Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
THE HYSSOP THAT PURGES
In Psalm 51, King David prays for cleansing from sin when Nathan the prophet went to him and rebuked him for his sin in connection with Bathsheba. The cleansing with hyssop was a part of the cleansings required by the Old Testament ceremonial law. Hyssop is a plant with hairy branches. It was used to apply the blood on doorposts at Passover and used by the priests as a sort of sponge or sprinkler to apply the cleansing blood or water of Old Testament rituals to the worshiper.
Perhaps you have committed a very public transgression like David. Or perhaps your conscience weighs heavily upon you because of former evils or immoralities in your past. No matter who we are, as long as we dwell in this sin-tainted world we carry the stains of our sins. And only by God’s hand can the stain of sin be removed.
Much like the ceremonial application of blood with a hyssop, we also in reality receive the purging from sin by the application of the blood of Christ to us before the throne of God. God's forgiveness of our sins is described as God washing us whiter than snow. God's forgiveness results in joy and gladness in place of the fear and guilt caused by unforgiven sin. God's forgiveness assures us of life eternal, despite what our conscience or emotions may tell us.
The sin that infects every part of our everyday lives has been purged away by the blood of our sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ. Your original sin of unbelief? Purged away. Your sins of doubt and worry? Purged away. Your sins of anger and hatred? Purged away. Your sins of disobedience and failure? Purged away.
This is the love of our Savior-God, Jesus Christ. A love that endured separation from God because he was handling the world's sins. From that love came such wonderful purging for sinners like King David, me, and you.
