In the previous article we have taken up the three characteristics of the Nazarite — avoiding the use of wine or strong drink, allowing his hair to grow long, and not touching any dead body. Of these, allowing the hair to grow long was decidedly an outward sign that all would observe immediately. The drinking of wine might be done occasionally in secret without detection, and certainly the eating of grapes, which were also forbidden, could be done in secret. Most important of all, he might touch a dead body at some point, and if no one were watching, no one would know unless the Nazarite revealed it.
In this respect, it is important to notice that the Nazarite was not allowed to wear the outward sign without having the inward reality. If he “defiled the head of his consecration,” even if it occurred when someone died “very suddenly by him,” then he must shave his head, as a sign that he had broken his vow. His time up until that date was lost; he must begin again. In order to be a true Nazarite, all three aspects of his vow must be kept.
In considering these aspects of Nazariteship, I believe that the Spirit of God instructs us, in type, as to how we can be unbalanced in our Nazarite character. More than this, we are reminded that there was only One who perfectly displayed every feature of the Nazarite.
A Nazarite From the Womb
If we look at Samson, we read that the angel announced to his mother that she would bear a son, and that he would be “a Nazarite unto God from the womb” (Judg. 13:5). Accordingly his mother was told to “drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing” (Judg. 13:4). In principle this instruction encompassed two facets of the Nazarite — the avoidance of wine, and the avoidance of any uncleanness. Allowing her hair to grow long would not be applicable in the case of a woman.
We might notice in passing that it was to Samson’s mother that the angel was sent, although she is not named. Her husband Manoah was certainly involved and interested, but it would seem that his wife was the more spiritual of the two. It was she to whom the angel appeared the second time, when her husband wanted to know more about how to raise the promised child. It was she who had the insight and was able to quiet her husband’s fears when he thought that they would die for having, as he thought, “seen God” (Judg. 13:22). Also, when Samson later went down to take a wife of the daughters of the Philistines, we notice that eventually only his father is mentioned (Judg. 14:10). It makes us wonder if his mother had deeper misgivings about this ungodly union.
The Outward Sign
However, with Samson, we find that in his Nazariteship the emphasis was on his long hair, and there is no mention either of his avoiding wine, or avoiding any contact with death. In fact, it is hard to imagine a feast involving the Philistines, lasting an entire week, without wine being involved (see Judges 14:10-17). However, Scripture does not tell us whether he partook of it or not. Likewise, Samson was constantly engaged in combat with the Philistines, as well as touching the carcass of the lion whom he had killed, and in which was a swarm of bees. In this way he was certainly defiled by the dead many times, yet there is no record of his taking any notice of this, as affecting his Nazariteship. In summary, then, and in type, we might say that Samson wore the outward sign of a Nazarite, and was surely used of the Lord, but his neglect of that which speaks of inward consecration was lacking, and was eventually his downfall.
Earthly Joys
If we go over to the New Testament, to John the Baptist, again we find a special emphasis, this time on the avoidance of wine and strong drink. His mother was apparently not given any special instruction as to herself, but she was told that her son would “drink neither wine nor strong drink.” But then something very important was added — “He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). Scripture is careful not to say that he was indwelt with the Holy Spirit, for this could not be until our Lord Jesus had accomplished the work of redemption, and ascended back up to heaven. But John was filled with the Holy Spirit, and although no specific mention is made of his hair, or whether he ever touched a dead body, yet we find that he was faithful to the Lord, instead of failing like Samson. Our Lord Himself paid him the highest compliment, saying that “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” (Luke 7:28).
What characterized John was his avoidance of the crowds, and all the social intercourse that he might have had. He was “in the deserts” even before he began his public ministry, and when he began that ministry, he was “preaching in the wilderness” (Matt. 3:1). All this was typified by his avoidance of wine and strong drink, which speaks of earthly joy. While all this was suitable for John and was properly characteristic of the service that was committed to him, yet once again, we see, in type, the imperfect balance that inevitably exists even in the best of God’s servants.
A Nazarite in Character
The apostle Paul also surely was a Nazarite in character, although the term is not specifically applied to him. Yet on one occasion he was evidently ready to undertake the vow of a Nazarite under Old Testament conditions. He was fully prepared outwardly to identify himself with several Jewish men who had fulfilled their Nazarite vow, and were about to shave their heads (see Acts 21:22-26). God mercifully intervened and prevented Paul’s involvement in this, for it would have been “building again the things” which he had destroyed (Gal. 2:18). It would have been a serious blot on his calling as the apostle to the Gentiles. Again, we see this failure in one who otherwise greatly exemplified the Nazarite character.
There was One — our Lord Jesus Christ, who showed forth the Nazarite character in absolute perfection. He did not exhibit that character in the outward way, according to the description given in Numbers 6, but rather in a spiritual way. Our blessed Lord certainly drank wine on occasion, and touched many dead bodies — bodies which He raised back to life. We have no scriptural reason to think that our Lord Jesus had long hair. In all likelihood all of the Old Testament signs of the true Nazarite were missing from our Lord Jesus. But we must leave this subject for a fuller consideration in another article.
W. J. Prost