The first information concerning the Nazarite vow is found in Numbers 6. The year is BC 1490, here Jehovah instructs Moses that he should tell the Israelites (as this was applicable only to Jews) that when a man or woman separates themselves to Jehovah (for special purpose within the will of Jehovah), it was to be called a Nazarite vow. Very strict rules were attached, and during the period of the vow the man or woman were "holy unto the Lord". During the time of this separation, no wine or strong drink was to be drunk, the hair was not to be cut, no dead body was to be touched. In fact if someone died suddenly and a Jew under a Nazarite vow touched them, they were to shave their heads on the 7th day of the cleansing. On the 8th day they were to make a sin offering and a burnt offering, which had to be brought to the priest, to make atonement. Then a trespass offering was to be made by sacrificing a lamb a year old, followed by a meat and drink offering. Also a ram was to be sacrificed as a peace offering. The hair which had been shaved was to be put into the fire. Then the priest was to make a wave offering from various parts of the sacrifice and wave them before Jehovah. After this the Nazarite could drink wine.
The next reference to this vow is made in Judges 13, the year is BC 1100. Here an angel appears to the wife of Manoah, who was a Godly man. She had been barren up to this point, however the angel tells her that she would bear a son, and that he would be a Nazarite from his birth. Because of this she was not to drink wine or eat anything unclean during the time she was pregnant. She tells her husband what the angel had said and Manoah prays to Jehovah to be shown how to bring up the boy. The angel appears again to them and instructs them. They did not realise he was an angel, until they were sacrificing to Jehovah upon a rock, and the angel went up to Jehovah as the flame went up from the rock (alter). Manoah was concerned and felt that they would die because they had seen an angel of God, however his wife said that Jehovah had accepted their offering therefore they would not die. Their son was born and he was to be called Samson, who was to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines.
Judges 14 records how Samson wanted a woman to be his wife from the Philistines. However his parents not realising that it was in Jehovah's will, tried to prevent him. As he was travelling to marry her he was confronted by a lion, which he eventually kills with his bare hands. Later he passes the carcase of the lion, and seeing there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase, he ate some of the honey. At the wedding feast Samson presents a riddle to the guests, saying 'out of the eater something to eat, out of the strong, something sweet'. He then challenges the Philistines to answer the riddle. Because they could not they persuade his wife to find out the meaning of the riddle. She does this by complaining to him over a 7 day period, until he tells her the answer. Afterwards Samson is very angry and kills many of the Philistines. Later his wife is killed and Samson kills a further 1,000 men.
Throughout his life Samson showed great weakness regarding women, and when he loves Delilah (Judges 16:4-22), she proves to be his downfall. She was used by the Philistines to find out where his great strength lay. Because he had been under a Nazarite vow from his birth, his hair had never been cut, however if his hair was cut he would lose his strength (Judges 16). On discovering this Delilah tells the Philistines who gave her money. Whilst Samson was asleep she instructs a Philistine to cut off his hair, he then lost his strength. They then put out his eyes, and bound him in fetters. However as his hair grew his strength returned, and as the Philistines were using him to entertain them, he asks a young lad to guide him to where the 2 pillars were that held up the house, he then prays to Jehovah that He would give him the strength to push these pillars down. Samson does this and the whole house collapsed, therefore over 3,000 Philistines were killed by him that day. Samson judged Israel for 20 years. Although his life was a mixture of devotion and failure to his Nazarite status, his redeeming feature was his great faith at the moment of crisis against the Philistines, Judges (16:23-30 and Heb. 11:32).
Amos 2:11,12, (approx. BC 700), records Jehovah giving Israel Nazarites and prophets, but records their criminal treatment of them. Jehovah states therefore that Israel would be punished. This was effected by Israel's captivity, and also a great earthquake which befell them (see Amos 1:1).
Lam. 4, (approx. BC 550), relates how Jehovah had sent Israel, Nazarites and prophets, but they had not listened to them. On the contrary verse 4 shows the extent of the sin of the people and Jehovah's anger with them. The whole of Lamentations records Israel's woes.
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Speculative thinking regarding Jesus as a Nazarite
NAZARENE:
Matt. 2:23 records Jesus would be called a Nazarene.
Acts 24:5 Paul is accused of being a ring leader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
Nazir, in Hebrew means; to separate.
The Lord stated at the last supper that he was separating Himself at that stage, (Matt. 26:29 and Mark 14:25). There is the implication in that verse that the abstinence from wine in the Nazarite mode, indicated the same Nazarite dedication to purpose, in this case His Father's Kingdom.
When He met Mary at the tomb on the resurrection morning, He as the Sacrificial Lamb was yet to be in the Father’s presence, as Peace Offering and First Fruit. He was also the Wave Offering, this procedure had to be followed (to fulfil all righteousness in the Mosaic Law) before there could be a Harvest. That Harvest is the one referred to in Revelation 14:15, and is in abeyance due to Israel's rejection of Jesus as Messiah.
Therefore He could not be touched by Mary until the offering was complete. Although this may appear pedantic to our understanding, in the conflict between Jehovah and Satan, every step has to be perfect. Hence our Lord's comment to John "Let all righteousness be fulfilled", at His Baptism. His appearance to Mary was an expression of His great love for her and the disciples, in an attempt to reduce their grief and suffering.
When He walked with two of His disciples (unknown to them, Luke 24) and also broke bread with them a little later, He had been to the Father to perform the above mentioned as First Fruit, so that His communion with the disciples both on the Emmaus road and their later meal was not harming His First Fruit status.
NAZARETH:
Luke 1:26 records that Mary lived in Nazareth when the angel Gabriel visited her, and in Luke 2:4, both Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth because of the census for taxes, therefore Joseph too came from Nazareth.
Luke 2:39, confirms Nazareth as their city of abode.
In Luke 4:16 we learn that Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day went to the synagogue to pray as was His custom. He then read from Isaiah 61, which was the beginning of His earthly ministry. It is significant that He stopped mid verse 2 prior to "the Day of Vengeance of Our God". (See conclusion).
John 1:45,46 records how Nathanael does not believe that anything good could come out of Nazareth. However on meeting Jesus, he soon acknowledges that He is the Son of God, the King of Israel.
There are many references to Jesus of Nazareth. Matt. 2:23 and 4:13. Mark 1:24, records that the evil spirits called him Jesus of Nazareth.
Mark 10:47, the blind Bartimaeus also called Him Jesus of Nazareth.
Mark 16, records that the women who were seeking the body of Jesus were told by an angel that Jesus of Nazareth had risen.
John 19:19 records the writing on the cross was Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.
Acts 2:22 refers to Jesus of Nazareth.
Again in Acts 3:6 Peter refers to Jesus of Nazareth when he heals a lame man.
Acts 6 records that Stephen refers to Jesus as being of Nazareth.
Acts 22:8 records Jesus himself using the term Jesus of Nazareth when He speaks to Paul, saying He was the One whom Paul was persecuting, (i.e. His Body).
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A Nazarite = one separate.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia 7 page 232 records that Nazoraios may imply that Jesus was viewed as a Nazarite; consecrated, (separated) to God, such as Samson. In adopting vows to maintain an ascetic way of life Nazarites reacted against Canaanites religious beliefs and practices.
Summary:
It is clear from Scripture that the Nazarite vow was first instigated by Jehovah. The only man named to have been under such a vow was Samson, and this was for the whole of his life. Many men and women would have been under a Nazarite vow for various periods of time.
The importance of Jesus being known as coming from Nazareth is also clear, and must have much significance. If the Nazoraios is correct, when Christ returns to set up His Kingdom, He will finally vanquish the Canaanite (possibly Nephilim) influence from the earth.
Substance is found for this idea from Matt. 26:29 where Jesus says that he would not drink wine again until he would drink it new in His Father's Kingdom. (This being the Millennial reign, including annihilating the influence of the Nephilim). Also when Jesus was on the earth teaching and speaking with his disciples after his resurrection from the dead, Mark 14:25 and Luke 24:30 record that he took bread with them but no wine. Also in John 21:13 He ate fish and bread, but no wine.
Therefore when Christ returns He will complete the Nazarite vow taken at the Last Supper recorded in Matt. 26:29, and this is what He would have meant by not drinking wine again until He would drink it new in His Father's Kingdom.
Conclusion:
Samson is the first named Nazarite, a man of great imperfection regarding his failings, and who lost his vision when he lost his strength (literally). It seems of great significance that when he lost his vision, his earthly failings were in check. When Christ (Our Lord, Saviour and Friend) returns, He will complete the verse 2 of Isaiah 61, and the rest, AS THE PERFECT NAZARITE, as the opposite of Samson, the imperfect Nazarite.
When considering Zech. 14:21 the very last words of that verse, "and in that Day there shall be no more Canaanite in the house of the Jehovah of Hosts"! If the above comments re Christ as the perfect Nazarite are correct, and as the Canaanite in this quote is the absolute elimination, the concept tends towards the positive, re Jesus Christ as the perfect Nazarite. Whether that is correct or not the Canaanite peoples appear not to have been eliminated until that future time.
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