The Nazarite Vow – Going Beyond and Doing it God’s Way
Categories: Expository Sermon Outlines, Sermon OutlinesINTRODUCTION: Numbers 6:1-21
1. God anticipated that there would be those in Israel who would want to go beyond the average.
2. God provided a way for them to do so.
3. They were to make a voluntary vow to God.
4. Not just any vow but one that God would specify.
5. I believe the Nazarite Vow to be a fore-shadowing of the Christian walk which is closer to God than the walk of any previous dispensation.
DISCUSSION:
I. The Nazarite vow was A GREATER SEPARATION, VV. 1-2:
1. Every child of Israel was to be separate from the nations. They were to be holy to the Lord.
2. This was going beyond what every Israelite was required to do.
3. The child of God of the Christian age is the highest expression of this desire.
4. We are authorized to go beyond in our:
1) Giving (2 Cor. 8:3-4)
2) Prayer.
3) Love.
4) In fact in every aspect of our service to God (1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18)
II. The Nazarite vow was A GREATER SOBRIETY, VV. 3-4:
1. The Nazarite was to keep himself from all forms of the grape. Not even incidental alcohol was allowed.
2. The priest was to keep himself from alcohol so that he would discern the holy from the unholy (Lev. 10:8-11).
3. Every Christian is a priest (Rev. 1:6). We are all to be holy, discern the holy from the unholy and keep ourselves sober (1 Thess. 5:6, 8).
III. The Nazarite vow was A GREATER DISTINCTION, VV. 5-6:
1. Israelites were not to look like the nations around them.
1) They were to be without the skin markings.
2) They were to be without the beard trimmings.
2. Nazarites were to look like Nazarites.
1) They could be seen anywhere to be Nazarites.
2) Even the least discerning could tell what they were.
3. Christians are to look like Christians.
1) We are not to look like the world.
2) We are to look like those who profess godliness (1 Tim. 2:10).
IV. The Nazarite vow was A GREATER CLEANLINESS, VV. 7-12:
1. The average Israelite was far cleaner than the Gentiles. (Ex. Remedies using excrement, etc.)
2. The Nazarite, like the priest was to go beyond.
1) He was never to be unclean.
2) And if he did accidentally he had to become clean and start his vow over again.
3. Every Christian is to be clean before God at all times. Every form of sin is to be shunned (2 Tim. 2:22), and if find ourselves unclean, the blood of Christ is to be applied and we are to start anew (1 John 1:7-9).
V. The Nazarite vow was A GREATER VOW, VV. 13-21:
1. The Israelite went far beyond the Gentile in his service to God.
2. The Nazarite went far beyond the regular Israelite in his service to God.
3. The Christian goes beyond even that because his vow never ends (Rev. 2:10).
CONCLUSION:
1. The Christian should pay the vow that he took when He put on Christ in baptism.
2. He should obey Christ and be clean by the blood of Christ.
3. He should be faithful unto death.
Needs to be filled out a bit for a 30 minute sermon. I wrote it for 10 minutes.