Scripture Daily

Context No. 4314 of 4322 · Numbers

Context · Reflection

Numbers 15:37-41: in context

37The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 38“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue. 39It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all the LORD’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute; 40so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

God instructs the Israelites to make tassels on the corners of their garments, with a cord of blue, for a specific purpose: that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes. The tassels were a tangible, daily reminder, woven into their clothing, to keep God's commandments before them and guard against drifting after their own desires.

What stands out is God's provision of a physical reminder. He knew that his people would be prone to forget, to drift, to follow their own hearts and eyes away from his commands. So he gave them something to see every day, a visible cue to remember. The tassels held no power in themselves; they were a means of keeping God's word constantly before their eyes and minds, so that remembering would lead to doing.

We too are prone to forget God and drift after our own hearts and eyes, not usually through dramatic rebellion but through simple forgetfulness. Like Israel with their tassels, we benefit from tangible reminders that keep God's word before us: rhythms of Scripture, visible cues, times of prayer, whatever helps us remember God through the day rather than drifting away unawares. God knows our forgetfulness and provides for it.

Do I make use of reminders that keep God's word before me through the day, knowing my own tendency to forget and drift after my own heart and eyes, as God gave Israel the tassels so that seeing them they would remember and do his commandments?

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