Numbers part 5 | The Nazirite Vow

In Numbers 6, we read the process by which any Israelite could devote themselves to the service to God in the tabernacle. It is an interesting phenomenon because for several chapters, the Lord has told Moses to keep people at bay from the tabernacle. In order for the priests to conduct their service, they had to go through the proper rituals. Here, the Lord gives a process for non-priests.

Before we read the first section, it is worth taking a moment to look at the word “Nazirite.” It is from the root nazar meaning “to separate.” As a title noun, the word literally is “one who is set apart.” It is also phonetically linked to the word nadar meaning “to vow.” The Nazirite is one who has purposefully set himself apart for service to God.

The vow consists of three parts: abstaining from alcohol (and alcohol-related products), letting the hair grow naturally, and avoiding anything that would make the Nazirite ritually unclean. As we look at each of these sections, I would like us to think in terms of “How can we apply this principle today?”. It would be very easy to dismiss this section as an ancient rite that we no longer perform.

And yet, do we not have times when we need to consecrate ourselves for a special purpose?

Are we not called to fast when we seek the Lord?

Are there not times when we are approaching a new chapter in our lives in which we need a special message from the Lord?

Perhaps two examples of Nazirites in Scripture can help illustrate my point. We know of two places in which this vow was performed—Samuel’s mother and Samson’s mother.

In both cases, the mother desired a child but was barren. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, after finally conceiving Samuel dedicated Samuel to Eli, the priest, who raised the boy as a Nazirite for life. Samuel, you may know, would eventually become a prophet and priest who served to find Israel’s first kings.

Samson’s mother was given special instructions from the angel of the Lord to not eat any fruit of the vine or drink any wine because Samson was to be a Nazirite from the womb. Samson was to be set apart in order to free the Israelites from the Philistines. He is to maintain the Nazirite lifestyle until his task is complete.

Separating for Service to the Lord | Numbers 6

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

“All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.

Numbers 6:1-5

Abstaining from alcohol extends to the level of even avoiding the grapes themselves. No razor shall touch his head, and so the Nazirite doesn’t even trim his hair or beard. The command even adds a bit of poetry stating “let the locks of hair of his head grow long.” Quickly, we see the Nazirite lifestyle is visible to the people around him. The long hair and avoidance of all things “grapevine” would stand out in the wider camp.

This particular section is straightforward in its literal meaning, but it does present an interesting case study for how we interpret the Old Testament—specifically the Law. If we take the stance that we must obey all of the Law because Jesus may have fulfilled the Law, but he does not nullify it (Matt 5:17), then we could see it as a command for us. Do we aspire to live as a Nazirite consecrated to the Lord? But, if we consider Jesus “fulfilling the Law” to mean that we are not bound to it in any way, then we will see this as simply inapplicable to us at all.

I would argue a better New Testament lens comes from Paul in Galatians 3.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Galatians 3:23

Paul calls the Law our “guardian”—paidagogos. The Greek term is used for a tutor, and more popularly a servant who would oversee the son’s tutelage. When the son matures, or graduates, then the servant’s authority would be finished.

Israel needed a tutor to point them to Christ. The Law teaches us about holiness, purity, and what state we need to be in order to approach the throne of God. It also demonstrates our absolute lack of ability to live a perfect life. God gives grace in providing the means for consecration, purification, and morality, but as we attempt to live by the Law, we realize our utter dependency on God’s mercy.

That mercy took on flesh as Jesus Christ. When Christ came, He fulfilled the Law with all its demands bringing us to maturity. Humanity can come to Christ by faith because He completed the Law. Now, instead of asking ourselves whether we should, or should not, keep all the prescriptions in the Old Testament, a better question is to ask, “How can these laws point us to maturity of faith in Christ?”

These particular requirements for the Nazirite, I believe, give us two principles we can follow.

First:

People who are consecrated to the Lord will look and behave differently than those who are not.

Even the priests were allowed to drink alcohol, so long as they weren’t about to fulfill their duties in the Holy Place. The Nazirite, being consecrated to God, can not. So, naturally, the question becomes whether or not Christians should drink. Should our drinking habit be different from the world? For many Christians, the answer is ‘no.’ They have chosen to abstain from alcohol as a means of keeping captive their thoughts and to not live as the unbelieving world. Some Christians will say ‘yes,’ but in moderation. They point to the fact Jesus drank wine (contrary to my conservative baptist friends), and so we can, too. In either case, Paul makes the proper stance clear.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians 5:17-21

If your drinking (or any other behavior or food for that matter) leads you to debauchery, foolishness, or keeps you from listening to the Holy Spirit or submitting to one another, then don’t do it. You have one master who is Christ the Lord. If anything else is taking you captive, then it’s time to get rid of it.

The second principle is this:

If we want to seek a special message or calling from God, then we should abstain from our “normal” way of life—i.e. fast.

For the Nazirite, they not only fasted from all things grape-related, they also abstained from worrying about their appearance. They shifted their focus from the ordinary and themselves and towards God and His desires.

One of the reasons why many Christians fail to hear from God is because they aren’t paying attention. They continue to fill their days with the mundane and the normal busyness. When Jesus taught how to fast, He says “when you fast” not “if you fast.” It was assumed there are times when we need to fast. We traditionally think of fasting as ‘food,’ but the truth is, in our day, we need to fast from other things—screens, tv, social media, and the like. Turn off all the talking heads so you can hear God speak.

What if the vow is broken? | Numbers 6:6-12

“All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord.

“And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead body. And he shall consecrate his head that same day and separate himself to the Lord for the days of his separation and bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering. But the previous period shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

Numbers 6:6-12

Here, the Nazirite is given the means to reinstate his vow if he comes into contact with a dead person. The Nazirite would still live among his people, and so, if one died suddenly, the Nazirite would be defiled and his vow broken. In this case, there would be a period of cleansing so that the vow could resume.

How do we respond when we have broken our vow or fallen in sin? Let’s look at one of our famous Nazirites.

Samson’s story is more “antihero” than “heroic” because each scene of the story shows Samson falling further and further from his vow. When his hair is cut, that is actually the final vow broken for his life and why he loses his strength. He has already been around dead bodies—he’s the one that made them dead. He has probably already drunken wine having attended several feasts in the story.

And so, when we find him in his final scene bound to the pillars of the pagan temple, short-haired and blind, it is no wonder God has allowed him to fall this far. And yet, let’s read how Samson responds in his darkest hour.

Then Samson called to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life.

Judges 16:28-30

Samson calls out to the Lord and asks for the strength to complete his task. His mother was told that Samson would be the one to free Israel. Had he been more faithful, he probably could have completed the task without killing himself in the process, but his failures brought him to this point. God used Samson anyway. Samson was able to finish the task because the Lord responded to Samson’s repentance.

When we fail to uphold our vows to God or live to the standards of Christian faith, we can still go to God in repentance, and He will respond with mercy.

Now, let’s make sure we understand this principle properly. God may not remove all the consequences of our actions. Samson was still tied up and blind in the house of Dagon. But when Samson called out to God in faith, God returned Samson’s strength to finish the task.

When the Task is Complete | Numbers 6:13-21

“This is the law of the Nazirite. But if he vows an offering to the Lord above his Nazirite vow, as he can afford, in exact accordance with the vow that he takes, then he shall do in addition to the law of the Nazirite.”

Numbers 6:21

When the vow is complete and the Nazirite’s service rendered, he is to bring a final offering and then the priest will shave his head in order to offer the “holy hair” as an offering too. The life that was lived under the Nazirite vow is removed, and the old life returns.

At the end of this section, the law gives concession to the Nazirite to offer more than what is necessary for the vow. There are probably any number of reasons why the Nazirite may want to offer more the law’s demands, but this clause helps us understand a principle of Christian fellowship.

Not everyone’s convictions are exactly the same. Some people are simply wrong, and we can point them to Scripture to help them see what is right. But some areas of life are not as black and white. For example, consider the different views of alcohol mentioned before. Paul mentions others in his letters—dietary restrictions concerning idol worship or Jewish law, festivals and feasts, and general temptations. In each of these cases, we are to do two things: avoid sin and promote unity.

We avoid sin by not being a hindrance to our brother or sister in Christ causing them to break their convictions. We also avoid sin by not indulging in the things of this world that lead to sin.

We promote unity by deferring to the weaker brother. I do not use my freedom to gloat or to indulge. Let me give you three verses quickly.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:13

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

Romans 14:12-14

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Romans 15:1-2

The Nazarite vow had to do with a personal decision to consecrate himself to God for some personal reason—whether material or spiritual gain.

As Christians, we are consecrated to God by the Holy Spirit—and that’s 24/7. But our consecration is not for our benefit. It is to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ and our neighbors.

And so, if we are convicted to abstain from certain foods or holidays, then do so, but do not place judgement on those who do not have the same conviction. Count your abstaining as strengthened faith and encourage, not judge, your brother in your conviction. If you believe nothing is unclean, and your conviction is freedom, then eat your food and celebrate your holiday, but do not judge, nor hinder those who abstain from such things.

In other words, don’t drink around the alcoholic.

Regardless your convictions:

Our life should reflect the truth of the Gospel and be a means of building up others around us.