FOUNDATION MINISTRIES (UK) Apostolic Ministry to the Body of Christ EXPOSITORY & INSPIRATIONAL TEACHING & SERMON NOTES Subject: - Prayer Study: - 706 The Nazarite Vow Bible Reading: - Numbers 6:1-21 Some of what I shall share in this study has been partly written within the study notes on the Altar of God, No. 107, but I felt fully persuaded by the Holy Spirit to write fuller on this subject. I write from my own personal experience and understanding of walking under a Nazarite Vow for a period of two months, during which time I found myself to be endued with a stronger anointing than was usual. It all came about at the time when I was writing up the notes on the Altar of God and came to the point of dealing with the Peace Offering. Realizing the Peace Offering was offered at the conclusion of the Nazarite Vow, the Holy Spirit began to quicken me on this subject and following this prompting I began to study the Nazarite Vow and its implications. As I studied this subject the account of Paul shaving his head came to mind and it became clear to me that Paul s reason for doing this, was because he had been under a Nazarite Vow, Acts 18:18. "And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while and then took leave of the brethren and sailed from there into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; Paul having shorn his head in Cenchrea for he had a vow" Scripturally the only vow Paul could have taken was that of a Nazarite Vow, and we note that in this verse Paul is speaking in the past tense, "for he had a vow" and that is the reason he shaved his head at the completion of his Nazarite Vow. Paul shaved his head in Cenchrea, "Paul having shorn his head in Cenchrea". Cenchrea is the Eastern Harbour of Corinth, where there was a church. Romans 16:1. I Commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. There is no evidence of Paul at this point offering a peace offering, or waiting until he arrived at Jerusalem to shave his head. Numbers 6:18 "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 offering. It could be that Paul kept his hair until he came to Jerusalem and burnt it under the sacrifice, which was made for him and the four others who had a vow. Acts 21:23-26. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. We note that there were four elders also, who were under a Nazarite Vow. Paul experienced difficulty concerning the legalism that still existed in the early church and found himself here at Jerusalem in conflict. It could be that the Elders at Jerusalem felt that Paul had taken a liberal interpretation regarding matters of the Law by shaving his head at Cenchrea and not waiting until he arrived at Jerusalem. Paul submits to the counsel of the Apostles and Elders. Acts 21:23-24 "Do therefore, this that we say to thee, we have four men who have a vow on them. Them, take and purify thyself with them and pay their expenses, that they may shave their heads and all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning thee are nothing but that thou also walkest orderly and keepest the law" Soon after this Paul finds himself being seized by those Jews who are opposed to his teaching, Acts 21:27-40. This is the beginning of his long journey to Rome and his imprisonment where he was able to write many of the 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 1 of 6
Epistles giving a correct understanding of the believers relationship to the law. I believe one of those Epistles, which he wrote during that period, was the Epistle to the Hebrews. As you will see from this study and the many examples in the scriptures of those separated unto God from their mother s womb as a Nazarite, and further, those who were called or prompted by the Holy Spirit to walked before the Lord under a Nazarite Vow. All of these to whom we will refer brought about a new beginning or revival through their various ministries in the nation of Israel in their walk before God. The Nazarite Vow is all about giving God the opportunity to work and bring about a new beginning. It is the anointing which breaks the yoke of the enemy and the oppression. To fully understand the Nazarite Vow we need to read the 6th chapter of Numbers, verses 1-21. Firstly we note that it is not a vow exclusive to the one sex, for it says "When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord". Verse 2. Secondly in order to vow the vow of a Nazarite, they had to separate themselves unto the Lord. In other words it was a period of complete and absolute devotion to God and a denial of self. Thirdly during this period of the vow, the person was not permitted to consume an alcoholic drink or eat moist or dried grapes. "All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree from the kernels even to the husks". Verse 4. The produce of the vine brought great pleasure and added enjoyment to what might have been a plain diet, Psalm 104:15 "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man". It is said by Daniel, who himself took on a Nazarite Vow whilst in the captivity of Babylon, Daniel 10:2-3 "In those days I, Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth neither did I anoint myself at all until three whole weeks were fulfilled" I believe that Daniel took on a Nazarite vow during this thee week period, for he ate no pleasant food nor consumed wine. Further at the beginning of the period of the captivity in Babylon there is the reference of Daniel purposing in his heart not to defile himself, Daniel 1:8 "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings food nor with the wine which he drank; therefore, he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself". Daniel involved his three friends Hananiah, Misheal, and Azariah. They were all well taught in the laws of God; for they would have fully understood what a Nazarite vow was and the purposes for taking the vow. Numbers 6:5 and 7-8 tells us "All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head until the days be fulfilled in which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow - because the consecration of God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord. Whilst a person walked under a Nazarite vow the presence of God, His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, would come to rest upon the head of that individual, and Isaiah when speaking of Jesus the Messiah, says Isaiah 11:2 "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord". Of those Nazarites of which we read in the scriptures, we can identify that God the Holy Spirit presence, was resting upon them. For upon Daniel came the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, Samson and Elijah, the Spirit of counsel and might, John the Baptist and Samuel the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord. The most prominent or well-known Nazarite in the scriptures is Samson, yet there were many more such as Hannah, Samuel, Elijah, Deborah, Daniel, Elisha, John the Baptist and Paul the Apostle. Samson, Samuel, Elisha and John the Baptist were separated from the womb unto God and therefore walked throughout the period of their lives as Nazarites. Elisha, Daniel and Paul appear to only separate themselves for periods of time under a Nazarite vow. I am not certain about Deborah, it is probable that she was born a Nazarite as the scripture speaks of her as a prophetess, Judges 4:4-5, And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. But from the scriptural viewpoint, it would have been for a limited period, as the vow of the woman could only stand as long as there was agreement from the father or 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 2 of 6
husband. Read Numbers 30:1-16, which deals with the law of vows and from my understanding of the scriptures the only vow one could take would be a Nazarite vow. Numbers 30:1-9 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. What we do note about the Nazarite vow was that it could be taken by male or female. "When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite". Numbers 6:2. Let us first look at the life and ministry of Samuel; what we notice about Samuel was that he was conceived under a Nazarite vow. For his mother Hannah took a Nazarite vow, 1 Samuel 1:11 "And she vowed a vow and said, 0 LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaiden and remember me, and forget not thine handmaiden, but wilt give unto thine handmaiden a male child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life and there shall no razor come upon his head". Hannah's vow was then the vow of a Nazarite, and in order for that vow to stand, her husband Elkanah had to give his consent. Numbers 30:6-7 "And if she had at all an husband when she vowed or uttered anything out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul. And here husband heard it and held his peace with her in the day that he heard it; then her vows shall stand and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand". Then verses 13 and 14 "Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. But if her husband altogether hold his peace with her from day to day then he establisheth all her vows or all her bonds, which are upon her, he confirmeth them, because he held his peace with her in the day that he heard them". It was obvious that Elkanah agreed with her vow and also participated in that vow, for it says in 1 Samuel 1 verse 21 "And the man, Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow". We note that it identifies Elkanah with the vow of Hannah as the scripture states "and his vow". Elkanah would have taken a peace offering on conclusion of their Nazarite vow following the birth of Samuel. It was a requirement of the fulfilment of the Law. Now Samuel was a Nazarite for all his days, for Hannah s when making her vow states, 1 Samuel 1:11 "then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head". Through the Nazarite vow of Elkanah and Hannah, the life and ministry of Samuel was conceived for the benefit of the nation of Israel. Hannah says of Samuel as she hands over to the care of Eli the priest, 1 Samuel 1:28 "Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there". There is much said of Samuel by the Lord, but scripture records these important words concerning this Nazarite, 1 Samuel 3:19 "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-Sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord". God accepted Hannah s freewill offering of her son, and her act of consecrating Samuel unto Him, for Samuel, as a Nazarite was quite unique. Samuel had a fine intercessory ministry, which he exercised on behalf of Israelites and they saw their enemies defeated, 1 Samuel 7:8-10 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 3 of 6
battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. It was a different case with Samson, for here God chose Samson s parents. God came and spoke firstly to Manoah's wife. Judges 13:2-5 "And there was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor any strong drink and eat not any unclean thing; For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head; for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines". Remember in scripture when it speaks of the "Angel of the Lord", it is always speaking of Gods presence amongst and with His angels, so here the Lord Himself is speaking to Manoah s wife. See verse 18 "And the angel of the Lord said unto him, why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is wonderful". See also verses 21-22. God imposes the conditions for Samson s birth upon Manoah and his wife, Judges 13:6-7 "Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible; but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name. But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death". Manoah prays and asks God to give them some clear guidance as to how to bring up this child and Manoah agrees to the vow. Verse 12 "And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass, How shall we order the child and how shall we do unto him". The angel tells them in verse 14, during the period of his conception and birth they, as the parents, are to be under the Nazarite vow, Verses 14 "And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe". We can see Samson s ministry to Israel as a mighty deliverer, was conceived and brought to birth under a Nazarite vow. Judges 13:24-25 "And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol". Samson under a Nazarite vow being separated unto God was a man of mighty strength, for we see that; He slays a lion with his own bare hands. Slays a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. He took the gates and their posts from Gaza (gates of the Enemy) on his back up to the top of the hill before Hebron. (Gaza means 'the strong place') We know that Samson lost his anointing temporary because he allowed his consecration to be desecrated by Delilah. Judges 16:15-20. Because Samson was separated unto God as a Nazarite from the day of his conception, once his hair grew again his consecration returned and his strength/anointing also returned and in his final act in the house of Dagon, the god of the Philistines, Judges 16:23-31, where he brings down the sanctuary of this demon god and three thousand philistines (which included the five Philistine Lords) are slain. John the Baptist was also separated unto God from the point of his conception in the womb of Elizabeth his mother, and was therefore a Nazarite, Luke 1:13-17 "But the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord". We note that he did not drink wine or strong drink, in accordance with the Nazarite vow. Further, he was filled with the spirit from his mother s womb. John s ministry was to prepare the way for the ministry of the Son of God; "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord". John s ministry prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and for a new beginning and a new covenant for the nation of Israel and the Gentiles. 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 4 of 6
Elijah walked under a Nazarite vow and prepared the way the ministry of Elisha, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus. Jesus says of John the Baptist, Matthew 11:7-19 "For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. Here Jesus answers the prophesies of Isaiah s 40:3-8, also Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6, and then goes says to them, Matthew 11:14 "And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah who was to come". Jesus testimony of John of the Baptist is, Matthew 11:11 "Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist". The angel had said to Zacharias, that John the Baptist would go before Jesus and prepare the way in the Spirit and power of Elijah, Luke 1:17 "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah". This also confirms for us that Elijah was a Nazarite, and like Samson and John the Baptist, I believe Elijah was separated unto God from birth. 2 Kings 1:8 "He was an hairy man, and girded with a belt of leather around his waist. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite". In other words Elijah had the long hair of a Nazarite separated to God. Of John the Baptist it is said Mark 1:6 "And John was clothed with camels hair and with a leather belt around his waist and he did eat locusts and wild honey", See also Matthew 3:4. Their opinion of John the Baptist was that he was a bit odd, a reed shaken in the wind i.e. somebody who was unstable, for he did not confirm to the religious leaders of their day, Matthew 11:7-18 "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind". In other words somebody not all there in the mind, "But what went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold they that wear soft clothing are in Kings houses - For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say, he hath a demon". Elijah like John the Baptist had the task of calling the nation Israel to repentance and preparing the way for a greater ministry, which was to follow them. Elijah was to challenge the nation of Israel to turn from the idol worship of Baal promoted by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and their false prophets. Elijah called the nation back from apostasy to the worship of the true God and prepared the way for the ministry of Elisha. We find that Elisha also walked under a Nazarite vow, yet only for a limited period, for he was not separated from his birth as a Nazarite. It would appear from the scriptural account that during the eight years that Elisha was alongside Elijah, he walked under a Nazarite vow, for just after the translation of Elijah into heaven, we find that Elisha concluded the vow and shaved his head. 2 Kings 2:23-25 "And he went up from there unto Bethel and as he was going up by the way, there came forth youths out of the city and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head. And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the woods and tore forty and two youths of them. Regarding long hair we are told it is a shame unto a man, 1 Corinthians 11:14 "Doth not even nature teach you that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? Those Nazarites separated unto God such as John the Baptist and Elijah bore their shame of and the reproach on behalf of the nation. It also tells us in, 1 Corinthians 11:5 "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaved". I believe from this scriptural standpoint that in order for Deborah to fulfill her role as Prophet and Judge to the nation of Israel, she would also have been under a Nazarite vow. Deborah fulfilled her ministry with the full backing and agreement of Lapidoth her husband (whose name means Lamps/Lights or Torches), indicating he was in the service of the Tabernacle and Priesthood. Deborah as a Nazarite prepared the way for Barak to go out and defeat the Canaanites who oppressed Israel. Paul founded and brought to birth the Church at Corinth under a Nazarite vow. Hannah gave birth to Samuel s ministry under a Nazarite vow. Samuel as a Nazarite walked before God as a mighty prophet in Israel and anointed both Saul and David as kings over the nation of Israel. 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 5 of 6
Samson parents conceived him whilst they were under a Nazarite vow, preparing for his mighty ministry. Samson as a Nazarite bears the might and strength God in his body, so that the Philistines could not stand before him. Elijah destroyed the work of the prophets of Baal and brought forth the ministry of Elisha under a Nazarite vow. John the Baptist called the nation to repentance and prepared the way for Jesus under a Nazarite vow. Daniel whilst under a Nazarite confounded the wisdom of the ancients, bringing the world s mightest ruler to his knees and to acknowledge that God is LORD, and whilst under the vow prayed through the release of the nation of Israel from captivity of the enemy. Deborah as a Nazarite prepared the way for Barak to go out and defeat the Canaanites who oppressed Israel. Of Daniel it is said, Daniel 10:12 " Then said he unto me Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard and I am come for thy words" From my own personal experience and studying the scriptural accounts I believe that under a Nazarite vow there is a birthing and a bringing forth which cannot come forth until we are prepared to separate ourselves for a period under the mighty hand of our God. After having studied the Nazarite vow I was handed the book "Rees Howells Intercessor" by Norman Grubb. For it was interesting to read that Rees Howells had also walked under a Nazarite vow and a full account is given in the. To quote from the book "After walking six months as a Nazarite, the Lord gave him the assurance that the intercession had been gained and he came into wonderful liberty in the presence of God". During the period of my own walking under the vow on my ministry tour of North America in 1986, I did not at any point lack an anointing. I did not have my hair cut and abstained from the products of the vine, not because I was being legalistic, but because I desired to show God how sincere I was about the calling to separation. The main thrust of my ministry at that time was I called the Church in America to separation from the desire of this world. Revelation Chapter 18. I know that scripture teaches us that we are separated and sanctified in Christ Jesus, yet I believe there are periods when God desires to do something deeper in our experience and ministry which requires that greater depth of separation unto himself. Prepared by Pastor Colin Wilkinson. 706. The Nazarite Vow Page 6 of 6