Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 138: Total Commitment

Let's continue with our examination of the Nazirite vow and apply its lessons to our quest for purpose and productivity with this third lesson.

‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord" (Numbers 6:6-8).

The Nazirite was to avoid anything related to death at all costs, even if that death took place in their own family. Obviously, this was an indication of how seriously the vow-er was to take their dedication or separation to the Lord. They were to allow nothing to interfere with their commitment to God and His purpose. They were to protect and reserve the best of who they were for the Lord so they could carry out His will.

Of course, Jesus explained this kind of commitment in His teaching and it wasn't simply to be a vow of dedication that involved a short amount of time. It represented total commitment to the cause of Christ. He said things like, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead" (Matthew 8:22); “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26); and “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Luke 18:22).

What is it in your life that takes you away from total dedication? What keeps you from being consumed by your purpose and creativity? Is it work? money? family? relationships? entertainment or sports? video games? your hobby? There may even be good or noble things that would be right for others but not for you, for they take away from your focus on serving God with all your heart and strength. Ask God to show you if there are things like that in your life and then also ask His help so you can serve Him with an undivided heart.

Purpose Study Bible 137: No Haircuts

In the last study, we looked at the first stipulation for anyone taking a voluntary Nazirite vow, and that was they were forbidden to eat any grapes or grape byproducts. The next rule was concerning their hair:

‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long" (Numbers 6:5).

Samson, the most well-known Nazirite in the Bible, was commanded never to cut his hair and when he did, he lost the "secret' of his strength. What's the symbolism behind this aspect of the vow?

When you think about it, you have nothing at all to do with your hair in its natural state. After it grows, whether quickly or slowly, you are free to shape, color, comb, cover, or cut it anyway you choose, but when it first appears, it is the texture, color, and quantity that are unique to you. When the Nazirites took their vow, they promised to allow who they were to emerge without trying to alter or fashion it in any way. What came from within them as an act of God was to remain as it was. They were totally and completely dedicated to the Lord during the period of their vow and what came "out of them" was deemed to be the will of God.

And now you can be a Nazirite when you vow not to touch what comes out of you according to God's will. Your creativity, purpose, and good works are just like your hair. You can shape them once they emerge but you have nothing to do with how quickly they come forth or what they look like. That's up to the Lord. Are you happy with who God made you to be, content with your gifts, personality, creativity, and purpose? Are you allowing them to emerge freely before you try to reshape or even hide them under some protective shield or artificial cover? If you allow your inner being to grow and develop as God sees fit and then emerge in ways unique to you, you will have a secret strength just like Samson or any Nazirite, and that secret is simply being who God made you to be—no more but certainly no less.

Purpose Study Bible 136: No Grapes

After the initial census from which the book derives its name, Numbers moves on to describe what needed to happen to cleanse people who sinned until chapter six when the rules for something called a Nazirite vow were established:

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins" (Numbers 6:1-4).

The most famous Nazirite was Samson, who was one for life, and it seems that the Apostle Paul also took the vow in Acts 21. Why would a Nazirite have to abstain from grape products for the duration of the vow? Commentators' opinions and reasons vary and include to avoid drunkenness, to abstain from the foods of the land (the spies brought back a giant cluster of fruit from the Promised Land), to stay away from the fertility rites of the locals (grapes represent fruitfulness), and to obey God for no special reason except that He said to abstain.

My own sense is that the grapes, which are a fruit rich in natural sugar, could be used to sustain someone and give them natural energy or that wine could dull their senses. A doctor who treated patients through a regimen of natural means and fasting once reported he could sustain patients who were ill and could not eat other foods by simply having them eat grapes. Since this is a study about purpose and creativity, let me give you my opinion.

The man or woman who has dedicated themselves to God's purpose has to rely solely on the power of God's presence for the energy they need to complete their work. They are totally dedicated to God's purpose in their lives. They are neither to deaden their senses through entertainment or other distractions nor supplement or dissipate the Spirit's energy through frivolous activities. The joy of expressing God's will through their purpose and creative gifts is enough to strengthen them for the task.

Are you a Nazirite? Have you devoted yourself to God's purpose or are you a part-time person of purpose? Have you dedicated your creative abilities to God, making them available to Him, or do you rent them out to the highest bidder—or ignore their development? In the next few studies, we will look at other things the Nazirite had to do to separate themselves for God's exclusive use, but for now, consider how completely you have set yourself apart to God's will for your life.

Purpose Study Bible 135: Organized

Last week, we looked at the population of the nation as they were going through the Wilderness. God was able to care for them all in desert conditions but there still had to be order and discipline for the people to survive and thrive:

"The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law" (Numbers 1:54-56).

No matter how creative you are or what your purpose is, you will eventually have to pay attention to how you are going to organize your work so you can keep track of what you have and create more. Notice that the Levites, who had no land inheritance, were to camp around the tabernacle where God's presence was manifest, making that the priority for them. The others were given their directions of how to camp and set up their tents in Numbers 2, but the Lord was to be at the center of their very existence.

How are you organizational skills? Are you spending a lot of time looking for things you can't find? Do you have a system to capture creative ideas? How are you managing your time? Do you have clear priorities that guide you through your days and weeks? Do you pray for wisdom so you can expand your world and do more of what you were created to do? What can you do to improve?

God is ready to give you plenty of insight into how to structure your world but only if you are interested. Otherwise, much of your creativity will go to waste and the endless possibilities of your effectiveness will be lost.

Purpose Study Bible 134: BIG

It's time we move into the book of Numbers in this series, and we begin by taking a look at the census the Lord directed Moses and Aaron to take. When it was finished, we read

"All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550" (Numbers 1:45-46).

Therefore, the total number of people had to number into the millions when accounting for children and spouses. Keep in mind that the nation had not moved into the Promised Land yet; they were still in the Wilderness. God was able to care for that many people who were living in tents and on the move whenever He ordered them to go.

The point is that God is a good administrator and provider. He knows how to organize and manage. What's more, God doesn't need to keep something small but can oversee something BIG and use you to help Him do so. In fact, God may want you to fulfill your purpose and creativity by establishing something significant that is beyond your ability to conceive or handle right now. When you face that possibility, the answer isn't to work to keep your world small but to increase your capacity to do and be more than you are today.

Proverbs 14:28 states, "A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined." Are you afraid of BIG? Are you willing for God to use you to do something bigger than you had first imagined? To see how you feel about BIG, add a zero to what you are now doing. If you have written 10 books, what would it take to write 100? If you oversee ten sales people in your company, what would it take to have 100? If you have painted 15 pictures, could you do 150?

All those are BIG steps, but God is a BIG God, and while BIG may intimidate you, BIG is no different than small for Him. Perhaps it's time to face the size of your God-assigned potential and learn to trust Him for the BIG deal He has in mind for you.