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 1:35). 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. 13:24,25. 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 2:40. 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