FRAMEWORKS:
Numbers 6: Nazarites
Part
1.3: A Holy Camp
Ch.5:
Working for a Pure Camp
Ch.
6: Nazarites
Ch.7:
Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle
Ch.
8: Setting
Apart the Levites
Ch.
9: Passover
& Presence
FRAMEWORKS:
Numbers 6: Nazarites
v.1,2
The Nazirite Vow
v.3-6
Abstentions through the Period of the Vow
v.7-12
Coping with Deaths
v.13-17
Period of Vow Ended with Offerings
v.18-21
Shaved hair burnt and offerings presented as completion of Vow
v.22-27
The Priestly Blessing
[Preliminary
Notes: Today we have monks or nuns,
people who commit themselves to the service of God. Similar vows
were not uncommon in Old Testament times, e.g. Jacob [Gen 28:20],
Hannah [1 Sam 1:11], sailors [Jon 1:16], and we've already seen
the law of redeeming vows in Lev 27 but vows of a Nazarite were
relatively rare, yet there clearly were some [Amos 2:11,12]. Samson
was a Nazarite [Judg 13:7] and it is possible Samuel was. A Nazarite
was supposed to be the epitome of holiness and as a sign of being
committed to God he would not cut his hair [thus avoiding the
pride that may spring up in self-care]. Likewise he would stay
away from anything ‘unclean' and as a dead body was considered
unclean there were specific rules if he found himself encountering
death (see v.7-12). When he came to the end of the period of the
vow, he had to go through a process of righteously doing it via
offerings before God. In the New Testament the apostle Paul obviously
made a similar vow at one point – see Acts 18:18 – so it was still
a practice followed by those seeking to be especially devout.]
v.1,2
The Nazirite Vow
v.1
The
Lord
said to Moses,
v.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,
v.3-6
Abstentions through the Period of the Vow
v.3
they
[i] must
abstain from wine and other fermented drink
and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink.
They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.
v.4
As
long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must [ii]
not eat anything that comes
from the grapevine,
not even the seeds or skins.
v.5
“‘During
the entire period of their Nazirite vow, [iii]
no razor may be used on their
head . They must
be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord
is over; they
must let their hair grow long.
v.6
‘Throughout
the period of their dedication to the Lord,
the Nazirite [iv] must
not go near a dead body.
v.7-12
Coping with Deaths
v.7-8
Period of Dedication prematurely ended by a death
v.7
Even
if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they
must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them,
because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head.
v.8
Throughout
the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.
v.9
Phase 1: Day of Cleansing by cutting hair
v.9
“‘If
someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite's presence, thus defiling
the hair that symbolizes their dedication, they must shave their
head on the seventh day —the day of their cleansing.
v.10-11
Phase 2: Dealing with his sin by offerings
v.10
Then
on the eighth day they must bring two
doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance
to the tent of meeting.
v.11
The
priest is to offer one as a sin offering and
the other as a burnt offering to make
atonement for the Nazirite because they sinned by
being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they
are to consecrate their head again.
v.12
Phase 3: Day of rededication
v.12
They
must rededicate themselves to the Lord
for the same
period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb
as a guilt offering. The previous days
do not count, because they became defiled during their period
of dedication.
v.13-17
Period of Vow Ended with Offerings
v.13
“‘Now
this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their
dedication is over. They are to be brought to the entrance
to the tent of meeting.
v.14
There
they are to present their offerings to the Lord:
a year-old male lamb without defect for a
burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb
without defect for a sin offering, a ram without
defect for a fellowship offering,
v.15
together
with their grain offerings and drink offerings,
and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick
loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive
oil.
v.16
“‘The
priest is to present all these before the Lord
and make the
sin offering and the burnt offering.
v.17 He
is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice
the ram as a fellowship offering to the Lord,
together with its grain offering and drink offering.
v.18-21
Shaved hair burnt and offerings presented as completion of Vow
v.18
“‘Then
at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave
off the hair that symbolizes their dedication. They are to take
the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of
the fellowship offering.
v.19
“‘After
the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication,
the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the
ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both
made without yeast.
v.20
The
priest shall then wave these before the Lord
as a
wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest,
together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was
presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
v.21
“‘This
is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord
in accordance
with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford.
They must fulfil the vows they have made, according to the law
of the Nazirite.'”
v.22-27
The Priestly Blessing
v.22
The
Lord
said to Moses,
v.23
“Tell
Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
v.24
“‘“The
Lord
bless you and
keep you;
v.25
the
Lord
make his face shine on you and
be gracious to you;
v.26
the
Lord
turn his face toward you and
give you peace.”'
v.27
“So
they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”