INTRODUCTION: This chapter deals specifically with the law of the Nazarite. Whereas chapter 5 dealt with separation from something, chapter 6 deals with separation unto God. This lesson demonstrates the great blessing found in voluntarily setting your life apart for the purpose of bringing glory to the Lord.

Chapter makeup

• 3 is the number of divine being.
• 9 is the number of fruitfulness.

Key words or phrases

1. His Separation (Numbers 6:1-8 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [2] 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: [3] 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. [4] All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. [5] 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. [6] All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. [7] 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. [8] All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
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1. Who Can Vow (Numbers 6:2Speak 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:
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1. Either man
2. Or woman
3. Apparently, parents could place this vow upon their child (Judges 13:5For, 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.
   See All..., 7; Judges 16:17That 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.
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2. A Voluntary Vow (Numbers 6:2Speak 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:
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1. A voluntary vow is a vow that is made of a person’s free will.
2. This vow was obviously voluntary as noted by the phrases of separation.
1. Separate themselves (Numbers 6:2Speak 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:
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2. Separate or separateth himself (Numbers 6:3He 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.
   See All..., 5, 6)
3. His separation (Numbers 6:4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
   See All..., 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 21)
3. From the Vine Tree (Numbers 6:3-4 [3] 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. [4] All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
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1. No wine or strong drink (Numbers 6:3He 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.
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2. No liquor of grapes – grape juice (Numbers 6:3He 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.
   See All...)
3. Eat no moist grapes (Numbers 6:3He 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.
   See All...).
4. Eat no dried grapes (Numbers 6:3He 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.
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5. Nothing from the kernels even to the husk (Numbers 6:4All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
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4. His Hair (Numbers 6:5All 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.
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1. No razor shall come upon his head - this would mean that a man’s hair would be allowed to grow to a longer length than normal.
2. Until the days be fulfilled – once the days were completed, the Nazarite could cut his hair.
3. Note: Some have confused the term Nazarite with the term Nazarene.
1. Jesus was a Nazarene meaning He came from Nazareth (Matthew 2:23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
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2. A Nazarite is a person who takes the vow explained in Numbers 6.
3. Therefore this is not proof that Jesus had long hair.
5. From the Dead (Numbers 6:6-8 [6] All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. [7] 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. [8] All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
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1. Come at no dead body (Numbers 6:6All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
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2. He would be unclean (Numbers 6:7He 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.
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3. The consecration of God is upon his head (Numbers 6:7He 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.
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2. His Sacrifice (Numbers 6:9-21 [9] 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. [10] 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: [11] 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. [12] 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. [13] And this is 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: [14] 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, [15] 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. [16] And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: [17] 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. [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 offerings. [19] 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: [20] And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. [21] 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.
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1. His Separation Defiled (Numbers 6:9-12 [9] 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. [10] 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: [11] 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. [12] 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.
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1. He shall shave his head (Numbers 6:9And 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.
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1. In the day of his cleansing
2. On the seventh day
2. On the eighth day (Numbers 6:10-11 [10] 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: [11] 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.
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1. Bring two turtles or young pigeons.
2. To the priest
3. To the door of the tabernacle
4. The priest shall offer one for a sin offering.
5. The priest shall offer the other for a burnt offering.
3. Trespass offering (Numbers 6:12And 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.
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1. Lamb of the first year
2. For a trespass offering
4. Previous time lost (Numbers 6:12And 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.
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2. His Separation Fulfilled (Numbers 6:13-21 [13] And this is 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: [14] 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, [15] 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. [16] And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: [17] 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. [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 offerings. [19] 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: [20] And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. [21] 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.
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1. He shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle (Numbers 6:13And this is 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:
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2. The burnt offering (Numbers 6:14And 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,
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1. One he lamb
2. Of the first year
3. Without blemish
3. The sin offering (Numbers 6:14And 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,
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1. One ewe lamb
2. Of the first year
3. Without blemish
4. The peace offering (Numbers 6:14And 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,
   See All...)
1. One ram
2. Without blemish
5. The meat offering (Numbers 6:15And 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.
   See All...,17)
6. The drink offering (Numbers 6:15And 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.
   See All...,17)
7. Shaving of the head (Numbers 6:18And 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.
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1. Shave the head
2. Put the hair in the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.
8. The wave offering (Numbers 6:19-20 [19] 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: [20] And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.
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1. One sodden shoulder of the ram
2. One unleavened cake
3. One unleavened wafer
4. Put into the hands of the Nazarite
5. The priest shall wave them before the Lord.
6. This is holy for the priest.
9. After that the Nazarite may drink wine (Numbers 6:20And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.
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3. His Blessing (Numbers 6:22-27 [22] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [23] Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, [24] The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: [25] The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: [26] The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. [27] And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
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1. The Nature of the Blessing
1. The blessing has seven parts to it. The number 7 is connected to completion.
2. It is bookmarked with a promise of God’s blessings.
3. Each part of the blessing is actually fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The Parts of the Blessing
1. The Lord bless thee (Numbers 6:24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
   See All..., 27).
2. The Lord keep thee (Numbers 6:24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
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3. The Lord’s face shine upon thee (Numbers 6:25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
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4. The Lord be gracious unto thee (Numbers 6:25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
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5. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee (Numbers 6:26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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6. The Lord give thee peace (Numbers 6:26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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7. The Lord put His name upon the children of Israel (Numbers 6:27And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
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CONCLUSION: Are you, like the Nazarite, willing to voluntarily separate yourself from the things of this life in order to draw nigh to God? May the Lord use the example of the Nazarite to stir us to live holy before the Lord.