Whiter Than Snow

Dear Faith Family,

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow, (Psalm 51:7). 

What an unusual delight (in South Carolina)!  A blanket of snow to welcome the morning sun!  It has a way of making everything look good doesn’t it?  Brown grass?  White!  Trash can?  White!  Not white driveway?  White!  Rusty bicycle?  White!  Old tire?  White!  Neighbor’s dog?  White!  (Ok, maybe not the neighbor’s dog.) 

What a picture!  Snow makes everything look, well, white.  In fact, it was David’s desire in the 51st Psalm.  He wanted to be white as snow.  Hold on just a second.  That desire doesn’t blossom until the middle of Psalm 51.  So, let’s back up and see if we can discover what precedes such desire. 

The psalmist demonstrated at least two prerequisites for such a good desire (to be white as snow).  The first?  David recognized that he was not white as snow.  Keep in mind that it took a public service announcement from God, through one of his prophets, to King David (insert “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as an illustration here) for David to embrace his less than white as snow condition. 

The ability to identify others who are not white as snow seems an easier task than that of recognizing our own sin.  Have you come to grips with your own sin?  David did.  He was in a mess and he wanted out.  He knew he needed help to get out. 

The second?  David recognized who could make him white as snow.  He addressed his prayer to the God of mercy.  His use of the hyssop branch was connected to a necessary sacrifice.  The hyssop branch was dipped into the blood of the sacrifice and then sprinkled onto the sinner.  Only the sacrifice of the One without sin would be able to make us white as snow! 

What a picture!  The red blood of the spotless Lamb of God washes us white as snow!   

Did somebody say "hallelujah"?,

Pastor Karl