The Guilt and the Cleansing
Chad Johnson
June 3, 2011

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 KJV

The Psalm comes to us by the hand of King David. He wrote this Psalm soon after Nathan the prophet confronted him about the sin in his life. David had committed adultery and murder. This is a very sad time in the life of David.

David was a man after God’s own heart. he wrote many Psalms and did much good for the Lord and Israel However, David will be remembered more for his sin with Bathsheba than anything else.

Let this be a warning to us as we live this life and serve God. We can destroy a lifetime of a testimony in one sinful act.

David had the guilt of his sin with him day and night. He felt as if he had been shut out from God. he longed to be reconciled to God. David starts this verse with a plea to God to be purged with hyssop.

Hyssop was a plant that was used in the purification of lepers. Leprosy is a type of sin. David had seen the priest take a basin full of blood and dip the hyssop in it till it was soaked with blood.

Then the priest would sprinkle the unclean person and declare him clean.

Oh, how David wanted to be clean. He wanted to be purged with hyssop. Spiritually, David was desiring to be cleaned.

He knew that God would make him clean. (I shall be clean.) David then asks God to wash him. David uses many personal pronouns in this chapter. We will never find cleansing until we get our sin down to between us and God.

David had great confidence that God would make his sin white as snow. Snow represents purity. David wanted to get rid of the guilt and the sin and he had come to the right place.

Oh, child of God, have you ever been in such a place as David. There is good news the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son cleanseth us from all sin.