Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.
So many truths and life applications show themselves at a farm. Living close to nature shows us so many things from God's great universe. He says in Romans 1:20 'For the invisible things of HIM from the creation of the world are clearly seen'.
As my journey with the Lord has progressed, I sought to find more 'understanding' in this scripture. I couldn't picture God as a big winged bird so I continued to seek....and knock....and then, began to see that this Hebrew book had mysterys that most Gentiles didn't understand.
Numbers 15:3 -41, the Lord had Moses instruct the people to make tassels on their garments to remember all the commands of the Lord.
Numbers 15:3 -41, the Lord had Moses instruct the people to make tassels on their garments to remember all the commands of the Lord.
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come, you are to make tassels on the corners of one's garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all My commands, and will be consecrated to your God. I am the Lord your God.'"(Num. 15:37-41a
This was the beginning of what is called the tallit or talith (in Hebrew, “tal” means tent and “ith” means little, so, little tent!). So, as Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to meet with the Lord, the men had their own “little tent” in which to meet with the Lord. It was known as a place of refuge and sanctuary – a secret place! The Jewish men from their time in the wilderness until after the time of Yeshua (Jesus) have worn their little tents with tassels on the ends.
The first tallits were very simple, just one large piece of fabric with a hole in the middle for their head! And then on each of the four corners are tied the tassels. The corners of the tallit were referred to as “wings.” Between the 'wings' were small fringes that are called 'feathers'.
These tassels or 'wings' were to remind each Jewish man of his responsibility to fulfill God's commandments. In fact, these tassels are tied into 613 knots to constantly remind them of the 613 laws of Moses, of which there are 365 prohibitions (The "thou shalt not" laws), and 248 affirmations (the "thou shall" laws). The knots also correspond with the ineffable name of God, the unspoken yod-hey-vav-hey.
When deep in prayer, Jewish men will put these prayer shawls over their heads to shut out the world and be in the presence of God. This can be seen in the synagogue or at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The prayer shawls are white, representing the heavens, or the dwelling place of the Lord. And, the color blue represents the Ruach HaKodesh, or Holy Spirit of God. Therefore, praying under the tallit, or prayer shawl, is covering yourself with the presence of God. From biblical times, this custom was like a prayer closet, and it is likely this is what Yeshua was referring to in Matthew 6:6, when He told us to get into our closet, apart from the people around, and pray in secret to the Lord.
The tallit was also worn by Yeshua, and the "hem of the garment" that was touched by the woman with the issue of blood was actually the tzitziyot or tassels of His tallit. When she pressed through the crowd, she was not content to just pat Him on the back. She was a desperate woman, who had spent all of her money on cures that did not work. It was a bold step for her to push through that crowd of people, for according to Levitical law, it was forbidden for her to be out in public with her condition, for she was considered unclean (Lev. 15:25). However, she was at the end of her rope. She had nothing to lose. She had heard of the Messiah who could heal and she anxiously sought Him out. But why did she want to touch the hem of His garment - the tassels of His tallit? These tzitziyot were a point of contact she needed to help her release her faith to receive a miracle in her life. What did they represent?
First, they represented the Word of God which begins with the Torah. It is always the place where we can find healing for all the needs in our life.
Second, the fringes also represented the authority of Yeshua. She had heard that many people were healed by Yeshua, that He taught with authority, and when He spoke, people were healed.
Third, there was even more to these fringes. The prophet Malachi spoke of the Messiah of Israel and said of Him, "But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings" (Mal. 4:2). The Hebrew word for "wings" used in this passage is kanaf, which is a word that specifically means the fringe-like feathers or edges of a bird's wing, not the whole wing. This word, therefore, had two meanings and could be translated wings, or fringes. The woman had heard Yeshua was the Messiah. Perhaps she remembered this messianic promise from the scroll of Malachi and thought, if I am to be healed, then will it be found in His wings... His tzitziyot? By faith, she reached out and touched the fringes, and was healed.
It is interesting that all though the TANAK/Old Testament, the Hebrew word for wings in most passages is kanaf when referring to God. Surely, the place of refuge is under the kanaf of the Lord, i.e., under His Word and His authority!
Have a blessed Sabbath!
Monica
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