UNROLL
Sunrise over the camp in the Wilderness of Sinai: the sun just above the far ridge, its warm light across rows of black tents and the white linen court at the center, under a clear pale sky.

The Book of

Numbers 6

Anyone could give themselves wholly to God for a time. And God gave the priests words to put His name on all His people.

27 verses≈ 5 min1 personBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and orderedChapter 6
  2. 11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
  3. 15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercy
  4. 22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessing
  5. 26–36A new generationReady for the land

The Nazirite Vow

And the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,

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God

The law

If someone dies beside him

  1. Cleansing

    Shave his head on the seventh day

    If someone suddenly dies in his presence and defiles his consecrated head of hair, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing—the seventh day.

  2. Two doves or pigeons, the eighth day

    On the eighth day he must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

  3. A sin and a burnt offering

    And the priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him, because he has sinned by being in the presence of the dead body.

  4. Starting over

    His head consecrated again

    On that day he must consecrate his head again.

  5. Time rededicated; a guilt offering

    He must rededicate his time of separation to the LORD and bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering.

  6. The days before do not count

    But the preceding days shall not be counted, because his separation was defiled.

A flat woven basket on a mat in morning light, holding round unleavened cakes and thin oil-brushed wafers, with a small clay jug of wine beside it.

The law

When the vow is complete

  1. Brought to the Tent’s entrance

    Now this is the law of the Nazirite when his time of separation is complete: He must be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting,

  2. Burnt, sin, peace

    A lamb, a ewe lamb and a ram

    and he is to present an offering to the LORD of an unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, an unblemished year-old female lamb as a sin offering, and an unblemished ram as a peace offering—

  3. Grain, drink and a basket of bread

    together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—and a basket of unleavened cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers coated with oil.

  4. The sin and burnt offerings made

    The priest is to present all these before the LORD and make the sin offering and the burnt offering.

  5. The ram and bread: a peace offering

    He shall also offer the ram as a peace offering to the LORD, along with the basket of unleavened bread.

  6. The grain and drink offerings

    And the priest is to offer the accompanying grain offering and drink offering.

In the tabernacle court, a man with a freshly shaved head, seen from behind, holds a thick hank of long dark hair over a low fire while a priest in white linen stands by and smoke rises.

Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head, take the hair, and put it on the fire under the peace offering. And the priest is to take the boiled shoulder from the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them into the hands of the Nazirite who has just shaved the hair of his consecration. The priest shall then wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. This is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the wave offering and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

0:34

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD for his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford; he must fulfill whatever vow he makes, according to the law of his separation.”

Question

Quick question

A Nazirite’s vow had three marks, and one of them everyone in the camp could see.

What was never to touch a Nazirite’s head during his vow?

Aaron’s Blessing

God
God

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

‘May the LORD bless you

and keep you;

may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you

and give you peace.’

Numbers 6:24–26

God
God

So they shall put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Pray

Pray it over someone

God gave His priests words to speak over His people, and He promised, “I will bless them.” Think of one person today who needs to hear it: a child, a friend, someone far from God, someone tired. Write their name. Then pray these words slowly over them: “May the LORD bless you and keep you.” Ask Him to make His face shine on them and give them peace.

You’ve experienced

Numbers 6

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A verse to carry with you

May the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His countenance toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24–26

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