Psalm 51:7

Psalm 51:7

Whiter than snow

Those who know the Passover story well, will know that the blood of a lamb had to be sprinkled over the doorposts of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, to save them from the judgement of the Angel of Death. This was the night that the people would escape from Pharaoh’s clutches and the exodus to the Promised Land would begin. The instructions from Moses were, “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door-frame.”  Exodus 12:22. Hyssop was later used in the ceremonial cleansing from skin diseases and moulds on buildings along with other defilements. It was always used for cleansing purposes and referred to in Hebrews 9:19-22 where the scroll of the Covenant, the tabernacle and its implements etc were all sprinkled with blood using branches from this plant.  Hyssop is an aromatic plant of the mint family grown today for its sweet scent and pungent leaves and flowers; it is not unlike lavender. 

David thus saw himself as defiled by his sin, dirty and unfit for entrance into God’s presence, he needed not only the cleaning of repentance but calls for God to cleanse Him ceremonially too. Like a filthy garment he needs to be washed but he is asking God to do this so that he will be whiter than snow! In other words, there is no better allegory he can think of that would describe the holy purity of the cleansing of the Lord God. 

David was right, the blood of Jesus has washed us whiter than snow, we are pure and clean beyond measure, it pays us to seek to stay that way!

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