(Num. 6)
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman, shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernel even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.” Ver. 1-8.
The ordinance of Nazariteship is full of interest and practical instruction. In it we see the case of one setting himself apart, in a very special manner, from things which, though not absolutely sinful in themselves, were, nevertheless, Calculated to interfere with that intense consecration of heart which is set forth in true Nazariteship.
In the first place, the Nazarite was not to drink wine. The fruit of the vine, in every shape and form, was to him a forbidden thing. Now wine, as we know, is the apt symbol of earthly joy—the expression of that social enjoyment which the human heart is so fully capable of entering into. From this the Nazarite was sedulously to keep himself. With him it was a literal thing. He was not to excite nature by the use of strong drink. AH the days of his separation he was called to exercise the strictest abstinence from wine.
Such was the type, and it is written for our learning—written, too, in this marvelous book of Numbers, so rich in its wilderness lessons. This is only what we might expect. The impressive institution of the Nazarite finds its appropriate place in the book of Numbers. It is in perfect keeping with the character of the book, which, as has been already remarked, contains all that specially belongs to life in the wilderness.
Let us, then, inquire into the nature of the lesson taught us in the Nazarite’s abstinence from everything of the vine, from the kernel even to the husk.
There has been but one true and perfect Nazarite in this world—but one who maintained, from first to last, the most complete separation from all mere earthly joy. From the moment He entered upon His public work, He kept Himself apart from all that was of this world. His heart was fixed upon God and His work, with a devotion that nothing could shake. No claims of earth or nature were allowed, for a single moment, to come in between His heart and that work which He came to do. “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” And again, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” With such words did the true Nazarite seek to adjust the claims of nature. He had one thing to do, and to that He separated Himself perfectly. His eye was single and His heart undivided. This is apparent from first to last. He could say to His disciples “I have meat to eat that ye know not of;” and when they, not knowing the deep significance of His words, said, “Hath any man brought him aught to eat?” He replied, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work.” (John 4) So also, at the close of His course here below, we hear Him giving utterance to such words as these, as He took into His hand the paschal cup, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Luke 22:17, 1817And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: 18For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. (Luke 22:17‑18).
Thus we see how the perfect Nazarite carried Himself throughout. He could have no joy in the earth, no joy in the nation of Israel. The time had not come for that, and therefore He detached Himself from all that which mere human affection might find in association with His own, in order to devote Himself to the one grand object which was ever before His mind. The time will come when He, as the Messiah, will rejoice in His people and in the earth; but, until that blissful moment arrives, He is apart as the true Nazarite, and His people are linked with Him. “ They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:16-1916They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:16‑19).
Christian reader, let us deeply ponder this first grand feature of the Nazarite character. It is important we should faithfully examine ourselves in the light of it. It is a very grave question indeed, how far we, as Christians, are really entering into the meaning and power of this intense separation from all the excitement of nature, and from all merely earthly joy. It may perhaps be said, “What harm is there in having a little amusement or recreation? Surely we are not called upon to be monks. Has not God given us richly all things to enjoy? And while we are in this world, is it not right we should enjoy it?”
To all this we reply, It is not a question of the harm of this, that, or the other. There was no harm, as a general rule, in wine, nothing abstractedly wrong in the vine tree. But the point is this, if any one aimed at being a Nazarite, if he aspired to this holy separation unto the Lord, then was he to abstain wholly from the use of wine and strong drink. Others might drink wine; but the Nazarite was not to touch it.
Now, the question for us is this, do we aim at being Nazarites? Do we sigh after thorough separation and devotement of ourselves, hi body, soul, and spirit, unto God? If so, we must be apart from all those things in which mere nature finds its enjoyment. It is upon this one lunge that the whole question turns. The question, most assuredly, is not “Are we to be monks?” but “Do we want to be Nazarites?” Is it our heart’s desire to be apart, with our Lord Christ, from all mere earthly joy—to be separated unto God from those things which, though not absolutely sinful in themselves, do, nevertheless, tend to hinder that entire consecration which is the true secret of all spiritual Nazariteship? Is not the christian reader aware that there are, in very deed, many such things? Is he not conscious that there are numberless and nameless things which exert a distracting and weakening influence upon Ids spirit, and yet were they tried by the standard of ordinary morality, they might be allowed to pass as harmless?
But we must remember that God’s Nazarites do not measure things by any such standard. Theirs is not an ordinary morality at all. They look at things from a divine and heavenly stand-point, and hence they cannot suffer aught to pass as harmless which tends, in any Arise, to interfere with that high tone of consecration to God after which their souls are fervently breathing.
May we have grace to ponder these things, and to watch against every defiling influence. Each one must be aware of what it is which, in his case, would prove to be wine and strong drink. It may seem to be a trifle; but we may rest assured that nothing is a trifle which breaks the current of our soul’s communion with God, and robs us of that holy intimacy which it is our privilege ever to enjoy.
(To be continued, if the Lord will.)