The Hem Of His Garment
The Woman with the issue of blood. You have heard this preached and taught probably a million times. But there are some facts that you may not have known that will cast this account of healing in a whole new light. For instance, why did Jesus respond to her the way that he did? Why did she do what she did?
Luke 8:43
“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any.”
Now according to the Law of Moses this woman was considered unclean. In fact in
Leviticus 15: 25 states:
“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.”
So this woman was supposed to be separated from everyone and everything. She was considered to be completely unclean. This was her life for 12 years. The Gospel tells us that she spent all that she had on medicinal treatments in the hopes of being healed. And judging by the language in the text one would be safe to assume that they were very painful treatments. One would do well to envision the pain of chemotherapy when there is cancer present. Yet none of these at the time modern, treatments worked.
Jesus is in the area and she decides to go to Him and touch the Hem/(tassel) of His garment. In fact she says, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
Why? Why not touch Him?
The answer lies in the Hem or more accurately Tassel of His garment.
Tassle/ The Tzitzit
The prayer shawl that was worn by observant Jews and still is even in this day, has four corners or fringes(tassles). Also called the Tzitzit. This was a biblical command in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12 with the intention to remind the people of God’s commandments. In fact the word for border or corner in Numbers 15:38 is the Hebrew word kanaph, which can also be translated as “wings”. Many times the corners of the prayer shawl are referred to as “wings”.
In Jesus’ day there was a simple tunic that Jewish men would wear at home or work. It was called a halluq. A rectangular cloth called a tallit covered the halluq. This served as a protection from the cold and rain. Now hanging from the bottom of the tallit’s four corners was the wings/Tassel.
In the time of the 1st century there were many Jewish traditions that associated the wings with the Messiah. One of the traditions taught that these wings had healing powers. This would make the wings a sort of Jewish amulet or talisman if you will. It is suspected that these traditions arrive from a interesting prophesy in Malachi 4:2 “the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings…” Interesting enough the word for healing in this verse can mean in Hebrew “restoration of health”.
Now back to the woman with the issue of blood. Why did she touch the Hem(wings) of His garment rather than Him? Well it is because she was expressing her faith in Him as the Messiah, the Sun of Righteousness according to Malachi 4:2. Not in anything else, as it was His wings that she told herself that would cause her to be healed.
It is for this reason that Jesus said to her, “Be of good cheer daughter, your faith has made you whole.” It was her declaration of faith in acting on the word of God that caused her to receive her healing. She believed that if she could just touch the wings of His prayer shawl that she would have restoration of health because He was/is the Messiah that is spoken of in Malachi 4:2.
It was at the moment that she touched Him that she was made whole. She was bleeding up until she touched Him!!!! But the moment she touched her Messiah she was healed. He made a public delcaration of Her healing and restoration into society. Her faith in His office as Messiah/Christ caused her healing and restoration. Put another way, it was her affirmation of the Truth that did this.
Ironically don’t the scriptures say…
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“…and he that comes to me I will in certainly not cast out.” John 6:37
Do you by faith really act on the Word of God?
May The Grace and Peace Of the Lord Be With You,
Lazarus Da New Creation
Luke 8:43
“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any.”
Now according to the Law of Moses this woman was considered unclean. In fact in
Leviticus 15: 25 states:
“If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.”
So this woman was supposed to be separated from everyone and everything. She was considered to be completely unclean. This was her life for 12 years. The Gospel tells us that she spent all that she had on medicinal treatments in the hopes of being healed. And judging by the language in the text one would be safe to assume that they were very painful treatments. One would do well to envision the pain of chemotherapy when there is cancer present. Yet none of these at the time modern, treatments worked.
Jesus is in the area and she decides to go to Him and touch the Hem/(tassel) of His garment. In fact she says, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
Why? Why not touch Him?
The answer lies in the Hem or more accurately Tassel of His garment.
Tassle/ The Tzitzit
The prayer shawl that was worn by observant Jews and still is even in this day, has four corners or fringes(tassles). Also called the Tzitzit. This was a biblical command in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12 with the intention to remind the people of God’s commandments. In fact the word for border or corner in Numbers 15:38 is the Hebrew word kanaph, which can also be translated as “wings”. Many times the corners of the prayer shawl are referred to as “wings”.
In Jesus’ day there was a simple tunic that Jewish men would wear at home or work. It was called a halluq. A rectangular cloth called a tallit covered the halluq. This served as a protection from the cold and rain. Now hanging from the bottom of the tallit’s four corners was the wings/Tassel.
In the time of the 1st century there were many Jewish traditions that associated the wings with the Messiah. One of the traditions taught that these wings had healing powers. This would make the wings a sort of Jewish amulet or talisman if you will. It is suspected that these traditions arrive from a interesting prophesy in Malachi 4:2 “the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings…” Interesting enough the word for healing in this verse can mean in Hebrew “restoration of health”.
Now back to the woman with the issue of blood. Why did she touch the Hem(wings) of His garment rather than Him? Well it is because she was expressing her faith in Him as the Messiah, the Sun of Righteousness according to Malachi 4:2. Not in anything else, as it was His wings that she told herself that would cause her to be healed.
It is for this reason that Jesus said to her, “Be of good cheer daughter, your faith has made you whole.” It was her declaration of faith in acting on the word of God that caused her to receive her healing. She believed that if she could just touch the wings of His prayer shawl that she would have restoration of health because He was/is the Messiah that is spoken of in Malachi 4:2.
It was at the moment that she touched Him that she was made whole. She was bleeding up until she touched Him!!!! But the moment she touched her Messiah she was healed. He made a public delcaration of Her healing and restoration into society. Her faith in His office as Messiah/Christ caused her healing and restoration. Put another way, it was her affirmation of the Truth that did this.
Ironically don’t the scriptures say…
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“…and he that comes to me I will in certainly not cast out.” John 6:37
Do you by faith really act on the Word of God?
May The Grace and Peace Of the Lord Be With You,
Lazarus Da New Creation
posted by lazarus da new creation at 10:40 AM
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