Isaiah 1:18 - Blizzard-sized Forgiveness

After the whole nation of Israel wandered from God, He Himself invited them:

“'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow...'” (Isaiah 1:18a, New American Standard, 1995) 

I learned on YouTube how to peel a pomegranate--along with the warning that pomegranate stain can be very tough to get out. It's not just pomegranate juice. Red wine. Red Kool-Aid. Rust stains. Even blood. Red stains deeply, sometimes permanently. 

In contrast, God's forgiveness is pure, white snow. 

After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband, he confessed and begged God:

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7, New Living Translation)

It was not just a cover up. David himself became whiter than snow!

There are other metaphors for the extent of God's forgiveness:

"You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!"

(Micah 7:19, NLT) 

The ocean is over two miles deep. That's a lot of water.

Beyond colors, consider the dimensions of water, frozen or otherwise. Blend the metaphors:

God doesn't just give a light dusting of snow when He deals with our sin. He sends a blizzard.

Thank you, God, that when You forgive, it's not measured out in spoonfuls. Your mercy isn't given grudgingly. You don't hold on to some "claim ticket" just in case we mess up again. You forgive with oceans of water... with blizzards of snow. Amen.