Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:7-12 ESV).
Our reading today is from David’s great psalm of confession after committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging the murder of her husband (cf. 2 Samuel 11-12). It’s a model psalm showing us how to confess our own sins to God. Its cries for mercy, honest acknowledgment of sin, and statements of renewed commitment to God are great examples for us to use in our own prayers. Ever genuine revival is steeped in personal confession and repentance.
This is the door to hope. David shows us this truth as he makes his confession. He writes, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Hyssop was a small, brush-like plant in Israel. It’s mentioned in connection with the Passover; the Israelites used it to spread blood on the doorframes of their homes (cf. Exodus 12:21-22). Later it was used to sprinkle blood on the tabernacle to dedicate it to God and on people with skin diseases so that they would be cleansed. Hyssop, blood, cleansing, and forgiveness all go together in the Bible, and David’s plea to be cleansed with hyssop was like saying, “Wash me with blood, and I will be forgiven.”
The blood of Jesus is our hope of forgiveness. When we confess our sins and are washed in the blood of Jesus, we are made clean. No sin sticks to people who trust in Christ. Certainly the awakening that sprung from Asbury and continues in other places may be affirmed as genuine as we see the continued repentance and restoration through the work of Christ. We should also remember that we do not need a “place” to make our confession. Repentance and forgiveness come when we agree with God concerning our need (cf. 1 John 1:9).