Getting to the Heart of the Matter
By David Henry
Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Shawnee
January 12, 2008
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow create in me a clean heart.” These are simple words that are filled with profound significance. They are the words of David, one of Israel's great kings.
During the mid-19th century, Hungarain obstetrician Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis discovered that by washing their hands, doctors could have saved thousands of women from the fatality of “childbed fever.” But his advice went unheeded.
The Vienna Maternity Hospital where he worked was divided into two clinics. Doctors and medical students at one clinic realized that by 1846, the mortality rate of expecting mothers was 11.4 percent. Out of 4,010 patients 459 died of “childbed fever.” Midwives in the second clinic saw a death rate of 2.7 percent; only 15 out of 3,754 laboring women died.
Through extensive research and observation, Semmelweis discovered that the doctors and medical students were performing autopsies and then examining expecting mothers without washing their hands. He became the first person in recorded history to associate the infection and death in “childbed fever” to the condition of the hands.
In David’s case, he discovered that the problems in his life were directly related to the condition of his heart. Psalm 51 was written after the prophet Nathan confronted David about adultery and murder that was in his life. David had developed an ungodly affection for Bathsheba, which led to adultery. In order to cover his misdeed, he orchestrated the murder of her husband, Uriah. His life was spinning out of control.
This psalm is a reflection of his quest for relief from the ungodly affections that were overtaking his life. He gives us several principles we can follow to overcome addiction and be free from its power and guilt. It's a journey for personal purity that begins with true confession. David faced the reality that his life was not in order. “I acknowledge my transgressions,” he said, “my sin is ever before me.” There was no denial of the fact or shifting of blame. Eugene Peterson translates David’s words this way: “I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down.” As bad as the situation was, David was willing to face the truth of the matter.
Another important principle in the journey to personal purity is our willingness to take personal responsibility and recognize our own weaknesses. David puts it this way: I have sinned because I was born and shaped in iniquity and sin. A third important principle on our journey to purity is spiritual cleansing. As David makes his petition for cleansing, he exhausts the Hebrew vocabulary. Take a look at the words he uses: purge, wash, blot out, clean, renew and restore. These are all indicative of a longing for true purity that transcends the human spirit and soul. This is not a casual cleaning. The concept of cleansing portrayed here is that of washing a garment than has been stained. Soap and water will not be enough. It needs a strong detergent to remove the deep stains of our human weaknesses.
The journey to personal purity continues with a desire for spiritual restoration and renewal. When a life has been affected by discouragement, depression, substance abuse, broken relationships and moral failures, it is good to know that there is a place to find hope. God is our refuge and strength, we are told, and an ever present help in times of need. Think of what would happen in life if there was no hope of a second chance. For some persons, this may mean a third or fourth chance. Regardless of the severity and circumstances in which we find ourselves, when we place our confidence in God, we find grace, mercy and peace. David prayed that the joy of the Lord's will become his experience again. From time to time, we all need to experience spiritual renewal and restoration.
A final principle I will mention is that our journey to personal purity should involve a commitment to provide support to others. Having experienced the cleansing of my own heart, I am now able to use this experience in motivating others. David puts it this way: I will be able to teach transgressors the ways of the Lord and sinners will be converted to the Lord. The journey to personal purity involves a commitment to invest in the lives of those around us. As the old adage goes, no man is an island. We are each others’ keepers.
In our culture there is no shortage of sexual immorality and violent crimes, and we are on a relentless pursuit for solutions. The answer, according to Semmelweis and David, is clean hands, clean hearts and clean lives. God expects us to live with moral strength and integrity. In the book of Philippians, we are reminded that we live in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom we must shine forth as lights. This is a call for moral and spiritual purity in a culture that promotes sexual immorality, lack of moral integrity and a decline in our value system. David turned to God because he knew that only when people have been washed by God are they are truly clean.
My prayer is that we will all turn to God and say: 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. I also invite you to join with a community of Christian believers where you can develop and nurture spiritual strengths.
Transformed by his mercy and grace,
Pastor David Henry
© 2008 Calvary Baptist Church Shawnee
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