Download This Study For Free!
Please feel free to Download this study.
Old Testament Overview - The Nazirite Vow
(A Vow of Separation to the Lord—Numbers 6:1-20)
Requirements:
1. He must abstain from wine, other fermented drinks, and vinegar. (6:1-3)
2. He must abstain from grape juice, raisins, and grapes. (6:3-4)
3. He must not cut his hair. (6:5)
4. He must not go near a dead body. (6:6-8)
5. If someone suddenly dies in his presence, he must cleanse himself—by shaving himself and by giving the priest 2 doves or young pigeons to offer as a sin offering and a burnt offering; and by offering a year-old lamb as a guilt offering. (6:9-12)
6. At the completion of his period of separation:
a. He is to bring the priest "a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafer spread with oil." (6:13-15)
b. The priest presents them before the Lord—the ram is sacrificed for a fellowship offering. (6:16-17)
c. At the entrance of the tabernacle, the Nazirite shaves off his hair (the hair is burned in the fellowship offering. (6:18)
d. The priest waves a boiled shoulder of ram, a cake and a wafer before the Lord as a wave offering. (6:19-20)
e. "After that, the Nazirite may drink wine." (6:20)
Famous Nazirites :
1. Samson* (Judges 13:5-7, 16:17-22)
2. Samuel* (I Samuel 1:11)
3. John the Baptist* (Luke 1:15; Matt. 11:18-19)
4. Paul (Acts 18:18)
*Nazirites from birth.
Meaning:
It symbolizes our need to be separated from a love for the world (the wine and grapes symbolize worldly joys that that can draw us away from our love for God). The dead bodies symbolize sin and spiritual death (separation from dead bodies). The long hair symbolizes the strength of God (when Samson lost it, he lost his strength).
