God's use of imagery in Isaiah 1:18 "White as Snow"

God often uses imagery in His word to give his message a deeper impact, to give us a visual image of the meaning, and to help us connect to His word.

We read in Isaiah 1:18
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

Let’s look at the imagery the Lord uses here. Think about winter. It is a time when most everything is barren, brown, shriveled and dead. Much like the repercussions of sin which never results in anything good or life producing. However when a person repents and returns to God, He forgives their sins. In His great mercy, He buries it and forgets it. This is just like the result of a beautiful snowfall. The fresh white snow covers up the old weeds from summer, the thorny ground, dried up leaves, brown grass and all the barrenness. Everything looks fresh, clean and NEW just like we appear in God’s eyes after we repent and return to him.

As II Corinthians 5:17 tells us:
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Another characteristic of the snow covered ground is that it reflects light. On a bright sunny day, the brightness of the snow almost blinds a person. Even at night, the snow reflects the light of the moon and makes the landscape glow. Darkness can’t overtake it. When we repent of our sins, declare that Jesus is the Son of God and are baptized, we receive the Holy Spirit and are filled with the light of Jesus. As Ephesians 5:8 tells us, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” And Matthew 5:14 tells us “You are the light of the world.” We reflect the light of Jesus just as snow reflects the light of the sun.

The next time you are surrounded by a snow covered landscape or see a picture of a winter wonderland of snow, remember the beautiful imagery in God’s word and that it conveys much more than what you read at the surface:
• Your sins are buried and forgotten.
• You are made clean and new.
• Your old life is gone. A new life has begun.
• You were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord.
• You reflect the light of Jesus in the world.