Lust and Tassels – Part 2: The Power to overcome temptation!

“Holiness is not freedom from temptation, but the power to overcome temptation.” – G. Campbell Morgan

“Be killing lust or it will be killing you.” John Owen

One of the things that I love about the Bible is that in many ways, the Old and New Testaments are complementary!!! The Old Testament is foundational; the New Testament builds on that foundation with further revelation from God. The Old Testament establishes principles that are seen to be illustrative of New Testament truths. Okey, yes there’s lots more to say about this but, for now, let’s just leave it at that.

As I was reading about the Israelites and how easily they were influenced by the “mixed multitudes” (see Lust and Tassels. Part 1) as well as the power of lust when it has actually taken hold of you, I was asking God how on earth do you keep yourself from stepping into the same trap? He then led me to read Num. 15:37-41.

 Here it tells us that God commanded the Israelites that in order for them to be consecrated to Him, they were to make “tassels” on the borders of their garments (with a blue cord in it) to look at and thus remember all the commands of the Lord, “that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after lusts of your own hearts and eyes.” At the end of this command, God repeats twice “I am the LORD your God.” Why? Because He is a jealous God. And He wants to make sure you see the urgency of it. HE wants to be Lord of your life and is against anything that will disturb His Lordship.

Here is a good explanation from Eclectic notes on tassels…

“Tassel” means literally a “flower,” derived from a Hebrew root word which means “to shine,” and the same word which is also used of the plate upon the high priest’s forehead, which similarly is connected with a lace of blue (Exodus 28:36). This, it is plain, is not a mere casual resemblance: as in the high priest’s diadem holiness becomes the crown of the garments, here we find it on the border of them, next to the ground: the lace of blue, the heavenly color, reminding us that heavenliness is holiness. This, where the garment touches the ground, secures the habits, as it were, from the invasion of earthliness. While the flowerlike form may attest the “beauty of holiness,” and that it is a living growth where real. Full consecration is clearly the lesson of the tassel and its attachment.”

The tassels served as a reminder of God’s Word. To ask yourself what does God say about that specific issue, person, object? The Word became flesh and the flesh dwelled amongst us…(John1:14)

In plain Eglish…Test EVERYTHING with Jesus, have Him stand between you and the world. Live a consecrated life, set apart for God. He is your Tassel which is on the border of your hem, next to the ground (world). In essence, have Him stand between you and the world. And if you are struggling to “see” Him in your everyday doings and decisions then something is disturbing the Lordship of Jesus in your life.

Lust is like a thick, dark, presence which comes with a seemingly overpowering feeling that you will be satisfied with something/someone and that its okey. It hovers, it is many times hidden from others and you just can’t seem to put your finger on this filthy, unfulfilling feeling of “am I really happy?”. 1John2:16 speaks of “the lust of the flesh”, “the lust of the eyes”, and “the pride of life and the verse further sais “this is not of the Father but it is of the world”. Recently I was reading Genesis again and in chapter 3 it speaks of the “Tree of knowledge of good and evil” and the “Tree of Life”. Adam and Eve were told not to eat of the “Tree of knowledge of good and evil” but in verse 6 we read that she saw the tree was “good for food” (lust of the flesh), “pleasant to the eyes” (lust of the eyes) and “desirable to make one wise” (pride of life). We all know the rest of the story…

Today, once again, God is telling us to eat from the Tree of Life. Eat from Jesus! Lust brings sin and death. It is not satisfying, it damages and destroys lives and relationships and eventually leads to hell. The Tree of Life is just that – LIFE! It tells you who you are, Whose you are, what you need to hear right then, equips you for your situation, romances you, makes the best decisions, knows what you like and what you need (no, really, you actually DONT know what you need 😉 ). You were made in His image (Gen.1:27)!! If a petrol car was made to run on petrol – why would you put diesel in it? 

Also worth mentioning, though there is much more to say about this, Matt 9:20-22 and Mark 6:56 are two examples of people wanting to touch the “hem” of Jesus garment and who got healed through it. “...and they begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.” Why the “hem of His garment”? The Greek translation for the word “hem” in this verse is “tassel, tuft”. This is why the women with the issue of blood also just wanted to touch “the hem of His garment”! The Jews had a clear understanding of the purpose of the tassel and the power of Holiness and consecration.

The answer against lust is – Jesus! Consecration, Holiness, being set apart from the world – through the power of the Word of God!

1 John 2:17 so beautifully puts it…. “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

And so, keeping all of this in mind, may we cry out to God wholeheartedly: “Create in me a pure heart, o God and renew a steadfast spirit within me!!” (Ps.51:10)