Daily Devotion | Numbers 6:1–21 | 2026-04-17

Title: Daily Devotion | Numbers 6:1–21 | 2026-04-17

Scripture: Numbers 6:1–21 (ESV, reference only)

Date: 2026 April 17

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Alright, dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you. We thank God for His grace that we can come to a new day and study the daily devotion together. Today’s passage is Numbers chapter 6. Let us pray. Lord, we thank You for granting grace among us. You tell us about the regulation of the Nazirite, and You desire that we truly live a life set apart as holy. Lord, we ask that You would guide us, so that we may rely on You more deeply, experience Your presence, and receive Your blessing. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Now we come to Numbers chapter 6. From verses 1 to 21, it speaks about the regulations concerning the Nazirite. We know that among the Israelites, God specially set apart certain people to serve Him. For example, the firstborn of every household belonged to the LORD, and the Levites also belonged to the LORD. This shows that God, among the people of Israel, particularly chose some individuals to serve Him and minister to Him.

We have also mentioned before that in the life of Israel, or even in the whole structure of their society, serving the LORD and being holy to the LORD was the very center of the entire nation’s life. Through the Levites and through the firstborn of each family, God reminded the Israelites that they all belonged to the LORD, that they were to be holy, and that they were to live a holy life.

Then a question arises: if a person is neither the firstborn of the family nor a priest, if he does not belong to the priestly class, does he still have the opportunity to serve God? Chapter 6 addresses exactly this issue. The answer is yes, and even women can do this as well. Sisters can also participate. The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD…” So you see here, the first emphasis is that in Israel, worshiping God is their primary way of life, the most important thing. All other matters come afterward.

Because when you worship the LORD in your life, even things like your harvest, your fields, all these practical matters, God will take care of them and preserve them. It is not that you do not do these things—you still have to work—but God will look after and protect them.

So when we read the Pentateuch, when we read the whole Bible, we should remember this point. It seems that the Bible does not directly tell us how to work, how to manage our daily life, how to obtain a big house, a healthy body, or good education for children. It seems not mentioned explicitly. But actually, it is all there. The whole worldview of the Bible is centered on the law. That is to say, its presupposition, its underlying assumption, is that as long as you obey God’s statutes and commandments in your life, God will bless you and guide your life.

Of course, this guidance does not mean that you will necessarily become rich. Rather, it means you do not need to worry. You do not need to be anxious about what you will eat, what you will drink, or what you will wear. These are what the Gentiles seek after. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But you are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. This is the meaning of Scripture. And this worldview runs not only through the New Testament, but also through the Old Testament.

Therefore, if someone especially desires to be set apart and consecrated to the LORD, is it possible? Yes, it is possible. And sisters can also do this. Here you will notice that in God’s law, there is no discrimination against women at all. Think about it—among many religions, it seems that women are often not allowed to serve God. But here, in the Nazirite regulation, both men and women can participate. This is something we should pay attention to. The first point is God’s regard for women.

The second point is about the Nazirite regulation itself. If you look at it on the surface, the holiness requirements for the Nazirite are basically the same as those for the priests. Although the Nazirite is not part of the priestly class, his requirement of holiness is equal to that of a priest, and in some aspects even stricter.

How so? There are a few things that the Nazirite must pay particular attention to. One is drinking wine, and the other is cutting hair. These two aspects seem especially important in the Nazirite regulation. At the same time, similar requirements are also found for priests. For example, in Leviticus, the LORD said to Aaron that when you and your sons go into the tent of meeting, you shall not drink wine or strong drink, lest you die.

As for hair, Leviticus also says that the priest shall not make his head bald, nor shave off the edges of his beard, nor make any cuts on his body. So here, regarding priests, the requirement is that when entering the tent of meeting, they must not drink wine, and they must not make their heads bald. It does not explicitly say that they cannot trim their hair at all, but they cannot shave their heads or remove the beard edges.

However, the Nazirite regulation is different. It is stricter than that of the priests. First, during the entire period of separation, just like when a priest enters the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must not drink wine or strong drink. Not only that, even vinegar, grape juice, raisins—anything related to grapes—is forbidden. Everything connected with grapes and fermentation is to be completely abstained from.

Second, he cannot cut his hair. In the priestly regulations, it only says that he must not make his head bald, but here it says that no razor shall come upon his head; he is to let the locks of his hair grow long. In that sense, these become two standards of holiness: one is that he cannot drink wine, and the other is that he cannot cut his hair. These are the two rules he must keep, and they seem even stricter than those for priests. A priest only could not drink wine when entering the tent of meeting, but the Nazirite could never drink wine during the whole period. The priest was only told not to make his head bald, but the Nazirite was not even allowed to cut his hair at all.

Now many people may not feel that this is a big deal. Not cutting one’s hair is not cutting one’s hair; not drinking wine is simply not drinking wine. It may seem like nothing serious. But if you really enter into the historical setting of that time, then you will understand. Among the Israelites, if they could not drink grape juice, or drink that kind of beverage, then really they could only drink water. That would have been a rather plain and tasteless way of life. Today we have tea, and we have all kinds of drinks. Human beings actually enjoy that feeling of having some kind of beverage. But if one only drinks plain water all the time, life feels bland. So this requirement meant that he was to deny his desires and keep a restrained and simple heart.

Then there is the matter of not cutting his hair. We may also think that this is no big deal. But if you have ever tried it, you know that for a person not to cut his hair and not to trim his beard is actually very uncomfortable. Especially for us modern people—we cut our hair, we shave our faces, and life is much more convenient. Eating is more convenient and daily life is more convenient. But try to imagine a person who does not cut his hair and does not shave. That is really very uncomfortable. When he eats, imagine all that hair around his mouth. In reality it is unpleasant.

Yes, we do not really have this kind of experience today. But the point is that it is truly difficult, truly uncomfortable. In other words, he was not allowed to remove the things that hindered his bodily comfort, and he was not allowed to enjoy even the bodily pleasure connected to drink. And here “wine” does not only mean strong alcoholic drink. The text says wine and strong drink—that is, beverages made from grapes were all forbidden. This was an expression of self-denial. These are the two main regulations for the Nazirite. First, he cannot drink wine. Second, he cannot cut his hair.

Then from verse 9 onward, it speaks about what should happen if these Nazirites encounter a dead person. Here God wants to express that the Nazirite, like the priest, is serving the living God. And if he serves the living God, then he cannot be defiled by death. Because God is the living God, and therefore there is no death in Him. All the corruption brought by death, all the separation brought by death—death is the separation of body and soul; death is the decomposition of the body—death has nothing to do with God. So God requires those who serve Him to stay far from death. This is understandable, because the atmosphere of death is what God most hates. Death represents the curse of God.

So if a Nazirite encounters death, what should he do? He is to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering, and thus make atonement for him and make his head holy again. So you see that for the Nazirite, his head is extremely important. The hair on his head is very important. It cannot be cut. I saw in a commentary that the word used for the Nazirite’s head is the same word used for the high priest’s crown. That means the Nazirite’s uncut hair is, in a sense, like wearing the high priest’s crown. So from this angle, his head is very important, because it is like a crown, and therefore it cannot be defiled by a dead body.

Then after he offers the sacrifices, is it over? No. The earlier days are counted as void, because during his separation he was defiled. From this you can infer that ordinarily a person probably would not remain a Nazirite all his life. Usually it would be for a period of time—perhaps several months, or perhaps several years. Most likely it was like that. Otherwise this regulation would be too difficult to keep, and it would make a person’s life very troublesome. And obviously in ancient times people could cut their hair; they simply were not to shave themselves bald. But here, his hair cannot be trimmed, his beard cannot be trimmed—none of it can be handled. This is a rather difficult thing for a person to endure.

Then when the Nazirite has completed the required days, what is he to do? He still has to offer sacrifice. Now this raises a question. The Nazirite has already kept so many regulations, and he has fulfilled the days of his separation. That should be a day of celebration, should it not? So why must he still offer sacrifice? What truth is this telling us? It is telling us that even if you guard holiness in your life like a Nazirite, you still need a sin offering. This tells us that no one can attain true holiness.

Think about it: if someone lives like a Nazirite, how holy that would seem. He completely abstains from these enjoyments, these bodily pleasures. He does not cut his hair. He only does the things that belong to God—reading Scripture, praying, observing all the statutes and commandments of God. Although the text does not write out every one of those things, that is certainly implied, and we do not need to say more about that. The days of his separation should be a day of celebration. He has prevailed. By the grace of the Lord he has lived a holy life for a period of time. Then why must he still offer sacrifice?

Clearly this is telling us that even if a person pursues holiness like a Nazirite, he still is not holy. He still needs a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering. In the same order, he still must make atonement for himself. That is to say, during the process in which he is being a Nazirite, he still remains unclean and still needs to cry for God’s mercy. This again shows us that by our own effort we cannot possibly attain holiness. We need the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of these sacrifices ultimately point to Christ. We will not dwell on that here.

Then after the sacrifices are offered—peace offering, sin offering, burnt offering, peace offering—this is the order we have been speaking about. Someone may say, “But verse 14 does not list it that way. Verse 14 mentions the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the peace offering.” But if you continue to look at the process of offering the sacrifices, the order is still sin offering, burnt offering, and peace offering. I have mentioned this order before. First comes atonement for sin, then one offers oneself wholly to God, and only then does peace come. So I think that order can still be seen here.

Then what happens next? The hair of his separation is put into the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offering, and it is burned. This shows that he no longer has that crown, because that period has now ended. So you cut off your hair and burn it. But even this is an act of peace, a peace granted by God. Then the priest is also to receive the boiled shoulder of the ram, because that too originally belonged to the priest. And after that, the Nazirite may drink wine again. His hair is cut, he may drink wine again, and the vow is released.

Later in Israel’s history, there are three people whom we clearly see as Nazirites. One is Samuel, one is Samson, and in the New Testament there is John the Baptist. These three are typical examples of people who, from birth, were set apart to God as Nazirites. And from the New Testament it also appears that Paul may once have taken a Nazirite vow. For example, in Acts 21:24 it says, “Take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.”

That passage records how the elders in Jerusalem advised Paul. So it seems that those men had some kind of Nazirite vow upon them. From this we generally understand that in history there were indeed such occasions of vow-making. Then you can also understand, especially when you read the story of Samson, that you must remember this background. Samson is entirely a story of God’s grace. He touched dead bodies, he drank, and he did all kinds of evil things. He only did one thing—he did not cut his hair. But in the end even his hair was cut. This is a gospel story. We will not explain it in detail here. But if you want to read the story of Samson, you must go back to Numbers chapter 6 and look at the Nazirite regulations. Then you will again see the mercy of God.

Because these regulations are simply impossible for people to keep. Samson, as a Nazirite, did not really keep them at all. He touched the carcass of the lion, he touched dead bodies, he killed people—these are things utterly unimaginable for one set apart to God. He did all of that. Yet God’s mercy was still with him. This shows that the true Nazirite is actually Jesus. Only in Jesus Christ is there blessing. That is the regulation concerning the Nazirite.

Now next let us look at this blessing. This blessing is also one that our church uses; I specifically chose it. This is a blessing from God for the people of Israel. “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel...” This is the blessing of the high priest. So even now, it is entirely appropriate for our church to use this blessing, because we also, in a priestly ministry, proclaim God’s blessing upon His people, the church.

I intentionally use this passage in order to show us the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Some people do not use this text. Some use instead, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father...” That is also fine. But I intentionally chose this passage to remind everyone that this high-priestly blessing and this grace are things God is willing to give to His people.

Now let us look at the characteristics of this blessing. First, the LORD blesses. Second, He protects. Third, the LORD makes His face shine. Fourth, He is gracious. Fifth, He lifts up His countenance. Sixth, He gives peace. So within these six blessings, what is being shown is how very willing God is to bless Israel. Of course, if you read this in sequence, then it means that when you keep these commandments, statutes, and ordinances, God’s blessing comes upon you. Because this blessing is placed here in chapter 6, at the end of the first section of Numbers. After this, it goes on to speak of the offerings brought by the leaders. So it is fitting that at the close of this first section, this word of blessing is placed here. It shows that if the Israelites live a holy life in this way, then blessing comes—not only to the Levites or to the Nazirites, but really to the whole nation.

These six blessings show that God is a God who delights to bless. When God’s people obey His statutes and commandments, God delights to bless them, and He also delights to protect them. Why is blessing needed? Because this world is full of curse. We know that through the sin of Adam and Eve, the whole earth became filled with curse. So in Jesus Christ—of course, Jesus Christ is not stated here in such an explicit way, but we can certainly say that blessing is in Jesus Christ—God turns curse into blessing for His people. First of all, He blesses His people. So if God’s people, in Christ, truly trust in Christ and live a holy life, then they can receive blessing.

This blessing does not necessarily mean that one becomes materially rich, but it should mean that one has what is needed for food and clothing, lacks nothing essential, and has peace in the Lord. And we need God’s protection, because we live in an age surrounded by all kinds of corruption, harm, and brokenness. We need God to protect us. We need Him to send His angels to guard us. We need God’s mercy and grace.

Then it says, “The LORD make His face shine upon you.” What does that mean? It means that we are praying for God to bless us with His face. And later it says that the LORD lift up His countenance upon you. What does it mean for Him to lift up His countenance? It means that we may walk in the light of the LORD’s face, that the LORD would shine upon us with His face and bless us with His face. Only in the light of the LORD’s face do we have peace.

Of course, we know very clearly that when Moses wanted to see God, God said, “You cannot see my face; you may only see my back.” And He put Moses in the cleft of the rock. You all remember that passage. So clearly the meaning here is that man cannot see God face to face, because to see God is death. So even Moses had to hide in the cleft of the rock. And obviously that cleft of the rock is a type of Christ. This cleft of the rock shows that when Moses was in the cleft of the rock, when we hide ourselves in Jesus Christ, then we may behold God’s countenance. God is willing, in Jesus Christ, to lift up His face upon us.

So after we trust in Jesus Christ, we are entirely righteous people. We are declared righteous by God, and in Jesus Christ we are accepted by God. And this identity as righteous people means that God will bless us and deal graciously with us. Therefore all of us who believe in Jesus are blessed people. We are to follow Jesus, imitate Jesus, and also receive blessing. So God is willing to show grace to us. The greatest grace, of course, is that He has given Jesus Christ to us. He has given us faith, so that through faith we may trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God’s face shining upon us.

And obviously, God’s face shining upon us also signifies that since we walk in God’s light, we ought to be children of light. So our conduct should be holy. We should follow God well. We should serve God well. As for the steps we mentioned earlier, I will not repeat them here. Then God grants us peace. What we desire and what we hope for is peace in Christ Jesus. The more we trust in Christ, the more we live a holy life, the more peace we will have in our hearts, and the more we will be able to receive God’s blessing. God will show grace to us. Alright, that is a simple sharing for today. Thank you, everyone.