Crimson to White
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah. 1: 18
These are a few thoughts from a study on the meaning of "sin being like scarlet or red as
crimson," as shown in the first chapter of Isaiah, and also what this reveals according
to the meaning of the words describing sin in the Hebrew and
Greek.
We give thanks for our salvation as we read God's words to a lost and dying world.
Isaiah tells us, "Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord, though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be
as wool. The Prophet Isaiah realized that by reasoning with the Lord, the Lord would show
one His right ways and plan for them. He shared that God would cleanse their sins away
and make them pure before him, as white as the wool and snow, if one would
receive Him into their life.
Sin is compared in this verse as being red like scarlet or *crimson in color.
Colors in Bible days were not as easily made as today. Dyes were used to stain wool,
cloth, or other materials to change them from their original color.
Purple color was obtained from a species of the
shellfish in the Mediterranean Sea.
Indigo blue was one color used to dye cotton or linen. Where fabric colors are mentioned
in the Bible other than blue, it is said to indicate the fabric was of wool, as linen or cotton was
more difficult to dye using the other colors available.
Crimson and scarlet were deep colors which were obtained by dying materials
with the dye obtained from a small worm found on oak leaves or leaves of the cactus
ficus in the Mediterranean countries. **The Hebrew word,
"shanah," from which another Hebrew word... "shaniy or ( scarlet)" derives; means "to duplicate or double."
The idea in the meaning of 'one's sins being as scarlet' is they are as if they had been double
dipped into the deep color of the scarlet dye from the *coccus worm. This would have
left a permanent color fixed to them which could not be removed, like wool which had
been permanently dyed. This example given in Isaiah shows us that sin is like a deep dye
which places a permanent stain or blemish on one's soul, but God can remove it completely and
make a soul pure and white in his sight if they come to Him and confess their sins. Even though
sins were like scarlet, there was and is One who is able to remove them and make one anew.
One cannot remove this stain by their own power, as nothing but the blood of Jesus can take away the stain of sin and make one white as snow.
The old hymn, "At The Cross," says...."would he devote his sacred head..for such a worm as I?"
The answer is, "yes,"......our Lord
laid down and devoted his life to saving sinners who were marred with the stain
of sin. His precious blood washes over our souls and removes sin to make one as
white as the snow which falls from heaven and as the white wool of a lamb.
This is the good news of the Gospel.
Only the Lord can change a heart and life for his glory.
The Lord is referred to as like a Refiner's Fire and the Fuller's soap. This soap was a
cleansing agent which the Israelites used to whiten their clothes. Only God can make
one's spiritual garments white or righteous as He changes a life.
There were two conditions given in Isaiah 1 for the conditional blessings of the Lord.
One must be willing and must also be obedient.
It is a personal choice of each person
but our Lord has made salvation simple, as He completed the work and all we must do
is believe, receive and obey.
Coming to the Lord is the first step and a reasoning of
heart to decide the right way. All we need to live the Christian life has been provided
by our Lord. From the day we let Him take away the stain of sin until he calls us home,
His Holy Spirit will lead, guide and direct us safely along life's way.
The angels in heaven rejoice when they see a soul made pure and white, as they are
welcomed into the family of God.
May we also share in the rejoicing by seeing the
work which our Lord desires to do in lives and telling the good news of salvation.
His blood will never loose it's power.
Sins are removed and one's soul is changed
from being stained as dark as crimson to being pure and white by Jesus our Light.
This is wonderful news for a lost and dying world as it gives hope to the hopeless
and life to the perishing. We give thanks for Calvary and the finished work
of our Lord and Savior. The debt we owed for sin has been paid in full!
Blessings in Christ,
Jo Ann Kelly (c) 2002
J. P.'s Inspirations |
