October 15, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Numbers and Colossians? Here’s today’s reading:
Numbers 6 (NIV)
The Nazirite
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink……Continue Reading
You certainly think of someone like John the Baptist or Paul when you think about a Nazarite or the Nazarite vow. Someone who’s strong desire to be closer to God will set aside the pleasures or comforts or this world in sacrifice toward that deeper relationship. We do small things like fast from food or things but this was a life change in every way.
We know God desires for this closeness with each of us, we see it in the final blessing that is so personal; God bless you, keep you, His face shine upon you. He does desire a personal relationship with each of us and while we may never get to the place of a true Nazarite, we should have that desire to remove the things that distract us and pull us away from Him in a daily effort to get closer and closer to that deeper relationship with Him.
I was curious about the point of the Nazarite vow this was in enduring word:
“In a significant way, the Nazirite vow gave every Israelite the opportunity to make a priest-like vow and live in a priest-like consecration to God, at least for a time. The priesthood was restrictive. Only men of a certain age from a very particular family could be priests. The consecration of a Nazirite vow was open to all, including women.“
Numbers 6
This chapter should cause us to think about what we would sacrifice for God. He is worthy of everything, so it is amazing what little He asks specifically for in this vow. The abstention from alcohol would clarify the mind and so points to how clear our minds are when we live our lives before God and how we should think accurately of life, people and circumstances. The growing of the hair could point to giving up concern over our physical appearance. How important it is to not become too preoccupied with that! And the sacrifice of material possession was part of all of the offerings, but here also in the fulfillment of the Nazarite vow. And how awesome is this Aaronic blessing at the end of the chapter. What an indicator of God’s heart to His people. To bless and not to harm. To be close and not be distant. To give grace, rather than be strict. To grant peace rather than conflict. Just think about what this blessing could have said, but how clearly God expresses His good heart to His people in what it does say!
Numbers 5-6
Numbers 6