![]() Your sin is not just removed, you are made clean. The reason your scarlet sins can be made white as snow is because Jesus' scarlet blood covers them. What David longed for, Jesus accomplished! The good news of the gospel is that God himself purifies us by the blood of his resurrected and victorious Son. King David, repentant after committing adultery and murder, cried out to God in Psalm 51:7b, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." If washing away of scarlet sins is going to happen, it must be God himself who does the washing because the sin has been against God. And it didn't taste like sugar on snow, it tasted like dust and ashes. Job felt the pain of trying to be in God's presence without a mediator. There is no arbiter between us…" (Job 9:32-33a). "For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. Job knew that even if he washed himself with snow (Job 9:30), he could never stand before the holiness of God. Job told his friends that he was in a horrible predicament, feeling that God was out to get him and as if he was not able to stand in God's presence to even discuss it with him. Bonhoeffer explains, "Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price'…Costly grace is the Incarnation of God." There is a reason that we can receive the promise that our sins will be as white as snow. So, what will it cost them to receive forgiveness? If verse 18 which promises purity like snow is not enough, the answer becomes crystal clear near the end of the prophecy: "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!…Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food" (Isaiah 55:1-2). The holy God offers sinners a free banquet–and promises to satisfy them in himself. He does not even want their sacrifices anymore, because going through the motions without hearts that love God–as seen in their actions–is detestable to him (Isaiah 1:11-17). In Isaiah chapter 1, the LORD of Israel has just laid out a court case against his people. But, when God offers the bargain of forgiveness, there is no catch. There is fine print and there are exclusions. That sounds great, but what is the catch? We are used to hearing of sales that are too good to be true, mostly because they are. You bring your scarlet sins, and he will give you a purified past and present. The Lord of glory, the creator of the ends of the earth, the holy one, is offering an incredible deal. Don't read through this familiar verse and fail to be awed by what is going on here. "Come now, 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 become like wool" (Isaiah 1:18) But there is one breath-taking word picture involving snow that comes from the lips of the LORD himself. And, while not an every year occurrence in Jerusalem, snow is common enough in Israel that it is mentioned 24 times by the biblical writers. Vermont is famous for its snowscapes, but when most people think of the land of Israel, snow does not come to mind. This unique treat also proves that snow can not only look good enough to eat, it can also be clean enough to eat, too! But sugar on snow is especially popular during "sugaring," when there is fresh maple syrup from the trees and snow still on the ground. It even has a name: "Sugar on snow." As a Vermont pastor, I can tell you that we don't scoop up snow like Ben and Jerry's with every snowfall. The ingredients are simple: freshly fallen snow and pure Vermont maple syrup. Ask any Vermonter, and they will give you a recipe. Have you ever looked at a blanket of freshly fallen snow and thought to yourself: "That looks good enough to eat"? Ask any kid, and they will tell you that it is.
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