“And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after” (Numbers 15:39 ESV).
In the book of Numbers, Moses recorded God’s instruction to the Israelites that they were to make tassels with a cord of blue on the corners of their garments. God commanded this so that when His people looked at the tassels they would remember His commandments and obey them. The tassels functioned as visible reminders of the covenant. They were intended to guard the people from following their own “hearts and eyes,” describing the human tendency toward sinful desires and spiritual unfaithfulness. By looking at these tassels throughout the day, the Israelites would be continually reminded that they belonged to the LORD and were called to live according to His Word. The command came after Israel’s repeated failures in the wilderness and served as a practical aid to help them keep God’s law before them in daily life.
We can easily understand why God gave Israel tassels to remind them of His Word, because we also struggle with wandering hearts and eyes. Our desires often tempt us away from obedience. Yet as believers in Christ, we have something even greater than external reminders sewn onto our clothing. In the Gospels, people touched the “fringe” or tassels of Jesus’ robe and were healed (Matt. 9:20; 14:36). Jesus Himself wore the garment of a faithful Israelite who perfectly obeyed the Father. Through faith in Him, we receive the Spirit of Christ living within us, writing God’s law on our hearts. Still, we must intentionally keep God’s Word before us. When we read Scripture, meditate on it, and hide it in our hearts, the Spirit uses it to guide our thoughts and actions (cf. Psa. 119:11). While we may not wear tassels on our clothes, we still need daily reminders that turn our hearts back toward the Lord.
Do you have “tassels,” regular practices, that keep God’s Word before your heart and eyes?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that our hearts and eyes often wander toward things that pull us away from You. Thank You for sending Jesus, who perfectly obeyed You and now lives in us by His Spirit. Help us to keep Your Word before us each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.