The tassel God wanted them to tie at the corners of their garments was blue. Why did He pick the color blue?
Numbers 15:38
ESV - 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.
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
I humbly submit for your consideration; The color in ancient times was very rare and expensive to produce; thus the color of the rich and the divine until the industrial age. God decreed; color as a sign in specific exhibits i.e. priestly garments, the tzitzit, etc. God provides; The Jews were given or discovered a secret and were able to obtain the color from the gland of a small sea urchin. This secret was lost sometime after the destruction of the second temple and only rediscovered in modern times. The tassels or tzitzit are the hanging threads, a blue cord or thread was to remind or be a representation of God. This one blue thread was then interwoven with many other white threads representative of man's righteousness before their God, (Isaiah 1:18) Then knotted together representative of the commandments and found on the four corners or "wings" of a Jewish prayer shawl. (Numbers 15:38) The garment spoken of is the tallit sometimes spelled tallith the Jewish prayer shawl sometimes referred to or translated as tent. The tallit itself is a white rectangular piece of fabric. The four corners are also known as wings, on these corners of the tallit there are hanging threads with special knots called tassels (tzitzit) used to remember and count the Jewish commandments. (Numbers 15:39) Tallit are worn by Jewish men after their Bar Mitzvah 13th birthday; prior to their exile and dispersion from the land of Israel, they were worn daily and raised over their head as a mobile prayer closet. With thumb and fore finger one may count and remember these Jewish commandments from this much later would spring Catholic prayer beads. (Psalm 91:4) speaks of these wings as does the women with the issue of blood touching the hem = corner tzitzit of His garment in (Mark 5:27-28) The Lord blessed her for remembering the "SOD" [that which profits] knowledge contained within and then acting on this old testament prophecy, "when Messiah comes He'll bring healing in His wings". (Malachi 4:2; Mark 5:34) In the Lord's freedom and wonder always...warrior on
In my opinion, the use of a cord of blue in each tassel was specified in order to evoke in the Israelites' minds an association with the commandments or law of God (Numbers 15:37-40), as indicated by that same color's use in the cover of the Ark of the Covenant (containing the Ten Commandments) and the curtains of the Tabernacle, as well as in the ephod and headpiece of the high Priest (Exodus 28:31,37). Blue (along with purple) also had an association with royalty (as shown by Esther 8:15, for example), and was symbolic of God's kingship, reminding each Israelite personally of His rule over them, as well as of Israel's status as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).
I would like to mention that blue, in addition to the answers above, also stands for heaven, as the sky (containing heaven) is blue. This color serves as a reminder of the eternal nature of God, who resides in heaven, and also within the Most Holy Place within the temple for the Israelites.
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.