The foundation for this particular garment
NUMBERS 15: 37-41 The LORD said to Moses,
v. 38 “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 tassel of each corner.
v. 39 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, which you are inclined to whore after.
v. 40 so you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.
v. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”
You will find out that the Hebrews were commanded to make this Biblical garment with four corners, to attach fringe. Or Tzizit
The long fringe knotted in a particular way. The Biblical version says there needs to be at least one blue cord. Or one blue string inside of it and that identifies it.
Remember the Jews were commanded to eat certain things and not eat certain things. To dress certain ways and to not dress other ways.
All of this was just a visual reminder of setting them apart, sanctifying them.
A visual announcement or reminder to those around them that these are particular people, these are peculiar people.
These are people that God is using for a special mission. Because they live in a world where there are all kinds of ways to dress.
o All kinds of ways to eat.
o All kinds of ways to worship.
o All kinds of ways to speak.
o God Himself carved them out from all the people [making them distinctive]
Sometimes when we read the OT, we read the 613 laws; Many times Christians say well, we’re under grace now, not under law. That is true, however if you would read most of the 613 Biblical commandments in the Torah (first five books of the Bible) you will find that you (Christians) keep them without thinking about it, because it’s more than just not stealing. It talks about what if one of my animals injures someone else’s animals. It talks about how we work out this faith when this happens.
The sacrificial system, even for Jews today they can’t perform those because there is no Temple. Some are trying to build a third Temple, but right now there’s not a third Temple. So even those laws are not kept (per say)
However this garment [Tallit] (prayer shawl) was commanded of God.
The Tassels or Tzizizt as they are called in Hebrew look like this:
Some New Testament translations put this Hebrew word into Greek, and then into English it comes out all different.
It comes out as ‘hem of His garment’ the hem for us is like what is at the bottom of our pants, or at the edge of our sleeve. Folded over and sewn to avoid fraying.
That is not what’s talked about in scripture, what was talked about was that the woman touched His (Jesus) tzizit, the fringe.
Q. Now why did she do that? Why did she touch the fringe?
The history of the garment
There are three important things to remember about these tassels in particular.
They are a mixture of Linen & Wool (which testified that the people had some connection to the priesthood, because of the wool)
Realize you may not be called to be the “Pastor”, you may not be called to be the “evangelist” or the “prophet” or the “teacher” but you have a connection to the ministry because everyone is called to share the Good News ( of Jesus Christ)
Some of our roles are different, but those in the five-fold are here to equip the others to do the Work of the Lord.
Different job specifications, but all of us have a connection to the ministry. This means full participation, not just watching from the side lines.
Mixture of Linen & Wool (wool thread in the tassel, wool comes from a sheep or a lamb which testified their connection to the sacrificial system, the sacrificial lamb) wool in the tassel was a reminder of the sacrifice and the atonement and the substitution of an animal for their sin.
The Blue thread reminded them of their connection to Royalty. ( a snail from the Mediterranean is harvested to make this particular blue dye)
Not everyone wore the blue, only those most wealthy of the pagan world would have had this Royal blue color.
Blue is also the color of our sky, making a connection or physical reminder for the ancient people of the residence of God, in the Heavenlies.
The blue tassel reminds them of their Royal connection and the Biblical commandment to the Torah.
The color is not important, just the purpose. The other colors are for our preference.
Even the prayer before you put on your prayer shawl doesn’t have to be present.
The whole purpose of the Tallit (prayer shawl) is to hold the fringe on the corners as a reminder to the people about God. That they have been set aside, sanctified and made Holy unto God.
What is the significance of the Four Tassels
Q. What is the reason for the four cornered garment, why are there four and not three?
In Biblical times the four corners and the tassels represented certain things.
There is no particular order to the top corner or the bottom left corner, or any of that. The corners, remember them.
#1 The Tallit (prayer shawl) had a family connection. It represented their Identity. Even in certain families that tie these they have their own way. Like a signature card. When you would see a particular fringe could tell who tied that. What family it came from.
{Most people could remember Jim as the Shofar man. His identity is the Shofar man.}
{Personal signatures can be on things like this, like “mom’s apple pie”}
#2 Status within the tribe or the community was represented in the tying of the tassels. This was becoming a problem in Jesus time.
Luke 20:45-47 Jesus made a comment as they were watching people enter the house of Prayer and He said “ Oh, the Pharisees love to stand with their long flowing robes, so everybody will see them praying and worshipping God” So they forgot the purpose of this. The Pharisees would make their tzizit longer and add more blue in it, because then you know I’m wealthy.
Because you poor folks can’t afford this much blue. Look at me. Even though the more ostentatious Pharisees made show of their alms giving their public prayers, the greater percentage of the Pharisees were sincere in their separation and secreting themselves in prayer so that with kavanah (proper attitude and concentration) they approached God and entered into a knowing relationship with Him.
· The higher the status and the higher your social structure of the day the longer and more elaborate your tassels would be. Because of this costly blue, it signified a status.
There is another history that goes along with it. Remember when David was being chased by Saul, and he didn’t have as many men as Saul but Saul was determined that he was going to kill him. Basically Saul was over on this side of the hill and there was a ravine and he was with his men and there was a cave and Saul went into the cave into the inter recesses of the cave to sleep and was guarded by all his men and everything and we know David is in there. During the night David sneaks over the ravine and instead of killing Saul he cuts the edge of his garment, and he took the tzizit, because everyone would know what King Saul’s would look like. So the next day when David is on the other side of the hill, the mountain with the ravine and calls out to Saul. Saul is telling David how much he is going to kill him, and David basically says “Saul, look at your garment- I could have killed you, but I tried to respect your authority so look at this tassel I have it is a symbol of your authority and one of yours is missing”
· So it is a symbol of AUTHORITY.
That it represented authority and many people missed this piece. When a prophet had a Word to give to the king, he would inscribe that prophesy or press in his seal into the tzizit in a particular pattern, as if to say ‘this is official’ {this would be similar to the wax seal used on fine stationary. We even will melt the wax on the back of that envelope and we’ll press our monogram into that wax.
This actually came from the practice started with these tassels.
· Last thing represented in the tassels is the Priestly purity or power,
the reminder of personal Holiness.
Significance in tying the tassels or tzizit
· 4 tassels, one on each corner. 8 strands – 1 tassel – 5 knots – 4 windings.
That = 18 the numeric symbolism to chai/life
1 is numeric equivalent of that is Echad meaning the Lord YHWH, He is one God.
4 windings is numeric equivalent of that which was taken out of the covenant name.
Now there is a series of 4 windings.
5 knots are symbolic to the first five books of Moses; the Torah.
Genesis/Exodus/Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy
(1st-7)
(2nd-8)
(3rd-11)
(4th -13)
These all add up to 39
which is the number of stripes Jesus took {Isaiah 53:5} By His stripes we are healed…
Malachi 4:2-3 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
v. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.
Q. So what happened to this woman with an issue of Blood?
Q. Why did he call her a daughter?
Q. And why did she touch His fringe?
It is indicated that during Jesus time, during the first century there was a scripture in Zechariah that talks about there is healing in His wings. Many believe that the fringe on the bottom of the prayer shawl is what is being referred to as the “wings” and that there would be healing in His wings.
Q. why is that important in connection with Jesus?
The reason why it is important with Jesus is because of all the people that day, this woman actually knew who He was! Because the belief was, “you know how there will be a true Messiah? There will be Healing in His wings”
Q. What was it Jesus said in the midst of everybody pressing into Him?
“Who touched Me?” “Power has gone out of Me”
She touched one of the corners, one of the hems, one of the fringe, One of the Tzizit.
· Also, she touched His Authority.
· Also she connected with His status.
· Also she connected with His Purity.
· Also she knew His TRUE Identity.
· Because the “True Messiah will have Healing in His wings”
>>Because of that male dominated society, and because she was unclean, because she was an outcast. Because she had spent her whole living trying to get healed in scriptures Luke tells us that no doctor could do anything. This is a woman that for twelve years carried a burden on her own shoulder, we don’t even hear about her family. If you can’t stop bleeding guess what, your husband is going to get rid of you, because you’re going to render him unclean. The neighbors are going to talk -why are you still with that woman, don’t you know that she’s just filthy and unclean?
We don’t want her in our neighborhood (REJECTION) and ladies she can not come to the well, to get the water when you come.
People are talking about her, when she walks down the street, and most of the time she has her head down. Because she’s embarrassed to make eye contact with people, they’re always saying something about her. Behind her back and to her face. Pointing at her, just like today when we see somebody with a disability.
She didn’t even need to think about going near the Temple because she was not welcome in a place of worship. You are not welcome at the place of prayer, because you have something wrong with you.
Somehow in her heart she knew who HE really was. Everyone else was there for the fish & bread.
Everyone else may have been there for the mob psychology of the crowd. She wasn’t interested in these things; she said in her heart “if I could only touch His garment” His tzizit. I would be healed. Scripture says that as soon as she did that, she was healed instantly. And the blood stopped flowing.
>She then was caught and everyone was looking at her, so she shared with them why she did what she did. The Bible doesn’t let us know exactly what she says, but Jesus lets us know when He turns to her and says “Daughter, your faith has made you whole”
This wasn’t a relative of Jesus
Q. why did He say that?
>Even today, but especially in Biblical times only if you were my wife or my daughter you could touch my ‘Tallit (prayer shawl)’ but if you weren’t my family, my daughter or my wife you could not touch. It was not allowed.
So not only is this woman unclean, she is touching a man she is not related to. This woman just doesn’t understand the rules of the day.
The grace & mercy of Jesus let’s everyone else know when this woman touched Me, Power flew out of Me because this woman knows Who I AM.
>You need to remember His identity. And you need to touch a hold of His Power. You need to touch hold of His Purity. You need to touch hold of His identity.
Because He will give you the proper status, what it is to be a child of the King. The Lord of Lords. So you chose which identity you want.
Do you want the identity that the world gives you or do you want the identity that He sends, that you are a peculiar person, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you are an overcomer, that you are not defeated?
>It’s all up to you. Sometimes we have to touch who He really is. Regardless of what the crowd says to us.
There is a Hebrew word Kanaph which means wings [Kanaph which can also mean corner. ]
Jews have recognized the fact that God’s law symbolized in the tzizit of their prayer shawls is their guardian. Just as the Tallit (prayer shawl) surrounds the praying Jew, so God surrounds His people. “We can intend that when putting on the Tallit (prayer shawl) that it separate us and shield us from outside distractions and from foreign thoughts. The large prayer Tallit (prayer shawl) surrounds one and symbolizes protection.”
Exodus 19:4 You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
When a Jewish man wraps himself in his Tallit (prayer shawl), he symbolically places himself under God’s sheltering love. Indeed, when he dons the Tallit (prayer shawl), he recites Psalms 36:7, 9. This material action gives new and more meaning to Psalms 57:1’s declaration: “In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge.”
The Ark of the Covenant that was the focal point of the “Most Holy Place” in both the tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem demonstrates the fact that even God’s throne itself is overshadowed by the wings of divine protection. The mercy seat on the top of the Ark of the Covenant was the site of the localized material manifestation of the Spirit of God, the Shekhinah. Covering the four corners of the mercy seat were the wings of two cherubim. What powerful imagery: God’s provision of mercy and loving kindness for His people is always overshadowed and protected by the wings of the “living creatures” that both guard His throne and extend perpetual, unceasing worship that extols His Holiness: “Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh” (HOLY, HOLY,HOLY)
The testimony to God’s ancient people (and to His people of all ages) is that His mercies are unending, extending to the age of ages. Those in the Messiah are “seated with Christ in Heavenly places, “enfolded in the wings of His everlasting mercies.
Quoting from Psalms 36:7 this prayer suggests the full significance of the Tallit (prayer shawl): “How precious is thy loving-kindness, O God! And under the shadow of thy wings so the children of men take shelter…”
As you cover yourself with the Tallit (prayer shawl), you have a physical symbolic awareness of the fact that you are secure in the shadow of God’s presence. Being “under the wings” of the Almighty.
“When you put on a Tallit (prayer shawl) you should think that the Light of the Infinite One is hidden within this Tallit (prayer shawl) that you wrap yourself in…and that when the wings of the Tallit (prayer shawl) cover you, you are covered in the wings of the Light of the Infinite One.”
Thank You Heavenly Father for covering us in your tender mercies and everlasting loving kindness~ Quicken my heart now to know my identity in You, my new status and right standing in Your Righteousness. Begin to heal me Lord, physically, emotionally and Spiritually. Create in me a new heart and renew in me a right Spirit. I thank you for understanding of this healing You brought forth for the woman with the issue. Touch me Lord and I too shall be made whole.
In Jesus Name~Amen.
