Jewish Nazarites of Modernity

I agree with my friend Josh, and I'm sure you do to, that those committed Christians you know long to be holy and pure in deed before God. We want to live in the realm of "living sacrifice". Nobody can do it though! We look at the Nazarite vow, and along with modern Jewish rabbis, we declare that it is not possible with man (http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/162/Q3/) - See the last sentence of this short Q and A session.

The sacrifice we wish to give and live is not possible. In Numbers the sacrifice given is the crown - or consecrated hair. It was cut at the end of the vow as a sacrifice, pure and holy. We find that in our failings, in our inability to live holy before God and our dead works, that Jesus purifies us, making us acceptable to God. Because we see that Jesus has paid it all, we long for this purity and dedication. As Josh puts it, "What this means to me is that there is then no place for spiritual complacency, or rather apathy, in terms of our lives. Every modern Christian in my opinion, in the light of Jesus, is to be a Nazirite in the sense that we are to make that conscious decision of dedicating our whole life to God. The practical output then, we have to ask ourselves, what are the lambs, the rams, and the bread of our lives. What are our symbols of anointing and and royalty?" So beyond a few people called to this office, the Holy Spirit beckons the hearts of all Christians to live as the Nazarites of old.

Isreal, true Jews as described in Galations 3, were set apart to be a nation of priests. In the OT all Isrealites were given oppurtunity to participate in priest-type activities in the Nazarite service. In the NT, all are called to the office of priest.

As for the connection between Jesus of Nazareth and the office of Nazarite, some definitions looked up by Nina will help. There doesn't seem to be a connection between the two. Plus, with Jesus raising people from the dead it would be difficult to keep the vow.

Nazaritenaziyr, naw-zeer'; or nazir, naw-zeer'; from Hebrew 5144 (nazar); separate, i.e. consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figurative from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite) :- Nazarite [by a false alliteration with Nazareth], separate (-d), vine undressed.

nay'-zer; from Hebrew 5145 (nazar); properly something set apart, i.e. (abstract) dedication (of a priest or Nazirite); hence (concrete) unshorn locks; also (by implication) a chaplet (especially of royalty) :- consecration, crown, hair, separation.

NazarethNazareth, nad-zar-eth'; or Nazaret, nad-zar-et'; of uncertain derivative; Nazareth or Nazaret, a place in Palestine :- Nazareth.

NazareneNazarenos, nad-zar-ay-nos'; from Greek 3478 (Nazareth); a Nazarene, i.e. inhabitant of Nazareth :- of Nazareth.

Nazoraios, nad-zo-rah'-yos; from Greek 3478 (Nazareth); a Nazoræan, i.e. inhabitant of Nazareth; by extensive a Christian :- Nazarene, of Nazareth.