The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the LORD as a Nazirite, they must . . ."Numbers 6:1-3
This is a good one to 'dog ear' for a later reference to the Nazirite Vow.
Why is it important?
Moses and Aaron already had a special relationship with God. For everyone else they interacted with God as a community. This vow allowed for a person to make a choice to have a more individually committed relationship with God. And the vow serves to illustrate the cost of discipleship for the believer today.
For example, the Nazarite could not cut his hair during the time of separation. If his vow was for a long time, his hair would grow long. But in the Biblical Era, long hair on a man indicated shame. Someone who willingly takes upon himself that which causes shame has conquered his pride. The disciple must be willing to take upon himself that which causes the world to scorn and laugh at him.
Sounds a lot like if anyone calls himself my disciple they must be pick up the cross . . .
Our relationship with God is an individual relationship by choice.
What choices have you made to deepen your relationship with God?
No comments:
Post a Comment