The scene outside my window helped me select the topic for this month’s pastor’s column. As I write, snow is falling. It isn’t a blizzard, but it is falling steadily, and it looks like there will be several inches of new snow by the end of the day.

As fall ended and winter began, my yard didn’t look very pretty. It would have been good if I had mowed the grass one more time before it snowed. I didn’t get the leaves raked before it snowed either. We removed a section of sidewalk along the east side of the house. The hole that was left is filled with dirt. It was even raked and seeded, but the grass hasn’t started growing yet.

Those are the most obvious unsightly things in the parsonage yard as fall turned to winter, but a closer inspection might turn up a few more. Today all of that is covered with snow. By the end of the day, it will be covered a bit deeper. Though the yard was a mess in the fall, today it is white as snow. The entire yard has a beautiful coat of new white undisturbed snow.

In the eighteenth verse of the first chapter of Isaiah the prophet writes, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

I can think of my sins that way. No matter how ugly they are in the sight of God, the day Christ died on the cross he covered my sins. Because of Christ, when God looks at me instead of seeing the crimson stain of my ugly sinfulness, God sees a fresh white blanket of snow. Everything is covered over and everything is clean and pure.

The first chapter of Isaiah contains this comforting image of our sins being covered the same way my yard has been covered with a blanket of snow. I like the image. I think of the blanket of snow as beautiful, but that first chapter of Isaiah isn’t entirely beautiful.

In the first chapter of Isaiah we learn that God is not pleased with the people of Israel. The prophet leaves no doubt when he describes God’s displeasure. He tells the people that God is not pleased with their sacrifices. God cannot endure their column assemblies, and God will not listen to their prayers.

The appointed festivals mentioned in verse 14 are the holiest times of the year for the people of Israel. God says, “my soul hates” them. It would be like telling us that God hated our Christmas service. When he says, “I have had enough of burnt offerings” and later says, “bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me” it would be like God telling us that our offering is useless and that God takes no pleasure in our bringing it. It would be like God telling us, “I hate your hymns and I am not going to listen to your prayers.”

The people of Israel were going through the motions of worshipping God, but they were ignoring the commands of God in their daily lives.

Isaiah accuses them of doing evil. He says that their hands are “full of blood.” Then he tells them, “learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” He gives them a clear choice. He says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The same type of choice is before us always. Follow Christ and live a joy filled abundant life. Rebel against Christ and face the consequences. I believe those who follow Christ have joy on earth, but it does not compare to the joy of eternal life. Those who rebel against Christ face a difficult life and tremendous suffering in the life to come.

Each time we turn away from something evil in our lives and confess our sins, Christ covers our sin stained ugliness just like my yard has been covered with a pure white blanket of snow. Turn from evil and do good, and may the God of peace watch over you, protect you, purify you, and lead you in the ways of everlasting life. Amen.

Pastor Birk