Hyssop
“Hyssop”…an aromatic perennial herb in the mint family, native to Southern Europe and the Middle East. (Just wanted to give a little background on the plant ). David was king at this time, and insteada goin with his troops into battle, he decided to stay home. We’re not told his reasons, but since idleness is the devil’s workshop, he found himself eavesdropping on the neighbor lady while she took her bath up on the roof. Maybe it was poor timing. Maybe it was bein at the wrong place at the wrong time … whatever the circumstance, David didn’t divert his eyes and ask God to erase that image from his memory … he had one of his servants go to this married woman’s house and arrange a meeting. That wanderlust in David’s heart led to adultery, premeditated murder, the death of the child conceived that day and sin against God. One look…one temptation, allowed access to the heart, and sin conceived into full-grown death ! ( James 1:15 ) See ? Sin ain’t nothin t’ play with ! Just as a little arsenic or a little nitro glycerin can kill you, a little sin can, too. One little tick can give you Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever … One little Brown Lecluse spider can steal the majority of meat, tissue and muscle off your leg or arm … One little bite from one little poisonous snake can take your life … so yeah…a little sin can do far more damage than you can imagine ! Sin will take you farther than you wanna go, keep you longer than you wanna stay and cost you more than you wanna pay. Ask king David. He writes this Psalm after his sin with Bathsheba … “ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” ( Psalm 51:7 ) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” ( v. 10 ) David realizes his actions weren’t somebody else’s fault. He didn’t try to play it off as nothing serious. He knew he was guilty and he sought the only logical solution…God’s forgiveness and cleansing. Every sin is against God…and only God can forgive sin ( Luke 5:21 ). God doesn’t want our excuses. God doesn’t wanna hear our justification reasoning. God is waiting to hear our confession and see our repentance. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. ( Psalm 51:17 ) Sin separates. And there’s no temptation known to man that God can’t supply the escape route ( 1 Corinthians 10:13 ). Don’t put yourself in a position that could cause you harm or the destruction of your health, your family or your integrity. Play with fire, you’ll eventually get burned … play with sin, you’ll eventually find that it ain’t as exciting as some folks make it out to be. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us completely. And as He says,“Unless you repent, you too will perish.” ( Luke 13:1-9 )