Tassels

by Chris Simmons

After Israel rebelled against God by rejecting His call to enter the Promised Land in Numbers chapter 14, God reminds them of the consequences of sin in Numbers chapter 15 and distinguished between sins committed “unwittingly” or “unintentionally” and sins committed “defiantly.” While in the wilderness, the Israelites then observed one of their brothers breaking the law to observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy and they were instructed stone him to death (Numbers 15:32-36). God wanted His people to be reminded about their responsibilities before Him and of the serious consequences of sin – whether committed “unwittingly” or “defiantly.” To that end, we read in Numbers 15:37-41, “The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, in order that you may remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord your God.’” Why did God instruct His people to put “tassels” on the corners of their garments and how were they to benefit? Obviously they were to be visual reminders of something, but what? I’d like to suggest there were four lessons that God expected His people (including us) to learn from these tassels.

1. To “remember all the commandments of the Lord.” We need continual reminders to devote ourselves to know all of God’s will. I wonder if Ezra understood the importance of these tassels when he wrote in Ezra 7:10 that he had “set his heart to study the law of the Lord.” It’s common for people who make claims of spirituality to remember a few of the commandments or even large sections. But studying and remembering some is not enough. We have to devote ourselves to know all of God’s will and we need to pray that there will be men who will accept the responsibility to proclaim “the whole purpose (counsel, ASV) of God” and never “shrink from declaring anything that was profitable” (Acts 20:20, 27). Truth is abdicated when we leave out any portion of what God has revealed. There always has been and always will be temptation to leave out part of God’s will that we are challenged by or simply disagree with. Perhaps some of the commandments of the Lord aren’t addressed and taught when we know that some don’t want to hear it (2 Timothy 4:1-3). In our personal study of God’s word and our efforts to teach others, we can’t “omit a word” (Jeremiah 26:2).
   
   
2. To be doers of all God has revealed to us. We need to be reminded that knowing and understanding aren’t the same as doing. Again, look to Ezra of whom it is said that beyond setting his heart to “study the law of the Lord” he also “set his heart … to practice it.” The “fall” will be “great” for the one who “hears … and does not act” (Matthew 7:26-27). There’s a reason James warns and exhorts us in James 1:21-22 to not just “receive the word” in humility but to “prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” The reason is that it is so easy to deceive ourselves into thinking that hearing and knowing is enough to please God. We need to be continually reminded that we must do and act upon what God’s word says. In Jesus’ discussion of the judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, He identifies in this context that what will condemn man is not what we do that is sinful (though unrepented commission of sin will indeed condemn), but what we don’t do that’s right. To worship, study, pray, exhort, encourage, visit, serve, teach, be hospitable, show kindness, and love is to take God’s word beyond an intellectual pursuit and make your life the “living and holy sacrifice” that God calls us to and promises us the “transformation” that will make us acceptable to God (Romans 12:1-2).
   
   
3. To be aware of the dangers of following “after your own heart and ... eyes.” We need to be always reminded of the dangers of selfish will, ambition, lusts, and passions. Our will must be directed to seek and submit to the will of God and now our own. Jesus said in John 7:16-18, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.” Are we willing to set aside our will to seek and do His will? Note what God said to Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:5-7, “For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you; yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.” God told Ezekiel that His message would be rejected not because his audience was unintelligent or unskilled but simply because they didn’t want to – they were simply unwilling. The eternal reward is not dependent on one being highly skilled or highly intelligent but on simply being one who through humility is willing to hear, learn, and do God’s will and not their own.
   
   
4. The need to be sanctified and “holy to your God.” We need reminders to live lives that are set apart to the glory and honor of God. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” We are personally responsible for separating ourselves from all that is unholy, ungodly, and unrighteous and to “perfect holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1). Our holiness and sanctification is dependent our willingness to “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15). Always remember that our sanctification is indeed the will of God (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

The tassels weren’t anything special but what they were to remind God’s people of was extremely special. We need to be stirred up “by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:13) of all the commandments of the Lord, to be doers of His will, to beware of following after our own hearts and the need to be holy to our God.