Saturday, October 31, 2015

Numbers chapter 6

After reading chapter 6:

*Most of this chapter is what to do if you have taken a Nazarite vow. We are not told specifically  what is a Nazarite or his vow, but it seems to be some kind of dedication to God.

-The Nazarite must not eat or drink any products made from grapes, including wine, vinegar, grapes, raisins, etc.
- He must not cut his hair at all. That is the symbol of his dedication.
-He must not touch or go anywhere near a dead body or he will defile his hair. (?!)
-If he does defile his hair by going near a dead body, he must shave it all off and bring a sin offering to the lord, because it was a sin for him to be in the presence of a dead body. Then he must rededicate himself to the lord and start his vow period over.
-When he has fulfilled his vow he is to bring various sacrificial offerings to the tabernacle. After those are performed by the priest, he is to have his head shaved in front of the tabernacle and the hair is to be put in the fire under the fellowship offering.
-Then the priest is to take a portion of the offering, wave it in front of the lord, then keep it for himself. (I'm not making this up.)
-After that the Nazarite is free to drink wine.

*The last part of the chapter is a blessing Yahweh tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say over the Israelites. It is similar to the one sung at the sabbath meal in Fiddler in the Roof. It is echoed in Psalm 67:1. A portion  of this blessing was also found on two silver amulets in a cave in Jerusalem, dated to around 600 B.C.E. They are one of the earliest Hebrew references to Yahweh ever found. The story of Moses would have taken place at least 600 years earlier, if it happened.

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