What is hyssop?
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Hyssopus officinalis is a shrub in the mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. It has antiseptic, cough relieving properties etc. It has been used in traditional herbal medicine. As a part of the Jewish Passover, hyssop was used to sprinkle blood.
Remember during the 1st Passover how hyssop is used?
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"And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning." (Exodus 12:22)
Hyssop is used symbolically in psalms 51 to show spiritual cleaning. Cleansing the soul from sin.
In Numbers 19:16-18, Moses says who ever touches someone that was killed by sword, a dead body, bone of a dead or touched a grave shall be unclean for 7 days. And a clean person shall pick up a hyssop, dip it in water and sprinkle upon the tent, upon the vessels there, upon people live there & upon the person got uncleaned.
Background for this verse
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We know that King David sinned with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah after sending Uriah intentionally to the battlefield where the battle was so intense. After this God called Nathan and sent him to king David to show his sin. David understood the sin. He was so worried and sad about what he has done and knowing that he has displeased God by doing evil. He repented. In this prayer on psalms 51, king David is asking God to purify him with hyssop. In other words, he is asking to purify his soul from sin.
What we can learn?
When we sin, we obey the devil and become servants of the devil. When we sin, channels of heavenly blessings will be cut out. Why? Because our Lord is the light of the world. God is holy. He loves the sinner but hate the sin. Sin brought death to humankind. Sin brought eternal death. But let's remember why Christ came. He came to break the yoke of sin, deliver us from eternal death & open the door to eternal life. As the light and darkness cannot be together, God cannot call us sons and daughters as the sin or darkness dwelling in our souls.
Sin in our souls attract more darkness and our souls getting disgusting. Our selves experience sadness, corruption, all kinds of disease etc. We need to repent (Read more on : Why we need to repent). Though you may have all kinds of riches, you have no internal peace. Though you think you are living, day by day your internal systems getting weak and you are dying.
In John 1:4-5 says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men.And the light shine in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not"
Why suffering when there's the answer? Jesus is the life. When He comes to our soul, sin runs away. As darkness cannot dwell with or overcome the light. Our decaying souls are coming back to life then. In above we read Moses commanding to clean unclean person with hyssop as he/she has connected with dead. (By sin we are connected to the eternal death) The Lord commanded to sprinkle the blood of the Passover lamb during Passover so the angel of the Lord will not attack their firstborn.
Today is palm Sunday. We are entering into the Holy week. We know Jesus became the Passover Lamb by dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus loves you and waiting for you. Therefore let's pray to our Lord. "Dear Lord, I am a sinner. Forgive my sins. Make me a new person. Clean me with hyssop dipped in your precious blood. Amen!!"
