A Nazarite Vow

Read  Numbers Chapter 6:1-12

Requirements for a Nazarite vow:

     no wine or strong drink or vinegar of wine

     nothing of the vine eaten from kernel to husk

     no razor upon his head

     shall not come at any dead body

What’s wrong with the fruit of the vine?

     no wine or strong drink

Wine is strange fire:  Read Leviticus 10:1-11.

Leviticus 10:1      "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer;

                             and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD,

                             which he commanded them not."

This was told Aaron and Moses just after Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord,
indicating that they were drunk when they went into the Tabernacle to offer incense.

Proverbs 20:1       "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging:  and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Mocker:  Scorn –

                           The feeling or actions of a person toward someone he considers low, worthless or beneath his notice.

                 Contempt –

                           The punishable act of showing disrespect for authority or dignity of a court.

Raging:  making a loud noise

Both meanings indicate a total lack of respect.  If you're making a vow to the Lord or coming before him for
any reason it had better be with respect for who he is.

     no vinegar of wine

vin (wine) + aigre (sour)

          a sour liquid with a pungent odor, containing acetic acid, made by fermenting dilute alcoholic liquids, as wine.

          a sour  or ill-tempered speech, character, etc.

fermentation

          the breakdown of complex molecules in organic compounds, caused by the influence of a ferment

           (yeast, bacteria, enzymes, etc.).

In the Bible, leaven (yeast) is a 'type' for sin.  Ferments, like sin, eat away at a soul, causing its destruction.

Amos 2:11-13    "And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites.  Is it not even thus,
                O ye children of Israel?  saith the Lord.  But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the
                prophets, saying, Prophesy not.  Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves."

     no eating from kernel to the husk

Kernel –  seeds (inside)          Husk –    skin (outside)

I Thessalonians 5:22-24      "Abstain from all appearance of evil,  and the God of peace sanctify you wholly;  and I
                             pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of 
                             our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

During the feast of the Passover no leaven could be found in all their coasts.  The fruit of the vine is like leaven
in that it ferments, thus, you shall not eat of the fruit of the vine from kernel to the husk.

To be continued. . .