TWO NAZARITES

by Ivan Maddox

Atlanta, GA

Two powerful, extraordinary Nazarites are portrayed in scripture. Both judged Israel. Both were born supernaturally. Both were Nazarites for life. But in their lives, their character and their ministries, these two were as different as night and day. These two men are Samson and Samuel.

A Nazarite was a man or woman consecrated to the Lord for a specific period of time. The vow taken by a Nazarite was usually voluntary, is described in Numbers 6.

Numbers 6:1-8.

6:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6:2 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:

6:3 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.

6:4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

6:5 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.

6:6 All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.

6:7 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.

6:8 All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.

Unlike most Nazarites, both Samson and Samuel were both consecrated to the Lord before their births. Neither made this commitment voluntarily.

Samson's birth was foretold by an angel. This seems like a sure promise of great things to come.

Judges 13:1-5.

13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

13:2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

13:4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

13:5 For, 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.

Samuel was likewise born to a previously barren woman. But Samuel's birth was not foretold by angels. Instead, he was given by God in answer to a specific prayer and vow by a God-fearing woman.

I Samuel 1:1-3, 6, 9-11, 19-20.

1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

1:2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

1:19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

The mother of Samuel prayed to the Lord for deliverance from her barrenness, and vowed to give her first child to the Lord if He opened her womb. She faithfully carried out her promise.

I Samuel 1:24-28.

1:24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

1:25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

1:27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

She left her child with the priest and went home. Though she visited him year after year, she never tried to take him back; she stuck faithfully by her vow.

I Samuel 2:18-21.

2:18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

2:19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

2:20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

Both Samson and Samuel lived out the vows made on their behalf. But Samson and Samuel seem to have differed in their attitudes toward their vows.

Samuel seems to have lived his whole life in obedience to his vow. He never acted as if this vow was a burden to him. Instead, he lived as normal a life as his vow allowed, including marrying and raising children. At the same time, it was clear to everyone who knew him that he was separated unto the Lord.

Samson seems to have lived most of his life in obedience to his vow as well. However, he seems to have been more of a man of the people – more like “one of the boys” –than Samuel. And on those rare occasions when his vow seemed to get in the way of what he wanted to do, he was not above breaking his vow in order to do what he wanted to do.

Judges 14:5-9.

14:5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

14:6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

14:8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

14:9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

Even touching a dead body – let alone eating honey taken from a dead body! – was a violation of the prohibition against touching dead bodies in Numbers 6:6. But Samson’s desire for the honey found in such a remarkable location was enough to get him to disobey his vow.

Both Samson and Samuel were used by God in a mighty way to deliver Israel. Samson began the work of deliverance, and Samuel continued the work. But though their callings were similar, there was a great difference in the way they carried out their callings.

Samuel functioned as the spiritual leader of Israel during his ministry. When crises arose, he became the focal point around which the tribes of Israel rallied to fight their enemies. In many ways he was the ideal judge of Israel, the best of the best. Yet, in the end, the people of Israel rejected his godly leadership, and begged instead for a king to lead them. It was God who pointed out that this was not just a rejection of Samuel’s leadership; it was a rejection of the leadership of God Himself. The latter part of Samuel’s ministry was spent shepharding the king God had appointed over His people, only to watch that king turn his back on God to such a degree that God turned His back in turn on the king.

Samson, though he served as the spiritual leader of Israel for several years, was never able to count on the people of Israel for any help whatsoever. In the work of military deliverance that he was called to, he was forced to stand alone. In each of the fights that he fought, he fought alone.

Samson stood up for Israel when Israel refused to stand up for itself. Yet Samson never seemed discouraged or bitter, even though he was forced to stand alone.

Samson was not a naturally strong man, as evidenced by what happened to him when the spirit of God departed from him after his hair was cut. Yet, when the spirit of God came upon him, he was filled with superhuman strength, and was able to do mighty deeds. He used this to great effect in carrying out his ministry. This made up for the fact that he was forced to fight alone. And while Samson may have forfeited the spirit of God because of his failure to keep his Nazarite vow, he remained faithful to his work of delivering Israel to his dying breath.

The Nazarite vow was a type, or an illustration, of separation unto the Lord, or sanctification. While the Nazarite might live shoulder to shoulder with other people, and might participate in many of the same activities as other people, it was clear to them and to him that he was separated unto the Lord. For most, this was a voluntary and temporary separation. For some, like Samuel and Samson, this was an involuntary lifetime calling.

Like the Nazarites, we as Christians are called to live lives separate from the world.

II Corinthians 6:14-18.

6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

This does not mean that we are to avoid contact with the world, as Paul explained in his first epistle to the Corinthians.

I Corinthians 5:

5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

Rather, our pattern is to be Jesus Christ, who was both “a friend of publicans and sinners” (Matthew 11:19) and “separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). Jesus fellowshipped closely enough with sinners to be regarded as their friend; yet he never joined them in their sin. In this he was separate from them. He befriended them while maintaining a life of moral excellence and obedience to God’s word.

In terms of living a life dedicated to God, Jesus Christ was the ultimate Nazarite. Yet, so far as we know from the scriptures, Jesus never took the Nazarite vow, nor did he live his life according to the Nazarite rules. Jesus did not refrain from cutting his hair. He did not refrain from drinking wine, but was rather accused during his ministry of being “…a gluttonous man, and a winebibber…” (Luke 7:34). But he did not need to follow these external rules to let people know that he was separated unto God. His life was witness enough to this facr.

Jesus Christ completely fulfilled the Law of Moses on our behalf, so that we don’t have to pay this tremendous price that we owed. Legally, our standing before God is perfect, and God has declared us justified and righteous before Himself, thanks to Christ. But God wants more than that from us. He wants us to live lives now that are worthy of the righteousness He has already given us.

How are we to do this? By following an external set of rules and regulations like the Nazarites? By carefully obeying the Law, like Jesus? In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul teaches us that the key to doing this is walking by the spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

When we walk in the spirit, the end result is the development of the fruit of the spirit in our lives. These are godly characteristics that are visible to those around us. These bear testimony to others of our separation and dedication to God.

How do we walk in the spirit? By following rules and regulations? Paul answers this question for us in Colossians.

Colossians 2:20-21.

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

What does not work in the Christian walk is trying to subject ourselves to a bunch of rules and regulations given by men. These look good, and look like they are honoring God, but in reality they are worthless.

So, then, what does work?

Colossians 3:1-17.

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The key for us is setting our “affections,” that is, our thoughts and desires, on things above rather than things of the earth. As we do this, we will put to death thise things in us that are not consistent with the things of Christ . As we do so, people will be able to tell by our behavior, our attitudes and our character that we belong to God. We may not live our lives like Nazarites, but the purpose of the Nazarite vow will be fulfilled in our lives as we do this.

So long as our eyes and our affections are earthward bound, we will be tempted to see doing things God’s way as getting in the way of the things we want to do, have and be, and we will look for ways aroung God’s word to get what we want. But as we focus our eyes on the things of God, we will find his word and his ways becoming more and more our natural ways of doing things.