PURGE
ME WITH HYSSOP!
Ps 51:5-7
5
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou
shalt make me to know wisdom.
7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow.
Psalm
51 is David’s prayer of contrition because of his sin with Bathsheba and
after being confronted by the prophet Nathan. He acknowledges his original sin
in verse five and understands God’s demands in verse six. In verse seven he
requests cleansing with hyssop.
Hyssop
(Hyssopus officinalis
– Labiatae). The name comes from the Greek, hyssopus, itself derived from the
Hebrew ezob, meaning good scented
herb. A hardy green bushy plant with narrow dark leaves similar to those of
lavender and rosemary, it grows to around 30 – 60 cm (1-2 ft) in height.
Hyssop was
used by the Jewish priests to sprinkle blood and water on people needing ceremonial
cleansing. We remember that it was used on the night of Passover when the blood
of the sacrifice was splashed upon the lentil and the two door posts. When God
saw the blood He passed over the guilty. This is what David was asking for.
Heb 10:22
22 Let us
draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Dear Lord,
let me be sprinkled and cleansed today. Let me splash your mercy and grace upon
others throughout the day. AMEN
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