White as snow (Isaiah 1)

 Timelines can get tricky. Let’s look at Isaiah himself before we jump in. Isaiah ministered from around 740-680 B.C. By the time Isaiah came around, other prophets we know had completed their missions (Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos). By this time, the Israelites had been in the Promised Land 700 years, had gone through the period of judges, and had experiences a number of good and terrible kings. Saul, David, and Solomon had already reigned and died, and the split of Israel into two nations had already occurred. The period of time of Isaiah’s ministry is taking place at the time of 2 Kings 15-21 and 2 Chronicles 26-33. 

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord; Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.

Chapter 1 is focusing on the sins of Israel, that she as a whole nation has forgotten God. The good works of the few (if there were any) were hidden by the viciousness and sinfulness of the many. Isaiah was trying to warn the nation to come clean, turn from their sins, and ask for forgiveness before it was too late. 

 In ourselves, when we sin, it can overshadow the good in our lives. Think of a public speech. No matter how good it is, how many good things are in the speech, if there is one mistake, that is what is going to be heard. The one mistake, the one flaw, will overshadow the entire goodness of the speech. Same with people, no matter how good, if there is one stumble, that is what is seen. A stain. When we sin, we stain ourselves in God’s eyes. And we all know stains are hard to remove.

But there is hope. With God, we can have our sins erased. In the verse above, our sins are related to a deep red stain. There is nothing said about how to be cleansed in this chapter, but we know that through Jesus’s death and resurrection, we can become pure like the new snow again. We can’t do it ourselves. No amount of work of mercy or charity or cleaning will take it away. Only through the works of Jesus. By confessing, owning it, and obtaining God’s grace can we be made white. And that goes for EVERYONE. It doesn’t matter what has been done. Your sins can be forgiven! My sins can be forgiven! God wants to forgive us. He wants to restore the bond between himself and us. He wants us to be close to him. We need to want it too.