AM Bible Study Group; April 7, 2010
Numbers 6:1-21
Theme: In this passage, God describes the Old Testament procedure that was to be followed for those who wished to devote themselves to a very serious vow of dedication to Him.
This passage carries on with the theme of the devotion of the people of Israel to God as they made their way to the promised land. In it, God gives careful instructions to those who wished to devote themselves to Him in a special and very serious vow.
The name given to this vow is ‘the vow of a Nazarite. Its name comes from the Hebrew word for “set apart”. Several persons in the Old Testament entered into such a vow. Samson was a Nazarite from the womb to his death (Judges 13:7). Samuel may have been one; and it may well be that his mother Hannah was also one (1 Samuel 1:11)—which may explain why she devoted her son to the Lord in gratitude to God for giving him to her (1 Samuel 1:24-28). Others were Nazarjtes as well (Lamentations 4:7; Amos 2:11-12). John the Baptist may have been one, since the requirements of the Nazarite vow were commanded to be applied to him before he was born (Luke 1:15). Apparently even the apostle Paul took such a vow (Acts 18:18); and paid the expenses of some others of his fellow Jewish countrymen who did so (Acts 21:23).
Fallen people, in religious passion, have often embraced rituals and ceremonies and vows in an effort to devote themselves to false gods. And sometimes, even those who are followers of the one true God have created rituals and ceremonies by which they hope to “set themselves apart” to Him. But this passage shows us that God doesn’t accept the rituals and ceremonies that men think will make them more devoted to Him. He didn’t even allow the Israelites to devote themselves to Him in any way they wished, but only as He prescribed—just as there is for us today only one God, and one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5); and as no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). The Nazarite vow, then, is best seen as an Old Testament picture of the complete devotion that is to now characterize our lives before God in Christ alone.
I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE VOW (vv. 1-8).
A. These instructions had to do with the circumstance of someone who wanted to make a difficult or important voluntary vow—perhaps to set themselves apart to God for a while, or to make the promise to devote something to Him (vv. 1-2). Note that this was a voluntary vow that it was possible for either a man or a woman to take. And it wasn’t ordinarily a vow for life, but only for a time. But once entered into, it was a commitment that was to be kept with the utmost seriousness and care.
B. The person who entered into this vow was required to do three things:
1. They were to abstain from all wine or the products of grapes (vv. 3-4). Grapes are sometimes symbolic of joy (Psalm 104:15); so this may have meant that there was to be a separation from the normal joys of this life that people ordinarily allow themselves.
2. They were also to let heir hair to grow out (v. 5). Long hair—particularly on a man— was a symbol of shame; and so this may have been symbolic of public humility (1 Corinthians 11:14). Note that the devotion of Samson to God hinged upon the length of his hair (Judges 16:17).
3. Finally, a man or woman entering into a Nazarite vow was to avoid contact with any dead body (vv. 6-7; see also 5:2). The avoidance of contact with a dead body in general was a standard that was to be followed by the priests (Leviticus 21:1-2); but the extreme form followed by the Nazarite was only true of the man anointed as high priest (Leviticus 21:10-11). This high standard for the Nazarite reflected extreme separateness unto God. He is to be “holy to the LORD” all the days of his separation (v. 8)—just as we today who are called “saints” by God in Christ are to “be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:1, 4).
II. THE SACREDNESS OF THE VOW (vv. 9-12).
A. Because it was a matter of setting one’s self apart unto a holy God, there was to be no compromises with this vow. Even if someone suddenly died beside the Nazarite, and the Nazarite’s “consecrated head” became defiled, the days of the vow would be lost. He would have to wait seven days after the defilement occurred; and then shave his head and offer a prescribed offering of two turtledoves or two young pigeons before the door of the tabernacle as a sin offering and a burnt offering (vv. 9-11).
B. He would then be required to offer a male lamb of the first year as a trespass offering for the days of his separation; but the days of his separation would be void, and he would have to begin his vow afresh (vv. 12-13). Though the Nazarite may not have been personally culpable in making contact with a dead body, his defilement was nevertheless real and called a “sin”. This is a picture of the uncompromising purity that a holy God required of those who would devote themselves to Him—a purity that we, in our fallenness could never hope to maintain in our own strength, but that was fully accomplished for us by Christ (Romans 8:3-4).
III. THE COMPLETION OF THE VOW (vv. 13-20).
A. Upon the completion of this vow, the Nazarite followed a carefully defined process for brining it to an end. The offering made for the accidental defilement of the vow (vv. 9- 13) was relatively inexpensive; but the offering for the end of the vow involved much more cost to the offerer. He was to bring to the door of the tabernacle all that was required for the basic offerings prescribed by the law. And they followed a specific order (vv. 13-17): first the sin offering by which atonement for sin was made; then the burnt offering, which was the offering of complete devotion; then the peace offering, which symbolized peace with a holy God; and finally the grain offering, which spoke of fellowship. Sin must be atoned for before devotion can be made; and only after peace is established can fellowship be enjoyed. It’s a beautiful picture of the condition of grace God has purchased for us in His Son.
B. After the offerings were made, then the Nazarite was to symbolize the completion of his vow by shaving his head (v. 18; see also Acts 18:18; 21:24). The days of the Nazarite’s separation to God was symbolically offered by placing the hair of his consecrated head onto the fire under the peace offering. Then, the priest took the boiled shoulder of the ram of the peace offering and a portion of the grain offering, placed them in the hands of the Nazarite to show that they are his offering, then took them back and waved them (left to right) as a wave offering to the Lord with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave (up and down) offering. Then, they will belong to the priest as his portion (vv. 19-20). Only afterwards may the Nazarite consider his or her vow completed and become free to enter into regular life again (v. 20). God’s acceptance of devotion must be accompanied by sacrifice—just as our devotion to Him can be in no other way but by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf (see 1 Peter 2:5).
IV. THE SUMMARY OF THE VOW (v. 21).
A. As these closing words show us, the Nazarite vow concerned not only something or someone that the Nazarite wished to devote to the Lord (see, as a possible example, 1 Samuel 1:27-28), but also the devotion of their very selves to Him.
B. Note that it was a “law of the Nazarite”. Though voluntary, this separation unto God was not something that it was left up to the individual to decide how to do; but rather, it was something that must be done as God specifically commanded in order for it to be acceptable to Him.
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The Old Covenant law of the Nazarite vow, then, was a picture of a wonderful New Covenant reality. The purity and devotion of the Nazarite pictured the holiness that God demanded back then of those who gave themselves to Him; but though God still requires holiness, no ritual or ceremony for purification is necessary to yield ourselves to God today. It’s true that an offering is needed; but it’s one that has already been made for us by Jesus Christ; by whose death our sins have been fully atoned for, and by whose righteousness alone we are made acceptable in God’s sight. It was He who was “called a Nazarene” on our behalf (Luke 2:23; see also Judges 13:5).
And so, now, we are to offer ourselves in consecration to God through Him. Each of us as genuine “saints” (set-apart ones by faith in Christ) are to be yielded to God in our whole being—more so, in fact, than a Nazarite of the Old Covenant; because ours is a permanent and complete consecration. As Paul wrote in Romans—after eleven chapters of explaining the glorious doctrine of justification by faith in Jesus Christ; “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2).