Have you ever seen pure white snow; the kind that makes everything quiet?  When you walk in it and hear the crunching sound of your shoes, you stop in your tracks because you feel like you are a part of something that deserves your awe and stillness.  It is something that stays with you, the tranquility and calm of it all.

I experienced a moment like this when I lived in Colorado Springs.  I remember being amazed at the silence around me. The snow had a sparkle to it, and I could look on my car window and see the individual snowflakes, beautiful in their uniqueness even though they were all part of the oneness of the snow.

So, when I read Psalm 51:7 when David is saying to God, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” (NIV), I vividly remember that one frosty winter morning when I experienced the pure, beautiful white of freshly fallen snow.  

Psalm 51 was written by David, following his sinful actions when he, with lust in his heart, had an affair with Bathsheba.  To cover his sin, he then made sure her husband was killed in battle.

I can honestly say that I have never done either of those things but when I read Psalm 51, my heart understands the pain David feels.  I know the burden of sin and the need for God’s mercy.  

What makes Psalm 51 special is that David saw his transgressions through the eyes of God.  David is acutely aware of his wrongdoing, knowing his poor choices were first and foremost, sins that affected his relationship with God, his holy Father (Psalm 89:26-28). 

However, David knew that God was faithful and that he could take his impure heart and make it as white as snow.  

I used to think that sin was simply perception, a personal standard reflected in societal expectations.  It didn’t occur to me until later in life that sin starts in the heart way before I ever acted upon it. 

I thought that if I could do good things then I would, in fact, be a good person.  I would try to find loopholes for my actions when I was doing something wrong.  Not once did it occur to me how my sin affected my relationship with God. 

I didn’t see my sin as God sees it, but I saw it more as a list of things to do or not to do. I would come to God when my sin became too much to handle, or when I saw that my actions had consequences. It wasn’t real repentance.  It was like seeing the dirty snow piled up on the side of the road and calling it clean simply because it used to be fresh and pure snow.  

In Psalm 51:7 David clearly desires his heart to be whiter than snow, but David was also calling on God to cleanse him with hyssop.  In the Old Testament, hyssop was used in 2 different ways. 

It was used medically to treat external and internal ailments, and as part of Jewish cleansing ceremonies.  It was used during the first Passover when God instructed the Israelites to sprinkle hyssop on the sacrificial blood around the doors to their homes.  

David knew the varied uses of hyssop, which is why he asked God to cleanse him with it. Only God had the authority to cleanse David both physically and spiritually.  In Psalm 51: 17, David says “The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  

David’s heart was broken but he understood the magnitude of God’s mercy.  David didn’t just go through the motions and halfheartedly ask for forgiveness. He gave God everything he had, in full faith that God would not despise David for his sacrifice. 

Furthermore, as we see exhibited in Psalm 51, we can see that true repentance includes sincerity and remorse.  Our hearts should come to a place of true repentance when we ask God for forgiveness, desiring a newness and purity in our hearts.  

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Hebrews 10.  Paul wore this letter to the Hebrews to remind them of the sacrifice Christ made for them and to encourage them to persevere in their faith. 

Hebrews 10:22 says “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (NIV

Just as David knew, Paul also knew that only God alone can cleanse our hearts.  When hyssop was used for the first Passover, it was sprinkled on the doors.  When Paul wrote to the Hebrew church, he encouraged them in the knowledge that God would sprinkle their hearts clean. 

What amazes me is that each passage promises that God can fully cleanse with just a little. A sprinkle of grace and mercy from God is bigger than any sin, larger than our expectations, and complete in forgiveness.   

Reflection:

Is there a sin in your life that feels too big for forgiveness?

Is there something in your life that has a hold on you?

I want you to know that God does forgive and cleanse.  If you feel overwhelmed by your choices, there is a lot of Biblical scripture that can give you guidance and peace.  You can do a Google search with the words Bible, forgiveness, purity, and/or cleansing and discover what the Word says to your heart and mind.  

Here is also a prayer to get you started talking to God:

Lord, 

I praise you that you are my Father, and that you sent your son, Jesus, to die for me.  I desire to know what that sacrifice means for my life.  I desire to be cleansed.  Help me trust in your strength, grace, and mercy.  I know that nothing I do can ever keep you from loving me.  

Amen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Although she grew up on the beach in SC and lived in mountains of CO, Andrea loves living in GA more than anywhere else since that is where she lives with her husband, John. She has a passion for reading anything she can get her hands on, especially books about Art History and Christian Apologetics. Andrea herself will tell you how little she knows, and how, as she gets older, she forgets a lot of what she did know. However, she knows that God offers a peace beyond understanding, his timing is perfect, and he works all things for his glory. In this season of life, she is experiencing the blessings of marriage, as well as the newness of God’s healing and restoration. She enjoys sharing her life and the Word of God through writing for Tirzah and hopes that lives and hearts will be touched through her words