Ribbon of Blue – A Reminder that God is Holy and that I Must be Holy Too
“38Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 39And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 40That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 15:38-41)
God told Moses to speak to the children of Israel and tell them to put fringes on their garments and to run a ribbon of blue through those fringes. The fringe and the ribbon of blue were for several purposes:
1. To remind them of the commandments of the Lord
2. To remind them to obey the commandments of the Lord
3. To remind them not to seek after their own heart and eyes and go in their own ways but to go in the ways of the Lord as He had commanded
4. To encourage them to be holy
5. To remind them who God is and that the LORD is their God
6. To remind them that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt
Today we would probably not put physical reminders in our clothing about God’s word and His holiness. We have the completed word of God. There are some things we can do to keep this word always before us. We can read and study and we can put reminders of God’s word in certain places.
We can remember that
1. The LORD is our God
2. The LORD delivered us from sin
3. God is holy and wants us to be holy too – “It is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)
Holy means, “Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood; Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God.” (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1913)
4. We can keep our hearts pure and free from sinful affections by hearing and obeying the word of God. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word… 11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:9-11)
5. We should fear God – “Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” (I Peter 5:17b)
6. God will judge us according to our works – “the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work.” (I Peter 5:17a)
7. God redeemed us with the precious blood of Christ; he brought us out of Egypt (the world) – “ye were not redeemed with corruptible things… But with the precious blood of Christ.” (See I Peter 1:18,19)
8. Christ was holy – without blemish or spot – “as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (I Peter 1:19b)
9. We purify our souls by “obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren.”(See I Peter 1:22)
10. We must love one another with a pure heart fervently (verse 22)
11. We were born again “by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
“Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” remembering that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” (II Corinthians 5:9,10)
What will we use for our ribbon of blue today? How will we remind ourselves of these things so that we can apply these wonderful truths to our lives?
Turn Again to the Lord