THE NAZARITE’S SPECIAL VOW
C. A. Coates
God loves to take notice of what is spontaneous on the part of His saints, and in His economy provision is made for the special as well as the ordinary. ‘The special vow of a Nazarite’ has in view a distinctive separation to God, the outcome of a definite movement of heart towards Him. “Indeed a “vow” of any kind is the product of a special
exercise, as we may see in 1 Samuel 1: 11, Psalm 66: 13, 14. Have we known anything of such a “special” movement of heart? Or are we content to conform to the standards of Christian living which seem to be adopted by the many? Perhaps there are few believers who have not when under discipline, or at times of special spiritual movement in their souls, made vows. We know that Paul had a vow when he was in Corinth; probably the conditions amidst which he had to labour in that city led him to feel the necessity for special dedication to God.
A true vow is the expression of spiritual purpose to be definitely for the Lord, and God takes notice of it, and holds one to it. His discipline will, if necessary, come in to help us in relation to our vow.
“The special vow of a Nazarite” requires a peculiar degree of separation; it supposes a “special” measure of devotedness, and there is an opportunity for each one of us to excel in this way if our hearts prompt us to do so. Who can doubt that Timothy was peculiarly near to Paul in his devotedness? “He works the work of the Lord, even as I”, 1 Corinthians 16: 10.
“For I have no one like-minded who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on. For all seek their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ”, Philippians 2: 20, 21. The Spirit of God has called our attention to some who were evidently “special” in devotion to the Lord’s interests. Such saints as Priscilla, Aquila, Phoebe, Gaius, Epaphroditus, Epaphras, the house of Stephanas, come at once to our minds. That such were not very numerous even in Paul’s day becomes manifest as we read his epistles. It is touching to read, after the mention of several names, “These are the only fellow-workers for the kingdom of God who have been a consolation to me”, Colossians 4: 11. The number of true Nazarites in the Israel of God has never been large, but there have been such, and I believe the Lord would move our hearts to desire that there should be something “special” in our devotedness and separation to Him. The chapter before us furnishes, in a typical way, very definite instruction as to how “the special vow of a Nazarite” is to be carried out.
The Nazarite in Israel was a remarkable witness that in the divine mind the time for joy of an earthly character had not yet come. So that one who devoted himself in a special way to God must needs separate himself from that which represented it. “He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink—he shall drink no vinegar of wine, nor vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat grapes fresh or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine, from the seed-stones to the skin”, (Numbers 6: 3, 4). The Israelite in Canaan had his vineyards, and there was naturally gladness when wine increased, for it is said to gladden the heart of man (Psalm 104: 15). But the Nazarite separated himself from it because of his consecration to God! It said plainly to every exercised heart and mind that the kingdom of God had not yet come. Nazariteship would certainly have no meaning in heaven—there is nothing there for a devoted heart to separate from, for God’s will is done absolutely. And when the kingdom of God is set up on earth Nazariteship will not be called for, when His will is done on earth as in heaven. That is why we have in this chapter the thought of the days of consecration being fulfilled, and of the Nazarite afterwards drinking wine. The “special vow”, is for a prescribed period, and it contemplates a time when that period, would end.
Even in Israel, where promises referred to earthly blessing (but all connected with the coming in of Christ, and therefore not to be enjoyed in any true sense without Him), special consecration to God required separation from the vine and its products. Then how much more does the principle of this apply now since God’s King has come and been rejected? Natural enjoyments, social pleasures, a thousand and one things which stimulate and excite human feelings by what is agreeable to men—as distinct from natural relationships on the one hand, and what is positively sinful and wicked on the other—are now found in a world which has rejected Christ, and they are unclean by reason of the fact that what is due to Him does not enter into them at all. God has no part in them, nor has His blessed Son. Christ is now the heavenly Nazarite, not drinking of the fruit of the vine until He will do so in a new way in the kingdom of God (see Mark 14: 25).
Any special consecration to God now requires the recognition of this. Innumerable things of an earthly character, which are agreeable to men as men, furnish to God’s Nazarites an opportunity for separation. Such are under obligation to exercise self-restraint in regard of much that would naturally appeal to them. They are concerned to be true to their “special vow”, and to maintain a personal holiness and separation that are in keeping with it. The Nazarite had no official dignity like the priest or the king; his holy purity was of a personal nature; and yet it excelled even that of the sons of Aaron, and corresponded with that of the high priest himself (compare Numbers 6: 7 with Leviticus 21: 2, 11).
There was, perhaps, no more striking witness in Israel than the presence amongst them of Nazarites—men and women consecrated to God, and evidencing in their persons the distinctive beauty of separation to God. “Her Nazarites were purer than snow, whiter than milk; they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their figure was as sapphire”, Lamentations 4: 7. And no man or woman in Israel was excluded from being a Nazarite; the privilege awaited the promptings of any heart that had learned God according to Genesis and Exodus and Leviticus. For Numbers follows these books morally. It supposes God known in grace and faithfulness, His covenant entered into, His testimony appreciated, the preciousness of Christ known. It was all this that moved one to personal dedication according to Numbers 6. Nor is it otherwise today. What pains God has taken to pass us through our Exodus and Leviticus to make Himself known to us, and to make Christ precious to us, so that we may be liberated in spirit and enlarged in heart towards Him, so that we may cherish the thought of being separated to Him! We cannot all be prominent in the assembly as having great gifts, but we may all carry the moral beauty and dignity of separation to God. And it would not be too much to say that the testimony of God today largely depends on the spirit of Nazariteship being found amongst His people. May we all covet to be characterised by it!
The Lord generally awakens in young believers a desire to be specially for Him, but sometimes the desire fails to take definite form. A “special vow” would indicate that the desire takes such form by the Spirit that it leads to a distinct degree of separation. True devotion matures in this way as the outcome of prayer. Satan may get an advantage, and the head of consecration be defiled, as we see in verse 9, but a true Nazarite does not give up his vow. “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for Jehovah sustaineth him with his hand”, Psalm 37: 24. He learns humbling, but needed lessons, and eventually he fulfils “the days of his separation”.
‘Outline of Numbers’, pp.60–64