In the instructions concerning the one who took the vow of a Nazarite, one of the requirements was that “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” (Num. 6:6-76All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body. 7He 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. (Numbers 6:6‑7)).
We can easily see how difficult this might sometimes be. If a close relative such as a father, mother or a sibling were to die, the Nazarite was not allowed to assist in the burial; he was not to touch any dead body, even that of a loved one to whom he was closely related.
At first glance (and we speak reverently) this might seem a bit harsh and unreasonable. Could not an exception be made for such a case as this? No, for as we read at the end of verse 7, “the consecration of his God is upon his head.” Scripture recognizes that something might happen suddenly; a man might “die very suddenly by him” (v. 9), and in the tension and emotion of the moment, the Nazarite might be induced to help in dealing with the situation. But if this were to happen, no excuses could be made: “he hath defiled the head of his consecration” (vs. 9). He had lost his Nazarite character; he must shave his head, go through a cleansing process, and begin his vow over again.
The Moral Import
The moral impact of all this was doubtless not clear to the Israelite in the Old Testament, except that they realized that if one were to take the vow of a Nazarite, and to separate himself unto the Lord, he must obey implicitly the commands given by Jehovah. There could be no exception to the instructions.
In this dispensation of grace, we can see the moral import of the three requirements for one who took the vow of a Nazarite, and especially that which relates to avoiding any contact with a dead body. Death speaks of defilement, and this world is full of every kind of defilement for the believer. We must constantly be on our guard, for even a wrong thought can be like a man dying very suddenly by us. We can be caught off guard, and our Nazarite character is spoiled if we entertain that thought and allow our minds to be defiled.
Family Ties
Another has aptly remarked, “To be a Nazarite is to be separated from every natural affection which can be touched by death — to be separated unto the Lord.” One of the areas in our life that can be affected by these claims of nature is family ties, and this can perhaps explain why the commandment in Numbers 6:77He 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. (Numbers 6:7) is so strict, and does not allow for any exception. This difficulty frequently presents itself in our Christian pathway. The Lord Jesus recognized this and warned us about it. He could say, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:2626If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)). This does not mean, of course, that we are actually to hate our closest relatives, but rather that, in comparison to Christ, He must always have the first place in our hearts. He Himself exemplified this, for He refused to acknowledge His mother and his natural brothers in any special way during His earthly ministry. At the marriage in Cana of Galilee, when His mother told Him that they needed wine, He could say to her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:44Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. (John 2:4)). On another occasion when some reminded Him that His mother and His brethren were waiting to speak with Him, He reacted by saying, “Who is my mother, or my brethren?” Then, looking “round about on them which sat about him,” He said, “Behold my mother and my brethren!” (Mark 3:33-3433And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! (Mark 3:33‑34)). Yet while on the cross, at the end of His pathway down here, as the eldest Son in His earthly family, He graciously commits His mother to the care of John.
Yet in our own lives, how many times family ties are liable to get in the way of right spiritual judgment, and more important, right spiritual actions. Our judgment may in some cases be sound, yet our hearts may fear to act for the Lord’s glory because of the risk of causing offence among those who are related to us. Sometimes this may involve a difficulty that comes between a husband and wife, and this exercises our hearts to their very depths. Am I to be faithful to the Lord, and risk causing dissension and difficulty in my home? Under such circumstances some have given in, and acted against their consciences rather than destroy a human relationship. But others, while honoring their proper responsibilities within the marriage bond, have acted for the Lord’s glory, and will be rewarded for it.
King Asa
King Asa was faced with a difficult responsibility in his life, when his mother Maachah, a daughter of Absalom (she was actually his grandmother) “made an idol in a grove.” It is recorded that he “removed her from being queen ... and ... cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron” (2 Chron. 15:1616And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. (2 Chronicles 15:16)). No doubt it was a hard thing to do, and especially as Maachah must have been an older woman at the time, but faithfulness to the Lord demanded it.
May we too, in these last days, not be turned aside from faithfulness to the Lord by acceding to the influence of family ties, in situations where such ties might lead us into dishonoring the Lord. The anticipation of the difficulties involved in being faithful might seem to constitute an impossible situation, and one which we cannot face. But the pathway of faithfulness is always that of eventual blessing, and we can count on the Lord for His sovereign grace in bringing about that blessing.
The Spirit of Meekness
Having made these remarks, perhaps I can add a caution in closing. I have known those who, in their zeal in being supposedly faithful to the Lord, have dealt with family members in a proud, arrogant, and self-confident way. They have wantonly cast off family relationships without seeking, with pastoral care, to reach the consciences of those with whom they disagree. This is not the spirit of Christ. Whenever separation from evil is needed, humiliation must accompany it. We must always remember the apostle’s injunction in Galatians 6:11Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1) — “If a man be overtaken in a fault ... restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” I have known those who, when others were involved, took a strong stand when family ties weakened the resolve of some who should have stood more strongly against evil. Later, when the Lord allowed a problem in their own family, they too found it very difficult to dissociate themselves from the natural emotions that made it difficult to act in a right way.
The Lord is able to give us grace to act for His glory, with firmness, yet to do so with humility, and with love in our hearts toward those who oppose us. We must always remember that the time may come when we are tested in the same way.
W. J. Prost