ..

What if they had died “in their sin”

Before they could get to the temple to be cleansed ???

before they could wash themselves ???

Rachel used the excuse that she had “the custom of women” so that her father and his men would not search her or anything she was sitting on to find the family idols...

She was confident that none of the men would go near her ...

Gen 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found [them] not.

Gen 31:35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women [is] upon me. And he searched, but found not the images. Genesis 31:34, 35

So when Isaiah uses the term “menstrual rags” there was no doubt in the minds of his listeners that their unrighteousnes was equal to those polluted rags, and there was nothing they personally could do about it...

Looking at that verse from our modern perspective, it may seem ludicrous or unseemly...

But if we know and understand God’s reason for saying such a thing, then we know that on our own, we are indeed polluted and unworthy for the Kingdom of God, and that there is NOTHING we ourselves can do to earn entrance to His presence...

However God has made a way for us...

Due to the death on the cross of His only begotten Son, Jesus, we can now go into God’s presence..

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12

When Jesus took our sins upon Him, and died in our place on the cross, He shed His precious Blood...

When God looks at us, now, he does not see our sins, which have been washed away...

He sees the blood of Jesus upon us, on our robes of righteousness...

Since even our best works are as filthy rags to God...

Why bother trying to “work” your way into Heaven ???

Why not just accept the salvation from the penalty of sin that the LORD Jesus Christ has already paid for ???

Jesus said...

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7

Jhn 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Jhn 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jhn 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Jhn 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Jhn 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Jhn 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:14:21