Numbers 6:1-27 (NLT)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. “If any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazirite, setting themselves apart to the LORD in a special way,
3 they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.
4 As long as they are bound by their Nazirite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine—not even the grape seeds or skins.
5 “They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the LORD. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.
6 And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the LORD.
7 Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.
8 This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the LORD.
9 “If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.
10 On the eighth day they must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
11 The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again.
12 The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the LORD as a Nazirite for the full term of their vow, and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering.
13 “This is the ritual law for Nazirites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazirites, they must each go to the entrance of the Tabernacle
14 and offer their sacrifices to the LORD: a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering,
15 a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil and wafers spread with olive oil—along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings.
16 The priest will present these offerings before the LORD: first the sin offering and the burnt offering;
17 then the ram for a peace offering, along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the LORD.
18 “Then the Nazirites will shave their heads at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace-offering sacrifice.
19 After the Nazirite’s head has been shaved, the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket a cake and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazirite’s hands.
20 Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the LORD. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the LORD. After this ceremony the Nazirites may again drink wine.
21 “This is the ritual law of the Nazirites, who vow to bring these offerings to the LORD. They may also bring additional offerings if they can afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites.”
22 Then the LORD said to Moses,
23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:
24 ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you.
25 May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.
26 May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’
27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”
There were some, like Samson who would be set apart from birth in devotion to God, but there was also an opportunity for anyone, man or woman, to be separate from specific things in order to be devoted completely to God. For their pursuit of Him to be serious, it would not just be a small supplement to a busy routine. By what they consumed, their appearance, and what they touched, their commitment would be clearly evident. For most, this would be the choice of the individual, coming from a time of gratitude, need, or just hunger for Him. It was their choice to dedicate themselves unto Him. Once this choice was made, however, it wasn’t their choice how this would be carried out. They couldn’t just do the hair part while touching dead things, or drink wine while letting their hair grow. Setting themselves apart unto the Lord meant letting Him have something to say about what it would look like.
For those who have received Christ, there is a new covenant with new promises. There is still an opportunity, though, for those who are grateful for their infinite blessings or in need of His presence and abundant provision to set themselves apart unto Him. There may be a period chosen for an extreme devotion, where there is complete isolation from things consumed, consideration of appearance, or touching any of the dead things from the world around us. It’s from these times that greater revelation is enabled to realize and live out the reality of who we’ve become.
As we have a new and better covenant, though, this opportunity of setting apart doesn’t have to be limited to a period of time, but can be more like that of Samson or John the Baptist. It can become the chosen position for our life. The purpose of the Nazarite separation was to become completely focused on and responsive to God and His service. For those truly consecrated to new life in Christ, Paul’s statement will describe their commitment – “It is no longer I, but Christ that lives in me.” What is consumed, presented, and touched will no longer be according to what we deem sufficient, but it will obviously reflect the heart of the Holy One. Readiness for His service will have nothing in these areas that would desensitize or corrupt the vessel of honor for His use.