September 10, 2021
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red."
~Matthew 16:1-2~
Praying to the Lord today I heard "the color red." I thought to myself and even spoke it out loud, "this color represents so much Lord." His exact reasoning for speaking this word to me; to discuss the meaning behind what red means to Him and to all of us, understanding the differences. In the natural, red has more emotional associations then any other color. This color is linked to passion, love and desire. In the opposite effect it is also significant to power, anger and rage. Red is exciting and draws attention to itself. Not only is it my husband's personal favorite color but it stands out in Scripture quite often. In Genesis we see Esau having been noticed and named for his red hairy appearance; "And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau." (Genesis 25:25)
Jacob, however, was a simple man. His color was not mentioned. Yet here we see red in Esau, a connection to the emotion of anger and rage as Esau burned with desire for his father's blessing and of course lost chance of this. His anger towards his brother was surely hot.
In Exodus, it makes a strong appearance in the Israelite's departure; "Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea." (Exodus 15:4)
So here we have that power symbolism showing its face upon the very Sea that would give God's people a way out and swallow up all of their foes. God demonstrated his passion for His children, His anger towards those who kept them in slavery and His sovereign power in parting the Red Sea.
In 2 Kings, the Moabites were given into the hands of the Israelites in battle; "Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”
(II Kings 3:22-23)
The rebellion was heavy and God was using His people to place justice upon them. Before taking them into their own hands in war, the Moabites saw a sign in the water. It was as red as blood. This drew their reaction of passion, anger and desire to go into the israelite's camp to destroy them. Yet it ended how they least expected.
Isaiah prophesies about the correlation with sin and the color red; "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)
Though our sins be as red as scarlet, Jesus has covered us in His righteousness making us white and pure. Our sinful desires stand out in lust, rage and passion for the wrong things. Red is represented in all things wrong and all things right as well. It is a balanced color and signifies all that can be done wrong or done right.
The color red is the very color of the Blood in which was shed for our sinful ways. Christ's Blood, red and innocent, represents His wholeness for our life. For the life is in the Blood. We receive Him and we are receiving His red Blood to cover every curse, every heart break and every bad decision we have ever made; "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13)
Jesus fought evil with goodness. He battled red with Red. He took the color He created and turned it into something that would give us all hope, salvation and sanctification. The Pharisees and Sadducees sought for a sign and Jesus showed them that their belief in discerning by the sky being red, could simply be a sign of something they least expect. Just as the Moabites were fooled. The color red is used in many different ways but when we focus our eyes on the One who used it for good we are able to discern His Red and evil red, for the enemy counterfeits everything God has made in rebellion; "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born." (Revelation 12:3-4)
Let us focus our energy on burning with the right kind of passion, desiring the good in what God has given us and loving all who come into our view for Jesus Christ is the only color red we need.
Prayer:
Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth, I am grateful for the knowledge that You have given with all connections to this beautiful color. I pray that my eyes may focus on the good representations of it. I burn with passion for Jesus Christ. I am covered with the redness of His Blood. I am angry for the sake of justice in God's eyes only. I love my neighbor and desire that I may bless rather then curse. I am made by You, for You. I worship You my King for all that You have done for me and my family. Let the color red remind me of those signs You have given and let not the deception over take me at any point. For I know one thing may have two different representations and I am grateful You are in control of them all. I bless all that You do in me, my family, my church and my nation in Jesus Name; thanking You, praising You and glorifying You. Amen.