Have you ever seen a house painted with blood? (I bet no one has ever asked you that!) I have, believe it or not. It is in Colonial Williamsburg (one of my favorite places to visit). Although the restored home has regular paint covering it’s wooden siding, the paint of the original home was tinted red with the blood of insects! They say the house is haunted . . . but that’s a story for another day.

The idea of making paint or dye with the blood of insects goes back to ancient times. In Isaiah 1:18, the Lord likens Israel’s sin - our sin - to scarlet and crimson. So what does all this have to do with insect blood? Follow me here - this is good . . .

“Come now, 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 become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;”
Isaiah 1:18-19 ESV

STUDY the Word.

*A tree stained red with the crimson fluid of the tôlâ worm.*

The Hebrew word for crimson is tôlâ and it means a worm or maggot. When the female tôlâ was ready to give birth, she attached herself to the trunk of a tree. She laid her eggs while attached to the tree so her babies would be protected between herself and the rough bark.

The mother died soon after laying her eggs and in death produced a crimson/scarlet colored fluid that stained her body as well as the tree. From the dead bodies of these tôlâ worms, the scarlet dyes were extracted and clothes of crimson were created. The dye was permanent and could not be extracted from the clothes.

What a picture!

Do you see the picture the Lord gave Isaiah regarding our sins? In Psalm 22 (the Psalm of the cross), Jesus is pictured as a worm. Our Lord Jesus Christ put Himself on a tree for us. Through His death, He gave us life. The blood of His body washes us white as snow, removes all sin, and gives us a permanent place with the Father.

God often uses creation to paint a picture for us. Jesus became a “worm” for us to save and deliver us. He became death so that we could have eternal life through Him!

APPLY the Word.

The world tells us today that there are many roads to salvation. I am telling you they are wrong. There is one way to salvation and HIS NAME IS JESUS. Period.

Are you struggling with sin in your life? Every one of us can say YES to that question. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Take it to the cross, My Friend. Put down the self-help books. Put down the well-meaning advice. Put down the world’s answers, and take your sin to the cross.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us. (1 John 1:9) We all need to be cleansed. We need the crimson blood of Jesus to pour over us cleansing us from the stains of sin and purifying us white as snow.

LIVE the Word.

My father used to always say, “I have been saved; I am being saved; and I will be saved.” This is how to live. Crucifying our flesh daily - continuously being saved - and coming in line with the truth of God’s Word. Daily taking our sin to the foot of the cross and asking for forgiveness. Repenting and turning our lives around to become white as snow . . . to become a great Symphony of His Praise.