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Rules for Nazirites – Numbers 6:1-21

v1-21 The word ‘Nazirite’ is from the Hebrew word ‘nazir’. ‘Nazir’ means to separate someone (or something) from everything else for a special purpose. The Nazirites’ special purpose was to give themselves to God completely for a period of time.

·         Nazirites were not priests. A man or woman chose to become a Nazirite.

A person who chose to be did not have to be a Nazirite for all of their life. They promised to give themselves to God completely for a particular period of time. This period of time varied. When the time as a Nazirite finished, they had to bring sacrifices to the tabernacle (verses 13-20). Then, they were free from the promise.

It was usual for the Israelites to make promises to God. Usually, people promised to give or to do something for God. People became Nazirites for different reasons. Perhaps they had problems that had made them depend on God alone, so they wanted to show this when they gave themselves to him. Sometimes God stated that they were to be Nazirites from birth e.g. Samson, so in that sense he didn’t initially choose to be one.

·         Nazirites made special promises. In verse 2, the Hebrew word for ‘to make a promise’ means ‘to do something wonderful or extraordinary’. Nazirites had to obey special rules.

·         God did not allow them to eat grapes or raisins (grapes dried in the sun), or to drink alcohol or vinegar (a type of sour wine). A Nazirite could never become a drunkard!

·         Nazirites had to grow their hair. Hair that was growing was a symbol of their life that they had given their life to God for a particular period of time. During that time, they did not cut their hair. Their long hair showed that they belonged to God completely. Female Nazirites had long hair anyway. Probably, they did not tie it up.

·         Nazirites had to avoid dead bodies. If an ordinary Israelite touched a dead body, he had to wash in a particular way (Numbers ch 19). But if someone died near a Nazirite, the Nazirite had to bring expensive offerings to God’s Tent and to shave off his/her hair and they had to make promises again. Even if the time as a Nazirite had finished almost, they had to start again!

·         Nazirites were holy, but unlike priests Nazirites could not enter God’s Tent or offer sacrifices. Priests wore special clothes, but Nazirites did not. People gave offerings to the priests. Nazirites did not receive offerings. They had to give offerings to the priests, too. When a person’s time as a Nazirite was over, they gave the four main types of offering (Leviticus chapters 1 to 4).

1. The burnt offering

The animal that the person offered had to be perfect, without any spots or blemishes. The person put his/her hands on the animal which showed that the animal represented him/her. They wanted to show that they had given themselves to God completely.

This offering showed the end of a person’s time as a Nazirite. Then the priest burned the whole animal on the altar. The smell pleased God. It was an act of the total sacrifice of the Nazirite.

2. The grain offering

Flour, bread and biscuits were types of grain offerings. People burned part of the grain offering on the altar. The grain had to be the best that the person could give. It was a gift to God. Also, it was a gift for the priests.

3. The peace offering

This was similar to the burnt offering. However, the priests burned the animal’s fat only. The Israelites thought that this was the best part of the animal. They offered it to God because God had told them to offer it. It was usual for the person who brought it to share the meat with their family. The priest received some of the meat also. Usually, he received the front part and the back leg only. But from a Nazirite, the priest received the shoulder, a loaf and a biscuit too. This was an offering to show that the person was at peace with God. It showed that God accepted that person.

4. The sin offering

The person made this offering so that God would forgive their sins.

It was the custom to give offerings of wine with the burnt offering and the peace offering.

The priest’s prayer for the people – Numbers 6:22-27

v22 The LORD spoke to Moses. He said, v23 When Aaron and his sons bless the Israelites, they must say certain words.

It is said that this prayer is for family.

v24 They must say, “I pray for the LORD to bless you.

I pray that the LORD will protect you.

v25 I pray that the LORD will be kind and merciful (not to punish people when they deserve it).

v26 I pray that the LORD will be good to you.

I pray that He will give you peace.”’

Verses 22-27 This beautiful prayer is one of the most popular poems/prayers in the Bible. What makes it more so is that is a prayer for the family. How we need that today? The family is really under fire. Both Jews and Christians still say it today. The prayer asks for God’s blessing. His blessing is life with him always. His blessing includes all that we need to live this kind of life. It includes all that we need to help other people. It includes strength to do what God wants. And it includes God’s protection from bad things. We must not use God’s gifts to do things that are wrong and selfish.

All of us deserve God’s punishment for our sins. But God is kind. We can ask him to forgive us. He will answer that prayer always if we are sincere (1 John 1:9). Then we will know his peace. Jesus died to make this possible (John 3:16).

The Hebrew word for peace is ‘shalom.’ It is one of the most important words in the Hebrew language. It is a gift from God. We have peace when we obey God. God’s peace helps us not to be anxious, even when we are in danger. We feel content inside our spirits, whatever happens to us. God takes care of us. He provides everything that we need. When we realise this, we have peace. In these days fear seems to be prevalent, we need God’s peace more than ever.

In fact, we shouldn’t really fear, because the Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

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About this site

I am not a qualified theologian; I am an ordinary guy who just loves reading and studying the Bible. I recognise the importance of preaching and teaching what the Bible says because it is God’s inspired message to our world. In my lifetime of around seven decades, I have listened to the some of the finest Bible teachers and preachers and learned a lot from them. I have used the New King James Version of the Bible. Please pray that God will help you to understand it. Make your own notes if that helps you. This is not meant to be a commentary or a paraphrase. I simply want to share a few thoughts which I hope will be a help to you. Make sure that you have a bible open alongside. You may not agree with my comments. If you don’t, please read the Bible and study it for yourself and ask The LORD to guide you into all truth.

One thing has come home to me that the more I read the Bible is how it all fits together. There may be up to forty different writers/speakers but there is only ONE AUTHOR, God Himself.

A bit about me –

I was born into a Christian home but my father had a mining accident and died three months before I was born. I was brought up by a godly mother and grandparents with a largely wider Christian family around us.

I have been a member of only two churches in my lifetime, both of which faithfully teach the Bible, the Word of God. I was raised at Cave Browne Evangelical Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield near Wigan (Now Hope Church, Ashton). I realised at a young age that I was a sinner and received Jesus Christ as my Saviour at the age of eight.

I was a member there until 1970 by which time I had married Dorothy, my wonderful wife, and we had two sons. We moved to Warrington, Lancashire (now Cheshire since 1974) and quickly became members of Bethesda Evangelical Church, Stockton Heath, where we remain. (See below for our Statement of Faith)

I held leadership positions in both churches and was an elder for twenty-eight years at my present church, as well as musical director, organist, pianist at each church for over fifty years in total.

Over the last sixty years I have served the Lord in one way or another. I started work at the age of sixteen and was employed in the Magistrates’ Courts for the next forty-three years, taking early retirement in 2005. After meeting a former alcoholic who had become a Christian, and whose life had been changed by The Lord Jesus Christ beyond recognition, we wrote a book, published in 2007, which we entitled Alcohol Thriller or Killer. Having gathered sponsorship we supplied copies to every prison in the UK and some elsewhere.

As a result, we were invited to tell our story at around twenty prisons throughout the UK. We completed this ministry in 2010 after which I became involved with Christian Prison Resourcing going to prisons leading Bible Studies, which I continue to do. Our passion is to see prisoners’ lives transformed, their relationships restored and their communities rebuilt as they understand the good news of Jesus Christ. I have seen many prisoners find a personal faith in Jesus Christ and witnessed the change this brings in their lives.

During all this I have had the ever-present support of my wife, Dorothy. Our sons are both married, and we have six grandchildren.

JOHN HAYES

Bethesda’s Statement of Faith

We Believe:

 In the Divine inspiration, authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures. 

 That God exists eternally in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit to whom equal honour is due.

 That Jesus Christ, unique Son of God, became man, being begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 

 That He died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. 

 That He ascended to the right hand of God and is now the all-sufficient High Priest of His people.

 That He will return personally to receive His people and judge the world in righteousness.

 That humanity has fallen and needs the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration and sanctification.

 That fellowship with God may be restored by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 That at death a person’s soul does not cease to exist or become unconscious.

 That the dead will be raised either to life or condemnation and that the blessedness of the forgiven and the    punishment of the unforgiven will be alike eternal.  

Our practices:

We baptise believers by immersion on their personal confession of faith, and we commemorate the Lord’s death in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) every Sunday.  

Our Goal – Is to honour and worship the Lord Jesus Christ by: 

  • Proclaiming God’s good news of forgiveness and new life through the Lord Jesus.
  • Promoting faithful Christian living.
  • Preserving pure Christian truth through the teaching of the Bible.
  • Providing for God’s people.

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