We saw last time that everyone in Israel would have become unclean at some or other – and so therefore everyone would wind up going “outside the camp” for a while. God’s purpose is pretty clear: He is setting Israel up for what will happen when Jesus comes. Because when Jesus comes, Jesus will go “outside the camp” to be crucified and bear the sins of the world.
In chapter 5, we heard about uncleanness – breaking faith – and the spirit of jealousy. In other words, we heard about all the things that can go wrong in the church. But here in Numbers 6, we hear about the things that can go right.
If the Levites displace the firstborn in the service of the holy things, then what happens to the rest of Israel? How can the “ordinary” Israelite participate in the holiness of the priests?
As we look at the law of the Nazirite it may be useful to hear a couple of NT references: in Acts 18:18 we hear that while Paul was in Cenchrae, “he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.” Then, in Acts 21:24, Paul goes to the temple with four fellow Christians who were under a vow and had to cut their hair. And he purified himself along with them and paid their expenses – which included paying for the sacrifices prescribed in Numbers 6.
In other words, Paul and the rest of the apostles thought that it was fine for Jewish Christians, at least, to observe something like a Nazirite vow....
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