The Meaning of Numbers 15:37-41: Remember and Obey

Context of Numbers 15:37-41

This command about tassels comes at the end of a section in Numbers 15 that deals with offerings, unintentional sins, and the serious consequences of defiant disobedience - highlighting the importance of faithful living in the community of Israel.

Right before this, we see the story of a man stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath, a vivid example of someone choosing his own way over God’s clear command. Then, immediately after, God gives the instruction about tassels - practical, wearable reminders to help His people stay faithful in everyday life. These tassels, with a blue cord, were attached to the corners of garments, a common style in ancient Near Eastern clothing, making this both a cultural fit and a spiritual tool.

The tassels served as a daily, visible reminder to obey God’s commands and live according to who He is and what He has done.

The Meaning and Symbolism of the Tassels (Tzitzit) in Numbers 15:37-41

This command about tassels - called *tzitzit* in Hebrew - was more than a clothing rule. It was a symbolic, sensory‑rich system designed to shape the Israelites’ identity and obedience.

Each tassel included a cord of blue, known as *tekhelet*, dyed with a rare and costly pigment likely from a sea creature, making it both beautiful and expensive. The blue was decorative and echoed the sky and God’s throne (as described in Exodus 24:10 and Ezekiel 1:26), turning each glance at the tassel into a quiet reminder of who God is. The word *tzitzit* itself suggests something that 'sprouts' or 'branches out,' visually reinforcing the idea of spiritual growth and outward expression of inner faith. Touching or seeing the tassel reminded a person to live as someone set apart by God’s presence, not merely to follow rules.

The command also uses striking language: 'not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.' The Hebrew verb *znh* ('to whore after') is strong - it’s used elsewhere, like in Jeremiah 3:1 and 3:8, to describe Israel’s unfaithfulness to God through idolatry and broken trust. Here, it frames disobedience not as a minor slip, but as spiritual adultery - choosing desires over devotion, like a spouse chasing after strangers. The heart and eyes are shown as dangerous gateways to temptation, needing constant guarding through reminders like the tassels.

The blue cord was no ordinary thread - it pointed to heaven, to God’s presence, and to a life meant to reflect His holiness in everyday choices.

Later Jewish tradition expanded the tzitzit into a full spiritual practice, with knots and windings symbolizing God’s commandments, while Christians, though not wearing literal tassels, can see in this a call to have daily reminders of God’s Word - like Paul’s call in Colossians 3:16 to 'let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.' The tassels were a wearable covenant sign, much like baptism or communion today - ordinary things carrying deep spiritual meaning.

A Daily Reminder to Follow God, Not Our Desires

The tassels were a practical way to keep God’s commands in mind and resist the pull of our own desires - a lesson that still applies today.

Jesus lived this perfectly: He didn’t follow His own will or give in to temptation, even when His heart ached or His eyes saw opportunity, as when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) but chose obedience every time. Because of His perfect faithfulness, we’re no longer under the law’s demands, as Paul explains in Colossians 2:16-17, where he says these commands were shadows pointing to the reality found in Christ.

So Christians don’t wear tassels today, but we still need reminders to follow God rather than our hearts - something the next section will explore in everyday terms.

Tassels, Tradition, and Living with Purpose Today

While the tassels were a specific instruction for Israel, their purpose echoes in other parts of Scripture and challenges us to live with intentional faith today.

God repeated this command in Deuteronomy 22:12: 'You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.' Later, Jesus referenced religious displays of such practices in Matthew 23:5, saying, 'They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their tassels long.' Here, He wasn’t rejecting the tassels but calling out pride and performance - turning a reminder into a show.

The heart of the tassel command isn’t about threads - it’s about staying connected to God in a world full of distractions.

So for Christians today, the call isn’t to wear tassels but to have daily, humble reminders that keep us close to God - not for show, but for faithfulness in real life.

Application