Vow of the Nazirite - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 6:5,

"During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long."

The vow of the Nazarite was a tool the Lord gave Israel so that any individual could dedicate himself to the Lord for a period of time. It provided an opportunity to live and demonstrate through various means a special dedication to the Lord. It provided communication to others of the dedication through outward expressions as well as providing inward reminders to the worshipper.

Among the outward elements, a Nazirite was to let their hair grow long and they were to keep distance from a dead body (even a body of an immediate family member). There were offerings to be made at the end of the period of dedication and they were to shave off their hair "that symbolizes their dedication", verse 18. An inward element was that the Nazarite was to modify their diet by keeping from a main staple of what was consumed prominently in the day: anything that came from the grapevine, Wine (or any other fermented drink), wine vinegar, grape juice, grapes or raisins were to be kept from.

When one wished to dedicate themselves to the Lord there were both outward and inward manifestations required to attest to that special vow. As I read about this, it strikes me that while we are no longer under the law and that this was provided to the Israelites as a part of their covenant relationship with God, we too, today, dedicate ourselves to God.

When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith we dedicate ourselves to him. While we do not follow a Nazarite vow, it seems to me there should be those outward and inward elements in our lives to attest to that commitment. Do others see in us outward expressions of our dedication to Jesus Christ? Have we cultivated those things inwardly in our lives that refresh our commitment and dedication to him daily?

Something to reflect on today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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