Numbers 6:13-2713And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 14And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, 15And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings. 16And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: 17And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. 18And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. 19And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven: 20And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. 21This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. 22And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:13‑27)
IN THE law of the Nazarite then we have that holy separation of the Lord Jesus and all who are His own, from the world unto God.
He was the true Nazarite and in this He stood alone. He was “that holy thing,” as was said to Mary, “which shall be born of thee” (Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)). All through His childhood He was the same. It is said of Samson: “the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan.” Judg. 13:24,2524And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judges 13:24‑25). Then of the Lord Jesus we read, “the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:4040And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40). When just twelve years old He could say to His parents, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?”
He never walked in the counsel of the ungodly, never did He stand in the way of sinners, nor did He sit in the seat of the scornful, but His delight was in the law of the Lord and in His law did He meditate day and night (Psalm 1). By His death and resurrection others were blessed and set apart unto God; Thus He is the firstborn among many brethren.
We ought to be Nazarites as we pass through this world, but our Nazariteship must come from our being associated with Christ in His death and resurrection.
But Nazariteship was only for this life. When the Nazarite had fulfilled his vow, when “all the days of his separation” were ended, then he was to bring his offerings unto the Lord — a burnt offering, a sin offering, a peace offering, unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, a meat offering and drink offerings. He was also to shave off the hair of his head as a sign that his Nazariteship was at an end. Then he could drink wine.
These offerings all speak of Christ, of all that He was and is to God in His blessed life and wondrous death, they tell too of His love for His own, of that precious work of redemption that He has accomplished for them; they speak of joy, communion, and ease. In that day of gladness, when He has all His own around Himself in glory, when Israel, His redeemed earthly people acclaim Him as their Messiah and Redeemer, when all nations shall adore Him, and all creation is blessed at His feet, then He will drink with His own the new wine of the kingdom.
Our Nazariteship will be at an end then. Our separation from the world will be over for there will be no evil to separate from in heaven. But we shall enter into and enjoy the full fruit of Christ’s redemption’s work, and drink that wine of joy without hindrance with Him above. We can have this joy now in the measure in which we walk by the Spirit in separation unto Christ; but then we shall know and enjoy in all its fullness what now we only know in part.
How sweetly this chapter on the Nazarite ends with the words: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
ML-05/13/1973