Numbers 6:1-21 — The Nazirite vow was one of, if not the, strictest vow in all of Scripture. One can see the obvious benefits of being separated in such a radical way for God’s use. All we need to do is look at how God used Samson or John the Baptist. But there’s something to be said about the offerings offered once the vow was broken. In all the Nazirites “set apartness” he (or she?) was still susceptible to sin. It reminds me of the opening of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians where he refers to them as “sanctified” and is still writing to rebuke them for all manner of mess-ups.
I wonder also if there’s not something to be said about abstaining from the vine and all of its fruit. As believers in Christ we understand that Christ is the vine and we are the branches. We also understand that communion involves partaking in the fruit of the vine. Abstinence for us results in spiritual turmoil.
Numbers 7 — Wouldn’t it have been so much easier to just say, “Each of the 12 tribes gave…” rather than itemize the same things for every tribe and then add them up at the end? One of the most boring chapters in all the Bible!
B”H
Maybe, it is an example of the tedious exactness required in keeping the law…
On the other hand, it does give us more faith in the historicity of the procedure (could anyone make anything so boring up?) ;-)
Nancy: Perhaps.
Benjamin: Good point! ;-)