What the heck is a "Nazarite?"

 

A Nazarite was a person, man or woman, who took certain vows to dedicate their lives to the service of the Lord. 

As such, Nazarites took vows that would distinguish them from the rest of the population, namely:

• ·         Abstaining from wine or strong drink (or any type of grape-product) (see Numbers 6:3-4).
• ·         Not cutting their hair (Numbers 6:5).
• ·         Staying away from dead folks, including family members (Numbers 6:6).

Being a Nazarite could be lifelong, or for a period of time, after which, the once-Nazarite would return to regular grape-eating and hair appointments. Apparently they didn’t always self-subscribe, but some had their parents who made the vows for them.

Some famous Nazarites we know of are:

• ·         Samson (see Judges 13:5)
• ·         Samuel (see 1 Samuel 1:11, 28)
• ·         John the Baptist (see Luke 1:15)
• ·         Also, Paul makes reference to shaving his head and taking a vow in Acts 18:18-19, and there is another reference in Acts21:23-24 to men taking what appear to be similar vows.

In Alma 5:57, it says:

“And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things…”

So the Nazarite example shows us that as followers of Christ, we need to dedicate ourselves to the differences that distinguish us as His. These may not include abstaining from grapes, avoiding the barber, and passing on funerals; but there should be noticeable differences in the way we live our lives that identify us as the Lord’s. This should include avoiding the unclean things of the world, whether it be in our media choices, the way we choose to dress, or the words that come from our mouths (yes, there should be distinguishable differences here in all three). The communities we live in should be able to tell that we are different, not just by the way we spend our Sundays, but also our friendliness, and our desire to serve others. 

These differences should not be expressed in ways that are self-righteous or exclusive, but in ways that invite others to discover why we are happy, and connect it to our differences. We should, as Paul said, be an “example of the believers.” 

KEEP YOURSELVES FROM ALL UNCLEANNESS; BE HOLY.

Leviticus 17-25

In the Bible Dictionary, we read that things that are holy are “set apart for a sacred purpose.” We also read that this referred to a moral state, defined by the quality of one’s character. Sanctification, then, is the process through which we can become holy, through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The Lord gave the Israelites rituals through which they could become sanctified, achieving this holiness. These rites and ceremonies were intended to cleanse, guard against disease, and make them worthy to approach the Lord; clean, and through constant attention and devotion, also holy.

Jehovah could demand His people be holy, because He, himself is holy (see Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8).

We need to remember the importance of our “rituals,” and not become complacent in our obedience (I call this “hollow obedience,” a.k.a. “checking the box” or “phoning it in”). We need to understand the laws we choose to obey, and be more mindful in our choices—this should extend to becoming more mindful in recognizing and acknowledging the consequences of our obedience or disobedience.
When we don’t recognize the blessings we receive through obedience, or the loss of the Spirit that occurs when we disobey, we are living in a kind of spiritual disconnectedness. I think it takes constant focus to make sure our spirits are aligned with/engaged in our actions. When we do this, the ritual becomes transformative; it sanctifies us, and we become holy. Whew. 

In Leviticus 18:4-5, it says:

“Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God.

 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.”

If we seek to keep the commandments fully, they will cease to be mandates, but will become a part of our character, our daily living. 

We will become holy, our lives sanctified.

In Leviticus we also have the reiteration of many of the Ten Commandments, with some elaborations. We are told not to gossip, to treat each other equally, without respect to position. We are reminded to judge righteously, to love our neighbor. We are also commanded against infidelity in marriage, idol-worship, and incest.

I think the thing that the world struggles with most, with respect to these commandments, is idol-worship. I think that I struggle with this. I think that the idol differs for all of us, and sometimes it changes. 

Our idols can be anything that competes with the Lord for our devotion.

For me, sometimes it’s a stupid game on my tablet that I waste time with. 

Sometimes it’s a series on Netflix. 

Aren’t these things okay in mediation? 

Well, sure…but I’ll tell you this, I’ve never in my life stayed up late reading scriptures, or reasoned with myself, “Just one more chapter in the Book of Mormon—then I’ll quit!”
 

I need to discipline myself and live in exercising my devotion to God, knowing that when and if I can do this, everything else will fall into place.

It has to.     

  It’s His plan.            

       

These are the sister missionaries who were in the Missionary Training Center at the time of the last Relief Society broadcast. At about 2:19 you can see Sister Hartung from our ward at the center of the screen in the pink top! She's now serving faithfully in Kansas.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments!

                                                                                     

Here they are:

• ·         No other gods before the Lord
• ·         No idol worship
• ·         Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
• ·         Keep the Sabbath day holy
• ·         Honor your parents
• ·         Don’t kill
• ·         Be a faithful spouse
• ·         Do not steal
• ·         Do not lie
• ·         Do not covet

Phew (I was worried I would come up with a number other than 10)!

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus is asked which commandment is the most important. He answers, 

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

  This is the first and great commandment.

 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

So the Savior tells us that there are two “great” commandments, loving God, and loving our neighbor. Let’s take another look at this list with and divide them into these two groups.

Love God:

• ·         No other gods before the Lord
• ·         No idol worship
• ·         Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
• ·         Keep the Sabbath day holy
• ·         Do not covet—I put this here because I think coveting shows ingratitude for/ignorance of what the Lord has already blessed us with.

Love your neighbor:

• ·         Honor your parents
• ·         Don’t kill
• ·         Be a faithful spouse
• ·         Do not steal
• ·         Do not lie

I think most of these could be put under the “Love God” category. If you think about it, honoring parents shows appreciation for the path God has placed you on, even if it’s not ideal, it is still part of His plan for your growth and progression. Valuing life and overcoming anger shows a dedication to God (self-mastery), and acknowledgement of the worth of His creations. Honesty and integrity in your dealings with others (and yourself) not only honors and amplifies the divine in you, but also encourages others through your godly example.

So loving your neighbor is inseparable from loving God (remember the words of the Savior, 

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,ye have done it unto me.”)

The Ten Commandments have shaped secular law, but what are we forgetting? Are there commandments that have fallen to the proverbial “wayside?”…was that a stupid question?

The three that come to mind are worshiping idols, taking the Lord’s name in vain, and keeping the Sabbath day holy.

I think we are all too guilty of putting the things of the world first in our lives, and forgetting that our life’s purpose is doing God’s work. When other things displace God in our lives, we need to reevaluate whether or not they have become what we worship.

I’ve just learned that taking the Lord’s name in vain doesn’t just mean using profanity. When we forget the covenants we’ve made through baptism or in the Lord’s temples, we are also violating this commandment.

Most of the world seems to have entirely forgotten the Lord’s commandment in regards to keeping the Sabbath day holy. President Spencer W. Kimball said, 

“The Sabbath day is given throughout the generations of man for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between the Lord and his children forever. It is a day in which to worship and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Lord. It is a day on which to surrender every worldly interest and to praise the Lord humbly, for humility is the beginning of exaltation.”

If we can keep the commandments fully, and truly seek ways to be obedient….like: it’s pretty easy for me not to murder, but it might be more of a challenge for me to live fully each day, truly appreciating the gift that life is. Does that sound hokey? Maybe it does. How about this: it may be easy not to lie or steal, but it may be more of a challenge to defend truth, or be generous without expectation of return. 

See what I mean? I think that we may give ourselves credit for not violating commandments, without doing the hard work of actually fully living God’s laws in the way he intended. 

Remember, the Lord didn’t give us commandments solely to keep us from harm; He gave them to bring us closer to Him, because He loves us. 

Please see the Old Testament LDS Institute Manual for more in depth discussion and lots of other great stuff!