Schoolmaster to Christ
NUMBERS CHAPTER 6
Schoolmaster to Christ
NUMBERS CHAPTER 6
Scripture Reading: Numbers 6 (KJV)
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord" (vv. 1-8).
The ordinance of Nazariteship is full of interest and instruction. In it we see one setting himself apart in a special manner from things that, though not absolutely sinful in themselves, were nevertheless calculated to interfere with that intense consecration of heart set forth in true Nazariteship.
In the first place, the Nazarite was not to drink wine. To him every shape and form of the fruit of the vine was forbidden. Wine is the symbol of earthly joy – the expression of that social enjoyment which the human heart is so fully capable of entering into. From this the Nazarite in the wilderness was sedulously to keep himself. With him it was a literal thing. He was not to excite nature by the use of strong drink. All the days of his separation he was called to exercise the strictest abstinence from wine.
Such was the type and it is written for our learning – in this marvelous book of Numbers, so rich in wilderness lessons. This is only what we might expect. The impressive institution of the Nazarite finds its appropriate place in the book of Numbers. It is in keeping with the character of the book, which contains all that specially belongs to life in the wilderness.
Let us then inquire into the nature of the lesson taught in the Nazarite's abstinence from everything pertaining to the vine, from the kernel to the husk.
In this world, there has been only one true and perfect Nazarite – only One Who from first to last maintained the complete separation from all mere earthly joy. From the moment He entered His public work, He kept Himself apart from all that was of this world. His heart was fixed on God and His work – with a devotion that nothing could shake. Not for a single moment were the claims of earth or nature ever allowed to come between His heart and the work He came to do. "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" And again, "What have I to do with thee?" With such words the true Nazarite sought to adjust the claims of nature. He had one thing to do, and to that He perfectly separated Himself – His eye was single; His heart undivided. This is apparent from first to last. He could say to His disciples, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of;" and when they, not knowing the deep significance of His words, said, "Hath any man brought Him anything to eat?" He replied, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (Jn. 4). So also, at the close of His course here below, we hear Him giving utterance to such words as these, as He took into His hand the paschal cup: "Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" (Lk. 22:17, 18).
Thus we see how the perfect Nazarite carried Himself. He could have no joy in the earth, no joy in the nation of Israel. In order to devote Himself to the one grand object that was always on His mind, He detached Himself from all that which mere human affection might find in association with His own. The time will come when He will rejoice in His people; but, until that blissful moment arrives, He is apart as the true Nazarite, and His people are united with Him. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world, and for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (Jn. 17:16-19).
Let us ponder this first grand feature of the Nazarite character – faithfully examining ourselves in the light of it. It is a grave question as to how far we are truly entering into the meaning and power of such intense separation from all the excitement of nature, and from earthly joy. One may say, "What harm is there in having a little amusement or recreation? Surely we are not called to be monks. Has not God given as richly all things to enjoy? And while we are in the world, is it not right that we should enjoy it?"
To all this we reply, It is not a question of the harm of this, that, or the other. As a general rule, there was no harm in and nothing abstractedly wrong in the vine tree. But the point is this: one who aimed at being a Nazarite; who aspired to a holy separation unto the Lord, was to wholly abstain from the use of wine and strong drink. Others might drink wine; but the Nazarite was not to touch it.
The question for us is this: "Do we aim at being Nazarites? Do we sigh after thorough separation and devotion of ourselves, in body, soul, and spirit, unto God?" If so, we must be apart from all those things in which mere nature finds its enjoyment. It is on this one hinge that the whole question turns. The question is not, "Are we to be monks?" but "Do we want to be Nazarites?" Is it our heart's desire to be with our Lord Christ, apart from all mere earthly joy – to be separated unto God from those things which, though not absolutely sinful in and of themselves, do, nevertheless, tend to hinder that entire consecration of heart that is the true secret of all spiritual Nazariteship? Surely the serious student of God's Holy Word is aware that there are many such things – numberless things – constantly exerting a distracting and weakening influence on a Christian's spirit; things that if tried by the standard of ordinary morality might be allowed to pass as harmless.
But we must remember that God's Nazarites do not measure things by any such standard. Theirs is not an ordinary or common morality. They look at things from a divine and heavenly standpoint, and hence they cannot suffer anything to pass as harmless that tends to interfere in any way with that high tone of consecration to God after which their souls are fervently breathing.
May we have grace to weigh these things – to watch against every defiling influence. Each one must be aware of what it is in his case that would prove to be wine and strong drink. It may seem to be a trifle; but we may rest assured that nothing is a trifle that breaks the current of our soul's communion with God, robbing us of holy intimacy that it is our privilege to enjoy.
But there was another thing that marked the Nazarite. He was not to shave his head. "All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow."
In 1 Corinthians 11:14, we learn that it argues a lack of dignity for a man to have long hair. "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him." From this we learn that if we really desire to live a life of separation to God, we must be prepared to surrender our dignity in nature. This our Lord Jesus Christ did perfectly. He made Himself of no reputation. He surrendered His rights in everything. He could say, "I am a worm and no man." He emptied Himself thoroughly, and took the very lowest place. He neglected Himself, while caring for others. In other words, His Nazariteship was perfect in this as in all things.
This is something most of us find hard to do. We naturally stand up for our dignity and seek to maintain our rights. In fact, it is deemed manly to do so. But the perfect Man never did that; and if we aim at being Nazarites we will not do so either. If in this world we would tread a path of thorough separation to God, we must surrender the dignities of nature and forego the joys of earth. By and by both will be in place; but not now.
Here again the question it is not pertaining to right or wrong. As a general rule, it was right for a man to shave his locks; but it was not right; it was altogether wrong, for a Nazarite to do so. This made all the difference. It was right for an ordinary man to shave and drink wine; but the Nazarite was not an ordinary man; he was one set apart from all that was ordinary to tread a path peculiar to self. To use a razor or taste wine would involve the entire surrender of that peculiar path. So, if any inquire, "Is it not right to enjoy the pleasures of earth, and maintain the dignities of nature?" The answer is, "Yes, it is right," if we walk as men but, "No, it is wrong; absolutely fatal," if we seek to walk as Nazarites.
This amazingly simplifies the matter; answering many questions and solving many difficulties. It is of little use to split hairs about the harm of this or that particular thing. The question is, "What is our real purpose and object?" Do we merely want to go along as men, or do we long to live as true Nazarites? According to the language of 1 Corinthians 3:3, to "Walk as men" and to be "carnal" are synonymous. Does such language govern us? Do we drink into the spirit and breathe the atmosphere of such a Scripture? Or are we ruled by the spirit and principles of a Christless world? It is useless to spend our time arguing points that would never be raised if our souls were in the right temper and attitude. No doubt, it is right, natural, and consistent for men of this world to enjoy what this world has to offer, and to maintain their rights and their dignities to the utmost of their power. It is childish to question this. On the other hand, what is right, natural, and consistent for men of this world, is wrong, unnatural, and inconsistent for God's Nazarites. We learn from Numbers 6 that if a Nazarite drank wine or shaved his locks, he defiled the head of his consecration. Has this no voice, no lesson for us? Yes; it teaches that if our souls desire to pursue a path of whole-hearted consecration to God, we must abstain from the joys of earth, and surrender the dignities and rights of nature. It must be this way, seeing that God and the world, flesh and spirit, do not and cannot coalesce. The time will come when it will be otherwise; but for now all who will live for God, and walk in the Spirit, must live apart from the world, and mortify the flesh. May God in His great mercy enable us to do so.
Let us consider other feature of the Nazarite. He was not to touch a dead body. "All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because the consecration of his God is upon his head."
Thus we see that whether it was drinking wine, shaving his locks, or touching a dead body, the effect was the same; any one of the three involved the defilement of the head of the Nazarite's consecration. It is plain that it was as defiling to the Nazarite to drink wine or shave his Head, as it was to touch a dead body. We are prone to make distinctions that will not stand in the light of God's presence. When once the consecration of God rested on the head of someone, that great and important fact became the standard and touchstone of all morality. It placed the individual on entirely new and peculiar ground, and rendered it imperative on him to look at everything from a new and peculiar point of view. He was no longer to ask what became him as a man; but what became him as a Nazarite. Hence, if his dearest friend lay dead by his side he was not to touch him. He was called to keep himself apart from the defiling influence of death and all because "the consecration of God" was on his head.
Now, in this entire subject of Nazariteship, it is needful for the serious student to distinctly understand that it is not a question of the soul's salvation, i.e., eternal life, or the true believer's security in Christ. If this is not clearly seen it may lead the mind into perplexity and darkness. There are two grand links in Christianity which, though connected, are distinct – the link of eternal life and the link of personal communion. The former, eternal life can never be snapped – not by anything; the latter can be snapped in a moment – by the weight of a feather. It is to the second of these that the teaching of Nazariteship pertains.
In the person of the Nazarite, we behold a type of one who sets out in some special path of devotedness or consecration to Christ. The power to continue in this path consists in maintaining secret communion with God – if the communion is interrupted, the power is gone. This renders the subject peculiarly solemn. There is the greatest possible danger of attempting to pursue this path in the absence of that which constitutes its source of power. This is disastrous, demanding the utmost vigilance. We have briefly glanced at the various things that tend to interrupt the Nazarite's communion; but it would be impossible to set forth in words the moral effect of any attempt to keep up the appearance or Nazariteship when the inward reality is gone. It is dangerous in the extreme. It is infinitely better to confess our failure and take our true place, than to keep up a false appearance. God will have reality; and we may rest assured that sooner or later our weakness and folly will be made manifest. It is deplorable and humbling when "the Nazarites that were purer than snow," become "blacker than a coal;" but it is far worse when those who have become thus black, keep up the pretence of being white.
Consider the solemn case of Samson, in the sixteenth chapter of Judges. In an evil hour he betrayed his secret and lost his power – lost it though he knew it not. But the enemy soon knew it. It was soon made manifest to all that the Nazarite had defiled the head of his consecration. "And it came to pass, when Delilah pressed will daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man" (vv. 16, 17).
Here was the betrayal of the deep and holy secret of all his power. Up to this, his path had been one of strength and victory, simply because it had been one of holy Nazariteship. But the lap of Delilah proved too much for the heart of Samson, and what a thousand Philistines could not do was done by the ensnaring influence of a single woman. Samson fell from the lofty elevation of the Nazarite down to the level of an ordinary man. "And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; Alas! alas! a fatal sleep to God's Nazarite! and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house" (Judg. 16:18-21).
What a solemn picture. How admonitory. What a melancholy spectacle Samson was, going out to shake himself, "as at other times." But, the "as" was out of place. He might shake himself, but it was no longer "as at other times," because the power was gone; the Lord had departed from him; the once powerful Nazarite became a blind prisoner; and instead of triumphing over the Philistines, he had to grind in their prison house – so much for yielding to mere nature. Samson never regained his liberty. However, through the mercy of God he was permitted to gain one more victory over the uncircumcised – a victory that cost him his life. God's Nazarites must keep themselves pure or lose their power. To the Nazarite, power and purity are inseparable. They cannot get on without inward holiness; and thus the urgent need to always be on watch against various things that tend to draw away the heart, distract the mind, and lower the tone of spirituality. Let us always keep before our souls the words of this chapter, "all the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord." Holiness is the grand and indispensable characteristic of all the days of Nazariteship; so that when once holiness is forfeited, Nazariteship is at an end.
What then is to be done? The Scripture before us supplies the answer. "And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering; but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled" (Num. 6:9-12).
Here, in its two grand aspects, we find atonement – the only ground on which the Nazarite could be restored to communion. He had contracted defilement, and that defilement could only be removed by the blood of the sacrifice. We might deem it a trying matter to touch a dead body, particularly under such circumstances. It might be said, "How could he help touching it when the man had suddenly dropped dead by his side?" To all this the reply is at once simple and solemn. God's Nazarites must maintain personal purity; and, further, the standard by which their purity is to be regulated is not human but divine. The mere touch of death was sufficient to break the link of communion; and if the Nazarite presumed to go on as though nothing had happened, he would have been flying in the face of God's commandments, bringing down heavy judgment on himself.
But, God's grace had made provision. There was the burnt offering – the type of the death of Christ to God. There was the sin offering – the type of that same death to us. And there was the trespass offering – the type of the death of Christ, not only in its application to the root or principle of sin in the nature, but also to the actual sin committed. In other words, it needed the full virtue of the death of Christ to remove the defilement caused by the simple touch of a dead body. This is peculiarly solemnizing. Sin is a most dreadful thing in God's sight. A single sinful thought, a sinful look, a sinful word is enough to bring a dark, heavy cloud over the soul, which will hide from our view the light of God's countenance, plunging us into deep distress and misery.
So let us beware how we trifle with sin, remembering that before one stain of the even the smallest guilt of sin could be removed, the blessed Lord Jesus Christ had to pass through all the unutterable horrors of Calvary. That intensely bitter cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" is the only thing that can give us any proper idea of what sin is; and into the profound depths of that cry no mortal or angel can ever enter. But though we can never fathom the mysterious depths of the sufferings of Christ, we should at least seek to meditate more habitually on His cross and passion, and in this way reach a much deeper view of the awfulness of sin in the sight of God. If sin was so dreadful, so abhorrent to a holy God, that He was constrained to turn away the light of His countenance from that blessed One Who had dwelt in His bosom throughout all eternity; if He had to forsake Him because He was bearing sin in His own body on the tree, then what must sin be?
May God help us seriously mediate on these things. May they always have a place deep down in our hearts – hearts that are so easily betrayed into sin. How lightly we often think of that which cost the Lord Jesus everything, not only life, but that which is better and dearer than life – the light of God's countenance. May we have a deeper sense of the hatefulness of sin; may we sedulously watch against eye movement in a wrong direction, because the heart will follow the eye, and the feet will follow the heart, and thus we find ourselves moving away from the Lord, losing the sense of His presence and love, becoming miserable, or, if not miserable, that which is far worse, dead, cold, and callous – "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
May God, in His infinite mercy, keep as from falling. May we have grace to more jealously watch against everything that might defile the head of our consecration. it is a serious thing to fall out of communion; and it is most perilous to attempt going on in the Lord's service with a defiled conscience. True, grace pardons and restores, but what we lose is never regained. This latter is emphasized and solemnly set forth in the passage of Scripture before us: "He shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering; but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled."
This point is full of instruction and admonition for our souls. When, by any means, the Nazarite became defiled, he had to begin over again. It was not merely the days of his defilement that were lost, but actually all the days of his previous Nazariteship.
What does this teach us? At least it teaches that when we diverge from the narrow path of communion even the breadth of a hair, and get away from the Lord, we must return to the point from which we set out, and begin de novo. We have many examples of this in Holy Scripture; and it would be wise to consider them, weighing the great practical truth they illustrate.
Take the case of Abraham in his descent into Egypt, as recorded in Genesis 12. This was evidently a divergence from his proper path, and what was the consequence? The days were lost, and he had to set back to the point whence he had swerved, and begin again. Thus, in Genesis 12:8, we read, "And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east; and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord." Then, after his return out of the land of Egypt, we read, "He went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord" (Gen. 13:3, 4).
All the time spent in Egypt went for nothing. No altar was there, no worship, and no communion – Abraham had to get back to the self-same point from which he had diverged, and begin again.
So it is in every case; and this will account for the miserably slow progress that some of us make in our practical career. We fail, turn aside, get away from the Lord, are plunged in spiritual darkness; and then His voice of love reaches us in restoring power, and brings us back to the point from which we had wandered. Our souls are restored, but we have lost time and suffered incalculably. This is serious, and it should lead us to walk with holy vigilance and circumspection, so that we may not have to double back on our path, losing what can never be regained. True, our wanderings, stumblings, and failings give us an insight into our own hearts, teaching us to distrust ourselves – illustrating the boundless and unchangeable grace of our God. All this is true; but still there is a much higher way of learning ourselves and God than by wandering, stumbling, or failing. Self, in all the terrible depths of that word, should be judged in the holy light of God's presence. There, too, our souls should grow in the knowledge of God as He unfolds Himself by the Holy Spirit, in the face of Jesus Christ, and in the precious pages of Holy Scripture. This surely is the more excellent way of learning both ourselves and God; and this, too, is the power of true Nazarite separation. The soul that habitually lives in the sanctuary of God, or, in other words, that walks in unbroken communion with God, is the one who will have a just sense of what human nature is, in all its phases, though it is not learned by sad experience. And not only so; but he will have a deeper sense of what God is, and of all who put their trust in Him. It is poor work to always be learning self by experience. The true way to learn it is in communion; and when we learn it that way, we will not be characterized by perpetually dwelling on our personal vileness, but rather we will be occupied with that which is outside and above self completely – the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.
In closing this section, we will quote at length the statement of "The law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings; and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings. And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven; and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and the heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation" (Num. 6:13-21).
This marvelous "law" leads us onward to something future, when the full result of Christ's perfect work will appear; and when, at the second coming, at the close of His Nazarite separation, He shall taste true joy with His beloved people. The time will then have come for the Nazarite to drink wine. From all this He set Himself apart for the accomplishment of His great work in all its aspects and bearings, in the foregoing "law." In the power of true Nazariteship He is apart from this world, as He said to His disciples on that memorable night, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29).
There is a bright day coming, when Jesus Christ returns for His people. From Isaiah to Malachi, the prophets are full of the glowing and soul-stirring allusions to that bright and blissful day. The serious student who turns to the closing section of Isaiah's prophecy will find a sample of that to which we refer; and similar passages are throughout the various books of the prophets.
No doubt some readers of Holy Scripture take for granted that the uninspired headings attached to various books of the prophets in various translations of the Bible are as much inspired as the text; or, if not inspired, at least they contain a correct statement of what the text sets forth; for example, "The blessings of the gospel" – "The enlargement of the Church," etc. However, in fact, there is not a syllable about the church from beginning to end of the prophets. That the church can find precious instruction, light, comfort, and edification from this grand division of the inspired volume is certainly true; but she will do this in proportion as she is enabled by the Spirit's teaching to discern the real scope and object of this portion of God's Holy Book. To suppose that we can derive comfort and profit only from that which exclusively or primarily refers to ourselves, would be to take a very narrow, if not an egotistical view of things. Can we not learn from the Book of Leviticus? Yet, who would assert that it refers to the church?
It is true that throughout "Moses and all the prophets" there are many things concerning the Lord Himself. This is plain from Luke 24:27. To some it may seem a strong statement to assert that there is nothing about the church, properly so called, throughout the prophets, or indeed in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament); but a statement or two from the inspired pen of Paul will settle the whole question for anyone willing to submit to the authority of Holy Scripture. Thus in Romans 16 we read, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets evidently of the New Testament, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" (vv. 29, 26).
So also in Ephesians 3 we read, "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the Grace of God, which is given me to youward; how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ;) which. in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men . . . as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets1 by the Spirit that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel . . . and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (vv. 1-10).
We have referred to the foregoing plain passages of Scripture in order to hopefully settle the matter regarding the fact that teaching on the church, as taught by Paul, finds no place in the pages of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). Therefore, when we read the prophets and meet the words "Israel," "Jerusalem," and "Zion," we are not to apply such terms to the Lord’s church. The reason is because they belong to the people of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the land of Canaan, and the city of Jerusalem.2 God means what He says. Therefore, we should not countenance anything that borders on, or looks like a loose and irreverent mode of handling the Word of God. When the Spirit speaks of Jerusalem, He means Jerusalem; if He meant the church, He would say so. One would not attempt to treat a respectable human document as the inspired volume is often treated. In other words, we take it for granted that a man not only knows what he means to say, but says what he means; and if this is so regarding a fallible mortal, how much more is it so regarding the wise and living God, who cannot lie?
But we must close this section on the ordinance of the Nazarite – so filled with sacred teaching for the heart. We pray that the serious student of God's Word will continue to ponder, in a special way, the fact that the Holy Spirit has given us the full statement of the law and institution of Nazariteship in the Book of Numbers – the wilderness book. We pray that from a deeper study, we may come to understand why the Nazarite was not to drink wine; why he was not to shave his locks; and why he was not to touch a dead body. May we meditate on these three things and seek to personally gather up the instruction contained therein. Let us ask, "Do I really long to be a Nazarite – to walk along the narrow path of separation to God and, if so, am I prepared to surrender all those things that tend to defile, distract, and hinder God's Nazarites?" Finally, let us remember that there is a time coming when "the Nazarite may drink wine." In other words, when there will be no need to watch against the varied forms of evil within or around. A time when all will be pure; and affections may flow out without check; the garments may flow around us without a girdle; there will be no evil from which to be separated. In other words, there will be "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." In His infinite mercy, may God keep us in true consecration of heart unto Himself until that blessed time.
We have now reached the close of a distinct section of the Book of Numbers. The camp is duly arranged; every warrior is in his proper place (Chapters 1, 2); every workman is set to his proper work (Chapters 3, 4); the congregation is purified from defilement (Chapter 5). Provision is made for the highest character of separation to God (Chapter 6). The order is strikingly beautiful. Before us is not only a cleansed and well ordered camp, but also a character of consecration to God beyond which it is impossible to go, because it is that which is only seen in its integrity in the life of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Having reached this lofty point, nothing remains but for Jehovah to pronounce His blessing on the whole congregation, and accordingly we get that blessing at the close of Chapter 6; and a right royal blessing it is. Let us read and consider. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise we shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them."
This copious blessing flows through the channel of priesthood. Aaron and his sons are commissioned to pronounce this wonderful benediction. God's assembly is to be blessed and continually kept by Him. It is to bask in the sunlight of His gracious countenance; its peace is to flow as a river; Jehovah's name is to be called on it – He is there to bless.
What a marvelous provision – if only Israel had entered into it and lived in the power of it. But they did not; as we will see, they turned aside, exchanging the light of God's countenance for the darkness of Mount Sinai. They abandoned the foundation – the ground – of grace and placed themselves under law. Instead of being satisfied with their portion in the God of their Fathers, they lusted after other things (Compare Psalm 105 and 106). Instead of the order, purity and separation to God with which this inspired book opens, we have disorder, defilement and idolatry.
Let us never forget: "All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus," and while we rejoice in the application of this precious statement to our own souls, let as not be guilty of denying its application to others. The Lord's church is called to partake of blessings peculiar to herself. She is privileged to know the presence of God with her and in her midst continually; to dwell in the light of His countenance; to drink of the river of peace; to be blessed and kept from day to day by Him Who never slumbers nor sleeps. But let us never forget – yea; let us deeply and constantly remember – that the practical sense and experimental enjoyment of these immense blessings and privileges will be in exact proportion to the measure in which the church seeks to maintain the order, purity, and Nazarite separation to which she is called as the dwelling-place of God – the body of Christ; the habitation of the Holy Spirit.
May these things sink deep into our hearts, exerting their sanctifying influence on our life and character.
