The Nazarite Vow and the Christian Life
Text: Numbers 6:1-8
Introduction: Marines in paratroops training.
A
detachment of marines were assigned to the Army for paratroops training. On the first day. they were called to
assemble for a description of the assignment.
Before them stood the instructor and he began to describe the first
jump.
"Men, you
will fly over the target at 20,000 ft.
On my command the door will be opened and one by one you will be given
the jump command. Are there any
questions?"
Several of
the marines huddled together for a moment and seemed to be discussing something
very intently.
"You,
men what's the problem? If you have a
question speak up." the instructor
ordered.
One of the
men stepped forward, "Sir, we were wondering if the pilot could fly over
the target just a little bit lower.
"If, the
plane is any lower the parachutes won't have time to open and deploy, marine."
"Oh! We're
wearing parachutes, sir!"
Let's talk this morning about the Nazarites, kind of the Old
Testament Marines, spiritually speaking.
Let's read...
Numbers 6:1-8
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
Denial of Self
Numbers 6:3-4
He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
The Nazarite was to abstain from anything from the vine.
The word Nazarite means a consecrated or separated one. The
Nazarite in the Old Testament was one who for a certain period of time
dedicated his life and body completely to the Lord. The vow of the Nazarite was
usually undertaken spontaneously, and only for time period chosen by the one
taking the vow. Some Jewish writings mention periods of 30, 60 or 100 days, but
the Bible has no set time, it was left up to the individual. The term nāzîr,
which gives us the title Nazarite, means "to separate," and in this
context it means to separate to the Lord. Further the Nazarite was to separate
from some physical things as he separated himself to his God. The Nazarite,
while he kept his vow, was a physical symbol of spiritual dedication and separation
from the people of Israel to see. He would symbolize what they all should be a
"kingdom of priests and an holy nation" (Ex 19:6) dedicated to
Jehovah.
There seem to be three lifetime Nazarites mentioned in the
Bible, Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist. Samson is very obvious the other
two are a pretty good guess.
Samson in Judges 13:5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear
a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite
unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of
the Philistines.
Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD
of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and
remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a
man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and
there shall no razor come upon his head.
John the Baptist in Luke 1:13-15 But the angel said unto
him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall
bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have
joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be
great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink;
and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Jesus was not a Nazarite and you don’t want to confuse the
place he was raised, Nazareth, with the vow of a Nazarite. Jesus was not a
Nazarite because he touched the dead and drank wine. He was a Nazarene but not
a Nazarite. And though a Nazarite could come from Nazareth, just because you
might be a Nazarene, that does not make you a Nazarite. (Not to be nitpicky but
nothing and nobody necessitates the need of never neglecting the nomenclature
more than the niceties and nuances of Nazarite and Nazareth.)
It is fairly easy to that the Nazarite was to separate to
God but why the separation from all things pertaining to the grapevine? Again,
if this was just a separation from intoxicating drink, then it would be easy to
understand since a Nazarite dedicating themselves to the Lord should only be
under the control and direction of the Lord. He should be elevated by His God
not debased by drunkenness and without self-control.
But there is a greater symbol here, the grapevine and all
that came from it, represented Israel safe and prosperous. Grapevines could not
be grown, or cultivated when a nation was at war, or when times were difficult.
Viticulture was a yearlong process, and to raise up a vineyard took years from
the time of planting to the time grapes could be harvested enough to make a
good crop. Each season the vinedresser would have to prune, cultivate, and
replant. Processing the grapes into juice or raisins took even more time. To
have a vineyard able to produce grapes meant you had stability, and a nation
that had flourishing vineyards was a nation at peace and prospering. The Bible
speaks of such peace and prosperity as “every man under his vine and under his
fig tree.”
Scripture
1Kings 4:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man
under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days
of Solomon.
In the Nazarite Vow, God took away that sense of stability
and prosperity. Took it away from one physical thing that represented those
values and made the man or woman taking the vow realize that they would trust
not in things, but in their God. They were to deny themselves, their
possessions, their land, their crops and instead trust only in God. To the Nazarite
the denial of everything from the grapevine showed their denial of self and
their reliance on God.
Sole Means of Support
So what can I learn or apply to my Christian life from the
Nazarite vow? Well first it should remind me that as New Testament believers
who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we even more than a Nazarite should be
separated unto God and separated from our dependence upon this world and its
possessions.
Should we as Christians today, separate ourselves from
alcohol? Yes, because it can be a deadly poison to your health and a cancer to
your family, but even more than that it is something that represents the world
and its sin. Also, we should understand that before you can separate yourself
from this world you must separate yourself to God. If you get this backwards
you will fail in both. Nor is it just alcohol I should be aware of if I am to
be dedicated in service to God. What other things are my means of support, the
things that control me, the things that make me feel at peace and prosperous in
my life? Does my job, my education, my talent, my creativity, my intelligence, my
ability, my bank account, my home, my retirement funds make me feel like I’m
dwelling under my grape vine and sitting under my fig tree?
(Somehow, I don’t think that saying is going to catch on
again. “Hey, Jack. How are things going for you? Well pretty good. I’m dwelling
under my grapevine and sitting under my fig tree.” I like it but I just don’t
think its going to catch on.)
The saying may not catch on, but the idea behind it should
be remembered, our prosperity, our safety is not based upon what we have or own
but upon the One who owns us, the one we have separated ourselves to.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:24. Then said Jesus unto his
disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever
will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
“Let him deny himself, Jesus said. The Christian should
know, just as the Nazarite came to know through his vow, that our peace, our support,
our prosperity must come from God before it comes from anything He might bless
us with. It must be understood that God makes it possible to dwell under your
grape vine and sit under your fig tree. (yeah, not going to catch on, but it
sounds so good.)
How many of us would be willing to pray, "Lord knock
the props, the supports out from under my life that I may learn that you and
you only are my sole means of support, that you and you only control me.” I
don’t blame you that not praying that prayer, I’m not comfortable with it either,
but that’s okay because it’s probably going to happen anyway and probably more
than once. This world has a way of knocking us to our knees and from that
position its very easy to look up and know, “God you are my hope, and my
strength. You only are my foundation and the rock I stand on.”
Illustration: Livingstone wouldn't go back with Stanley.
David Livingstone was a famous Scotts missionary, explorer
and national hero of Britain in 1864 he returned to Africa to continue to
explore find the source of the Nile and try to use his influence to stop the
slave trade. Months turned into years and all news from the missionary stopped.
No one knew where he was, or if he was alive or now a prisoner of those he had
tried to free with the Gospel of Christ.
Henry Stanley was a Welshman who had come to America at 15,
fought in the Civil War and as a journalist reported on the Indian wars of the
west. When he returned from the West his editor sent him to Africa to try and
find the missing Livingstone. He left in 1871 and after almost 8 months of searching
found Livingstone in a small African village, in bad health and desperate to
hear news from home. Stanley tried to get Livingstone to go home with him, but
he refused for he did not feel his work was done.
In his dairy that night he wrote. "My Jesus, my King,
My Life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self to Thee. Accept me and grant O
gracious Father, that ere the year is done I may finish my work. In Jesus name, Amen." A year later he was found beside his cot, on
his knees dead. It appeared he had died in the midst praying to the God he had
trusted and served for all his life.
Here was a Christian who had separated himself from the
world and was relying only upon God.
Transition:
Let’s look at the second requirement of a Nazarite in vs. 5
of Numbers 6
Dedication of the Body
Numbers 6:5
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
The Nazarite Would look Different
They were not to cut their hair or if a man not to cut his
hair nor beard during their vow. (If this was true in our church today, some in
our membership have taken on a very long vow, stretching to a few years by
now.)
The Nazarite at the end of the vow would shave their head
and then burn the hair upon the altar under the other offerings they would
bring at the end of the vow.
The long hair and long, untrimmed beards would be an outward
sign of their consecration and dedication to God.
According to Amos 2:11, where God says, “And I raised up of
your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites.” it appears that in
times of spiritual or national need that God would rise up the Nazarites as physical
reminders of their need of God or perhaps even as warriors to act as champions fighting
for God.
Their long hair and beards marked them as special, dedicated
and unique people serving their God.
Outstanding Christians Stand Out
Now I am not going to advocate that we all start growing our
hair and beards long to stand out. I for one would have a serious handicap in
the hair category, but what we can apply from this part of the Nazarite vow is
that God’s people should stand out. In other words, Christians should look and
act differently than the sinful world around us. In everything we do, act and
even in our dress we are to show the one we are dedicated to. We should outwardly
show Jesus Christ.
Scripture; Lets do a quick survey of this truth in 1 Peter
starting at 1 Peter 2:9
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light:
(I know what you’re thinking, there is nobody more peculiar than
Independent Baptists. Well don’t be ashamed of that, own it.) We are to know that we are unique, peculiar
to our God.
Stand out by a lifestyle of good works. - 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
We should standout through inner beauty - 1 Peter 3:1. Likewise,
ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the
word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2
While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning
let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of
gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But
let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Standout by our Unity - 1Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one
mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be
courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but
contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should
inherit a blessing.
In other words, this is our overriding concern, that we show
God is in our life by the way we live our life, by the way others see our
outward life.
Does this affect the way you talk, the way you dress, the
way you act, the way you live? Yes, it truly does, it truly must. If we are
talking, dressing, acting or living like the world, then we are not showing God
in our lives and through our lives. Christians should not be afraid to stand
out as Christians.
Illustration: Christian and Faithful in Vanity Fair
Then I saw in my dream, that when they were got out of the
wilderness, they presently saw a town before them, and the name of that town is
Vanity; and at the town there is a fair
kept, called Vanity Fair. It is kept all
the year long. It beareth the name of Vanity Fair,
because the town where it is kept is lighter than vanity, and also because all that is there sold, or that cometh
thither, is vanity; ..at this fair are all such merchandise sold as houses, lands, trades,
places, honors, preferments, titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures; and
delights of all sorts, as harlots, wives, husbands, children, masters,
servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones,
and what not. And moreover, at this fair there is at all times to be seen
jugglings, cheats, games, plays, fools, apes, knaves, and rogues, and that of
every kind. Here are to be seen, too, and that for nothing, thefts, murders,
adulteries, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red color.
Now, these pilgrims, as I said, must needs go through this
fair. Well, so they did; but behold, even as they entered into the fair, all
the people in the fair were moved; and the town itself, as it were, in a hubbub
about them, and that for several reasons: for,
First, The Pilgrims were clothed with such kind of raiment
as was diverse from the raiment of any that traded in that fair. The people,
therefore, of the fair made a great gazing upon them: some said they were fools;
some, they were bedlams; and some, they were outlandish men.
Secondly, And as they wondered at their apparel, so they did
likewise at their speech; for few could understand what they said. They
naturally spoke the language of Heaven; but they that kept the fair were the
men of this world: so that from one end of the fair to the other, they seemed
barbarians each to the other.
Thirdly, But that which did not a little amuse the
merchandisers was, that these pilgrims set very light by all their wares. They
cared not so much as to look upon them; and if they called upon them to buy,
they would put their fingers in their ears, and cry, "Turn away mine eyes
from beholding vanity," and look upward, signifying that their trade and
traffic was in heaven.
At last, things came to an hubbub and great stir in the
fair, insomuch that all order was confounded. So the men were brought to
examination; and they that sat upon them asked them whence they came, whither
they went, and what they did there in such an unusual garb. The men told them
they were pilgrims and strangers in the world, and that they were going to
their own country, which was the heavenly Jerusalem, and that they had given no
occasion to the men of the town, to abuse them, and to let them in their
journey…. But they did not believe them to be any other than crazy and mad. Therefore
they took them and beat them, and smeared them with dirt, and then put them
into a cage, that they might be made a spectacle to all the men of the fair.
There, they lay for some time, and were made the objects of any man's sport, or
malice, or revenge; ….Then were these two poor men brought before their
examiners and were charged as being guilty of the riot that had been in the
fair. So they beat them pitifully, and hanged irons upon them, and led them in
chains up and down the fair, for an example and terror to others, lest any
should speak in their behalf, or join themselves unto them. But Christian and
Faithful behaved themselves yet more wisely and received the ignominy and shame
that was cast upon them with so much meekness and patience, that it won to
their side several of the men in the fair. This put the others into a greater
rage, insomuch that they planned the death of these two men. Wherefore they
threatened that they should die for the abuse they had done, and for deluding
the men of the fair.
... When the time was come, they were brought before their
enemies and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hate-good; their indictment
was …this: "That they were enemies to, and disturbers of, the trade; that
they had made commotions and divisions in the town and had won a party to their
own dangerous opinions, in contempt of the law of their prince."
Then Faithful began to answer, “I have only set myself against
that which had set itself against Him that is higher than the highest. And, …as
for disturbance, I make none, being myself a man of peace: the parties that
were won to us, were won by beholding our truth and innocence, and they are
only turned from the worse to the better. And as to the king you talk of, since
he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I defy him and all his angels! - The
Pilgrim's Progress.
Transition:
Faithful and Christian did nothing except standout because
they were different from Vanity fair, but in this sinful world that will be
enough. Finally, lets look at verses 6-8.
Designation of Life
Numbers 6:6-8
All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
The Nazarite Was to Avoid The Dead
The Nazarite, was a representation of the living God of
Israel, therefore, he could not be associated with death while he was under the
Nazarite vow.
He could not attend funerals even if they were his own family.
If he accidentally came in contact with a dead body, he was to cut his hair and
begin the vow anew.
He was to be holy and
represent the living God and nothing could interfere with that message and
symbol.
Let The Dead Bury The Dead
We as Christians are
also separated ones in this world. The word Holy means separated and the word
saint comes from that some root meaning. As an holy people, as saints we should
not let the death of sin and this world obscure the image of God we represent.
No Contamination - 2 Corinthians 7:1. Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
No fellowship. - Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
No love - 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. 16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever.
No entanglements – 2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth
entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who
hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Christians are not to be associated with this dead world but
instead be yoked, joined to, Christ.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For
my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.
In case you don’t realize it, there is only room for one other
in our yoke. We cannot be be joined to this world and joined to the Lord Jesus
Christ at the same time.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from
among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; …
Illustration: My Grandfather calls about going to Bible College.
"Let the Dead bury the dead." It was the most direct
challenge I had ever had about surrendering and serving God. Do you know what
happened? Well you should because I’m standing here and not in Yuma, Arizona
cleaning swimming pools. This year is LeeOra’s and my 40th year serving the
Lord as pastor and wife. We let the dead bury the dead and separated ourselves
to the Lord and his service.
Conclusion:
Completion of the Vow
The Nazirite who came to the end of the time of their vow,
would come to the high priest with offerings and sacrifices. First a year-old
ewe lamb was offered for a sin offering, because even though he was separated
to the Lord, the Nazirite was not sinless. Then a year-old male lamb was
offered as a burnt offering, this was a symbol of complete dedication God. Then
with a basket of unleavened bread, a ram was given for a peace offering, which
represented fellowship, also was given a meal offering and the drink offering. The bread and the peace offering would be part
of a fellowship meal that the now finished Nazarite would share with others. The
priest and his family would also take their share of the offerings, as God had
appointed that this was how the workers of the tabernacle and temple were
supported.
I believe that the Christian, in a sense should see
themselves as lifelong Nazarites, no not through the physical things, like
abstaining from grapes, the growing of hair and beards or the prohibition
against contact with the dead, but a lifelong commitment to being dedicated to
God and separated from this world as those who are a holy priesthood as a
people. To hold to that application then, at the end of our life we also would
come before our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ and there we would give our
sacrifices our offerings to him. But what could we give, not a ram or bread,
those things were but symbols. We now at the end of our life must present
something real, to the one who we have served with our life. I thin we see a
picture of this final offering to the Lord in …
Revelation 4:8-11
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
At the completion of our vow, the end of our time on earth,
the only thing we can offering is the crown of life, laid at the feet of our
Savior. That crown which was the reward of all that we did, in this life, all
that we sacrificed, all that we gave all that we suffered, the very life we
lived and the death we died will be laid at the feet of our Savior who gave all
for us.
For some the crown will be forged in a moment of great
sacrifice and martyrdom, others from a long life lived faithfully and humbly in
obscure service. Some crowns will be but a golden circlet while others will
surpass the most elaborate crowns of any monarch on earth. But no matter the
leanness or the greatness, every crown will be laid at the feet of Jesus. That
will be my sacrifice, my offering at the end of my life. I pray that in God’s
grace and strength I will have live that life dedicated to Him.