Num. 6
No type ever reaches up to, much less can it exhaust, the glory of the Lord. Hence we constantly find a point where Christ personally is rather the contrast than the object pictured. Aaron was the high priest taken from among men, but Jesus was the Son of God. The one with the blood of bulls and goats offered once every year for himself and for the errors of the people; “but Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:11, 1211But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:11‑12)). So Christ, as we know, was incapable of defilement: the death of man or of Israel in the scene which surrounded Him, did not and could not affect Him, Who, if he were the Nazarite, was infinitely more. None could take His life from Him. If He laid it down, it was purely and entirely the spontaneous act of His grace, though even then He will not swerve from the will of the Father. “have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
Blessed be His name! He did lay down His life for the sheep. For it was the will of God that we should be separated by that true Nazarite unto God Himself, and Christ came to effect His will of sanctifying us, and this could only be by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all. For, as Jesus had said, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” And Christ would not abide alone as God's Nazarite, but, having died, and thus removed our defilement and death by His own death for us, He is beyond the region of the dead; and there too are we brought, as risen with Him. The dead corn of wheat has produced much fruit. Risen with Him, great is the company of the Nazarites now.
It is wondrous, yet most certain, that He Who knew no sin was made sin for us. Never was Christ's consecration of Himself more holy than when the spotless Victim was wreathed and filleted with our sins, which He verily owned, and bore, and suffered. for, according to the judgment and wrath of God. Perfectly without sin, He alone could be a sacrifice for us; perfectly made sin for us, He alone could blot out our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. But now the work is finished, and He has taken His seat at God's right hand, “for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). Do we think of our need of a sin-offering? The answer is, Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5). Do we think, further, of the need of a burnt-offering? The answer is again, Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor (Eph. 5:22And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2)).
Accordingly, all our Nazariteship flows from, and is in unison with, this original source. Whatever professes to be holiness, or is accredited as such, that is not based upon the crucifixion of the flesh and is not carried on in resurrection-life, is not true Christian holiness. It may be indeed a fair show in the flesh, but it is virtually a denial of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Once, beyond doubt, when God owned a worldly sanctuary, He owned a fleshly holiness, which rose no higher than mere outward restrictions. For the world and the flesh, however clearly known to Him, had not yet proved themselves to be irremediably evil. But now He owns neither the one nor the other. The cross of Christ was the end of both to those who see as God sees; and Christ is risen and seated at His right hand in the heavenly places, and His power to usward who believe is according to the working of that mighty power which wrought in thus exalting Christ. A man as such, may be wise, mighty or noble (1 Cor. 1); he may be possessed of a thousand natural advantages; he may be even religious in the flesh to a high degree (Gal. 4-6). Earthly things are these, though they may be called earthly blessings; and the Holy Ghost designates those who mind them as enemies, not exactly of Christ, but of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3). Men may court such earthly things, they may boast of them, and lean upon them; but shall we, shall Christians? Shall we not rather, as true Nazarites, count those things which were gain, loss for Christ? Shall we not seek yet more to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death, if by any means we might attain unto the resurrection from among the dead? It is as dead and risen with Christ that we are Nazarites, not by subjection to ordinances, such as Touch not, taste not, handle not. Whatever is unworthy of such dead and risen men is not meet for us. Therefore, brethren, beloved of God, let us set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. Even while we are here below, we are one with Him above: our life is hid with Him in God. And so really and inseparably are we identified, that when He shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. Meanwhile, therefore, let us mortify our members which are upon the earth.
Thus then, sin and death having entered, the death of Christ could alone meet our defilement; and hence He resumes His Nazariteship in resurrection.
And it is in resurrection that He associates believers with Himself, as His brethren in the truest sense. “Touch me not,” said Jesus to Mary Magdalene, “for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.” Such is the gracious provision hinted at in the type: “And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. And he shall consecrate unto Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass-offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled” (vers. 9-12).
“The eighth day” (ver. 10) is the introduction, the first day, of a new week; and so we find the Nazarite commencing, as it were, his separation over again. If sinners are to be separated to God, it can only be by death—the death of Christ. By His resurrection, He began in power the new creation. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)). The total accomplishment may not be until the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21:55And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21:5)); but faith looks at Christ, and can speak this language even now. Our separation is maintained in His separation, as to our life; and separation in our walk must be from walking according to the life we have in Him. “If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit.” To walk as men—not merely as bad men, but as men, after a human way—is beneath those who are Christ's (1 Cor 3.). Wherefore, says the apostle elsewhere (Col. 2), if ye are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, &c. In truth, they were dead, and they were risen too, risen with Christ, and therefore are called to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.