Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. Man is easily impressed by things
which are bigger and better, and is seldom satisfied with
small when he can have super king size. Yet the Lord has plainly
revealed man's folly in despising the day of small things. Nothing
in God's creation can be considered insignificant, for all things
have a purpose and were created and directed by Him to fulfill
the exact design which He intends. There is great wonder and amazement
at the selection and function of those things which God is
pleased to bring forth. His attention to detail reminds
us that He overlooks nothing but sees all, even to remind
us that every idle word spoken by men must be accounted for.
The hyssop plant is a good example of God's design and use of something
that to men is but a useless weed. The first mention of the
hyssop plant is found where the Lord directed the children of
Israel to use it to apply the blood to the doorposts and lintels
of their dwellings so that the death angel might pass over them.
What folly would have been wrought in Israel had they disregarded
his directions and used some other device to apply this blood?
Surely in the thinking of men, God should have selected a more
stately plant for this august ceremony, that is, of applying
the blood, than a weed which was found growing in a crack
in the wall. It was not even cultivated and groomed by the
hands of men. It had no particular beauty or
special fragrance that would have made it appealing to them.
It was simply that which was designed by God for this solemn
use, and nothing else would do. In this hyssop plant, we can
clearly see Christ and the establishment of his kingdom. For Christ has
no appeal to the flesh, for he shall grow up before him as a
tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He hath no form
nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that
we should desire him. Though religious men often speak
His name, even calling Him Lord on occasion, yet only those who
have been taught by the Spirit as to who He really is shall
willingly embrace Him and declare Him to be the one true and living
God and source of all of their righteousness. While religious
men may speak His name and choose to follow Him in a convenient
way, those who are led by His Spirit can do nothing less than
cling to Him as their only hope. Then Simon Peter answered Him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. His kingdom is not of this world, but Christ, being come
a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. The people of God look
for no satisfaction in this world, for they confess that they are
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. His shed blood is the
foundation of his people's hope. For when Moses had spoken every
precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood
of calves and of goats. And almost all things are by
the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is
no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of
things in the heavens should be purified with these. but the
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us. Then said he,
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second. By the witch will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat
down on the right hand of God." The benefits which he purchased
for his people are applied by the same hand that bled. The
hyssop plant was to be used at the Passover to apply the blood
of the lamb. But our lamb is not only the
supplier of righteousness for his people, but is the applier
of it as well. He applies this blood to their
heart and conscience, as he is pleased to give them faith to
believe what he has done for his own. This is the covenant
that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord. I
will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds while I write
them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now
where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath
consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say his flesh,
and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw
near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. Lord, purge me with hyssop, and
I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. Have you been cleansed? If you
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