He could stand his uncleanness and filth no more. It was also used by the Levitical priests during sacrifices in the temple to take blood and sprinkle it on the altar.ĭavid asks God to cleanse him thoroughly - to purge him with hyssop, just as the priest did during the worship services held in the temple. In the ceremonial section of the Mosaic Law, hyssop was used in the ceremonial cleaning of lepers. It was an integral part of Israel’s ritual worship. But in the Old Testament, hyssop was not simply a common herb. It is an herb that grows naturally there in fact, you may discover it growing out of the walls of the city. Thus, he prays, “Cleanse me with hyssop.” If we go to Jerusalem today, we can walk into the Old City through the Dung Gates, near where the Western Wall is, and find hyssop. It comes closest to our word sterilizing. Instead, it describes a thorough scrubbing, scouring and purifying. The word he uses literally means “to purge or to expunge.” It is a word used to describe not merely a ritual, cursory dusting off it does not describe something that is simply rinsed off, such as a dish under running water. It was deeply stained, so he asks God to cleanse him with hyssop. He knew that neither ritual, religion, resolve, nor reform could cleanse his sin-stained soul. King David felt soiled, dirty and stained. Together, these active requests form the heart and soul of David’s repentance. Notice the verbs David employs in his great supplication: cleanse me, wash me, make me, create me, renew me and restore me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Ps. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. He asks aright, pleading the cause of righteousness: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. The apostle James said, “You do not have because you do not ask.” While, he added, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2–3).ĭavid avoids both extremes. Yet, the Lord Jesus taught us, His children, to ask: “Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matt. Isn’t it strange, then, that we attempt to live out our lives only asking others for things when we absolutely have to do so? Some of us are just too proud to ask for anything - even too proud to ask God for anything. To ask someone for something is no great thing - at least, at first glance it doesn’t appear to be. It is a basic concept - such a simple thing to do. He asks God to set aright his body, soul and spirit.Īsk: a simple little one-syllable word. He asks God to let him hear and see again. David asks God to purge him - to cleanse him - from all of that sin. Despite the grievousness of his sin, he remains persistent, constant and insistent.Īt the heart of his prayer of confession was a whole series of requests. In Psalm 51, we see this same sort of supplication in the life of David. In order to get a quick response from their agents and adjusters, they discovered that they had to persistently, constantly and insistently ask. It was just another example of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. As a result, the patience of many claimants wore thin. Adjusters failed to show up, and promises were not kept. To their horror they discovered that not only were they forced to dig out from under a mountain of rubble, they had to dig out from under a mountain of red tape as well.Ĭalls were not returned. In the aftermath of the 1989 Bay Area earthquake, property owners got a quick lesson in insurance claims. IntroductionĬleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
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