White as snow

"Come now, and 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 be as wool. – Isaiah 1v18

The last two winters we have had the unexpected delight/agony/joy/hassle of seeing snow on the ground for several weeks each winter. Snow disrupts travel and is cold and wet and heating bills go up and traffic crawls to a standstill and your feet get wet and the kids are in and out and in out and the house gets wet and dirty. And yet, snow is beautiful. Snow covers all of the flaws and scars and ugliness of a landscape with a blanket of white.

It is the beauty of snow that Isaiah uses to illustrate God’s covering of man’s sin. Isaiah does not hold back when it comes to dealing with sin. Israel was a wicked nation who had forgotten about God. They deserved the full wrath of God for their sin. God was sick of all of their religion. He would have been justified in wiping them out.

But, while He is dealing with their sin God pleads them to come to Him and ‘reason’ with Him. God had the answer and He wanted His people to come to Him. If they would forsake their sins and turn to Him their sins, though ‘like scarlet’ could be covered and be as white as the snow. Scarlet and red speak of what is called ‘blood guilt’ and was used to speak of the most heinous sins.

What a wonderful offer! God says that that though man’s sins are as disgusting as can be imagined God is willing to cover them and make them as white as snow. We know now that, in a way I would like to look into more, He covers man’s blood guilt with the blood of His own son.

God still calls out to man today – ‘Come, lets reason this out. Though you are guilty of the most vile sins, I can cover them with the blood of Jesus and make them as white as the new fallen snow.’

What a sacrifice. Jesus paid the price for my blood guilt with His own blood.