In preparation for my class this past Sunday morning, I did some study about the Nazarite Vow. Teaching children is always a great learning experience for me.

Our lesson was on the birth of John the Baptizer in Luke 1. I wanted to create an image for the children on the plans God had for this child. This was no ordinary child. From the miracle of his conception to the tragic end of his life, he was destined to be the one to prepare the way for Jesus (Matthew 3:3).

When the angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple, this is what the angel said. “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:13-15 ESV). John would take the Nazarite Vow.

These instructions were just a portion of the instructions given to Moses for those who chose to take the Nazarite Vow. You can read the details in Numbers 6:1-21, but I’ll share with you the general instructions.

• Either a man or a woman could make this special vow.
• He/she should separate himself or herself to the Lord.
• The person could not drink anything made from grapes.
• They could not eat grapes.
• They could not cut their hair.
• They were considered holy.
• They could not go near a dead body, not even a close relative.
• If someone should die in his/her presence, the person was considered unclean and had to go through certain cleansing rituals, which included shaving his/her head.

There were more instructions for the ending of the vow—the shaving of the head, the burning of the hair, and offerings that must be made. It was a tedious process, but it was the Law of God.

Matthew describes John for us. He wore clothing made from camel’s hair, a leather belt, and he ate locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). What a strange-looking man he must have been.

We have few examples of the practice of the Nazarite Vow; one most will remember. Samson, one of the judges of Israel, is an example.

His mother was instructed by an angel that he would be a Nazarite from the womb (Judges 13:3-5). You will remember that Samson violated that vow when he told Delilah that his strength was in his hair. In Judges 16, we read how Delilah called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his head. His strength left him, and the Philistines captured him.

It is interesting that as he tried to free himself from the grasp of the Philistines, scripture says, “But he did not know that the LORD had left him” (Judges 16:20).

We no longer have such a vow—or do we? Remember the words of Paul. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

So, the question is, do we have a parallel passage in the New Testament? The following verses seem to fit exactly what God required for the Nazarite Vow and for us today.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

This is exactly what the people of Israel were asked to do. When they made the commitment to take the Nazarite Vow, they were presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice. The commitment was holy, and it was acceptable to God.

This Nazarite Vow was a holy calling. Paul told Timothy, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling,(emphasis mine)  not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (Second Timothy 1:8-9).  

The apostle Peter says the same thing: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” (emphasis mine, First Peter 1:15).

Though we are not asked to never cut our hair or never eat grapes when we become Christians, we are commanded to be a living sacrifice, be transformed, and be holy in all our conduct.

We should pray that God will help us to do just that.

Sandra Oliver