The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 72

liis contemporary, was a hero of a purer and higher type, the earliest of the great ,rophets after Moses, and he too was a Naz1nite 1 by his mother's consecration, before f 1e was born. As Samuel was the first, Joh,i the Baptist was the last, of the old prophets, and be likewise was a N azarite from his birth. I. ·wrrAT, THEN, WAS A NAZARITE? The term (more correctly written Nazi-r, or ]Vazi'.ri1e) is a Hebrew one, and signifies separated, or set apart. In Israel there v.·ere three orders of men who may be said to have been separated to God's service. 1. The pri.ests. Their office was hereditary. The separation attached to Aaron's house. The work to which they were separated was to offer sacrifice, to bum in- cense, and to bless the people. 2. The prophets. Their office was not hereditary. 'l'he true prophet was such by a Dh-ine call addressed to him individually. His work was purely spiritual. He delh-ered to the people the word of the Lord. 3. The ..Yazaritffl proper. Their separation was neither hereditary, like the priests', nor riecessnrily by special Divine call, like the prophets'. It was by their own net, or that of iheir parents, and was sometimes spontnneouH, sometimes by a more or less stringent Divine direction. Any free man or woman-any man or woman not under some prior obligation incompatible with it-could separate himself or herself by the N azarite's vow. The separation might be either for a limited period or for life. II. Regarding THE DUTIES PERTAINING TO THE ORDER, nothing is here laid down It is simply implied that the Nazarite was to show an example of pre-eminent devotedness to God. To judge by the lives of .Samuel and John the Baptist, the Naznrite's devotedness was to be manifested in the best of all ways, namely, by a life of active labour in diffusing the knowledge and fear of the Lord. However, the law did not prescribe this. It simply put around the Naznrite's separation the hedge of legal recognition and ceremonial regulation. How the garden thus protected was to be filled-what flowers and fragrant herbs and fruit it was to yield-was left to be determined by the motions of God's free Spirit in the individual Nazarite's heart. Anyl1ow, the practical working of this kind of separation in Israel came to be such that it was looked upon as a sure sign that piety was flourishing when the Nazarites e.bounded (see Amos ii. 11, 12). III. Turning to THE LAW AS LAID DOWN HERE IN NUMBERS, it is to be observed that the Naznrite's separation was to be expressed in three ways. 1. By entire abstin- ence not only from wine and strong drink, but from all the produce of the vine (vers. 3, 4). John Baptist came neither eating nor drinking. 2. By absolutely refusing to defile themselves for the dead (vers. 7-12). The rule was as absolute on this bead for the Nazarite as for the high priest. Not even for father or mother, for wife or child, might he contract defilement. If by any chance he should come in contact with a dead body, the law demanded a sin offering for atonement and a burnt offering in token of renewed dedication, and bis term of separation had to begin anew. 3. By letting the hair of the bend grow unshorn (ver. 5; cf. 1 Cor. xi. 10, marg.). Every child remembers the seven locks of Samson's ~end. When the period of separation was expired, the head was shaved and certain prescribed offerings were presented, besides any free-~ill offering the person might choose to bring (vers. 13--21). As these last offenngs were costly, 1t was not uncommon for wealthy persons to come forward and bear the Naznrites' charges (Acts xxi. 24). IV. WHAT CONCERN HAVE WE WITH THIS LAW OF THE NAZARITE? Is any corre- sponding vow of separation to be in use unde~ t?e New Testament? The Chu:c~ of Rome I need hardly say, founds on the Nazante s vow an argument for her rehg10us order~, so called-orders of men and women who are bound by oath to lifelong poverty, celibacy, and obedience. But there is no real_ ~orrespondenre ~etween tl_1e two institutions. Not one of the three vows of the rehg10us orders was mcluded m the vow of the N azarite. He could hold property ; he was generally married ; he submitted bis conscience to no man's authority. No warrant can be extracted from this law for ensnaring consciences with the threefold vow, Yet it by no means fol- lows that this Old Testament vow has no lesson for us. It furnishes a valuable analogy. The Apostle Paul evidently felt this, for he liked t~ think o~ himself_ as a man" separated unto the gospel of God" (Rom. i. 1), and to thmk of tlus separat10n as having taken place (like Samuel's and John Baptist's) before he was born (Gal i. 15). This does not refer merely to his being separated to preach the word, for ml, VI. 1-21.) THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 49