Nazarite vow

1) According to the 6^th chapter of Numbers, Moses received some special instructions.

2) All this information deals with what we know as a Nazarite vow.

3) Many of us may know that such a vow existed but may have never really studied it.

4) Tonight we want to examine this vow.

5) One of the first things we see concerning this promise is that could be engaged in by either men or women.

a) Num. 6:2 is our starting point – READ.

b) Either a man or a woman could take a Nazarite vow.

c) In the second verse we find a second piece of information: this vow was optional.

d) Stated another way, people chose whether or not they wanted to participate in this matter.

6) At the very end of the second verse we have a reason for why someone would make this vow.

7) The Nazarite vow allowed a person to “separate” himself or herself unto God.

8) What is being described is somewhat like some modern religious practices.

a) There are men known as “priests” (men who stay single and devote themselves to a life of religion).

b) There are women who pursue a similar path and they are designated as nuns.

c) Neither the role of a nun or a priest as denominations use the words are found in the Bible.

d) The things associated with priests and nuns partially illustrate the Nazarite vow.

e) People under the Old Testament system were committing themselves to God for special service.

9) During the time someone was under the Nazarite vow certain things were avoided – verse 3 – READ.

10) Virtually everything associated with wine, grapes—even to the point of the grape vine—was to be avoided.

11) We are not told in this chapter why these items were forbidden for the length of the vow.

a) Other verses seem to offer an explanation.

b) The fruit of the vine in the Old Testament is often a symbol of harvest.

c) In Ps. 4:7 an “increase in wine” is spoken of in the same breath as “gladness in the heart.”

d) Wine “cheers the flesh” (Eccl. 2:3) and is associated with a “merry heart (Eccl. 9:7).

e) Solomon’s joyous description of a wife includes a reference to “clusters of the vine” – SOS 7:7-8.

12) The rejection of wine and all grape related items is tied in with what the passages just cited discuss (joy).

13) Heathens in the area of Israel like to celebrate using all the items listed with the Nazareite vow.

14) The prohibition against these items in Num. 6:3-4 is most in line with a personal sacrifice to God.

15) Anyone under the Nazarite vow was saying they would be wiling to give up some things for God.

16) A life that might be lived in a different way would be fully committed to the Lord.

17) We will return to this thought after a bit.

18) Let’s look at the second item in the vow; this is in verse 5 – READ.

a) As long as a man or woman were under this vow the hair was not to be cut.

b) Like the first item, a reason for this is not given in this chapter.

c) If we look outside Num. 6, we have a hint as to why this might have been done.

d) Paul spoke about men and long hair in 1 Cor. 11:14.

e) He said that “long hair” is a shame for a man.

f) If hair grew and grew, at least for the male, it would seem that this had the connotation of shame.

g) Associated with shame is the overcoming of pride; humility.

h) Not cutting the hair would have also been one more way to indicate complete dedication to God.

i) Under the Old Testament system pride was not encouraged or endorsed.

j) Humility comes in varying degrees, and this vow may have been a way of seeking additional humility.

k) Verse 18 also indicates that the long hair was a way to demonstrate the separation.

19) Third on the list for those wanting to participate in this vow was a separation from dead bodies.

20) Verse 6 – READ.

a) This part of the vow is quite unusual.

b) If the person’s mother or father died, he or she could not go near the body.

c) If the person were a brother or sister, avoidance also had to be practiced.

d) God was to be put before parents, and this meant even attending a funeral for them while under this vow.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS VOW AND ITS THREE PARTS WE FIND THAT IT IS A VOW THAT CONTAINS IDEAS THAT ARE ACTUALLY MORE FULLY DEVELOPED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

a) Think back to the first part of the vow – no wine or strong drink.

b) Those under the Nazarite vow had to be willing to renounce some joys and pleasures of life.

c) Does this not sound a little bit like Christian living?

d) Jesus said in Lk. 9:23 that we are to “take up a cross.” That sounds a lot like denial and sacrifice.

e) Jesus said this experience was to be done “every day.”

f) Then in verse 24 the Lord spoke about a willingness to “lose our lives.”

g) If we “love our life” (Jn. 12:25) we will “lose it.’

h) Rom. 8:13 says if we live after the Spirit we “put to death” the deeds of the body.

i) Paul said in Tit. 2:12 that we “deny” ourselves of certain things.

j) This was exactly what the Nazarites did.

2) For those under the special Old Testament vow, they got to determine how long they wanted to keep the vow.

3) For us, we do not get that choice. The New Testament applies to all.

4) When we become a Christian, the process of sacrifice and dedication is to last a lifetime.

5) The course of action is longer but we have a much better system to live under and use.

6) A second point about the vow from Num. 6 was the continued growth of hair.

7) We associated this with pride and our world has a problem with pride.

a) I recently came across some interesting information about reincarnation.

b) Outside the United States the doctrine of reincarnation teaches that man may not always come back as a man.

c) In other countries it is said that a man might come back as a snail, snake, bird, mosquito, etc.

d) When the doctrine of reincarnation was brought to the U.S. in the 1800’s, it was not too popular.

e) People didn’t want to hear that they might come back as something that was not human.

f) Thus, the doctrine was altered for Western thought to say that people always come back as people.

g) This man made philosophy was altered so it appealed to persons in places like America.

h) This fact is a good demonstration of how proud Americans are.

i) Coming back as an animal is not good enough so the religion had to be changed.

j) Another popular philosophy in the area of religion is the “new age” movement.

8) If we go into a bookstore, you can find a whole section on the new age philosophy.

9) One key component in new age thinking is that man can become God.

10) Within ourselves is the chance to become deity in one form or another.

11) This is the next logical step in evolutionary thinking.

12) If we are growing and evolving, the “next step up” for us is Godhood.

a) Under the Old Testament system, God taught people to be humble.

b) Such was certainly indicated by the Nazarite vow.

c) Now that we have the New Testament, this point comes through again and again.

d) When Jesus spoke of pride (Mk. 7:22) He associated it with covetousness, lasciviousness, and deceit.

e) James said (4:6) that God “resists the proud.”

f) Peter said the same thing (1 Pet. 5:5).

g) Both these passages make another point.

h) While God resists the proud, He “gives grace to the humble.”

i) The tongue can “boast great things” (Jas. 3:5), but that is not God’s will.

j) Some of the least humble people we sometimes find are religious people.

k) In some cases there are persons who like to boast of their religious knowledge.

l) The next time you find someone who brags about how smart they are with the Bible, ask them a question.

m) Tell them you would like to know the story about Noah, N O A H.

n) When they start rattling off about the ark and the water, tell them you want to know about the woman.

o) You want to hear about the lady named Noah.

p) I can almost guarantee you that they will say there is no woman in the Bible called Noah.

q) There is, and you may find her listed in Josh. 17:3. She is listed at least four times in the Bible.

13) The last item associated with the Nazarite vow was no contact with a dead body.

14) Even if the closest relative had died, there was to be no close contact with the deceased.

15) This part of the rule described the most kind of intense dedication.

a) There are times today when someone says, “I cannot be disturbed.”

b) Some tasks are so important everything else must be set aside.

c) A counterpart to this aspect of the Nazarite vow is found in Christian living.

d) Christianity does not mean that we forget about everything else.

e) It does mean that it is the most important thing in our life.

f) At times we may be asked what our interests are.

g) Most people would not answer someone with a response like “Christian living is what I like to do.”

h) In reality, this should be what our life is really all about.

i) Our hopes, desires, aspirations and goals are all ultimately tied in with God and eternity.

j) Most everyone has heard Mt. 6:33, “seek ye first the kingdom of heaven.” God is the priority.

k) Jesus also said “work not for food that perishes but for the food leading to eternal life” (Jn. 6:27).

l) In Gal. 6:14 Paul said the world had been “crucified unto him.”

m) When it comes to spiritual things we are “unmovable” (1 Cor. 15:58).

n) That does not mean we sit back and refuse to live as a Christian.

o) It means we have made a commitment to God and we will not be moved from it.

p) We “seek the things where Christ is” (Col. 3:1).

16) Ultimately the Nazarite vow showed the sacrifice of an Old Testament believer (child of God).

17) Those under the Nazarite vow sacrificed some things for God.

18) They lived their lives to show they had separated themselves unto God.

19) We can look at what they did and ask some important questions for today.

20) If we are a Christian, what have we given to God?

21) How can we show that we also have separated ourselves unto the Lord?

22) How do we appear distinct from our world?

23) Some of the greatest men in the Bible put themselves under the Nazarite vow for life.

a) In Judg. 13 we read about a woman who wanted but could not have a baby.

b) An angel appeared to her and said she would have a son.

c) The angel said he was going to be a Nazarite from the womb.

d) This child was Samson; in many ways Samson was a great, great man.

e) Such is still true for those who dedicate themselves to God.

f) A second man under this vow for life was Samuel.

g) In this situation there was another wife who could not have a baby.

h) She said to God (1 Sam. 1:11) that if God would give her a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord.

i) Her child would be a Nazarite if God would help her become pregnant.

j) God did this and the mother did what she promised.

k) We know that son as Samuel.

l) John the Baptist was also under this type of vow (Lk. 1:15).

24) Under the Old Testament this vow was somewhat limited.

25) Now it is the type of thing God expects from all His people—full and complete separation and dedication.

26) If we compare our life and dedication to what people did under the Old Testament, how well do we fare?

27) Do we look like slackers? Do we seem like we are offering about the same level of commitment or more?

28) We have a better religious system to live under and should thus be a good example of who and what a Christian is.