Tips Using Black Pepper

# Tips Using Black Pepper

If you want to learn things about life, you should talk with people who have lived longer than you—grandparents, elderly people still living; they certainly have valuable and unusual life experiences that perhaps you have never known. The previous generation has many "secrets" to share, and they seem to have much deep understanding about daily life. In the rural South of the United States, there are elderly people who have lived long lives, and they often have practical tips for everyday living. One elderly person shared a household tip that involves laundry. Did you know that your grandparents may have once used black peppercorns when washing clothes? That's right—the same black peppercorns you use to add flavor to your food can be put in the washing machine to clean clothes and create a fresh scent.

One reason elderly people use black peppercorns in the washing machine is because pepper helps set the dye on clothing. That means pepper helps prevent your clothes from "running" and thus preserves their original color. Another interesting reason why some of our grandparents may have sprinkled peppercorns into wash water is that black pepper can help remove stains from clothes. If anyone has ever gotten dirt stains on their garments, black pepper can be used to remove them, since pepper has the ability to cleanse food stains or even grass stains. Besides these two reasons for using black pepper when washing, some people have chosen to use black pepper in laundry to help eliminate odors from clothes.

It is truly surprising to many of us how black pepper can be used! We thank God for giving wisdom and guidance to people to exist through these "tips" aimed at improving life, even from ancient times. From our ancestors and grandparents, they had tips to survive when they did not yet have advanced technology like today. God has given people many ways to cleanse dirt, such as black pepper, white vinegar, lemon, soap, and more. In Scripture, King David also prayed to the Lord, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7). In ancient Jewish territory, the hyssop plant was a small shrub used in various religious rituals and was often mentioned in Scripture because of its ritual and purifying properties. Its branches were used to sprinkle blood or water in purification rites, as recorded in the book of Leviticus chapter 14. Therefore, the significance of the hyssop plant comes from its use for purification; it is a symbol of spiritual cleansing from sin and spiritual renewal. Furthermore, the fragrant and medicinal properties of the hyssop plant were also highly valued in ancient cultures. (2)

Plants, grasses, and fruits can be used to cleanse physical items, but to cleanse the spirit within our hearts, only His power and grace can purify us and make us new, "whiter than snow"; because only Jesus Christ can wash away our sins. When we believe in God with all our heart, He forgives all our sins, His precious blood has washed away our sins, and we become clean before God.

God is Holy, and He wants us to be holy as well, to stay far from sin, becoming more like His image each day. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18). As we begin a new year, let us strive with all our mind, all our intellect, and all our spirit to live holy and pure lives, as the Lord says, "Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 20:7); "...Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16). We pray that God's power would purify us, help us turn away from all lingering sin; grant us strength and grace to stand firm, to keep His Word, and to walk according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit each day; may the Lord remind us to be faithful in reading God's Word and obeying it; that our lives may please God, glorify His Name, help many people come to know Him, and His saving grace through Jesus Christ, and open their hearts to repentance and believe in Him! Amen!

Thanks for God's Grace, Jesus Christ, You have saved us, completely, Cleansed our sin, declared us righteous, Praise Your Name forever more!

With all our heart and all our might, Love and obey the God we serve, Holy like You, always living the faith, Spreading the Good News everywhere!

"To purify the house, he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop. He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times." - Leviticus 14:49-51

(1) "Grandparents in Louisiana Once Put Black Pepper in Washing Machines," https://cajunradio.com/ixp/29/p/black-pepper-in-washing-machine/

(2) https://biblehub.com/hebrew/231.htm

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