There is one more lesson we need to examine before we are finished with the Nazirite vow. After they cut their hair, the person completing the vow would do the following:
“‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast. The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine'" (Numbers 6:19-20).
Most of the peace offering that was brought already belonged to the priest (the breast and the thigh) which represented the strongest parts of the ram. In addition to this, the Nazirite was to take the shoulder along with some unleavened bread, and wave it before the Lord. It was almost as if the Nazirite was saying, "Here I am, Lord. I'm standing before you and I'm waving to you, asking that you acknowledge and accept my presence and the purpose of my vow."
What's more, the additional portion being waved was to indicate that the person who vowed was willing to go beyond what was usually expected of someone who was bringing a sacrifice. They were "all in" and were serving the Lord not with an I-have-to attitude, but rather with an I-get-to-and-choose-to demeanor.
How about you? Are you all-in where your purpose and creativity are concerned? Are you doing the minimum or are you going beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary? What can you do today to go beyond the minimum to present a wave offering to the Lord to show Him your commitment to His will and purpose for your life?
The Nazirite instructions end with this: "‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite'" (Numbers 6:21). This once again shows that Nazirites could use their own discretion according to their means to determine what they were going to offer as a sacrifice to God (there was room for freewill offerings). As you consider your service on God's behalf, be extravagant and not frugal as you offer your gifts, time, and talent to the Lord.
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