"Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice." Psalm 51:6-8 (CSB)
As a reminder, it was previously noted that David's plea can be seen as being composed of three divisions with a fourth being present as the plea progresses through this Psalm:
The Request
The Reason
The Basis (can be seen as an overarching theme stated in verse 1)
The Outcome
We will use these categories as we work through this next "verse" of David's psalm.
The Basis:
The basis for David's ask, as stated in verse 1 is the overarching justification for all he is asking of God: "Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion." Everything is contingent upon the faithful, covenant love of God. We should never get away from this. There is no other grounds on which we are justified in coming to God and seeking forgiveness from our sin outside of His covenant faithfulness. It is because of His covenant of grace as given to Abraham in the promise that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18) and in that very promised seed, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16, Hebrews 9:15; 12:24). It is worth repeating, it is vital to repeat, that our entire basis for any removal of our sin is founded soundly and solely upon Jesus Christ.
The Reason:
The Psalmist began with the request in verse one, but in this section he begins with the reason for his restated plea, "Surely you desire integrity in the inner self…" David is stating a fact that God desires faithfulness of the inner man. This is to say that the requirement of God is that man, at his very core from the depths of his heart be steadfastly committed, unwaveringly faithful to keeping the way of God. Once more we see the reason for the bold request (which we are about to have restated for us) is the utter and complete inability of man to reach the standard of holiness and righteousness that is required by the holy God. This coupled with the wisdom God has placed deep within the heart of the Psalmist. Proverbs tells us the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). When the knowledge of God's requirement is joined with the wisdom of the fear of God, one has no alternative left for justification of any kind unless sought by casting one's self on the abundant compassion of the Judge of all the earth.
The Request:
"Purify me…". This is the bold request restated once more, in imagery that is poetically vivid. "Purify me with hyssop…" Hyssop was part of the ceremonial cleansing of one who had previously been plagued by leprosy or in the cleansing of a home that had mold. David was well acquainted with its use as such; but the most vivid picture we have from the Psalmist's history is when hyssop was used to mark the doorpost of the children of Israel with the blood of the sacrificed lamb. This marked them as "pure" and no longer targets for the judgement that God would visit upon the land of Egypt that night.
"Wash me…" It was an understanding that when a launderer washed a thing it would come out clean; after all, this was the intent. We are told that the day of judgment will be like a refiners fire and launderer's soap. The fire removed the dross from metals as the soap removed the filth from the fibers of a garment (Malachi 3:2). We are told in Mark 9:3 that on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus' clothing was a radiant white, more white than any launderer could ever hope to bleach it.
"... and I will be clean… I will be whiter than snow." The plea for God to purify and wash was a plea founded on certain hope. The ask was more than a last ditch ask of "IF there is any hope of avoiding certain and complete damnation then it can only come from You, God." Rather David's plea was "The only path of certain redemption is for You to act God." When God justifies, there is no possibility of anything less than a total restoration and a righteousness that is eternal. There is no possibility of the filth remaining. When God cleans a man, that man is clean.
The Outcome:
"...Joy and gladness…" When God purifies us, not only are we clean, but we are brought back into unbroken communion with Him. The joy The Spirit of God speaks is once more ringing in our ears. The bones once crushed under the weight of God's restorative discipline rejoice as what they were once deprived of has been granted back with an even greater appreciation of the lost joy that is now restored. God's discipline is never without love. He has created us to thrive on Him alone. He is love and love gives the best to those loved - there is nothing better than God Himself! Here we see the Psalmist's heart turn to worshiping The LORD as the discipline of God has brought him back to the only source of life. The child of God sinned, suffered discipline from his loving Father, seeking absolute and total restoration; he ran to The Father on the sole basis of The Father's own faithful love.
This Psalm has a header of "A Prayer for Restoration" and from start to finish it is all about the work of God almighty in the heart of a sinner. It is God Who lovingly disciplines (Proverbs 3:11-12). It is God Who grants repentance to the heart of man (2 Timothy 2:25). It is God's faithful love that is the basis for seeking refuge in Him even though He is the one we have sinned against (John 6:37, 2 Corinthians 5:19). It is God alone Who restores the joy and gladness that was lost due to our sinfulness. Salvation (and in our context restoration)belongs to The LORD (Psalm 3:8).
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