[323 words]
I do not usually think of snow when I think of the events recorded in the Bible. Most of the time I think of the things that I read about taking place in an arid hot climate, but that is not the case at all. The climate around Jerusalem is surprisingly similar to what we experience here in southeast Arkansas. The summers might be dry with cooler nights, but they have a cold winter. January is usually the coldest month of the year. And like us, people in Jerusalem see snow, but not every year. They even shut things down when they get an inch of snow, just like us.
The Bible mentions snow about 25 times depending on your translation. References to snow are found in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 4:6; Revelation 1:4). The Bible references snow as something that God is in control of as part of His creation (Psalm 147, 16, 148:8, Job 37:6, 38:22).
The time of snow could be difficult and something to be afraid of if you were not prepared (Proverbs 31:21). It also could make tasks more difficult and dangerous (2 Samuel 23:20).
The Bible uses snow as a way to describe the color white. In describing the disease leprosy, the words “as white as snow” are used to describe the color of the skin of the people who contracted this horrible disease (Exodus 4:6, Numbers 12:10). Snow is also used to describe the color of hair and clothing of Jesus and angels (Daniel 7:9, Matthew 28:3).
Snow is a way to represent purity. We have all seen what a fresh blanket of snow does to the world. It covers everything and makes it seem like a wonder land. The sacrificed blood of Christ covers our sins and purifies us and makes us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18, Psalms 51:7).
Brad Tolbert
Monticello church of Christ
Monticello, AR