May the mumbling commence!
You may have heard the saying, “putting on the Ritz”. Well in Numbers chapter six, it’s all about putting on the Name of the Lord. Verses 24 to 26 are the beautiful Aaronic/Levite words of blessing:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face to you and give you peace.
And verse 27: “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” How about that – putting on the Name of the Lord! These words follow the Nazirite vow descriptions that take up the majority of chapter six. Those who take the Nazirite vow cannot eat or drink anything from the fruit of the vine, cannot cut their hair, and cannot go near a dead body. If they do go near a dead body, they must sacrifice a guilt, a sin, and a burnt offering. They must shave their head (their hair has become unclean). And they must start their Nazirite vow all over again.
Here are a couple of well-known Nazirites in the Bible: Samson and John the Baptist. Both of these men were devoted as Nazirites for life by the visitation of an angel before their birth. Even their mothers, while pregnant, had to observe the Nazirite vow. But, Samson did not keep his vow well. From what we know, John the Baptist was a much better example by being faithful to the Nazirite lifestyle. Those who took a temporary Nazirite vow must have been wealthy, because the offerings to end the vow were many. And these offerings represented a minimum. No alternative sacrifices were made for the poor.
May we rejoice at the opportunity to put on the Name of the Lord. May we be more faithful than Samson. May we be worthy by our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions to carry the name of Christ Jesus.
May we avoid the need for jealousy and the bitterness it brings. What a strange ritual for a husband’s jealousy towards his wife that is found in chapter five! How about that bitter concoction of holy water, dust from the Tabernacle floor, and ink from the written curses on the parchment! The curse: to be barren – or worse yet, to be doomed to miscarriage after miscarriage. This ritual seems strange to my senses because the present day stereotypical adultery comes more often from the husband. I wonder what the ritual trial might have been for a jealous wife and a suspect husband. What curse would there be for him?
Yes, these jealousies and their causes are part of what needs to be left behind to put on the Name of our Lord.
And, since this is a reflection on Numbers, I would be remise if I did not comment on the Numbers at the end of chapter four. The Merarites greatly outnumbered the other two clans. The Kohathite clans numbered 2,750, and the Gershonite clan numbered 2,630. As you may remember, the Kohathites were in charge of carrying the articles of the Holy of Holies; and the Gershonites carried the Tabernacles’ curtains and accessories. The Merarites were to carry the frames, crossbars, posts, bases, and all the stuff related to their use. What an extra heavy burden! No wonder the Lord blessed the Merarites with 3,200 men of serviceable age. That’s 450 more men than the Kohathites and 570 more than the Gershonites. Our Lord is wise!
So let’s continue to grow in wisdom and give proper thanks for those in the church who do the often thankless tasks – like custodians, like people who wash dishes at potluck, and like people who weed the flower beds around the church building. We say much about our love for the Lord when we keep a tidy church and beautiful landscaping. Not enough is said through these means alone, but it does send a positive message to those who live near and travel by the church building. It is a house of God – let’s take care of it. Let’s also build our relationship with those around us. Somewhere in your life is a person who has the potential to become another brick in the true house of God – the people of the church.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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