The fringe on the vestment and the corners of the field.

This is a short note tying a few Old Testament ideas together.  Credit to Jonathan Pageau for pointing out that two important commandments deal with edges/fringes/corners. 

• The fringe on the vestment (see Numbers 15:38-39)
• The corners of the fields are to be left unharvested (see Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22)

'Fringe' comes from the Hebrew 'kanaph' which is the subject of a multi-part series by Stisa beginning here. 'Corners' comes from the Hebrew 'peah' which comes from a related word ('paah') meaning to cut in pieces.

Notice how beautifully these two concepts are brought together in the story of Ruth. Ruth is a Moabite -- a foreigner -- who desires to stay with her mother in law Naomi following the death of her husband.  They are destitute. Ruth gleans the fields of Boaz and gains favor in his eyes (see Ruth 2:2-3). She later seeks his direct protection by making a reference to his skirt:

9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. (Ruth 3)

I've noticed how carefully the Old Testament establishes a way to care for the poor and foreigners. Ruth marries Boaz and through her we get King David. One lesson we can take from this is that God cares about the edges, the margins (including the marginalized), and He can bring about great and important things from the humble seekers, even if they begin their journey outside the bounds of His protection.

The Old Testament is filled with symbolic language showing how God will gather His people and lead them from wilderness to garden.  The gleaning at the edges of the field is a symbol of the gathering, and the crossing of a boundary (between profane and holy) is a symbol of the fringe of the garment.  It turns out these two seemingly disparate symbols fit together quite nicely. 

I'll close this post with a few verses which capture the beauty of this covenant symbol:

7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalm 36)

 

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. (Psalm 61)

 

10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: (Deuteronomy 32)