18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
As I look out my window, I see probably a foot of snow in my yard. I know from personal observation that each snowflake has six points and that snow is cold. But neither of these facts has anything to do with the comparison that Isaiah is making!
Isaiah compares sin to a red stain and purity to white snow. I think we may legitimately ask ourselves what is it about sin that is comparable to red. We may ask ourselves why purity is associated with white.
However it is not legitimate is to look for meanings associated with other characteristics of snow. We must be careful in studying the Bible not to go too far with similes, metaphors and other forms of comparison…
– SSxG