If you have read through the Old Testament, you have no doubt come across several scriptures that mention hyssop, or a hyssop branch. What is hyssop, and why is it important in the bible? Hyssop is a perennial flowering herb with aromatic, or fragrant, flowers. It belongs to the mint family and can be found growing in the wild. It has tall stalks with narrow leaves. In biblical times, they didnt have detergent, and the hyssop branch had detergent properties to it. It was used to clean clothing and temples.
Below are some Old Testament scriptures describing how hyssop was used. Hang with me, the point is coming at the end.
In the first Passover...
Exodus 12:22 "Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning."
In purification ceremonies...
Leviticus 14:49, 51 "To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times."
In David's repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba...
Psalm 51:7 "Purify me from my sins (Hebrew: Purify me with the hyssop branch), and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Jesus, after his resurrection, told his disciples "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44) Who knew that this would even include a hyssop branch? John's detailed account of Jesus hanging on the cross takes on an even deeper meaning when we keep in mind how hyssop was used in the Old Testament. "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, 'I am thirsty.'A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, 'It is finished!' Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30)
I've heard it said that Jesus doesn't just fulfill the Old Testament, he "fills it full". The hyssop branch is a great example of this. Just as God used the hyssop branch as a small part of rescuing the Israelites from the Egyptians in the first Passover, God used hyssop in the crucifixion of Jesus as He rescued us from death and has given us life. And just as hyssop was used to clean people physically, it is a reminder of the spiritual cleansing from our sins that Jesus has provided.
The kicker for me, though, is that hyssop is a aromatic, fragrant flower. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:2 to "live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Yes, just as hyssop was a pleasing aroma in Old Testament sacrifices, Jesus was a pleasing aroma to God when he sacrificed himself for us. And since Jesus now lives in us through the Holy Spirit, we are the fragrance of Christ among everyone that we come in contact with each day (2 Corinthians 2:15).
I certainly didn't think I would blog about hyssop of all things, but I think it is incredible how God uses things like that to remind us of what Christ has done for us.
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