When the Almighty scattered the kings there, it was snowing in Zalmon. Psalm 68:14 (NASB)
Snow . . . it’s one of my favorite things. It’s so pretty and it quiets the world. Have you noticed that?
One thing my late husband and I enjoyed was taking a walk in the first snow. Usually this was at night after dinner. It seemed like God had wrapped the world in cold cotton and silenced the noise. It was magical and peaceful.
Of all the times I have read through the bible and even more times the Psalms, I have never noticed the reference to snow. Of course I had to Google to see if it snows in Israel. Was this a real thing? Yes it is ! It snows in a few areas of Israel, particularly the north.
Next I Googled Zalmon to pinpoint it’s location. Zalmon is in the northern region of Israel. The ruins of Zalmon are located directly south of Wadi Zalmon National Park. So experiencing snow there is completely possible. What a great discovery ! There’s lots of weather in the bible, but snow? Yes – ordinary snow.
Call me crazy, but I thrill to see ordinary things cited in scripture. It makes me smile, and yes, chuckle, to read about snow in the bible. Oh how God delights us as we read His word! Isn’t it extraordinary how He communicates deep truth as well as the joyful, ordinary things? God provides the perfect balance of heavy and light. I love that about Him !
So what do we know about snow? What would it have to do with scattering an enemy army?
Well, we know that in a snowstorm, visibility can be tough. Snow also deadens sound, so verbal communication would have been challenging. Also, depending on how much snow was on the ground, it could have been difficult marching on foot or traveling on horseback.
Did God bring the falling snow to aid in scattering the enemy? I think that’s a logical possibility. Of course, this is just my imagining. And while plausible, it could just be a statement of fact tucked into scripture.
No matter what the truth of the snow reference, I love seeing God in the ordinary.
We don’t usually assign anything spiritual to ordinary snow. It’s usually an inconvenience to us. It cancels plans and causes rescheduling. For kids it means playing and hot chocolate. But what if God wants us to see Him in ordinary snow?
Maybe God brings snow to make us smile at it’s beauty and hear laughter as kids build snowmen. Maybe it’s to slow us down to enjoy time snuggling under an afghan, reading a good book. Maybe it gives us a leisurely morning in our PJs in front of the fire with an extra cup of coffee.
After reading about snow in the Psalms, I don’t think snow will ever be ordinary for me ever again.