Torah (written)

Numbers 6:1-21
The Vow of the Nazirite

Two separate and distinct subjects are detailed in the 27 verses of Chapter 6 – separation and blessing. And yet, they are also united in thought. The first deals with separation to God through the Nazirite vow. The second deals with the separation of the people, Israel, from among the people of the world through a unique and peculiar blessing.

Separation and division is a logical part of the way God works. The Lord separated the nations of the world according to His design. Israel is separated from the world’s people. Levi is separated from among Israel. The priests are separated from their brothers in the tribe of Levi. Nazirites are separated for special service. And so on.

It is too often, and with a total lack of clarity, that we see separation as a bad thing. The people of the world have looked at the Jews as abhorrent because they have kept themselves separate from the nations. That was seen in the words of Haman in Esther, and it has been seen among the people of the world ever since.

The church is divided in ten thousand ways, and yet, it has been a force not for evil, but for good. Though there is one true invisible church, if there were but one true and visible church, the people would follow its path no matter how abhorrent it was. That has actually been seen in major denominations time and time again. It was also seen in the Old Testament system in Israel. It is the division within the church which has maintained the integrity of the church. Like the motto for the United States, the true church is E Pluribus Unum – “Out of many, one.”

Text Verse: “‘“I raised up some of your sons as prophets,
And some of your young men as Nazirites.
Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”
Says the Lord.
^12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,
And commanded the prophets saying,
‘Do not prophesy!”’” Amos 2:11, 12

Like the world, which is trying to break down borders, unite as one, and remove all obstacles to complete control, there are those who are attempting to do the same in the church. The World Council of Churches is one such example. There is a fundamental problem with this, both on a national level and on a spiritual, church-related level.

With such breaking down of barriers, there will inevitably be a top-down control of all others. It is the inescapable outcome of removing set divisions. Those who resist these changes are the ones who will be reckoned as wrongdoers. Israel will never give up her Jewishness. True churches will never yield to an apostate body.

Division is good and it serves a purpose. And although the Lord is not divided in the sense of goals or purpose, there is a distinction between the members of the Godhead. This is the mystery of the Trinity – One God; three persons. Along with the separation of the Nazirites to the Lord, Chapter 27 gives us a taste of the unique nature of God Himself.

Unfortunately, we will only be able to complete the first section of the chapter today, that of the Nazirite vow. It was an important part of the life of Israel; but, unfortunately, the people abused the guidelines, caused their Nazirites to break their vows, and that surely brought on them a curse.

The separation of the people, Israel, and the separation of the Nazirites within the people during their time of vow, were intended to highlight the holiness of God. But God also remained separate from them because of their fallen nature. The law was born of an imperfect priesthood filled with fallible men. God allowed these things in order to bring about the coming of His Son to fulfill this very same law and bring about a new type of separation, and a new type of oneness which comes with a more perfect blessing.

This is the marvel of what God has done. He has brought forth a Branch of Righteousness – and a perfect, pure, and undefiled Vine – out of a system administered through fallible people. Today we will see the first half of this chapter’s equation – that of separation. Next week, we will see the second half – that of blessing. In these you will learn a great deal about the working of God, both for Israel and in Christ. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Vow of the Nazirite (verses 1-12)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Maintaining purity of the camp, and sanctity among the people, was highlighted in Chapter 5. There was the command to move all defiled people out of the camp. Then there was the idea of confession and restitution concerning guilt. After that came the law of the bitter water, the holy polygraph, for possibly unfaithful wives. Each of these held to the idea of maintaining both physical and spiritual purity.

Moses is now directed in a unique aspect of Israelite life, that of a particular type of vow of consecration to the Lord. This is not a command, but rather an instruction for those who so make the vow. Though not a command to perform the rite, it includes commands for the performance of it. This is seen with the next words…

² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:

What is submitted to Moses by the Lord is for the people of Israel. It is something which is limited to them alone, and not intended for any who have not joined to the people. Thus, no stranger or foreigner among them can be included in what is now presented.

^{2 (con’t)} ‘When either a man or woman 

This is actually a rather remarkable allowance. Almost all matters of law and society are directed specifically to males. Further, it is a stark contrast to the law of the bitter water which was just seen in Chapter 5. That was a law directed for the benefit of the males when a spirit of jealousy came upon them.

However, what is now to be presented is actually highlighted and receives a special dignity because it is available to both man and woman. The only time this would not come into effect for a woman is if her father or husband, under whose authority she was, negated the vow. However, other than that, it is something a woman could participate in. This begins to be seen with the next words…

^{2 (con’t)} consecrates an offering

Here, the verb pala, or “wonder,” is translated as “consecrates.” It was translated as “miracle” in relation to God’s workings in Egypt. The idea is that as a wonder, or miracle, is something out of the normal, so a vow is something out of the normal. It is above and beyond what is considered regular. Even today, when someone does something above and beyond, we will proclaim, “Well, isn’t that wonderful.” This carries the idea being conveyed.

^{2 (con’t)} to take the vow of a Nazirite, 

The word is nazir. It is not the same as a Nazarene, meaning someone from Nazareth. What will be presented is not a marker of identification with the Lord Jesus in any way, shape, or form. Though He is separated to God in a unique way, it will be seen that it is not as a Nazirite mentioned here. We know this based on the restrictions to be imposed upon them, none of which applied to Him. Rather, the word comes from the verb nazar, or “to separate.” Thus it signifies separation or consecration.

It was used to describe Joseph who was separated, or distinguished, above his brothers. Joseph was a type of Christ, but he was not a Nazirite. And so the word goes so far, but no further. It was also used concerning the untrimmed vines during the sabbath year observances in Israel. Being untrimmed, they would have a special appearance reflecting their consecrated status. As I said, it is true that Christ was separated among His brothers, like Joseph, but the intent of the Nazirite vow which is explained here has nothing to do with the life and conduct of Christ.

It needs to be noted that though this is a voluntary separation, there are instances where, by divine revelation, some people were devoted to the Lord throughout their lives. This was the case with Samson and John the Baptist. Further, Samuel was devoted by his mother as well.

^{2 (con’t)} to separate himself to the Lord,

l’hazzir l’Yehovah – “to separate to Yehovah.” The meaning of the nazir finds its explanation in these words where the verb nazar is used. The person is consecrated to the Lord. Thus the nazir is one who is consecrated.

³ he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink;

mi’yayin v’shakhar – “from wine and blinko drink.” A Nazirite was to be wholly kept from drinks containing alcohol, be they wine, or be they something of a higher potency. In this, we see a stricter demand on the individual than even the priests. They were only forbidden from drinking during their times of service in the tent of meeting. In this, we also see a standard which was not imposed on Jesus who both made and drank wine. Thus we can see that the term Nazarene in Matthew 2:23 is not referring to Nazirites, in Numbers. However, the separation goes further…

^3 (con’t) he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink;

Here is a new word, khomets, or vinegar. It comes from khamets, or the verb meaning “to leaven,” and thus it signifies “to ferment.” The Nazirite is prohibited from vinegar made from either wine or blinko drink. Fermentation is a type of corruption, and thus the symbolism is that of purity and incorruption.

^3 (con’t) neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.

Here is a word found only this once in the Bible, mishrah, or liquor. It is from a word which gives the sense of loosening, and thus it is steeped juice. It is a liquor made from anavim, or grapes. The Nazirite is forbidden from any such drink. Along with this he or she is not to eat any grapes, period – either fresh or dried. And to ensure that there is no confusion, the words continue…

⁴ All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.

Two more unique words are found here. The first is khartsanim, or seed. It is from kharats, meaning to point sharply, as if in wounding someone. Thus it signifies the sharp bitter taste which comes from the seed. The second is zag, or skin. It is that which encloses the grape, and thus its skin. One must wonder on these prohibitions. The avoidance of all sorts of intoxicating drinks makes sense, but to be kept from grapes or even the products of grapes seems to have no meaning. However, the vine produces grapes, and grapes produce an effect. Deuteronomy 32 speaks of all three – the gephen, or vine; the enav, or grape; and yayin, or wine, in relation to the people of Israel –

“For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
²⁹ Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!
³⁰ How could one chase a thousand,
And two put ten thousand to flight,
Unless their Rock had sold them,
And the Lord had surrendered them?
³¹ For their rock is not like our Rock,
Even our enemies themselves being judges.
³² For their vine is of the vine of Sodom
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
³³ Their wine is the poison of serpents,
And the cruel venom of cobras.” Deuteronomy 32:28-33

The effect of the vine, grape, and wine can be positive or negative. As the Nazirite is dedicated solely to the Lord, the true Vine as He says in John 12:1, during their consecration, they are to be freed from any such external influence. We are not told what the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden was, but the effects of the fruit of the vine would place it as a good candidate.

Christ’s first miraculous sign was to make wine, resulting in good. Mystery Babylon has a cup filled with the wine of her fornication; a cup of evil. Following the symbolism of the vine, the grape, and wine throughout the Bible – from Genesis to Revelation – it becomes clear why this strong prohibition was made. The Nazirite is dedicated to the Lord, and thus the only effect for him is to be that which the Lord Himself determines. As a side note concerning this. Samson’s mother was given this same prohibition during her pregnancy. That is found in Judges 13:7 –

“Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

The consecration was not for her, but for her son. Thus, we have another of the numerous verses in Scripture which indicate that from conception itself, humanity of the child in the womb is indicated. The child is reckoned as a person from that moment.

⁵ ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head;

Here is a new and frightening word for people like me, the taar, or razor. It is also a sheath for a knife. Thus, it is that which makes bare or is bare. The Nazirite was to never use a razor upon his head. This was to be the case…

^5 (con’t) until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy.

The hair on the head was to be a marker of distinction, indicating the Nazirite’s separation to the Lord. In this, he was considered qadosh, or holy.

^5 (con’t) Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

A new and rare word is found here – pera, or locks. It is the hair of the head which is expected to grow just as the vine of the Sabbath year was to be left untended, unkempt, and uncut. This lengthy, unwieldy hair was to be that marker of holiness and separation to the Lord. And there is a reason for this which is tied up in the word sear, or hair.

In the Bible, hair signifies an awareness. The hairy goat used as the sin offering is a sair. It was given as an awareness of sin committed. Esau was born hairy while Jacob, the son of promise, was smooth-skinned. The difference in their physical makeup was a picture of their spiritual heritage. But in order to receive the blessing, Jacob needed to emulate his hairy older brother. That was a picture of Jesus. The sinless Son of God took on the form of Adam in order to retrieve the blessing for us that he had lost. Here, the Nazirite’s hair was a reminder of the vow of separation to the Lord – his awareness of that fact.

⁶ All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.

This is now a third marker of the separation. The Nazirite was never, under any circumstances, to be near a dead body. To do so would render him or her unclean according to Levitical law. This prohibition would include entering a room where a corpse was, attending a funeral, and so on. Death is the final result of sin. Because of this, the one separated to the Lord was not to be defiled by the sin consequences of human death. The Nazirite was deemed as holy, but the unholiness of being near death would defile.

⁷ He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die,

The prohibition here raises the separation of the Nazirite at least to the level of the high priest. He was also instructed to not go near any dead body, including his mother or father. The Nazirite is told this, but even further, the prohibition extends to both brother and sister. The strictness of the prohibition concerning drinking was greater than the priests, the priests were not restricted from the produce of the vine at all times, and only the high priest was restricted from being near a dead body. The separation of the Nazirite is therefore much more specific than even the priests.

^7 (con’t) because his separation to God is on his head.

The hair is considered as a crown of separation. It is literally that which marks the separation, just as Samson’s hair is what separated him to the Lord. When the hair was cut, he no longer possessed the power which came with the hair.

⁸ All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.

The three markers of his separation – prohibition from alcoholic drinks and anything from the vine; the hair of the head; and being kept from defilement because of a dead person – all look to an unfallen life which was seen in paradise. The source of the knowledge of good and evil was kept away from, there was no awareness of wrongdoing, and there was no death. The Nazirite is wholly dedicated to the Lord.

Thus, in the fullest sense, these physical aspects of the Nazirite spiritually reflect one who is in Christ positionally. We are not under law – the source of the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20); we are not imputed sin (2 Corinthians 5:19); and we are granted eternal life (a jillion verses).

⁹ ‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him,

Here are two new words, one the source of the other – befeta pithom, or “very suddenly.” The idea here is that there was absolutely no way to avoid being near the death. Despite this…

^9 (con’t) and he defiles his consecrated head,

Even by accidental nearness, the head of his consecration has become defiled. As this is so…

^9 (con’t) then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.

Numbers 19 gives the details for purification from defilement by death. A seven-day period involves ritual purification. When that is complete, the offender must shave his head. Even though this was unintentional, he is still an offender against the holiness of God. Therefore purification and atonement is required…

¹⁰ Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting;

The number eight is the number of new beginnings. Thus, it is on this day that the once-defiled Nazirite will again start the process of fulfilling the vow. The offering is actually brought to the brazen altar, but the brazen altar and the door of the tent of meeting are intricately connected in Scripture. It is through the sacrifice that access to God is restored.

And so, by bringing the offering to the altar, it is an acknowledgment of this. The reason for this particular offering, and its significance, is detailed in Leviticus 15. To spur you on to a biblically productive and spiritually healthy afternoon, you are implored to go back and watch or read that sermon once again.

¹¹ and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse;

These offerings are typical of the sacrifice of Christ, and they are given in anticipation of His coming. Through them atonement is made for him, as it says, “because he sinned in regard to the corpse.” The lesson is that sin transfers and defiles that which is holy, but holiness does not transfer the other way. It is a lesson described in Haggai 2 –

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, ¹² “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ”
Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
¹³ And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” Haggai 2:11-13

The lesson is learned here, it is repeated elsewhere, and it should be remembered by us. Though we who are in Christ are not imputed our transgression as violations of law leading to death, we still carry defilement with us when we participate in that which is unclean. We are asked to separate ourselves from such things.

^{11 (con’t)} and he shall sanctify his head that same day.

This means that he will once again begin to grow his hair during a renewed separation to the Lord. His hair shall remain uncut, and his actions shall be as prescribed already for the Nazirite.

¹² He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

Not only was atonement necessary for the sin committed, but a guilt offering is necessary as a type of payment for the days which have been lost, thus leading to a delay in the completion of the vow. The guilt offering is in acknowledgment of that.

Holy to the Lord, set apart to Him alone
With a marker of separation on his head for all to see
In this marker, his special distinction is shown
For all the days of the vow, this is how it is to be

Who would dare interfere with the vow this one has made?
Who would cause him to violate his holiness?
Should we be the cause of such an unholy trade?
Should we his holiness purposely suppress?

If such is so with a vow made by man towards his God
How much more should we be holy when we are are in Christ the Lord?
Shouldn’t we ever conduct our lives with purity in this life we trod?
And faithfully abide in Christ, being obedient to His word?

II. The Law of the Nazirite (verses 13-21)

¹³ ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

The Nazirite vows were always considered as specific time periods by which a person was dedicated. Those who were dedicated as Nazirites from birth are not of this category. Their entire lives were given to the Lord. For those who simply made a vow of consecration, when that time ended, they were to be brought before the door of the tent of meeting, meaning to the brazen altar.

¹⁴ And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering,

For the ending of the successfully completed consecration, instead of two turtledoves or two young pigeons, lambs are brought forth for the burnt and sin offerings. The requirement for a sin-offering shows that even a person who was dedicated as a Nazirite was not without shortcomings which required such an offering. As a fallen son of Adam, original sin existed, and surely the conduct of the Nazirite’s life, even under consecration, reflected that.

Due to the small size of the sin-offering, and the fact that it is named after the burnt-offering, it is an indication that any sin of the Nazirite was inconsequential in comparison to the faithfulness of the separation. However, the offering is still needed. It is an obvious picture that even the most faithful souls, who have carried out their lives in Christ in the highest manner of integrity to the Lord, still stand in need of the perfection of Christ to carry us through to the end.

^{14 (con’t)} one ram without blemish as a peace offering,

The ram of this peace offering is contrasted to the lamb of the guilt offering of verse 12. The guilt of loss of days there is now overcome by the victory of fulfilled days here. Instead of guilt, there is peace. The days of separation are accomplished without either his failure to meet them, or the Lord intervening and causing them to fail, such as in a sudden death occurring near him. Thus, the peace offering acknowledges this between the two.

¹⁵ a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.

In this, along with the previous verses, we see that five of the ordinary offerings are made by the Nazirite – a burnt offering, a sin offering, a peace offering, a grain offering, and a drink offering. It is almost a festival of offerings acknowledging the accomplishment before the Lord. Unfortunately, it would take an entire sermon, or more, to show how all of these various offerings so marvelously point to the work of Christ, but that is why we went through the book of Leviticus. For any who either missed that, or who have forgotten what was taught there, they are available at the touch of your fingers to the keyboard of your internet-connected device in written, video, and audio formats. Such is the convenience we have provided for you at the Superior Word.

¹⁶ ‘Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;

Despite being named second in verse 14, the sin-offering is actually presented first. With the sin atoned for, the burnt-offering is then presented afterward. Both beautifully picture the Person and work of Christ.

¹⁷ and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering.

After the sin and burnt offerings come the peace offering which is offered with the unleavened bread. Then the priest offers the grain and drink offerings as prescribed. Again, every word of each offering points to Christ in one way and then another. No detail of these offerings is without its fulfillment in Him. To understand what these offerings reveal is to look directly at what Jesus did in one great act of offering Himself for us and to God.

¹⁸ Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

The hair reflected his uniting to the Lord in his separation. Now that this separation has come to its fulfillment, he is to shave it off and then put it not with the sacrifice of peace offering, but under it. Thus, it is not a sacrifice as so many scholars state. What seems to be the idea here is that the hair is returned to God through the fire as rightly belonging to Him.

It is an acknowledgment that the hair is as a picture of life in the Lord. If He wanted to, he could have caused the Nazirite to be defiled at any time by a death near him. Even if unintentional, the Nazirite would have to redo the vow until it was complete. Thus the hair of separation itself is as a crown of reward. It being cast back to the Lord then is comparable to the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:10 casting their crowns before the throne and saying –

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power.” Revelation 4:11

Though the Nazirite completed his time, it was because of the Lord that he could even do so. The reward and glory belong to Him. The offering between the two is Christ, who is our Peace (Romans 5:1).

¹⁹ ‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair,

The peace offering is a meal of the one who makes the offering, and in which a portion is taken out of it for the priest who represents the Lord. Two things are different about this peace offering than that described in Leviticus 7. First, in Leviticus 7:13, leavened bread was offered with the sacrifice of the peace offering. That showed that the Lord accepted the offeror, despite his sin. That is not considered in this offering.

The Nazirite has lived a life separated to God, and he has offered a sin offering for any infraction that may have arisen. There is no need to include leavened bread now. Secondly, in Leviticus 7:34, the breast and the thigh of a peace offering were the Lord’s portion. Here, the boiled shoulder of the ram is added to that. Thus, it signifies that the Lord has accepted a fuller offering from the Nazirite because he more fully gave of himself to the Lord. As an understandable idiom, he put his shoulder into the work.

²⁰ and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering.

Though the priests received the Lord’s sacred portion as their own, they were first waved before the Lord. This was accomplished by the priest placing his hands under those of the Nazirite. The idea of the wave offering is that it is first symbolically offered to the Lord. It is waved back and forth, up and down, and side by side. It is then received back by the priest as the Lord’s designated representative. The heave offering is the same. It is raised to the Lord first, just as Christ was raised on the cross. After that, it is received back by the priest. A full explanation of these things is found in Leviticus.

^{20 (con’t)} After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’

With the vow and separation of the Nazirite being complete, his only dilemma now is whether it will be Merlot or Cabernet.

²¹ “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide;

What this means is that the Nazirite was obligated to the offerings which have just been stated. They came as a part of the vow itself and they were mandatory. However, the Nazirite could also add to those offerings with whatever his status and wealth could find sufficiency to give.

^{21 (con’t)} according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.”

What this final clause means is that he is under full obligation to the requirements of the Nazirite. His vow was not considered acceptable or complete without the completion of the offerings which were required. This, along with any other vows to God, were expected to be performed. That is why Solomon said this –

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—
⁵ Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5

For a person to vow such as in the case of a Nazirite (or indeed any such noble vow), he would appear holy and exceptional to the people of Israel. However, if he failed to fulfill the responsibility of the offerings that went with this perceived laudable conduct, he would only be a fool in the eyes of the Lord. This is the law of the Nazirite. In the end, it is a custom and a system which in its core pointed to the more glorious separation of God’s people because of Christ Jesus. Every detail of the rite and custom finds its true fulfillment in Him.

As seen in our text verse, Israel purposely caused their Nazirites to stumble by giving them wine to drink. What is sad about this, is that the vow was then annulled, and any time spent was wasted. When the Nazirite went to offer his offerings, they may have been accepted by the priest, but they were not accepted by the Lord.

That in itself stands as a lesson to us. Though in Christ we are not imputed sin, we still have rewards and losses being stored up in our lives and daily actions. There are times where we are drawn away to sin by others. There are times we fail to act in faith. There are also times that we actively act in disobedience. Our lives will be evaluated, and such things as are not acceptable will be burned up.

We will suffer loss because of it. And so, like the Nazirite, we should endeavor to be guided by the Lord alone, we should endeavor to stay away from external influences which misdirect us from the sure and sound path on which we walk, and we should fix our eyes on Jesus – the Author and Finisher of our faith. In doing this our lives will remain acceptable, we will be free from defilement, and we shall receive the welcome words, “Well done” for the lives we live here in these fallen bodies. Better, greater things lie ahead, and so let us strive to pursue better, greater things now in anticipation of that.

Closing Verse: “Therefore

‘Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.’
^18 ‘I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.’” Numbers 23:8, 9

Next Week: Numbers 6:22-27 Does the Lord wish the best for His people? Surely there is no need for guessing… (The High Priestly Blessing) (12^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Vow of the Nazirite

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:
‘When either a man or woman, according to this word
Consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite
To separate himself to the Lord

He shall separate himself from wine and similar drink
He shall drink neither vinegar made from wine
———-nor vinegar made from similar drink too
Neither shall he drink any grape juice
Nor eat fresh grapes or raisins; such things he shall not do

All the days of his separation therein
He shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine
———-from seed to skin

‘All the days of the vow of his separation
No razor shall come upon his head; thus it shall be so
Until the days are fulfilled for which
———-he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy
Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow 

All the days that he separates himself to the Lord
He shall not go near a dead body according to My word

He shall not make himself unclean
Even for his father or his mother, so I have now said
For his brother or his sister, when they die
Because his separation to God is on his head 

All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord
Thus shall it be according to My word

‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him
And he defiles his consecrated head, as to you I submit
Then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing
On the seventh day he shall shave it

Then on the eighth day he shall bring
Two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest
To the door of the tabernacle of meeting
———-so shall he do this thing 

And the priest shall offer one as a sin offering
And the other as a burnt offering, as to you I say
And make atonement for him
———-because he sinned in regard to the corpse
And he shall sanctify his head that same day 

He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation
And bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering
But the former days shall be lost
Because his separation was defiled by the occurrence of this thing

‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite:
And so to the people these words you shall be repeating
When the days of his separation are fulfilled
He shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting 

And he shall present his offering to the Lord:
One male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering
———-so he shall do
One ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering
One ram without blemish as a peace offering too

A basket of unleavened bread
Cakes of fine flour mixed with oil also
Unleavened wafers anointed with oil
And their grain offering with their drink offerings; it shall be so

‘Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord
And offer his sin offering and his burnt offering as I have said
And he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice
———-of a peace offering to the Lord
With the basket of unleavened bread

The priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering
Such shall be the required proffering

Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head
At the door of the tabernacle of meeting, so he shall do this thing
And shall take the hair from his consecrated head
And put it on the fire which is under
———-the sacrifice of the peace offering

‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram
One unleavened cake from the basket
———-and one unleavened wafer too
And put them upon the hands of the Nazirite
After he has shaved his consecrated hair, so he shall do

And the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord
They are holy for the priest as I say to you
Together with the breast of the wave offering
And the thigh of the heave offering too

After that the Nazirite may drink wine
He is no longer restricted from the fruit of the vine

“This is the law of the Nazirite among the nation
Who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation

And besides that
Whatever else his hand is able to provide, according to his station
According to the vow which he takes
|So he must do according to the law of his separation

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 5:11–31
The Holy Polygraph

I have a friend, Tom, who is a police officer out in Point Roberts, Washington. He has been itching for me to get to today’s passage. Being a cop, he is obviously aware of folks who will lie, even when it’s pretty obvious that the truth is already evident. He is also surely aware of those who can convincingly lie with a such a straight face that nobody could ever tell they were lying. And then, he’s surely seen lots of people who have been accused of wrongdoing, but who are actually innocent.

One of the tools we use for this type of thing, although not legally admissible in court, is the polygraph test. He’s the one who was reading this passage and equated its contents to a “holy polygraph,” and he has been wanting to know what it is picturing, if anything. When he emailed me, he used the term “holy polygraph,” and so he saved me the trial of trying to think up a name for the sermon.

There are times where, whether you believe it or not, choosing a name for the sermon is as hard as anything else involved in its preparation. Really, it’s true. If you don’t believe me then I’ll take a lie-detector… never mind. But it is true. As far as what this passage is picturing, I’d never given it much thought. But like everything, the words used begin to shed light on the matter. Why an earthen vessel? Why holy water? Why uncovering the head? It is things like this that begin to develop a picture for us.

Text Verse: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.” Hebrews 2:13

The passage today concerns feelings of jealousy in a husband towards his possibly unfaithful wife. That seems to be the main idea of the account, but the penalty for the wife is what bears attention. In Israel, the penalty for adultery was stoning. However, here, the penalty speaks of things which seem rather odd. Why would her thigh rot, and her belly swell? Although not nearly a literal translation, the intent is well stated in the CSB. They translated it, “her belly will swell, and her womb will shrivel.”

We’ll explain why the difference when we get there, but for now, it’s good to understand that it is the womb which is drawing the attention in the penalty phase of the rite. That really becomes evident when one gets to verse 28. The faithful wife is said to be free from the curse and able to bear children. What is that meaning to show us?

For now, I’ll leave you with a warning to pass on to others. Be careful when you read books on theology, and be careful who you believe in whatever church you decide to visit or attend. The scholars at Cambridge did their absolute best on this account to degrade the Bible into a bunch of myths and superstitions. To them, reading a passage like this is no different than reading a book on spells and incantations written by Aldetha Teach.

The whole thing to them is an exercise in debating what verse was inserted into the Bible by which ancient Hebrew author. They reject that the Lord directed Moses to write these words, they reject that they actually bear the ability to bring a curse upon the adulterous wife, and it seems that, apart from trying to look intelligent by making the Bible look stupid, their only objective in writing a commentary is to weaken your faith in the truth of the word. Maybe they are somehow pictured in the verses of this passage. Maybe so…

One thing is for sure, this is God’s word, and it points to real truths concerning Jesus Christ. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Spirit of Jealousy (verses 11-15)

¹¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The words now introduce the third main section of Chapter 5. The first (v.1-4) spoke of maintaining purity in the camp by putting out lepers and others who were defiled. The second (v.5-10) referred to the need for confession and restitution for unfaithfulness against the Lord. Now, a third section is brought in which will continue to the end of the chapter, beginning with the words…

¹² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them:

The first section said to “command the children of Israel.” Something needed to be done, and it was commanded to be so. The second section said to “speak to the children of Israel.” It was a conditional thing. If something came about, then the Lord gave directions concerning what to do about it. This section again says to “speak to them.” It again concerns a conditional thing. “If what I now submit comes about, then here is what you are to do about it.” And that is…

^{12 (con’t)} ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,

The passage, like the first two, deals with a type of defilement. In this case, it is suspected defilement of a woman who has been unfaithful to her husband. In this, a new word is introduced, satah. It will be found four times in this chapter, and twice in the Proverbs. It signifies, turning away, and it is is always used in regards to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of an individual.

¹³ and a man lies with her carnally,

Two similar words are used here, shakav, meaning to lie down, and shekavah, meaning an emission of zera, or seed. The intent of the words leaves no doubt. The wife lays with a man in a carnal manner. However, though speaking as if it actually occurred, for the husband it is only an occurrence in the mind at this point, through suspicion…

^{13 (con’t)} and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband,

The husband at this point is suspicious of her unfaithfulness, but there is no actual witness to the matter. The truth of the matter is veiled from his eyes, as the Hebrew word signifies.

^{13 (con’t)} and it is concealed that she has defiled herself,

The woman has done the thing she is suspected of having done, and has thus defiled herself. It is the same word used in verse 3 concerning those who needed to be put out of the camp, lest they defile it. She has committed the act but there is no proof to the fact. Despite continuing to speak of it as a surety, the woman is still only suspected of the act.

^{13 (con’t)} and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—

Again and in a different way, it is considered as if the thing has happened, but there is no way of substantiating that it occurred. The wording has been presented in several ways to ensure that there is no doubt that there remains complete doubt. If there was actually no doubt, then the punishment would be stoning. That is seen in Leviticus 20 –

“The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 20:10

However, in this case, the husband suspects that the woman has done exactly what is presented. Then…

¹⁴ if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself;

The ruakh qinah, or “spirit of jealousy,” has come upon the husband. This noun, qinah, is introduced here. It refers to jealousy, or being zealous concerning a matter. It can be applied to man or to God. It will be seen in this chapter seven times. The next time it will be used after this chapter will be when the Lord says –

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy.” (Numbers 25:11/NASB).

The Lord was jealous for the sake of His holy name, and Phinehas defended the Lord’s honor with the same zealous attitude. Here, the man has a burning jealousy and it is well-founded. However, jealousy can also be unfounded…

^{14 (con’t)} or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—

The ruakh qinah, or “spirit of jealousy” is an inward feeling which can either be true or false. It is something that wells up in a person, rightly or wrongly, and it can become a huge problem if not resolved. There is a question as to why this only pertains to a woman and not a man. Several reasons become obvious when the matter is thought through, one of which is as much a protection for the woman as it is for the man.

The first and most obvious reason is that the idea of Israel is one of purity. The Lord speaking to the men about divorcing their wives in Malachi gives His reason for retaining the marriage –

“But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.” Malachi 2:15

The sacredness of marriage is a given, even from the creation of man, but the sacredness of offspring becomes the focus of attention from that point on as well. The two lines mentioned in Genesis 6 speak of this – the sons of God, and the sons of men. The Lord expected the purity of Israel in particular as they led to the coming Messiah. The name and family of the male, including the transfer of his land and property, is an honor to be bestowed upon a legitimate son. It would disgrace that, and dishonor the man, for a woman to bear another man’s child.

Another reason this applied to women and not to men, is because it is the man who could severely mistreat the woman if he suspected her of infidelity. He could physically harm her, or treat her no longer as a wife to be respected, but as a slave to his animal desires. This is something a woman could not do to a man. And so despite the law being directed at the woman, it was still a safeguard and protection for her. If no harm came to her from this rite, then she would be vindicated. If harm did come, she would be proven a faithless wife. Either way, it is an appropriate measure as given by the Lord. And so, if a ruakh qinah arises in him…

¹⁵ then the man shall bring his wife to the priest.

The woman is herein as protected as she is under suspicion. The priest is the judge, and it is his obligation to judge rightly according to the law.

^{15 (con’t)} He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal;

There are several reasons why an offering is required to be brought forth. First, the Israelites were told to not come before the Lord reqam, or empty-handed. At the Exodus, the people were brought out by the Lord, and when this occurred their hands were filled with the plunder of Egypt. And so He instructed them in essence that, “Just as I brought you out of Egypt with hands that were not empty, so you shall come before Me with hands that are not empty. To do so would be a vain (or empty) thing.”

And so each appearance before the Lord required an offering. The type of offering for this instance is specifically stated as one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal, meaning one omer. The omer comes from the word amar, signifying a sheaf. However, it is used figuratively to mean “to chastise,” as if piling on blows. The omer is of seorah, or barley.

Barley is specified for a couple of reasons as well. First, it is the food of poor people, being worth about half as much as wheat. Because of its low quality, it is used as feed for animals. Thus, it signifies the poor state of the relationship between the husband and the wife, as well as the low state – either deserved or undeserved – of the wife because of the expected guilt.

Secondly, barley is known as the crop of hairy ears because of its hairy appearance. The root of it is se-ar or hair. Hair in the Bible indicates an awareness of things. The goat, for example, is used in Leviticus for the sin offering and it is known as sa-ir. We have an awareness of sin in the hairy goat sin offering. These and other examples show that the offering signifies an awareness exists, rightly or wrongly, concerning the matter. The barley then is a petition to bring this awareness out fully by disclosing the truth of the matter.

^{15 (con’t)} he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it,

As we saw in Leviticus, and without reexplaining all of it here, the flour pictures Christ, oil symbolizes the presence of the Spirit, and frankincense pictures works. Each of these was offered in a normal grain offering, but only the flour is offered here. This is an offering of jealousy. In this, it reveals that God finds sin offensive and detestable. When sin is present, or even suspected as is the case with the husband’s jealousy, the Spirit is quenched and our works are unacceptable. Therefore no oil or frankincense is added…

^{15 (con’t)} because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.

The presence of Christ, signified by the meal offering, indicates that He will be the judge of the matter which is to be brought forth.

¹⁶ ‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord.

The words are masculine, and so this is probably referring only to the offering, and not to the woman. However, it could be that the feminine is put for the masculine. If it is only the offering, it should read, “The priest therefore shall offer it, and set it before the Lord.”

Who is unfaithful and going astray?
Who has turned away her heart?
Who has been unfaithful day unto day?
But who is committed to make a new start?

The Lord reads the minds and tests the heart
He looks for those who will turn to Him again
And so, who is willing to make a new start?
Are there any faithful among the sons of men?

Lord, we have been unfaithful, it is true
We have not been faithful in our heart
But we are now turning back to You
We are willing to turn and make a new start

II. Bitter Water That Brings A Curse (verses 17-22)

¹⁷ The priest shall take holy water

The holy water, a term used nowhere else, was surely taken from the bronze laver and was intended for sacred uses. The symbolism of the laver, which was made from the mirrors of the women, is found in Exodus 30. It must be repeated to understand its significance. The laver pictures Christ. He is the Word of God and from Him issues the word of God. Both are discerners of hidden things. Christ actively discerns what is hidden in man, whereas the Bible is what passively allows man to see what is hidden in himself. The composition of the laver being mirrors points to Christ’s ability to discern and judge the very thoughts and intents of the hidden heart of man. As He is the Word of God, and the water of the word proceeds from Him, then it is a picture of the word itself; the Bible.

^{17 (con’t)} in an earthen vessel,

The kheres, or earthen vessel, is used to symbolize people while the Lord is the Potter. In this case, it signifies the humanity of Christ. The lesson is that the holy is not to be mixed with the profane and we, as earthen jars, are to be filled with that which is holy. After that, we are to keep ourselves from being mixed with that which is profane. The rite here is to see if what the woman is accused of is true. Has she kept herself pure?

^{17 (con’t)} and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.

Here is a new word in the Bible, qarqa, or “floor.” The priest is to go into the tabernacle and take some of the aphar, or dust, from the floor and put it into the water. Dust signifies that which is poor and lowly and deserving of a curse. Man was formed from the dust being brought forth to honor, but because of sin his curse was that to the dust he is destined to return. The serpent was cursed with the notion that he would eat the dust all the days of his life. It is a fitting description then of the accusation against her, that of being seduced by the serpent once again.

Coming from the floor of the mishkan, or tabernacle, it would be considered holy. Just as Moses was told to take off his shoes in the presence of the Lord, so was this ground hallowed by the presence of the Lord. You can mentally picture it. The holy curse is being put into the word of God which is contained in the earthen vessel which is Christ’s humanity. The water itself is the means of bringing about the divine curse, or the divine blessing of exoneration.

¹⁸ Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord,

It is now that the woman is brought to stand before the Lord. This means that she was to be brought within the confines of the sanctuary and caused to stand at the brazen altar in the courtyard of the sanctuary and facing the tabernacle where the ark resided.

^{18 (con’t)} uncover the woman’s head,

The Hebrew word, para, gives the sense of loosening or unrestraining, and thus to expose. If her head was covered, the hair was to be uncovered. If her hair was tied up, it was to be loosened and fall naturally. As said earlier, hair signifies awareness. The wife’s hair as a covering is a sign of respect for her husband. This is alluded to by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11. The hair itself is a symbol of authority of the man over the woman. This symbol is now unrestrained, just as she is believed to have been unrestrained. To determine if she allowed her hair to be loosed in the bed of another man, her hair, the symbol of her awareness, is now to be loosed before the Lord.

^{18 (con’t)} and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy.

The grain offering that has been brought before the Lord is now placed in her hands. It is an offering of jealousy of the husband, and she is now holding it out as an offering of her innocence, if she is truly innocent.

^{18 (con’t)} And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.

While the woman holds the grain offering of jealousy, the priest holds the bitter water, making his pronouncement over both…

¹⁹ And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.

Here stated is the obvious claim of the woman. To this point, she has been accused by her husband, and she has denied her unfaithfulness. The priest is, therefore, giving her the benefit of the doubt by stating that if innocent, she will be free from the harm that the bitter water would otherwise cause. The words are in an imperative form as a seal of assurance that if innocent, no harm will come upon her. However…

²⁰ But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—

The same thought is expressed in three different, but synonymous ways – “if you have gone astray,” “if you have defiled yourself,” and if “some man other than your husband has lain with you.” There can be no evading what is said, and there can be no later excuse that she had misunderstood the intent of the priest’s words. In this verse is the last use of the noun shekobeth, or intercourse, in the Bible. The intent is as clear as the priest could make it.

²¹ then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—

This clause is parenthetical. It is inserted in order to show that the curse he speaks is a result of the offending action she has committed. The curse itself is…

^{21 (con’t)} “the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people,

The words here indicate the horrific nature of what will result. To be made a curse means that when people wanted to say the worst possible thing to another, they would use her as an example – “I hope that what happened to Adulterous Annie is what happens to you.” To make someone an oath is to say that people would swear your name as a means of seeking exoneration – “I swear I didn’t do it. If I’m lying, may I become like Adulterous Annie.” This is because the thing that happened to Annie was of the Lord, and it was terrible…

^{21 (con’t)} when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell;

In essence, to use Adulterous Annie’s name would imply swearing before the Lord, because it was the Lord who brought about her judgment. It was He who made her yarek, or thigh, to naphal, or drop. To fall here signifies to go to ruin. The yarek, though literally meaning “thigh,” is euphemistically speaking of her private parts; her womb. It is used this way from time to time, such as in Genesis 24:2 and Genesis 46:26. The very part of her that she used in unfaithfulness in order to bear would be that which was affected by that same act of infidelity.

The second effect would be that her beten, or womb would tsavah or swell. It is a new word which is only seen in this chapter. The idea here is that the act she committed, which when done rightly with her husband would result in a baby in her life-giving womb, causing it to swell as intended. However and instead, the curse would cause a similar appearance in a swollen dead womb.

The act of unfaithfulness would lead to her physical deformity, and that physical affliction would lead to her becoming the curse and the oath among her people. With the name of the Lord so invoked, the priest now pronounces the curse again to settle the matter…

²² and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.”

These words end the oath and the curse which began in verse 19. It is to be noted that no variation of the penalty is authorized. In other words, the priest can’t make up a different penalty like, “May your eye fall out of its socket.” The bitter water’s effect was targeted, and thus the oath which precedes the effect is also specific.

^{22 (con’t)} ‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”

v’amerah ha’ishah amen amen – “And shall say the woman ‘Amen, amen.’” It is the first use of the word in the Bible, and due to its repetition, it comes as an emphasis. When names or words are repeated in the Bible, this is what it means. The word alone signifies, “truly,” or “so be it.” In repeating it, the thought is, “May it certainly be so.”

Like an unfaithful wife, so we have been to You
Our thoughts have been on that which is not right
But You have remained faithful and true
You have been steadfast through day and through night

Return us to the Fount of Life once again, may it be so
Let us drink of the pure Water of Life
And we will follow You wherever You go
We will be as a faithful bride and a loving wife

Lord, may the churches that are called by Your name
Be faithful to the call which at first went out
Take away our guilt, and hide away our shame
And we will be faithful, leaving no future reason to doubt

III. Establishing Guilt or Innocence (verses 23-31)

²³ ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.

The term “book” here, as we think of a book today, is a stretch of the intent. The meaning is that the words were written out – be it on a scroll or a piece of wood, or a piece of parchment, and then they were completely wiped out from the face of the document and transferred to the bitter water.

²⁴ And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

This is actually looking forward to verse 26. In this, if she were innocent, the very words which had been wiped out would come to produce a similar nothingness in her. But if she was guilty, the substance and formula of the words, which were formed by the ink, would bear witness against her and produce the effect that they proclaimed when they were in written form. However, before she actually drinks the water, the offering must be made…

²⁵ Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar;

In this, the priest receives the grain offering from the woman and waves it before the Lord. The word is nuph, and it signifies to move back and forth. By making a waving motion, the offering would thus be “before” or “in the face of” the Lord. It was an acknowledgment of His omnipresence. The offering itself comes after the oath, but before the drinking of the bitter water. If she is innocent, then her offering would be accepted and the water would have no effect on her. If she were guilty, her offering would be as a profane person offering to God, and it would become evident in the effects of the bitter water.

²⁶ and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar,

The memorial portion of meal offerings was defined in Leviticus. In this case, it is a memorial for either good or for evil, depending on the truth of the matter. This handful is burned up to the Lord for His acceptance or rejection.

^{26 (con’t)} and afterward make the woman drink the water.

One thing is to be remembered here. To this point, the woman has had numerous chances to admit her guilt and ask for mercy. It has been put forward to her again and again. Now, there is only the prospect of being proven true and faithful, or false and faithless…

²⁷ When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

Although the rite is now completed for a person standing there, the words here are as much of a warning to the unfaithful woman of Israel as the words leading up to the drinking of the bitter water itself. The surety of the words show that the rite will have its intended effect, and that guilt could not be hidden. Therefore, anyone who heard these words in advance of the rite would have to consider them. The outcome of the rite for guilt is stated absolutely. If she is guilty, what has been said thus far is certain to come about. In this verse is the last use of tsavah, or swell, in the Bible. It arrived in verse 21, and now it is biblical history.

²⁸ But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

The words here confirm that the punishment of the guilty woman was upon her reproductive parts. Though it says, “thigh,” it is a euphemistic expression referring to her private parts. The bitter water would cause her reproductive innards to rot and swell. However, if she were not guilty, her ability to bear children would remain unaffected by the mixture. The ability to bear children is biblically a sign of divine favor. Thus, the Lord Himself will have vindicated her.

^29 ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,

These words go back and assume that there is no proof of adultery on the part of the woman, but that she has, in fact, been unfaithful. It is the determination of the Lord that there would be a remedy for such unfaithfulness, and that He would be the one to punish that which the law was unable to bring about. Both the adulterer and the adulteress were to be stoned for their act. That is what the law demanded. But the people under the law can only punish what is a known violation. Therefore, the Lord Himself would make the unknown evident.

³⁰ or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her.

The words here do not assume guilt like the previous verse. Instead, they acknowledge assumed guilt and then lead to the means by which that assumed guilt becomes actual guilt, or exoneration from that guilt. The husband is not to act upon his jealousy, but rather he is to allow the Lord to judge through His mediator, the priest. In all such cases, it is the Lord who is ultimately the one who determines the punishment for guilt. In handling it this way, we see the final result of the passage…

*³¹ Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

If the man personally took action against his wife because of a feeling of jealousy, he would bear guilt for harming her. Or, if he ignored the feeling of jealousy and allowed the iniquity to continue, he would be guilty of tolerating her sin. However, by deferring to the Lord to make the determination, and bringing about the consequences of the woman’s guilt, he would be free from iniquity and only she would bear guilt.

IV. The Holy Polygraph, An Explanation

In the end, what we are seeing here is a picture of what happens when the church is unfaithful to Lord. He is the Head of the church, the people are as is His betrothed spouse. If we have gone out and been unfaithful to Him, we are reckoned as adulterers. An unfaithful wife is a wife which arouses jealousy, and the Lord is a jealous God, just as He said of Himself in Exodus 34:14 – “…the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

The elements of the rite all point to Christ – the husband; the omer of barley meal – signifying the poor state in which He came and His awareness of our state before God; the holy water – His word; the earthen vessel – His humanity; the dust of the floor – meaning the curse He took upon Himself; the words of law – meaning the judgment upon sin; the priest – signifying Him as Mediator; the altar – which is His sacrifice; and so on. All of these stand as a witness either of our guilt or our innocence.

There is one true church, but there are churches and then there are churches. The Lord is jealous for His church, and therefore there must be judgment upon it if there is unfaithfulness to Him. All of the symbolism here points to judgment upon the church which is unfaithful to Him. Just as He is said to remove His lampstand from an unfaithful church in Revelation 2:5 so that it is no longer a true church, so He also removes the ability of that church to bear children. It is, as we can say, a woman with a dead womb.

One continuous theme of the Bible is the begetting of legitimate sons and daughters. For a church to commit adultery with the world, or even through an abuse of Scripture, it means that illegitimate children are the result. And so, in a spiritual sense, the woman who drinks the bitter water, and whose thigh rots and her belly swells, pictures that church. She cannot bear legitimate children. Nor even could Israel while still under the law. The only way that a legitimate child can be born is through a legitimate union. When that occurs in Christ, then spiritually legitimate children come about.

This is why the woman’s grain offering was waived and presented before she drank the bitter water. She has claimed that she has been faithful, and that her offering is acceptable. However, only the Lord can determine that. Once that was accomplished, only then did she drink the bitter water.

If you’re not getting what is being relayed, as a real example to consider, we can look at the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are supposedly a faithful wife to the Lord. But there is the suspicion of jealousy. And so she is presented as an unfaithful wife who continues to claim having been faithful. Ask any Jehovah’s Witness if this is the case, and they will claim they are the epitome of faithfulness. And yet, they have played the harlot and been completely unfaithful in their doctrine. They will be given the bitter water, but before they do, they will present their offering. Is their offering Christ? No, and so when they are given the bitter water, they be shown as an unfaithful wife. They will be unable to conceive children. And, in fact, they have borne none. The same test will be given to all.

The standard is Christ. The barley, the water, the earthen vessel, the words of law – all of it points to the Man, Jesus who is either the Bringer of our curse, or our exoneration from the curse. There is one standard. The priest could not make up another punishment as he chose. The punishment for being a faithless wife is bearing no children because the place where children issue from has been used for unfaithful purposes. Christ is the head of man, just as the head of woman is man. The hair of the wife will be loosed before the Lord and there will be an intimate awareness of the wife at that time.

That hair may be shorter or longer; curly or straight; brown, black, red, or gray; but it will be revealed. If the doctrine isn’t great, but the wife has been faithful to Christ, that will be revealed. If the doctrine is pure, that will be revealed. But if there has been an unfaithfulness to Christ, that will be revealed as well. No children will come from that source. The bitter water’s effect will be profound when none come forth as legitimate children.

The obvious question is, “From where do you receive your instruction?” The Lord has established His church, and He expects it to bear legitimate sons and daughters. But this cannot be when we participate in what is unclean. Will the wife remain faithful and bear sons and daughters for the Lord? Or will she be unfaithful and be unable to conceive? A man of Israel could have more than one wife. There are many churches and even entire denominations which refuse to admit their adultery. They will be tested, and they will be proven false. Unfortunately, those who have dwelt within the womb of such adulterous women will never be conceived as children of God. The earthly wife of Israel had expectations levied upon her which translate into spiritual expectations within the church. We must take heed to ourselves and our doctrine, and ensure that what we accept is founded in the truth of Jesus Christ, and in that alone. In the end, it is all about what God has done, and is doing, through Him. And so we need to be sure that the gospel we accept is the gospel founded on Christ. A different gospel is no gospel at all. And what is that saving message which so many unfaithful women refuse to acknowledge, instead going after another? Well, let me explain it to you.

Closing Verse: “Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
¹⁸ “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18

Next Week: Numbers 6:1-27 What is the Nazirite to do? There is no need for guessing… (Separation and Blessing) (11^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Holy Polygraph

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
“Speak to the children of Israel
And say to them:
These words to them you shall tell

‘If any man’s wife goes astray
And behaves unfaithfully toward him
And a man lies with her carnally
And it is hidden from the eyes of her husband
———-a situation quite grim

And it is concealed that she has defiled herself
And there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—
If the spirit of jealousy comes upon him
And he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself
———-as she ought not

Or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him
And he becomes jealous of his wife
Although she has not defiled herself—
But has remained faithful in her married life

Then the man shall bring his wife to the priest
He shall bring the offering required for her, so to you I submit
One-tenth of an ephah of barley meal
He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it

Because it is a grain offering of jealousy
An offering for remembering
For bringing iniquity to remembrance
Is what is to be done with this thing

‘And the priest shall bring her near according to this word
And set her before the Lord 

The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel
And take some of the dust
That is on the floor of the tabernacle
And put it into the water, this part is a must 

Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord
Uncover the woman’s head; so shall it be
And put the offering for remembering in her hands
Which is the grain offering of jealousy

And the priest shall have in his hand
The bitter water that brings a curse
———-so we are to understand

And the priest shall put her under oath
And say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you
———-something so perverse
And if you have not gone astray to uncleanness
———-while under your husband’s authority
Be free from this bitter water that brings a curse 

But if you have gone astray
While under your husband’s authority
And if you have defiled yourself
And some man other than your husband has lain with you
———-such as should not be— 

Then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse
And he shall say to the woman; so to her he shall tell—
“The Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people
When the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell 

And may this water that causes the curse
Go into your stomach, as to you I now submit
And make your belly swell and your thigh rot
‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it

‘Then the priest shall these curses in a book write
And he shall scrape them off into the bitter water
———-the words that will determine her plight

And he shall make the woman drink
The bitter water that brings a curse
And the water that brings the curse
Shall enter her to become bitter
———-according to this written verse 

Then the priest shall take
The grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand
Shall wave the offering before the Lord
And bring it to the altar; so we are to understand 

And the priest shall take a handful of the offering
As its memorial portion, so he shall do
Burn it on the altar
And afterward make the woman drink the water
———-as I am instructing you 

When he has made her drink the water
Then it shall be, if she has defiled herself
———-like a bird she did flitter
And behaved unfaithfully toward her husband
That the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter

And her belly will swell, her thigh will rot
———-a fate grim and glum
And the woman will a curse among her people become

But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean
Then she shall be free and may conceive children
———-a happy family will be seen

‘This is the law of jealousy
———-When a wife, while under her husband’s authority
Goes astray and defiles herself in a faithless life
Or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man
And he becomes jealous of his wife

Then he shall stand the woman before the Lord
And the priest shall execute all this law upon her
Then the man shall be free from iniquity
But that woman shall bear her guilt for sure

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…