Thurs.’s Devo - The Nazarite Vow

Read Numbers 6:1-7:89, Mark 12:38-13:13, Ps. 49:1-20, Pr. 10:27-28 A Nazarite was a vow anyone could choose to make for a certain amount of time to devote themselves to God. They were promising to abstain from: wine or anything that came from the vine, cutting their hair, and contact with the dead. Samson and John the Baptist were both Nazarites for life. Samson broke his vow causing him to be imprisoned and made blind. John the Baptist kept his and was Jesus’ predecessor. Wine was associated with indulgence which leads to sin in the natural. Cutting the hair was considered a part of cleansing yourself. Contact with the dead made you unable to do spiritual service. So a person who is set apart to the Lord seems to be a person who has given up the things that would entice them to sin (drinking wine). They would also be a person who easily recognized their weaknesses (long hair) yet willing to do whatever it took to stay away from them (staying away from dead things). The tribes brought their offering to the Lord in the same order in which they marched. In Mark Jesus warned his disciples of the teachers of the law that loved to be noticed for their outward appearance and self-righteous living. They are honored on earth, but will be condemned later. He also compared the wealthy givers to the poor widow who gave less than a penny in the offering plate. He said that they give from their abundance, but she of her poverty. She gave everything she owned. Lord, help us to have the heart of the poor widow and give you all of us.