stephen R Harrison

“A New Cleansing”

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

-Psalm 51:7

Today, we focus on the cleansing power of God when it comes to sin. We dab Dawn dish soap on our clothes whenever we spill something greasy. It is the best product we’ve ever used, and we trust it to remove the stain. Sometimes, we must scrub that spot, reapply soap, and rewash it. Most of the time, it works, but on occasion, it doesn’t. There is no guarantee the stain will be removed. On occasion, the clothing is ruined. This is not the case when it comes to the cleansing power of the Lord over our sins.

Nothing we do could remove our sins. We could use the best of good works, the most expensive generosity, and the slickest of coverup agents, but none would begin to remove sin’s deep-seated stain. In Psalm 51:7, David asked the Lord to “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” He desired something he could not clean on his own – a clean heart. He cried, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (v. 10). He didn’t need a cover-up but a core transformation. His heart and spirit were tainted with wickedness that only God’s holiness could purge and renew.

In verse 7, David asks the Lord to do the same request from verse 2 in reverse order. Instead of blot, wash, cleanse, he said cleanse, wash, blot. He was willing to be run through the wringer back and forth till he was entirely purified from his sins. David knew he needed restoration, which first meant removal, remorse, and renewal. To purge with hyssop was how lepers were cleansed (Leviticus 14:4-6) and how people who touched dead things were purified (Numbers 19:6). Priests dipped hyssop in blood and sprinkled it on the sinner. Hyssop was also used to spread blood on the doorposts so the death angel would Passover (Exodus 12:22). We must see our sins as vile and gross and in need of the most potent cleansing agent known to man – the blood of Christ. 

Unlike the leper, there was no clear and precise purging for an adulterer in the law. David asked God to do something beyond the law. He needed the hope of being whiter than snow. He desired what Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow”. His hope was to be in God’s presence again in worship. He needed a clean heart and a renewed spirit (v. 10). He needed the presence of the Lord and the filling of the Holy Spirit (v. 11). He desired the joy of his salvation to return (v. 12). To use a lame illustration, he didn’t select the cheapest carwash option – he wanted the complete package!

The return of joy to his salvation was his desire. His worship would once again be sweet and refreshing. The stain of shame and the burden of sin would be gone. He could once again be in the presence of the Lord, pure, clean, whole, and forgiven. This is cause to worship. We must allow God to do this in us during this Lenten season of worship. 

Questions: 

How has the Lord cleansed your sins?

How do we try to cover up the stain or remove the filth of sin ourselves?

Prayer:

Jesus, we desire the joy of salvation: to be free in your presence. When sin holds us in bondage, we groan and wither. But when you set us free and forgive, we are made clean, and our burden is lifted! This causes us to rejoice and celebrate in worship. May we continue to repent as David did and enjoy the presence of the Lord in daily worship. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Read: 

Psalm 51:7-12

Action Step:

Spend the next few minutes or longer worshipping the Lord for all he has forgiven you. Allow the Spirit to remind you of your past, but don’t take on any shame or condemnation. You have been freed from that sin and its effects. Let the Spirit lead you to joy and celebration through song and expression.