Numbers 6:1-27  The Nazarite Vow

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Numbers 6:1-27  The Nazarite Vow

[Study Aired June 5, 2023]

Num 6:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 6:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: 
Num 6:3  He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. 
Num 6:4  All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. 
Num 6:5  All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 
Num 6:6  All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. 
Num 6:7  He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. 
Num 6:8  All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.
Num 6:9  And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. 
Num 6:10  And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 6:11  And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. 
Num 6:12  And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled. 
Num 6:13  And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 6:14  And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, 
Num 6:15  And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings. 
Num 6:16  And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: 
Num 6:17  And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. 
Num 6:18  And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. 
Num 6:19  And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:
Num 6:20  And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. 
Num 6:21  This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. 
Num 6:22  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 6:23  Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 
Num 6:24  The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 
Num 6:25  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 
Num 6:26  The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 
Num 6:27  And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

Introduction

As we indicated at the beginning of our study of the Book of Numbers, the Book deals with the formation of the Lord’s army to battle the flesh. The first four chapters of Numbers focus on the responsibilities of the various sections of the Lord’s army. In chapter five, issues that can affect the physical and mental fitness of the army are dealt with. Specifically, the chapter mentions leprosy, discharges and defilement by the dead as having the potential to destroy the army’s ability to defeat the enemy and the chapter focuses on what to do to stop the spread of infectious diseases such as leprosy and discharges. The defilement by the dead spiritually signifies our tendency to accept the teachings (false doctrines) of those who are spiritually dead. This defilement can spread like the infectious diseases mentioned and therefore, it is also treated like an infectious disease.

Jer 23:16  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. 
Jer 23:17  They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. 
Jer 23:18  For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

The second part of the chapter focuses on the test of our chastity. This test of chastity is to cause us to see our unfaithfulness to the commanding officer of the Lord army which will ultimately cause our defeat. Our commanding officer wants us to love Him with all our heart, all our mind and all our will. He wants us to focus on no one else other than Him as our first and unique love. 

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 

Although we may love the Lord so much, we still may not be absolutely and ultimately for Him. For example, in marriage, a wife may love her husband very much and remain chaste towards him. However, she may not be absolutely and ultimately for him in certain areas. There may be several things that a wife may focus on that are not in the interest of the husband. 

The study today focuses on the Nazarite vow, which is a test of our absoluteness. The Lord used the Nazarite vow to show us that we are required to be wholly separated or dedicated to the Lord in everything. For example, the Bible warns us against the cares of this world, which can sometimes rob us of our absoluteness for the cause of the Lord. Even the marriage union can sometimes be used by the evil one to rob us of our absoluteness to the Lord. 

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

The end of chapter 6 for today’s study is about the Lord’s intent and goodwill for us, His elect, as He instructed Aaron and his sons, the priests, specifically on how they should bless the children of Israel.

Num 6:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 6:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: 
Num 6:3  He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
Num 6:4  All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

As indicated in the introduction portion of this study, the whole concept of the Nazarite vow is for the Lord to make us aware that we need to be separated from all that engages our attention in this life in order to be wholly devoted to Christ. In verse 3, we are told one of the key attractions in this life which can cause us to be disengaged from our devotion to Christ – that is, wine and strong drink and their sources. In the negative sense, wine or strong drink signifies worldly pleasures or enjoyment as shown in the following:

Psa 104:15  And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. 

Ecc 10:19  A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Most of the earthly pleasures or enjoyment have the tendency to lead to lustful intentions and conduct which can affect our devotion to Christ. This is what Moses, who represents the elect, did:

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

In verse 4, a Nazarite must not eat anything made from the vine tree, its kernels even to the husk. Here the vine tree is used in a negative context. In the Bible, the vine tree used in the negative context represents the backslidden Israel which is Babylon.

Isa 5:1  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
Isa 5:2  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

Isa 5:7  For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

The vine which produces wine and strong drink is Israel, which is Babylon. As the verses above say, Babylon produces wild grapes which are the same as producing thorns and briars, which are false doctrines. So being advised by the Lord not to drink wine or strong drink, which are all produced from the vine tree, means that we are being warned to avoid taking in false doctrines or have anything to do with Babylon. Avoiding these false doctrines from Babylon is what will help us to maintain our separation for Christ, that is, our Nazarite vow.

On a positive note, the vine tree represents Christ and any produce from the vine tree is His words. What this means is that as long as we are keeping this Nazarite vow in our own strength, there is no way we can taste the truth of the words of the Lord.

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Num 6:5  All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 

As the bride of Christ, not shaving our heads signifies not rejecting the headship of the Lord. In other words, being separated unto the Lord (Nazarite vow) involves being absolutely under the authority of our head who is Christ.  

1Co 11:3  But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
1Co 11:4  Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, 
1Co 11:5  but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
1Co 11:6  For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 
1Co 11:7  For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. (ESV)

In the Bible, the first person who was a Nazarite from birth was Samuel. He represents those who live their lives under the authority of Christ.

1Sa 1:11  And she (Hannah) vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Samson is also another example of a Nazarite from birth. At the final stages of His life, after going through judgment, he was absolutely under the authority of Christ as his hair grew again. In other words, he was wholly for the purpose of Christ. As a mark of our separation, we, His elect, are going through judgment so that we become completely sold out to Christ. 

Jdg 13:3  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son (Samson). 
Jdg 13:4  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 
Jdg 13:5  For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Jdg 16:21  But the Philistines took him (Samson), and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Jdg 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

As we are aware, this honor of being separated wholly for Christ cannot be accomplished by our own merit. We can see from Samson’s life that he struggled to maintain his Nazarite vow. For most of his life, he was not separated wholly for the cause of the Lord even though he was a Nazarite from birth. In other words, his Nazarite vow was not the result of his own decision. How much more will we be able to maintain the Nazarite vow of being separated for Christ if it is the result of our own decision as indicated in Numbers 6:2? This rhetorical question is to let us know that there is no way one can keep the Nazarite vow under the law of Moses. 

Num 6:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:

As we are aware, no one can become a priest by one’s own volition. In a similar vein, vowing to become a Nazarite is not something that can be achieved by one’s own decision as we were thought in Babylon.

Heb 5:4  And no one takes this honor for himself (to be a priest), but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
Heb 5:5  So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;
Heb 5:6  as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” (ESV)

During the reformation period of our Lord Jesus Christ, He made us aware we are not to vow. The Nazarite vow therefore runs contrary to the reforming words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mat 5:33  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’
Mat 5:34  But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
Mat 5:35  or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 
Mat 5:36  And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 
Mat 5:37  Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. 

Ecc 5:5  It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. (ESV) 

It is only in Christ that we can be separated wholly for the purpose of Christ as He enables us. 

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Nazarite vow was therefore showing us the Lord’s intent for the elect to be wholly separated for His purpose but not for those who think they have a will to decide to become separated for Christ. When we were in Babylon, we thought that we can exercise our will to be wholly devoted to Christ just like the Israelites who think they can choose to become Nazarites.  Therefore, in Babylon our lives were the same as the Israelites who go for the Nazarite vow. In other words, we were all Nazarites at a certain period of our lives when we were in Babylon until Christ came to us.

Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Num 6:6  All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.
Num 6:7  He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. 
Num 6:8  All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.

These verses highlight what will potentially derail our consecration to Christ. Coming into contact with the dead is a present danger. As we have shown in the previous study, coming into contact with the dead means taking in or accepting the teachings of those who are spiritually dead. We become spiritually unclean when we take in or accept the teachings of those who are spiritually dead. That is what characterized our walk with Christ when we were in Babylon. We accepted the teachings of our leaders who were spiritually dead and so we became defiled. 

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 
2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

This is to warn us to be careful as a body of those who try to introduce heresies. These false doctrines in our heavens corrupts our minds from the simplicity which is in Christ.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Num 6:9  And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.
Num 6:10  And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 6:11  And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. 
Num 6:12  And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

While we were in Babylon, we defiled our Nazarite vow as a result of feeding on the words of our spiritually dead leaders. We, therefore, needed to go through a cleansing process to be consecrated for the Lord when we exited Babylon.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

This cleansing process involves the shaving of our heads. As the wife of Christ, the shaving of our heads is to demonstrate the fact that we have rejected the authority of Christ and His words through defilement which was the result of accepting the false teachings of our spiritually dead leaders in Babylon. It is instructive to note that it was on the seventh day that our heads were shaved. This is to let us know that our complete time in Babylon was a life of rejecting the authority of Christ. It is also insightful to note that it is on the eighth day that we stand at the entrance of the tabernacle to offer sacrifice for our sins, which means that we have accepted that we have rejected the authority of Christ in our lives. Our Lord Jesus Christ has already paid for our sins through His sacrificial death. The eighth day means a new beginning for us as we begin to follow the example of Christ in offering His life for us by offering our bodies as living sacrifice to Him. That is when we become spiritual Nazarites as we consecrate ourselves to the Lord.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Num 6:13  And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 6:14  And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,
Num 6:15  And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.
Num 6:16  And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering: 
Num 6:17  And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering. 

The question is, “When do our days of vowing to serve as a Nazarite end?” As we have indicated, it is during our time in Babylon that we think we can separate ourselves for the Lord by our own volition or decision. It is after we come into contact with the dead that we realize we are defiled. As shown earlier, coming into contact with the dead means accepting the false doctrines of our spiritually dead leaders. It is when we come to see that the leaders, whom we thought are spiritually alive in Babylon are actually dead and that we have been defiled, that our time as physical Nazarites comes to an end.  That is when we come to realize that we have to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord. The mention of the basket of unleavened bread, the cakes of fine flour mingled, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil in verse 15 are all referring to the spiritual aspect of the word of the Lord and not the letter which kills. It is when the period of our Nazarite vows comes to an end that we are given to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit.

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Num 6:18  And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings. 
Num 6:19  And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven: 
Num 6:20  And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine. 
Num 6:21  This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation. 

As indicated, the shaving of the head is a symbol of us admitting that we have rejected the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore we must be judged. After shaving the head, the hair is put in the fire. This signifies our judgment. The putting of the shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake of the basket and one unleavened wafer into the hands of the Nazarite symbolize being given the ability to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. As we indicated earlier, as long as we have the Nazarite vow, we are unable to partake of any product from the vine, which is Christ. In verse 20, the Nazarite who has ended his Nazarite vow is now given wine by the priest. This means that after we have rejected the Lord’s authority over us and have come to realize our sorrowful state, it is then that we start being judged and begin to offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord. It is during this period that we are able to take wine, that is, partake of the good word of the Lord!! 

Luk 22:17  And he took the cup (wine), and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

Num 6:22  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 6:23  Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 

The rest of the verses in this chapter reflect the Lord’s intent and His provision to bring His elect to an expected end. 

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jer 29:12  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 
Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Num 6:24  The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 

The Lord blessing us means He has given us all that we need, both spiritual and physical, in order for us to get to the finish line. 

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

The word “keep” means guard or protect. This means that the Lord keeping us is another way of saying the following:

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 

Num 6:25  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 

The Lord making His face to shine upon us is another way of saying that the Lord is in the process of making us into His image. According to Strong, the word “gracious” means to stoop in kindness to an inferior. The Lord being gracious to us is therefore the Lord coming to us in our frailty to show us love and care. 

Gen 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Psa 31:21  Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. 
Psa 31:22  I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. (ESV)

Num 6:26  The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 

The meaning of the word “countenance” is ‘face’ or, more specifically, ‘visage’, meaning facial expression. Therefore, it reflects the expression appearing on the face of the Lord as He looks upon His people. In this case, the Lord lifting up His countenance upon us means the Lord looks upon us favorably and with approval. It brings peace and joy to know that we rest in the favor of the Most High.

Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Num 6:27  And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

To put or bear the name of the Lord means to represent the Lord. We, the elect, represent the Lord here on this earth wherever we go. If we represent the Lord, then it means that we are provided all the resources we need by the Lord to perform whatever assignment that He has given to us. 

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

May the Lord continue to show mercy to us as He causes us to be separated completely for His purpose as we see the day approach!! Amen!!

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