◄ Numbers 15:37 ►
Later, the LORD said to Moses,
Study Bible
The LORD also said to Moses
This phrase introduces a direct communication from God to Moses, emphasizing the divine authority and the importance of the message. The Hebrew root for "LORD" is YHWH, the sacred and personal name of God, which underscores His covenant relationship with Israel. This direct address to Moses, the leader and prophet, highlights the continuity of God's guidance and instruction to His chosen people. Historically, Moses is seen as the mediator between God and Israel, and this phrase reaffirms his role in conveying God's laws and commands.

Speak to the Israelites and tell them
Here, God instructs Moses to communicate His message to the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "speak" (דַּבֵּר, daber) implies a command to proclaim or declare, indicating the seriousness and authority of the message. The term "Israelites" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel, and signifies the collective identity of God's chosen people. This phrase underscores the communal aspect of the covenant, where God's instructions are meant for the entire nation, not just individuals.

Throughout the generations to come
This phrase indicates the perpetual nature of the command that follows. The Hebrew word for "generations" (דֹּרֹת, dorot) suggests an ongoing, unending application, emphasizing that the instructions are not temporary but are to be observed by future descendants. This highlights the timelessness of God's laws and the enduring relationship between God and His people. It serves as a reminder that the covenant and its stipulations are not limited to the present but extend into the future, binding all generations of Israelites.

you are to make for yourselves tassels on the corners of your garments
The instruction to make "tassels" (צִיצִת, tzitzit) on the "corners" (כַּנְפֵי, kanfei) of garments is a command for a physical reminder of God's commandments. The tassels serve as a visual and tactile symbol of the covenant, intended to remind the Israelites of their identity and obligations as God's people. The "corners" of the garments refer to the edges or extremities, symbolizing the encompassing nature of God's law in every aspect of life. This practice has archaeological and historical roots in ancient Near Eastern customs, where clothing often held symbolic significance.

with a blue cord on each tassel
The "blue cord" (פְּתִיל תְּכֵלֶת, petil tekhelet) is a specific instruction that adds a distinctive element to the tassels. The color blue, derived from a rare dye, is associated with divinity, royalty, and the heavens, symbolizing a connection to God. This detail emphasizes the sacredness of the command and the call to holiness. The blue cord serves as a constant reminder of the divine presence and the call to live according to God's standards. Historically, the use of blue in religious garments is well-documented, reinforcing the cultural and spiritual significance of this command.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who provides instructions and laws to His people.

2. Moses
The leader and prophet of Israel, chosen by God to deliver His laws and commandments to the Israelites.

3. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving the laws and commandments to live by as they journey to the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Commands
God's instructions to Moses highlight the importance of obedience. As believers, we are called to follow God's commandments as a demonstration of our faith and commitment to Him.

Symbolism and Remembrance
The tassels, which are introduced in the following verses, serve as a physical reminder of God's laws. In our lives, we can use symbols or practices to remind us of our commitment to God and His Word.

The Role of Leaders
Moses' role as a mediator between God and the Israelites underscores the importance of godly leadership. Leaders in the church today are called to faithfully communicate God's Word and guide others in obedience.

Covenant Relationship
The instructions given to Moses are part of the covenant relationship between God and His people. As Christians, we are part of a new covenant through Christ, which calls us to live in a way that honors God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of Moses as a mediator between God and the Israelites inform our understanding of Jesus as our mediator in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can we incorporate physical reminders of God's commandments in our daily lives to help us remain faithful?

3. How does the concept of obedience in Numbers 15 relate to Jesus' teachings on obedience in the Gospels?

4. What can we learn from the leadership of Moses that can be applied to church leadership today?

5. How does understanding the covenant relationship in the Old Testament enhance our appreciation of the new covenant established through Jesus Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 24
This chapter describes the covenant between God and Israel, where Moses acts as the mediator. It highlights the importance of obedience to God's laws, which is reiterated in Numbers 15.

Deuteronomy 6
This passage emphasizes the importance of remembering and teaching God's commandments, similar to the purpose of the tassels mentioned later in Numbers 15.

Matthew 23
Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their outward show of piety, which can be related to the purpose of the tassels as a reminder of genuine obedience to God's commandments.
Sermons
The Fringes: Ever-Present RemindersD. Young Numbers 15:37-40
The Use and Abuse of MemorialsE.S. Prout Numbers 15:37-41
People
Aaron, Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Egypt, Wilderness of Paran
Topics
Saying, Spake, Speaketh, Spoke
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 15:37-39

     8764   forgetting God

Library
List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

We are Drawing Near the End, and to the Highest Conclusions of True Human Wisdom...
We are drawing near the end, and to the highest conclusions of true human wisdom; and full of deepest interest it is to mark the character of these conclusions. Reason speaks; that faculty that is rightly termed divine, for its possession marks those who are "the offspring of God." He is the Father of spirits, and it is in the spirit that Reason has her seat; whilst in our Preacher she is enthroned, and now with authority utters forth her counsels. Here we may listen to just how far she can …
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs

Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience.
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: ye shall be unto me an holy nation.'--Ex. xix. 4-6. Israel has reached Horeb. The law is to be given and the covenant made. Here are God's first words to the people; He speaks of redemption and its blessing, fellowship with Himself: 'Ye have seen how I brought …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Degrees of Sin
Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. He that delivered me unto thee, has the greater sin.' John 19: 11. The Stoic philosophers held that all sins were equal; but this Scripture clearly holds forth that there is a gradual difference in sin; some are greater than others; some are mighty sins,' and crying sins.' Amos 5: 12; Gen 18: 21. Every sin has a voice to speak, but some …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
(at Feast-Time at Jerusalem, Probably the Passover.) ^D John V. 1-47. ^d 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. [Though every feast in the Jewish calendar has found some one to advocate its claim to be this unnamed feast, yet the vast majority of commentators choose either the feast of Purim, which came in March, or the Passover, which came in April. Older commentators pretty unanimously regarded it as the Passover, while the later school favor the feast …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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