A Heart of Hope

The same God who forgave David of his betrayal, lying, adultery, and murder is the God who continues to forgive all our sins when we repent.

A Heart of Hope

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me."

(Psalm 51:7, 10)

David confessed his sins and asked God to do some very specific things in his heart. This is my favorite part of the Psalm: it builds to a crescendo in verse 10, where he asks God to create in him a clean heart.

In Psalm 51:1, he asks God to blot out his transgressions. The word blot is machah, which means to wipe, obliterate, and exterminate. In verse 2, he prays that God would wash him, kabac, which means to wash a soiled garment. He also asks God to cleanse, taher, purify him of his sin. In the Septuagint, the word is katharison, from which we get the English word catharsis, to cleanse. David has in mind here a spiritual cleansing or bath that washes him of the aforementioned sins he had committed.

In verse 7, he asks God to purge and wash him. The verbs in Hebrew are in the Piel intensive form. This is not a passive request of King David. He genuinely seeks God and begs Him to wash him so he will be clean again. He mentions hyssop, a plant used for both religious and medicinal purposes. It was a small leafy shrub that was used in the Exodus when the Israelites were to take hyssop, dip it in blood, and sprinkle the blood on their homes. It was also used in the purification of lepers (Leviticus 14:4).

Verse 10 is so powerful. He asks God to bara, create in him a clean heart. This word is used only about God in the Old Testament, as He is the only One who can create a clean heart. David has a dirty heart, and he knows how that feels, but he longs for reconciliation with God and the peace that accompanies it. He prays that God renew (chadash, repair) a steadfast (kuwn, right) spirit within him.

The same God who forgave David of his betrayal, lying, adultery, and murder is the God who continues to forgive all our sins when we repent.

Stephen Neill grew up in a broken home in a rough part of Houston TX, the 4th Ward. At age 13, he joined a group of neo-Nazis. Neill said, "We were extremely violent and militant. We wanted to wage the racial holy war that Nietzsche spoke about." After stabbing a man to death, he ended up in prison with a sentence of 40 years. While in prison, he said if someone witnessed to him, he would try to verbally convince him that he was wrong. If that did not work, he would beat him up. But while in prison, a man named Paul Harris boldly confronted Stephen and literally poked his finger in his chest and challenged him. They debated for hours until Paul's pastor, Randy Wilson, said they should try another approach. He and Paul shared Christ with Neill by having him read the Bible for himself. Neill did so, and he said that night, back in lockdown, he realized he was a sinner. The next day, he was a changed man, as the Holy Spirit opened his eyes. Neill earned his diploma of pastoral theology through Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's extension program. After 17 years, he was paroled and submitted himself to learn under Pastor Wilson, who discipled him. Neill became the pastor of Northside Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, TX. His associate pastor is Paul Harris, the man who initially witnessed to him in prison! (Source: Russ Franklin, "Tattooed neo-Nazi met Jesus in Prison" Southern Baptist Texan, August 11, 2008, p. 10.)

Today you can restart with hope. God is waiting on you. He will do His part and give you great joy, forgiveness, and hope. Will you do your part and confess and repent?

May the Lord bless you and grant you a wonderful weekend.