The Hyssop

“And he spake of trees,
from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon
even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall”
1 Kings 4:33

Several times the Cedar and Hyssop are connected in things pertaining to God. Solomon in his God-given wisdom spoke of these two contrasting extremes in God’s creation. The stately Cedars of Lebanon refer to Godly stature and character as does the lowly Hyssop that “springeth out of the wall” speaks of a living faith. In God’s wisdom they are related for the one is the means to the other.

The hyssop speaks of the living faith of the believer; it is the means by which the truths of God are apprehended and applied to our own hearts.

“And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop,
and dip it in the blood that is in the basin,
and strike the lintel and the two side posts
with the blood that is in the basin…”
Exodus 12:22

During the night of the judgment of God upon Egypt the Israelites were to take the hyssop and apply the blood of the lamb to the door posts of their dwelling. In the transactions of the Law of the Leper we see that the hyssop was also dipped in the blood of the slain bird and then sprinkled seven times upon the leper. (This speaks of a continuous and ongoing operation of the Spirit). We see this same application of the hyssop in the book of Numbers…

“And a clean person shall take hyssop,
and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent,
and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there,
and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain,
or one dead, or a grave”
Numbers 19:18

It is essential for the people of God to see and understand that truth, in itself, does not impact a heart apart from faith. If the hyssop were not used to apply the blood to their door the firstborn of the Israelites would have perished along with the Egyptians; the efficacy of the blood was released by the faith/obedience in the application of it by the hyssop. The things of God are only real to us in proportion to the faith by which they are applied into our lives.

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)…”
Hebrews 11:6

While many in our day may claim to be Christians, without faith there can be no effective experiencing of the power and life of the blood of the Lamb. To the world the hyssop plant is of little consideration; it typically grows to be just over a half meter high. It tastes bitter but its fragrance is pleasant and readily available to any who would lay hold of it. It grows plentifully in Egypt and in the rocky places of the wilderness. This also speaks to us of the faith of God in our lives. It grows in harsh places and is not out of reach to the world (Egypt). It is available to you and me in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.

This is the truth of the hyssop; it is the means by which the truth of God is applied to my own heart. It is incumbent upon us to know of this vital truth for faith without expression is dead (James 2:20). The fundamental truth concerning the hyssop as revealed in the Passover is this: the blood in the basin will not save the Israelite. Truth held in the intellect, truth professed by the lips without the application of faith, will not save a man from himself or the judgements of God. It is in the beauty, the lowliness and the simplicity of the truth of the hyssop that the efficacy of the blood is released in our lives.

One of the most broken and beautiful Psalms that King David wrote is Psalm 51 concerning his affair with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah. It has ministered to the people of God throughout the ages of faith and hope in the face of our own failures in our walk with God. The Psalmist cries out to God to “purge” him with hyssop; he knows this is where his hope lies. It is in the application of the blood of the Lamb, by a true and living faith, that men are enabled to rise from the ashes of their own failures and walk in newness of life. The truth of the hyssop is ever within our grasp, always available to those who are in Christ Jesus. It is by the blood of the risen Christ wherein we are made overcomers…

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…”
Revelation 12:11

The wisdom of Solomon concerning the connection of the stately Cedars of Lebanon and the lowly hyssop is easily seen. The character and stature of Christ within our lives can only become a reality by stooping low and discovering the wonder and simplicity of the Hyssop!

Brian Troxel
www.aword.info