Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear ones.
We’re planning a walk/jog at 7:30am. It would be fun if you could join us. Lots to talk about. A popular topic for discussion, of course, is how to relate where we are in national and world history against the backdrop of Biblical prophecy. I sense that immense changes are around the corner and that we are fast approaching the finish line…at least developments that lead up to it.
I wish I could multiply myself…and not need sleep. That way, maybe I could keep up with my TO DO list. Oh well, here goes another day of adventure and coping…wrapping up another month. Already.
May you and your day be blessed.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Now here’s a piece of Scripture that should light up your life and super-charge you with inspiration. I’m kidding, of course. This decree hardly seems relevant to our constantly-changing culture. But what does it mean? How can relevance be gleaned from this?
Firstly, it can be helpful to orient ourselves to the original stated intent of tassels. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God”’” (Numbers 15:37-41).
So the underlying objective for this custom was to serve as reminders of the past providence (deliverance) and present purpose (holiness). To be sure, there is nothing obsolete about that objective.
Notice that what God said should be a lasting ordinance “throughout the generations to come,” Jesus condemned as religious nonsense when He lambasts the perversity of the mainstream Jewish leadership (“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees”) in Matthew 23:1-7. “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long…” While Israel had been delivered from Egyptian slavery, they risked adopting another form of slavery—cold, lifeless, religious slavery—religion without a HEART AFTER GOD. (Galatians 5)
So, don’t feel bad if you don’t have tassels on your clothing. I don’t intend to add them to my coat or Levis. Just take measures to remember what forgetfulness robs. As I think about it, I have to agree that this is probably the main cause for all of our real problems—forgetting what we should remember.