Sermonette for Saturday
Speak 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. Numbers 15:38
What is a ribband of blue? The Hebrew word for ribband is petil, and it means a cord or thread twisted into a fringe. Our text tells us that such a blue cord or thread was to be part of the hem of each article of clothing that every Israelite was to wear. Such a ribband would make every Israelite stand out as easily identifiable in any crowd, because nobody else would be likely to include such a visual marker on their clothing. How would you like to see a rule where every Christian must wear something so distinctive at all times? Spiritually speaking, such a rule actually exists.
Just as every Israelite was to be marked by the ribband of blue in their clothes, so every Christian is marked for eternity by God with the presence of the Holy Spirit. As God looks down upon humanity, He immediately identifies those who are his because of the seal of the Holy Spirit. No Christian can get rid of that seal, regardless of anything. But it is possible for a Christian to cover up the evidence of that seal, just as an Israelite could cover his specially marked clothing with an unmarked cloak. By sinful or careless behaviour, by neglecting the Word of God, by forsaking the assembling with other Christians, and so forth, a Christian can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit. And nobody would suspect that the Holy Spirit was even there.
Blue was not a common colour for clothing, or even for any trimmings on clothing, back in Bible times. Blue was extremely expensive because it was extremely scarce. The blue colour came from a gland of a particular type of sea snail; it took some 8,500 sea snails to produce a single gram of blue dye. So the blue dye was worth far more than gold, and garments dyed blue were very costly. There is a portion of Scripture that comes to mind when we think of that special blue marking on the Israelites’ garments: ‘Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.’ 1 Peter 1:18,19. Whether we appreciate it or not, you and I are worth far more to God than any of the lost of this world because of the tremendous price paid to make us His. He has an investment in us that is far above gold or jewels. And it is His expectation that we would display the testimony of that great investment before Himself and before the world.
We have a ribband of blue in the fabric of our immortal souls, a ribband of eternal endurance and of immeasurable worth. Is that ribband on display today? – Jim MacIntosh