There was a commercial for Circuit City (remember them?) where a guy who was obviously a big soccer fan had tv’s all over his house so that he didn’t miss a second of the game. He walked from his living room to the kitchen and there was a tv sitting on the counter. He walked down the hall and there were tv’s hanging down from the ceiling. There was a tv mounted to the ceiling of bathroom so that he could watch while he gargled. As he looked through his dresser there was a tv in every drawer. There was even a tv in the back of his mailbox. He was surrounded by tv’s so that everywhere he looked, the game was on.
“The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassels of each corner” (Num 15:37-38). What an odd commandment. I can understand “Do not murder” and “Do not sleep with your brother’s wife.” Those are serious things that need to addressed. But why do fashion accessories merit being mentioned among all of other important things God wants His people to do?
“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” (Num 15:39).
As with most things Hebrew, these tassels were loaded with symbolism. The tassels were supposed to have a blue thread, and blue was a royal color. The blue thread was to be wool and the others linen. Mixing two fabrics together was forbidden except for the garments of the priests. By wearing these tassels, all of God’s people were a royal priesthood. The tassels also represented God’s commandments (Hebrews associated lots of meaning to numbers. And if you add up the numerical value of the letters in the Hebrew word for tassel plus the thirteen knots they would put in them, you get 613 which is how many commandments are in the law of Moses). Finally, the people were to put them on the four corners of the garment, not just all in one place. This way, they were surrounded by God and His Words.
We don’t accessorize like the Hebrews, but we should still be surrounding ourselves with God’s Word. Just like all those tv’s in that guy’s house, we should see God everywhere we look. His commandments and encouragements and promises should form a bubble around us. In so doing, two things will happen:
1. Surrounding ourselves with God’s Word is like surrounding ourselves with armor against the forces of evil. You will be better prepared for attacks from the evil one.
2.When God’s Word surrounds you, It becomes a filter or lens through which you see the world. Everything looks different when viewed through Scripture.
Today, may you adorn yourself with God’s Word.