After being called to repentance by the Prophet Nathan, St. David, inspired by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Nathan, wrote Psalm 51. One of the greatest verses in this beloved Psalm is verse 7 which prays, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."  David desired to be ceremonially cleansed of his transgressions against God, Uriah, and Bathsheba. He desired for his sins of murder, adultery, lying, gossip, and rejection of God's Word to be absolved and remembered no more by his heavenly Father. That is the significance of the hyssop cleansing. He desires to be covered in the righteousness of God so that his sins don't condemn him.

David makes mention of a hyssop branch. And this is very important to pay attention to it. Hyssop was used in the Old Testament as a branch for ceremonial cleansing. However, the greatest comfort of the hyssop branch can be found in Exodus which records the history of the Passover saying, "Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning." (Exodus 12:22). The Hyssop branch is used to spread the blood of the sacrificial lamb over the doorposts in order that the children of Israel will not die, but rather have the Angel of death pass over them. The blood covered them and they did not suffer for their own iniquity. 

When David desires to be cleansed with hyssop, it is a ceremonial cleansing, but also it points to the blood covering him. This is a beautiful prophecy of the Blood of Jesus sacrificed on the cross to cover the sins of the world. Jesus' blood covers you as if pays the price for your sins. Just as David was not righteous in himself and deserved nothing but death and hell, so do we. However, just as David was forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we are as well. Jesus' blood is the covering of all of our sins. What comfort we can draw from the hyssop branch, knowing that it bears the blood that absolves us all our terrible sins and cleanses us in preparation for eternal life. 

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I forgive you. I love you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog