iv) Tassels on The Fringes of Their Clothing (Numbers 15:37-41).
The requirement was now made that the children of Israel wear special tassels on their clothing. This was stated to be that they might look on them ‘and remember all the commandments of Yahweh and do them'. In other words they were to be an indication that the wearer was one of the covenant people.
This would act as a witness to outsiders, and to each other, that the wearer was one of Yahweh's people, and would enable every Israelite to recognise a brother when abroad or on the battlefield. In the heat of battle it was important that friend be discernible from foe. It would say, ‘here is one of Yahweh's holy ones'.
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
A further confirmation that we have here Yahweh's words given to Moses.
“ Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they make for themselves tassels on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the tassel of each border a cord of blue,”
The children of Israel were to place tassels on their outer garment (compare Deuteronomy 22:12), and these tassels were to contain within them a cord of blue. The cord of blue would be a reminder of the Ark of the covenant of Yahweh which went before them covered with a blue cloth (Numbers 4:6), visible for all to see. Such a cloth was also to cover all the furniture of the Holy Place when in transit, although in their cases not visible (Numbers 4:7; Numbers 4:9; Numbers 4:11). Thus blue was an indication of what was sacred to Yahweh, what was heavenly, and they would see it as connecting them with the Ark (when the Ark was with them) as they went in to battle. It would also in their daily lives remind them of the Ark and the covenant that it contained.
The blue dye necessary for this was both rare and costly. It came from the molluscs purpura and murex found on the coast of Phoenicia, and was testified to at Ugarit.
Tassels were a regular feature on ancient garments. The rock engravings at Timna dating to the 13th century BC depict tribesmen wearing tassels, and tasselled garments are witnessed to both in Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was the cord of blue that was to distinguish the Israelite.
“ And it shall be to you for a tassel, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them, and that you follow not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the harlot,”
And the tassel would be there as a constant reminder of the covenant. They would look on it and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them. Thus would they not walk after their own hearts and eyes which led them into sin and caused them to be unfaithful to God. To ‘play the harlot' was to participate in idolatry and what was associated with it.
“ That you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.”
Note the repetition ‘remember and do all My commandments' in order to seal and emphasise the commitment. They were to follow Yahweh and not their own hearts. Thus would they be holy to their God, distinguished by the purity and obedience of their lives.
“ I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh your God.”
For, as their fathers had not done, they were to remember Who Yahweh is. He is Yahweh their God, Who delivered them from Egypt that He might be their God. He is Yahweh their God. Again we have the repetition for emphasis, paralleling the repetition of ‘remember and do all my commandments'. That indeed is why they were to remember and do, because He was Yahweh their God and Deliverer. And they were to remember that to them He had to be all in all. He would allow no other.
The need for Israel to be dedicated to God and made pure before Him having been dealt with (see also Numbers 5-7 and Numbers 28-30), the question might now arise as to who could minister on their behalf. The new situation may well have placed doubts in people's minds.