Numbers 6:13 Limited Term Dedication

Numbers 6:13 “ ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over. They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Have you ever been to the dedication of a building when they cut the ribbon with a big pair of scissors? There were probably some speeches by some important people, and some applause by the gathered audience. If it is a new building the general contractor and those who provided financing are often acknowledged and thanked.

But have you ever been to a ceremony where a person was dedicated to a specific task? This is more than graduation from professional training like medical school or law school. This is a ceremony where the individuals are set apart from the rest of society to do a very specific task, a task with unique characteristics.

With the war in the Ukraine in the news, I remember when Chernobyl nuclear power plant blew up. There were men and women who volunteered to go into that extremely radioactive area and start the cleanup knowing that they would die as a result of their efforts. I often wonder if there was a ceremony at the time recognizing their sacrifice for the many?

We have heard of the heroes who ran toward the towers in New York City on that horrible day. They chose to take their dedication to human life and safety to another level. They are honored on the site, names engraved in stone for years to come.

In our text, which is located in a section of Numbers that is telling us about many things and people who have been set aside for holy service, there is a way for anyone to become part of that dedicated team who is willing to make that vow. They are Nazirites.

I often think of the most famous person who was a Nazirite, Samson. He was a Narrate from birth. He was born into that way of life. And he did a pretty terrible job of representing the One to whom he was dedicated!

But our text tells us that you could take a Nazirite vow for a shorter period of time than life. The timeframe is not specified. So other people could enter into a vow like this.

In my mind, I had always thought about the Nazirite vow in terms of “for the rest of my life” kind of vow. I hadn’t considered a limited term vow, as is spelled out here. Perhaps the apostle Paul entered this vow with some others when he entered Jerusalem for the last time before he was arrested and charged.

There is no list of reasons people would take such a vow given in our text, or spelled out in other texts about the Nazirite vow. So I think they could be taken for many different reasons.

But there were certain marks of someone who had taken the vow. They stayed away from grapes and the byproducts of grapes. They didn’t cut their hair. They stayed away from dead bodies, even those of their immediate family.

And if they violated one of these requirements, their vow-clock was reset and they started over. You wouldn’t make that mistake again! You would be very careful, very circumscribed in how you lived your life. And of course, that was the point. You were dedicating yourself to the LORD for a specific timeframe for a specific purpose.

I am wondering if we need to institute vows like this in our society. Celebrate Recovery and AA, NA, and other recovery groups, all have ways to make those who are on that journey. Maybe we need something that marks the dedication of people to walk with Christ.

Oh, we do! Be in the Word. Gather together on a weekly basis with other believers. Care for those who are less fortunate than you are. Love one another. I could go on. You get the idea.