Numbers 6:1-8. "And Jehovah 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 Jehovah: 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 kernels 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 Jehovah, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah 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 Jehovah."

This is one of the most beautiful pictures in all the Bible of a full, complete, unreserved consecration to serve God supremely. It symbolizes the requirements that each member of the little flock must attain, on this side the veil.

Voluntary

One prerequisite of consecration given in verse two is "when ether a man or a woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite." The first word "when" implies that this vow, this consecration, was not obligatory, but completely voluntary. When one was moved to take the vow, they did.

So it must be with us. Our consecration must be voluntary. With all our heart we must be willing to gladly and joyfully lay down our life in the service of our Lord. If a consecration is from any other standpoint, possibly from fear, or something expected of us, or supposing "I guess it is something I have to do sooner or later, so I might as well do it now" — then that consecration is not pleasing to the Lord. No, our consecration must be with a joyful willingness that permeates our entire being.

We have many scriptural admonitions to separate ourselves. A memorable one is Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Note how we are to be separated — "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Three aspects of our consecration are called to our attention in the Nazarite vow, in symbols. (1) Self-denial, (2) character development and service to permeate our lives and manifest itself to others, and (3) avoiding sin.

No Wine

Numbers 6:3. "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." The Nazarite was not to drink anything made from the juice of grapes.

This law of the Nazarite was more exacting than that of the priests. Priests were forbidden to partake of wine while they served the tabernacle, but they could partake afterwards. But a Nazarite was to abstain totally from alcohol at all times.

Wine has been used as a symbol of several things. In the Nazarite vow it is primarily a symbol of earthly or worldly pleasures, shown by the exhilaration it brings. Wine tends to dull the senses. Thus, it represents earthly pleasures that so easily cloud our senses and distract us from our spiritual goal. Our life should be one of self-denial and refraining from earthly pleasures that impair our heavenly vision, our nearness to God and our service to Him. As Romans 8:13 expresses it, we need through the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body.

The prophet speaks of those who are drunk without wine (Isaiah 29:9). Many things can have this effect. Each one of us needs to examine ourselves, to ask the question, am I leading a life of self-denial, or am I partaking of things of the world. Have I this past week partaken of any symbolic wine?

Sometimes, we might rationalize and tell ourselves, "Oh, what harm could there be in partaking in a little of this earthly item. It really is not sinful at all — and all our bodies need to have a certain amount of relaxation." There are many good and wonderful things in this life that are not sinful. But we need to consider, what is the overall effect upon our spirituality? Do they draw us nearer to God, or do they distract and weaken our spiritual life? Will the item — whatever it might be — increase our hunger and thirst for the courts of heaven, and closer communion with God, or will it tend to draw us away from the presence of God and doing His will? We need to shun all things that would draw us aside.

Notice, in the theme text, that not only is the Nazarite to forgo drinking wine, but to not even partake of "moist grapes." Even more, he was to refrain from things of the vine that were dry. He was not even to partake of a raisin. A raisin!

We must have a keen eye to avoid not only "wine" itself, but things that have a potential in that direction.

The smallest sin opens the way for greater ones. The smallest earthly pleasures can whet our appetite for greater ones. We live in a time of great temporal prosperity. Most everyone can afford many goods and earthly pleasures. But there are things the New Creature would be better off without. It is easy to get caught up in the pursuits of the world. It starts with giving children everything they want. Young married couples seek reasonable things — home furnishings, a car, a job — and earthly values can begin to rise, even above spiritual values. Earthly prosperity can develop an attitude where we feel more and more self-sufficient and less dependent upon our Heavenly Father. We may feel that if we cannot afford something, not having that is self-denial. But is it? No! Only when we can afford it, but deny it to ourselves, is it really self-denial.

The Nazarite’s hair not being cut distinguished him from others. It was a visible profession that this one was different, as a Nazarite walked down the street. This pictures how a full and complete consecration will manifest itself to others — by the fruits of the Spirit.

Complete dedication is brought to our attention in Leviticus 25:5, 11. All the vineyards in Israel, on the seventh year, and on the jubilee year, were to be left undressed. The complete fruitage of the vine was to be left, separated, or consecrated, fully to God. Vines that were thus left were called ((nazarite)) (undressed). The same must be true with our fruitage. Our vitality, our beings, must be completely consecrated to God.

Not cutting the hair was a symbol that the Nazarite had placed himself in complete submission to God, putting himself under God’s will. "The consecration of his God was upon his head" (verse 7). Our consecration is not to be kept secret from others. Rather, as a flag is set high upon the mast of a ship, proclaiming what country it belongs to, our life is to manifest our submission to God to all.

Is our life displayng that standard? Are our lives like Jesus who came to minister to others? Do people who come in contact with us leave our company blessed, refreshed, or uplifted, so they know they have been with a Nazarite? Do we "dare to have a purpose true, dare to make it known"?

Sometimes, we may feel depressed. We may not feel near to God. Our mind looks for excuses. Self-pity enters in. A good prescription for depression is to forget self, help others, and let not our left hand know what the right hand is doing.

The January 8 Manna comment suggests this. "The elect Church of Christ should be the most polished, the most refined, the most polite, the most generous, the most kind, of all the people in the world." What a character we must develop!

Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world, a city set upon a hill which cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:14, 16).

In the closing chapter of the The Divine Plan of the Ages, Brother Russell wrote, "If you give diligence to the word of God, and receive its truths into a good, honest, consecrated heart, it will beget in you such a love for God and His plan and such a desire to tell the good tidings, to preach the Gospel, that it will become the all-absorbing theme of life thereafter." Is it so with us?

Has the truth begotten in us such a love for God and His plan, and such a desire to tell the good tidings, that it has become the all-absorbing theme of our life? May not the years of familiarity with the truth minimize our privilege and responsibility? Let us pause, reflect, and consider that question! What is the all-encompassing theme of our life? Let us so live that others might know that we have walked with God.

Numbers 6:6-8. "All the days that he separateth himself unto Jehovah he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclear 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 Jehovah."

Because the Nazarite was consecrated and holy to God, he was not to approach a dead person, even if it were a family member. All death is the result of original sin. This suggests that a consecrated one must keep himself pure and holy, avoiding contact with everything that is sinful in nature.

We live in a world of sin, yet we must be separate and not be part of it. As Jesus said, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:15-17).

Avoiding even the tiniest hint of sin, the fleeting glimpse of the eye, is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 5:29, 30. "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out ... and if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off." So forceful is the imagery of Jesus respecting avoiding the tendency of sin.

The Nazarite was to avoid contact with death even for a close relative. The lesson is to avoid anything or anyone that would draw us from God or influence us to sin. Jesus spoke about this lesson in Luke 9:59, 60. "He said unto another, follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God."

Being separate from the world is not easy. We desire the approval of others. It is not easy to resist conformity with the world. Thus, we may be induced to accept the ways of the world — its language, styles, clothes, music — even when they lead away from spiritual values. This may be especially true for younger brethren. But should we allow these things to influence us?

Hear the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17. "Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you." God is calling us away from the world and its spirit. Let us apply the lesson here, making strict plans for our life, our jobs, and our relationships, choosing carefully our pursuits and relaxations, and preparing in every aspect of our lives to be separate and wholly consecrated to God.

Chance Contact with Death

Numbers 6:9-12. "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 [doves], 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."

If someone suddenly died next to a Nazarite, it was beyond his control. The lesson refers to those sins of weakness, or faults in which we are overtaken by surprise. We may go along smoothly in our Christian walk, but suddenly a weakness overtakes us. A temptation from Satan takes us by surprise. In a moment of weakness we falter. We need to be on guard, to avoid those situations that may provoke a weakness in us.

However, when these stumbles occur, we must immediately come to God and seek forgiveness. There can be the tendency that when we have been overtaken in a fault, to do something good to offset the wrong, before we come to God. We feel too unworthy to approach Him. There is a veil between us. This approach compounds our original mistake.

We must come to our Heavenly Father immediately and seek Him at the throne of grace for forgiveness and help to overcome. The Nazarite was to give a sin offering and a burnt offering. We must appropriate to ourselves the merit of Christ’s sacrifice. If we confess our sins to God, he will forgive us and cleanse the spots we have incurred on the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

Following seven days of cleansing — a complete repentance — sacrifices were offered on the eighth day. Why on day eight? That was the first day of a new week. The first day of the week was the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Here the eighth day could picture ourselves continuing in our walk of "newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Circumcision on the eighth day may represent the same thing. After complete repentance, a renewed circumcision of heart, we resume our walk of faith again.

The loss of days of the Nazarite’s consecration suggests that when we fall into sin, we suffer loss, not only of spiritual growth, but also of purity, peace, communion, and oneness with God. Sin will leave a scab, and then a scar. But we can begin afresh.

The End of the Days

Numbers 6:13-14. "This is the law of the Nazarite when the days of his separation are fulfilled. He shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and he shall offer his offering unto Jehovah, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings."

Completing the days of his vows represents a consecrated saint completing their course in the school of Christ. As that time approaches, when we come near to closing our eyes in death and opening them in the realms of joy beyond, he will still acknowledge that he had nothing to trust of his own, but the blood of the Christ, pictured by the lamb. Because the best things he could do were mixed with sin, he recognizes his need for the sin offering of Jesus.

Verse 15 says that along with these sacrifices, there was also a "basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offerings and their drink offerings."

The bread, cakes, and wafers, symbolize justification, sanctification, and glorification. Without these, no consecration is ever complete. The bread without leaven shows the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us. The oil mixed into the cakes represents the holy Spirit making us more Christlike. The unleavened wafers anointed with oil picture the final, complete anointing the Church will receive when glorified. These elements appear also in the consecration of the priesthood, with the same meaning.

Verses 17-18. "And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto Jehovah, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings."

In the Jewish sacrifices, peace offerings followed sin offerings and burnt offerings. We have peace with God because of what Christ offered beforehand. The world will find peace because of the sacrifices of the Gospel Age that precede the Millennium.

Along with the peace offering, the Nazarite was to shave off the hair on his head, and cast it into the fire that burned underneath the peace offering. This beautifully represents that those who finish their course faithfully give all the honor and glory for whatever was accomplished to God, our Heavenly Father. It was because of His wonderful grace and sustaining help, and all the blessings that we receive from Him, that we could complete our consecration to Him. Perhaps a parallel picture is found in Revelation 4:10, where the 24 elders "cast their crowns before the throne" in appreciation to God.

Verses 19-20. "And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite after the hair of his separation is shaven: And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Jehovah, this is holy for the priests, with the wave breast and heave shoulder."

Waving this offering until it was removed shows that our consecration continues until it is taken off our hands as our life here closes. Then, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, we shall pass beyond the veil to the glory and presence of Jesus and God. A similar wave offering, with a similar meaning, was also given in the consecration of the priesthood (Leviticus 8).

Verse 20. "And after that the Nazarite may drink wine." Then, in the glory of the kingdom, we will rejoice ever more. Then, we will drink a cup of joy "new with [Jesus] in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:27-29).

The Blessing Follows