“When either men or women make a special vow, the vow of a nazirite, to separate themselves to the Lord” (Numbers 6:2), they are to do three things. First, they are to abstain from all use of wine or liquor, including any kind of vinegar, as well as grapes, raisins, and grape skins or seeds (6:3-4). Second, for the length of their vow, they are never to cut their hair: “they shall be holy; they shall let the locks of the head grow long” (6:5). And third, they shall not come near a corpse. “Even if their father or mother, brother or sister, should die, they may not defile themselves; because their consecration to God is upon the head. All their days as nazirites they are holy to the Lord” (6:7).

The law for the nazirites includes a section for the case “if someone dies very suddenly nearby, defiling the consecrated head” (6:9-12). It also includes detailed instructions for what must be done when the time of the vow has come to an end: bringing specified animals for a burnt offering, a sin offering, and an offering of well-being, along with offerings of unleavened bread, grain, and wine (6:14-17), and shaving their hair and offering the hair as an offering as well (6:18).

Although the text does not specifically use the term ‘nazirite,’ apparently at one point Paul had taken such a vow: “At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow” (Acts 18:18). This would be an example of the ‘ordinary’ vow, in force for a period of time and then completing. In contrast, Samson was dedicated as a nazirite for all of his life (Judges 13:5), and so was Samuel (I Samuel 1:11).

It is hard for us to imagine taking a vow of complete service to the Lord, for a specific period of time. It would be astonishing to consider someone making a vow on behalf of a child yet unborn for lifetime dedication to the Lord’s service. Although that is shocking to us, within the ancient world it makes more sense: the shoemaker’s son knew that he would grow up to be a shoemaker, and the grown-ups arranged the marriages for the children, because you wouldn’t expect a 14-year-old to have the maturity to make a decision that important. But beyond that, a nazirite vow is hard for us to fathom, because we live our lives so much for ourselves, and can’t imagine yielding the sovereignty over our lives to the Lord of heaven and earth.

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You are the Lord, Creator of all the world and of our own lives: yet we fear to let you be in charge, imagining we know better than you what is best for us. Teach us, O God, to be your own people; grow in us a longing to be wholly dedicated to you, in joyful obedience and devotion.