“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV
Today, a blanket of snow fell from heaven upon the city of Jerusalem. Some eight inches of snow! Houses in Israel are mostly concrete, cut stone, and tile floors. They seem to drink in winter. Thankfully we have radiator heaters. I wonder how the ancients weathered their winters in this Holy city. I fully understand the sentiments of one ancient Jerusalemite who rejoiced at the opportunity to shake off winter’s blanket saying,
“For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come…” Song of Songs 2:11-12.
Isaiah, speaking under the anointing of God, used snow as a sign of God’s faithfulness, and as a call to repentance. Through snow this morning, the Lord is again speaking to Jerusalem a powerful message.
I. As snow comes down
Snow is not like rain. It is literally liquid gold to a land that is dry for seven months of the year. Heavy rains wash through the Judean hills, filling the wadis and valleys, and reviving ancient riverbeds in torrents to the desert of the Dead Sea. Snow, however, sits as a blanket for days, slowly irrigating and replenishing the water table.
This is the metaphor God used to describe His word. As snow and rain do not return, so He will not take back His Word; It not return void. “It will prosper in the thing for which I sent it”, says the Lord! That is true for our lives as well. Promises which were spoken are not forgotten. They are simply waiting on the right conditions.
II. As Snow brings forth
The region of the Dead Sea wilderness is barren; this snow will bring forth dormant seed! In the last few Springs, Israel’s desert regions came to life with foliage and brilliant flowers not seen in decades. Those seeds had been quietly waiting. I believe the Lord is using this snow to remind Jerusalem that there are dormant seeds, promises, waiting to break forth. This seed will only produce however by the power His sent Word.
III. As Snow Gives Seed to the Sower
“Seed to the sower and bread to the eater”, are the results of snow on the land. Isaiah’s prophecy to Israel is, the harvest is coming. Israel’s calling to sow seed and prophesy to the nations will come to pass again. That promise can only come as we recognize His Messiah, His sent One, Yeshua, whose “countenance was like lightning, and His clothing as white as snow.” (Matthew 28:3) His garments white as snow upon our shoulders, soak deep into the soil of our lives, cleansing our sin.
IV. As Snow is White, so Shall You Be
Finally, Isaiah prophesied snow as a sermon for the cleansing of our sin.
“Come now, and 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 be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NKJV
This snow is Israel’s call to come into agreement with their Creator. “Let us reason together”, He says. As I look out from my balcony, the dark leaves I neglected to rake, which had shriveled into moldering wet clumps are now covered in white.
And so, Jerusalem, this snowstorm is your message from heaven, to reason with the Lord regarding the scarlet stain of our sin. This snowstorm is divine metaphor of what our lives can be if we simply surrender to His will, and receive the atoning blood of the Lamb which cleanses whiter than snow.
Conclusion
As snow causes the earth to break forth in flowers, God’s Word causes us to break forth in song. As snow gives seed and bread, God’s Word fills our mouths with a message of goodness. As snow covers completely, may our sins of scarlet be whiter than wool. We are excited about the snow, but more so about the message of the snow. May the Lord bless you from Zion