For many of us, Numbers 15:37-41 can be quite puzzling. What is a tassel? Why did God want the children of Israel to make for themselves tassels on the fringes of their garment? What is the significance of the violet thread?
A
tassel is basically a bundle of thread bound into strands of cord that hang
loosely from a knot. All of us must have seen a graduation cap before. On top
of the cap are strands of cords wound together hanging from a knot, which the
student on graduation would shift from right to left. That is a tassel. In
Numbers 15:37-41, Moses was instructed by God to get the children of Israel to
have tassels sewed at the fringes of their garment. The tassels must
contain a single violet thread.
Why
violet thread? Violet dye in the ancient world was harvested by hand from sea
snails. Only a small drop could be harvested from each snail. Hence it was an
expensive commodity. Hence, the violet color came to be associated with wealth
and the nobles. Remember the Tabernacle? Much of the material of the tent of
meeting where God would speak with Moses were made of purple thread because it
is a color fit for royalty. The purple
thread in the tassels God told the Israelites to make speaks of their identity
as a royal priesthood. Requiring only one single thread in the tassel made
it affordable even for the not-so-well to do. For the Israelites, wearing
them would remind them to live and behave according to their calling as God’s
chosen and covenant people.
Two
things would be brought to the mind of the people of Israel whenever they
looked at the tassels. Firstly, It was to remind them that they were a people
by reason of the awesome grace of God. They would recall that it was God who
had redeemed them from their bondage to have an enduring relationship with Him.
No one, not even the power of Egypt or their own rebelliousness, would be able
to thwart God’s purpose. Secondly, the tassels would remind them of
whose they were. They must know that they were God’s redeemed people, called to
be a holy nation and a royal priesthood. Hence, they must obey His commandments
and live a life set apart for God. They were expected not to pander to the
lust of their hearts or their eyes.
What
is the lesson for us in these verses? It is a call to remember that we are
God’s people and that we must always live responsibly to honor Him. Ever
wonder why the Lord Jesus commanded us to have the Holy Communion regularly?
It’s because by nature we are forgetful people. We tend to forget the good
things He had done for us and remember needless things that will enslave us.
The bread and the cup at communion are to help us recall that it was Christ's
finished work at the cross that secured our redemption. By partaking in
the communion we remember that we are now God’s people and hence we must live
for His glory. We are God’s chosen people and His royal priests, and we must
live and behave thus!
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