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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

HYSSOP

July 30, 2009

 Hyssop is an woody plant from which an herb was used for various purposes. A branch of it was used in the liturgy of the people of God.

Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting....
Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there.
-Number 19:4,18 TNIV

It's hard to read all the ceremonial instructions in books like Leviticus and Numbers--hard to stay awake, harder still to comprehend. Yet, it's important and there's good news within. Moses gives the priests instructions. The priests make various offerings for the sins of the people. What the priest did not know was their actions anticipated another "clean man." A clean man to come was to sprinkle blood and the water of cleansing on the most heavenly altar. And it has happened.

Even King David when convicted of his grievous sins of murder, conspiracy and adultery cried out from the book of Numbers in Psalm 51:7: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean..." Hyssop was the tool the priest, a clean man, was instructed to use to make atonement, to set things right. It's happened. Not just for the priesthood. Not just for David. But the hyssop has been used to sprinkle you and me as well. Hallelujah! In Christ we are forgiven. The clean man cleansed us with hyssop using his water and blood!
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson