Why does a man dying suddenly beside you defile your consecrated head?
Numbers 6:9
ESV - 9 And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.
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Asked June 15 2013
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Sandee Clement
Supporter
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Kelli Trujillo
Supporter
This portion of scripture gives detailed instructions for those that took the Nazarite vow, which separated them from lay people for priestly service under the Old Testament mandates. Look at verses 6-8: "All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord." Nazarites were obligated to stay away from any dead body; therefore if someone died suddenly in a Nazarite's presence, he would need to undergo special purification rites in order to be "clean" again and to be able to resume his priestly service. It's important to note that these restrictions do not apply to us today. These mandates were for those under the Old Covenant between God and the nation of Israel with a very specific set of laws that separated them from other nations. In Christ we are under a New Covenant, as Jesus said Himself in Luke 22:20: "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.' " The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin and any "uncleanness," abolishing any need to observe cleansing rituals that were prescribed in Old Testament law, including the restrictions under the Nazarite vow. Some people today will still opt to take certain kinds of vows for various reasons as an offering to God or as a type of fast, but that is a matter of personal choice, not biblical commandment under the New Covenant.
Ben Ting
Supporter
Perhaps zooming out a bit to have a bird's eye view on all the commandments & precepts ordained by God in the OT for the Israelites to obey in order to stay holy & pure. I can't imagine how any Israelite could track & monitor his obedience with hundreds of these laws! Life must had been so miserable for one who sought to please God in all ways because it is IMPOSSIBLE to maintain holiness for any length of time! (I bet he couldn't wait till the next sacrificial offering that he could perform in the Temple for the forgiveness of his iniquities.) To make matter worse, Jesus levelled up the impossible bar infinitely higher when He told the people that even those "sins in your hearts & minds" are counted also... Answer is - ONLY God can make you holy & righteous through His imputation by the death of Jesus on the cross on your behalf today by grace through faith.
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