Numbers chapter 6 has two sections to it. The first section is "The Nazarite Vow" and the second is "Aaron's Blessing". I didn't know what a Nazarite vow was, so did a Google search and found an entry on Wikipedia. I know Wikipedia isn't the best source, especially for school papers, but it was informative nonetheless. You can read what Wikipedia said here. A basic summary is: The Nazarite vow was a vow to separate themselves to God, to be Holy unto the Lord. The person who took the vow would follow the rules outlined in the first part of Numbers 6 for at least 30 days. They would not eat anything made from grapes, they wouldn't cut their hair, and they would stay away from dead bodies. At first this doesn't sound too difficult, but if their dad, mom, sister or brother died they wouldn't be able to go to the funeral!
The vow made me think, how often do I deliberately separate myself to God, how often do I spend with just him? A few minutes a day, a few hours on Sunday? Maybe a week here or there for a retreat or missions trip? These times are times that I fit into my schedule, around what I really want to be doing. When was the last time I sacrificed something for God? Not just gave an offering, or did what was expected, but truly sacrificed? What sacrifices can I make today to put God first?
The second section of Numbers 6 is Aaron's Blessing. Through this blessing the Lord says that Israel as a nation would be blessed. Numbers 6: 24-26 says:
24 "The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace."
This is a great reminder of God's love for us and how much he cares. I really like how this chapter begins with a way for us to separate ourselves to the Lord, and ends with a blessing for those who bear the Lord's name.
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