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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 6
LESSON #07
SERVANTS OF THE LORD
v MEMORY VERSE: 2COR 4:5
v NUMBERS 5 WAS CONCERNED WITH CLEANSING FROM SIN.NUMBERS 6 IS CONCERNED WITH PRESENTATIONS TO GOD. GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT OUR OFFERINGS IF WEHAVE NOT FIRST REPENTED OF SIN.
Ø READ MAT 5:23-24
v READ NUM 6:1-12 THE NAZARITE VOW
Ø WHAT DOES NAZARITE (OR NAZIRITE) MEAN?
§ THE WORD MEANS = TOSEPARATE, CONSECRATE, OR ABSTAIN. IT IS NOT THE SAME WORD AS NAZARENE WHICHWAS A PERSON FROM THE GEOGRAPHICAL CITY OF NAZARETH.
§ THIS WAS A VOLUNTARY VOW.IT WAS NOT COMMANDED BY GOD THAT A PERSON TAKE THIS VOW. THIS VOW WAS FOR ANY MAN OR WOMANWHO DECIDED THAT HE OR SHE WANTED A CLOSER WALK WITH GOD. THERE WERE TWO TYPES OF NAZARITEVOWS, DEALING WITH THE LENGTH OF THE VOW.
· A PERSON COULD TAKE THE NAZARITEVOW FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME.
¨ PAUL TOOK A TEMPORARY NAZARITE VOW IN ACTS18:18.
· A PERSON COULD TAKE THE NAZARITEVOW FOR A LIFETIME. OF COURSE, IT WAS THE PARENTS THAT DECIDED THE LIFETIME VOW FOR ACHILD. THERE WERE ONLY 3 MEN IN THE BIBLE WHO WERE NAZARITES UNDER THIS VOW FOR ALIFETIME.
¨ SAMSON (JDG 16:17)
Ø YOU WILL RECALL THAT SAMSON WAS A FAILUREREGARDING THIS VOW FOR HE TOUCHED A DEAD LION (JDG 14:5-6) AND HIS HAIR WAS CUT BY DELILAH(JDG 16:19)
¨ SAMUEL (1SAM 1:21)
¨ JOHN THE BAPTIST (LUK 1:14-15)
Ø THE CONDITIONS OF THE NAZARITE VOW:
§ A PERSON TAKING THE VOW,WHETHER FOR A LIMITED TIME OR FOR A LIFETIME, MUST FOLLOW THE SAME THREE CONDITIONS:
· HE MUST NOT DRINK WINE, VINEGAR,OR ANY KIND OF STRONG DRINK MADE WITH GRAPES.
· HE MUST NOT CUT HIS HAIR DURINGTHE PERIOD OF HIS VOW.
· HE MUST NOT TOUCH ANY DEAD THING.
§ THE REASONS FOR THESEPROHIBITIONS AND THEIR MEANINGS:
· NO WINE
¨ WINE IN THE BIBLE IS A SYMBOL FOR EARTHLYJOY. A PERSON WHO WANTS TO HAVE A CLOSER WALK WITH THE LORD MUST GIVE UP EARTHLY JOYS. THELORD MUST BE THE JOY OF YOUR LIFE. REMEMBER THAT THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ISCONTRASTED WITH BEING DRUNK WITH WINE. (ACT 2:13-17) IT IS THE JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THATSHOULD FILL THE CHRISTIANS LIFE.
Ø DOES NUMBERS 6 MEAN THE CHRISTIAN MUST NEVERDRINK WINE OR LIQUOR? NO. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT.
§ -REMEMBER JESUS TURNEDWATER TO WINE AT A WEDDING. (JOH 2:7-9)
§ -REMEMBER THAT PAULRECOMMENDED A LITTLE WINE TO TIMOTHY FOR HIS STOMACH AILMENT. (1TIM 5:23)
· HOWEVER, THE CHRISTIAN MUST NOTBE A DRUNKARD. (EPH 5:18) AND THE CHRISTIAN MUST NOT DRINK WINE IN FRONT OF A BROTHER WHOHAS A PROBLEM WITH ALCOHOL. (ROM 14:21)
¨ THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROHIBITION IS TOEMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF A PERSONS SOURCE OF JOY IN YOUR LIFE. THE SOURCE OF YOURJOY WILL DETERMINE HOW CLOSE A WALK YOU HAVE WITH THE LORD.
· NO HAIR CUT
¨ READ 1COR 11:14
Ø PAUL SAYS THAT A MAN HAVING LONG HAIR IS ASHAME BECAUSE IT IS AGAINST THE NATURE OF A MAN TO HAVE LONG HAIR.
§ THEREFORE, IF A MAN HADLONG HAIR IT WAS AN INDICATION THAT HE WAS WILLING TO BEAR SHAME FOR THE LORD.
· DIDNT ALL MEN IN BIBLETIMES HAVE LONG HAIR? YES, THEIR HAIR WAS LONGER THAN THE CULTURAL STANDARD TODAY. THEIRHAIR WAS NOT AS LONG AS A WOMANS HAIR DURING THOSE DAYS. WOMEN AT THAT TIME HADLONGER HAIR THAN WOMEN DO TODAY.
¨ DOES THAT MEAN A CHRISTIAN MAN SHOULD NOTHAVE LONG HAIR LIKE A WOMAN? PERSONALLY I THINK IT IS STILL A SHAME FOR A MAN TO HAVE LONGHAIR. HOWEVER, OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD IS NOT LEGALISTICALLY BASED ON THE LENGTH OF APERSONS HAIR.
¨ THE PURPOSE OF THE PROHIBITION IS TOEMPHASIZE A PERSONS DETERMINATION TO FOLLOW THE LORD EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT POPULARDESPITE RIDICULE AND PERSECUTION. (ROM 1:16 1TIM 4:10 HEB 11:26)
· NO CONTACT WITH DEATH
¨ DEATH IS THE CONDITION OF THIS WORLD.EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD EVENTUALLY WILL DIE. ONLY THOSE WHO BELONG TO JESUSHAVE TRUE ETERNAL LIFE.
Ø IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD ANDNOT COME IN CONTACT WITH DEATH AT SOME TIME OR OTHER. FOR A PERSON UNDER THE NAZARITE VOWTHERE WAS A RITUAL THAT PERSON MUST DO IF BY ACCIDENT HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH DEATH.
§ (NUM 6:9-12)
§ THE PURPOSE OF THISPROHIBITION WAS TO EMPHASIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS, THESEPARATION OF THE CHRISTIAN FROM WORLDLINESS. (2COR 6:17) THE CLOSER YOU WALK WITH THELORD, THE MORE YOUR LIFE IS A TESTIMONY TO ETERNAL LIFE.
Ø WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE NAZARITE VOW TOTHE CHRISTIAN?
§ IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, WEDO NOT TAKE THIS KIND OF FORMAL VOW. HOWEVER, THE LIFE OF THE COMMITTED CHRISTIAN SHOULDBE BASED ON THE JOY OF THE LORD, A WILLINGNESS TO BEAR PERSECUTION, AND A WILLINGNESS TOBE SEPARATE FROM WORLDLINESS.
§ READ ROM 1:1 AND JAMES 1:1
· BOTH PAUL AND JAMES TALK ABOUTBEING A SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST. IN FACT, THE WORD THEY USED IS A WORD FOR A BONDSLAVE.
¨ A BOND SLAVE WAS ANOTHER VOLUNTARY DECISIONMADE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
Ø READ EXO 21:1-6
§ IF A PERSON SOLD HIMSELFINTO SLAVERY FOR ECONOMIC REASONS, THE LAW SAID HE MUST BE SET FREE AFTER 7 YEARS OR INTHE YEAR OF JUBILEE. HOWEVER, IF HE LOVED HIS MASTER SO MUCH THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO GOFREE, HE COULD VOLUNTARILY BECOME A BOND SLAVE FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
· A PERSON MAKING THIS VOLUNTARYDECISION WOULD BE MARKED BY HAVING A PIECE OF WOOD PIERCED THROUGH HIS EARLOBE.
¨ THE DISCIPLES USED THE TERM BOND SLAVEAS AN EXAMPLE OF A COMMITTED CHRISTIAN LIFE.
§ JESUS, THE FULFILLMENT OFTHE NAZARITE VOW
· HE WAS TOTALLY DEDICATED TO GOD,THE FATHER.
· JESUS IS THE EXAMPLE OF HAVINGJOY IN THE LORD WHOSE GLORY WAS DOING GODS WILL. (JOH 17:1-5)
· JESUS BORE THE REPROACH ANDRIDICULE OF MEN TO BRING REDEMPTION FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
· THERE IS ONLY LIFE THROUGH THERESURRECTION OF CHRIST. (JOH 11:25-26)
v READ NUM 6:22-27 THE TRIUNE BLESSING FOR THECOMMITTED BELIEVER
Ø REFERENCES TO THE TRINITY (GOD, THE FATHER;JESUS, THE SON; AND THE HOLY SPIRIT)
§ THE COMMITTED BELIEVER ISBLESSED BY GOD, THE FATHER, WHO BLESSES AND KEEPS US (24)
§ THE COMMITTED BELIEVER ISBLESSED BY JESUS, THE SON WHO BLESSES US WITH HIS PRESENCE AND HIS GRACE. (25)
§ THE COMMITTED BELIEVER ISBLESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WATCHES OVER US AND GIVES US PEACE. (26)
v APPLICATION:
Ø WE HAVE EXAMINED TWO VOLUNTARY VOWS FROM THEOLD TESTAMENT THAT HAVE SERIOUS MEANING TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE, THE NAZARITE VOW AND THEVOW OF THE BOND SLAVE.
§ GOD TAKES VOWS SERIOUSLY.
· READ ECC 5:4-5
§ GOD WANTS PEOPLE TO TAKESERIOUSLY THEIR DECISION TO BE A CHRISTIAN. JESUS GAVE US THE EXAMPLE. IF YOU WANT A CLOSEWALK WITH THE LORD, DETERMINE TO TAKE YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE SERIOUSLY. BECOME A MOVE-ER INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD.
· NOTICE THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE BOOKOF NUMBERS. CLEANSING THE CAMP OF SIN WAS IN CHAPTER 5. THE PRESENTATION TO GOD OF ADEDICATED, CLEANSED LIFE IN CHAPTER 6.
¨ READ ROM 12:1-2
Ø STEP #4 IN BECOMING A MOVER-ER IS:
§ COMMIT YOURSELF TO BEING ABOND SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST WHOSE JOY IS IN THE LORD, SEPARATED FROM WORLDLINESS, ANDWILLING TO BEAR RIDICULE AND PERSECUTION.
HOMEWORK
NUMBERS 7
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 6
Ø HAVE YOU MADE ANY VOWS OR PROMISES TO THELORD THAT YOU HAVE NOT KEPT?
Ø IN PRAYER, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT BRING THEM TOMIND.
§ REPENT OF YOUR NEGLIGENCE.DETERMINE TO FULFILL THAT WHICH YOU PROMISED.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 7
Ø READ NUM 7, THE SECOND LONGEST CHAPTER IN THEBIBLE.
§ WHAT TYPE OF GIFTS WEREPRESENTED TO GOD?
§ DO YOU NOTICE ANYTHINGPECULIAR ABOUT THIS CHAPTER?
§ WHAT WAS THE ATTITUDE OFTHE PEOPLE WHEN THEY GAVE THESE GIFTS TO GOD?
§ WHAT SHOULD BE THE BASICMOTIVE BEHIND ALL GIFTS PRESENTED TO GOD?
§ READ MAT 6:21
· EXPLAIN WHAT RELATIONSHIP THISSCRIPTURE HAS TO NUMBERS 7.
v MEMORY VERSE: LUK 6:38
