White as Snow

As I look out the window of my home and see the snow that has fallen over the past couple days, I am reminded of Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” This particular snow is about 3 inches deep and very flakey. While there are 24 references to snow in the KJV this one is a special one because it emphasizes the glorious salvation that is possible through the cleansing blood of Jesus as He paid our sin debt on the cross. in researching the Hebrew word for scarlet I came across the following comment, “Scarlet (towla’) was the name for a worm in Hebrew. This particular worm was used in the making of red dye, and so it’s often translated "scarlet". The towla' would attach itself to a tree as it prepared to lay its eggs, and in the process, the mother would die, leaving a red stain on the wood. Later, after the babies would hatch and leave, the red stain would dry up, turn white, and flake off the wood. In Psalm 22:6, an indisputably Messianic psalm, the Messiah cries out, "I am a worm" (towla’). The picture our humble Messiah presents parallels the worm's life cycle, for Jesus died on a cross of wood in the process of giving birth to us, leaving a bloody stain that turns our sins from scarlet to white as snow! This is surely amazing, utterly incomprehensible grace and love in action! O come let us adore Him!” It was a reminder that our sins left us with a stain that only Jesus’ blood can cleanse. In addition, the blood of Jesus doesn’t just cleanse us but makes that former stain “as white as snow.” Isaiah was speaking to a rebellious nation, Judah pleading with them to repent. Unfortunately, they like many today choose to remain in their sin rather than receive God’s forgiveness. Let those of us who received Jesus’ sacrifice rejoice that through His death we now have complete forgiveness and eternal life.