What does Numbers 15 39 mean?

Answer 1

37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 38 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: 39 And 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: 40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

This passage is a command of God to place a fringe (a multitude of strings or threads on the perimeter of a garment) on their clothing. The fringe was to serve as a reminder to everyone in Israel to obey God's many commands. Every time an Israelite would get dressed/undressed or would look at their own clothes or someone else's clothes, they would see that fringe and remember God's commands.

Why a fringe? Perhaps this was chosen by God as a symbol because like the many strings of the fringe (think "tassle"), God's commands are numerous.

As for the second part of the verse, "that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring," this refers to what the people had been doing. They had not been heeding God's commands (which had in many cases been given as warnings for the people's good); rather, the Israelites would simply go after whatever lust filled their heart or eyes without regard for morality or remembrance for God's commandments. Such a method of living is to abandon the worship of God for the worship of one's own lusts (seeking one's own pleasure instead of God's pleasure). And this is IDOLATRY, or from God's perspective, ADULTERY. He had chosen the people, but the people were being UNFAITHFUL to Him. This explains the "after which ye use to go a whoring" part.

So basically, this verse records God giving His people Israel a tangible, visible reminder of His commandments so that they would not forget His warnings and go after their own idolatrous lusts.

That's it.

Basically.