Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Tassels? Dt 22:12

"You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself." (Deuteronomy 22:12)
I love when you are reading along in the Bible and all of a sudden God says something completely out of the blue, like "Don't forget to put tassels to your clothes." Like, where did that come from? Fortunately, we have the whole of scriptures to explain such passages.
"Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God." (Numbers 15:38-40)
The tassels were simply a mnemonic device to help the children of Israel remember the Lord and their covenant with Him. Everyday when they got dressed, they would remember. As they walked through out the day, the tassels were a constant reminder. Even as they got undressed at the end of the day, the tassels would remind them. There were to be reminded that God was their God and they were to be His people. In this new covenant in which we live, God has given us two things to help us remember Him.
"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:25-26)
God has given us His Holy Spirit to remind us of Jesus and His words. The Holy Spirit is not like a mere angle, simply a messenger from God, but He is God Himself and has comes to live and abide in our hearts. As we grow in our fellowship with the Holy Spirit so will our knowledge and understand of God grow and become increasingly fruitful. In difficult times we will find ourselves being reminded of the love of God, of His promises, and of His power in our lives. As we face difficult decisions in our lives we will be reminded of His word and instructed by His council. The Holy Spirit has come, in part, to remind us of Christ. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:14)
"This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:19)
The early disciples regularly partook of the Lord's Supper. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." (Acts 2:42, 46) The Lord's table was more than a sacrament to them, it was a remembrance of Jesus and His finished work on the cross. The breaking of bread also represented the one body to which they all belonged. "Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) The history of the New Testament church is a history of community. The New Testament church was communal in it lifestyle and its relationships with one another. As we fellowship with His body, we are also reminded of Him. In our Christian walk we are not only called into fellowship with God but also with His body. Both are needed to live a life that is filled with the remembrance of God.

David Robison

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