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Separation and Service

OR

THOUGHTS ON

NUMBERS VI, VII.

BY
J. HUDSON TAYLOR.


London
MORGAN & SCOTT, 12, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, E.C.
CHINA INLAND MISSION, NEWINGTON GREEN, N.




PRINTED BY
WOODFALL AND KINDER, LONG ACRE
LONDON




CONTENTS.


  Separation and Service.

                                                    PAGE
  Introductory                                         7


  PART I.

  SEPARATION TO GOD: Numbers vi, 1-21.

  Institution of the Order of Nazarites               11
  Implicit Obedience                                  13
  Entire Consecration                                 16
  Holiness to the LORD                                19
  Unwitting Defilement                                22
  The Heinousness of Sin                              23
  Cleansing only through Sacrifice                    25
  Acceptance only in CHRIST                           27
  The Presentation of the Nazarites                   33
  The Law of the Offerings                            35
  The Burnt-Offering                                  39
  The Sin and Peace-Offerings                         41


  PART II.

  THE BLESSING OF GOD: Numbers vi, 22-27.

  Why Found Here?                                     44
  The Real Meaning of Blessing                        49
  The Three-fold Benediction                          52
  The Blessing of the FATHER                          53
  The Second Person of the Trinity                    60
  The Blessing of the SON and BRIDEGROOM              63
  The LORD, the SPIRIT                                70
  The Blessing of the HOLY SPIRIT                     73
  Sealing with the Name of GOD                        80


  PART III.

  PRINCELY SERVICE: Numbers vii.

  The Constraint of Love                              89
  GOD'S Delight in Love-gifts                         90
  Free-will Offerings                                 93
  Gladsome Acceptance                                 96
  According to his Service                           101
  The Dedicatory Offerings                           107
  The Display of the Gifts                           109
  The Person of the Offerer                          113
  The Importance of the Altar                        117




Separation and Service.

Numbers vi, vii.


INTRODUCTORY.

For many years these chapters had no special interest to me; but I have
never ceased to be thankful that I was early led to read the Word of GOD
in regular course: it was through this habit that these chapters first
became specially precious to me. I was travelling on a missionary tour
in the province of CHEH-KIANG, and had to pass the night in a very
wicked town. All the inns were dreadful places; and the people seemed to
have their consciences seared, and their hearts sealed against the
Truth. My own heart was oppressed, and could find no relief; and I awoke
the next morning much cast down, and feeling spiritually hungry and
thirsty indeed.

On opening my Bible at the seventh chapter of Numbers, I felt as though
I could not then read that long chapter of repetitions; that I _must_
turn to some chapter that would feed my soul. And yet I was not happy in
leaving my regular portion; so after a little conflict I resolved to
read it, praying to GOD to bless me, even through Numb. vii. I fear
there was not much faith in the prayer; but oh! how abundantly it was
answered, and what a feast GOD gave me! He revealed to me His own great
heart of love, and gave me the key to understand this and the previous
chapter as never before. May GOD make our meditations upon them as
helpful to others as they were then and have ever since continued to be
to myself.

Much is revealed in these chapters in germ which is more fully brought
out in the New Testament. Under the Old Covenant many blessings were
enjoyed in measure and for a season, which in this dispensation are ours
in their fulness and permanence. For instance, the atoning sacrifices of
the seventh month had to be repeated every year; but CHRIST, in offering
Himself once for all, perfected for ever them that are sanctified. The
Psalmist needed to pray, "Take not Thy HOLY SPIRIT from me;" but CHRIST
has given us the COMFORTER to abide with us for ever. In like manner the
Israelite might vow the vow of a Nazarite and separate himself unto GOD
for a season; but it is the privilege of the Christian believer to know
himself as always separated to GOD. Many other lessons, which are
hidden from careless and superficial readers, are suggested by these
chapters, which the HOLY SPIRIT will reveal to prayerful students of His
most precious and most perfect Book.

The portions we have selected consist of first a short chapter, and then
a very long one, which at first sight appears to have no special
connection with it. But on more careful reflection we shall see that the
order of the subjects referred to shows that there is really a natural
and close connection between them. We shall find that Separation to GOD
is followed by Blessing from GOD; and that those who receive large
blessing from Him, in turn render to Him acceptable Service: service in
which GOD takes delight, and which He places in everlasting
remembrance.




PART I.

Separation to GOD.

NUMB. VI. 1-21.


THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES.

The first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the
institution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at
the outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect
gift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to
His people; thereby showing His desire that "whosoever will" of His
people may be brought into closest relationship to Himself.

It was very gracious of GOD to _permit_ His people to become Nazarites.
Israel might have been "a kingdom of priests;" but through their own sin
they had nationally forfeited this privilege, and a special family had
been set apart to the priesthood. GOD, however, still opened the way for
individuals who wished to draw near to Him to do so, and for any period
which their own hearts might dictate.

But it is important to notice that though the vow might only be one of
temporary consecration, yet it involved while it lasted an

  ABSOLUTE ACCEPTANCE

of the will of GOD, even in regard to matters which might appear trivial
and unimportant. So, in the present day, GOD is willing to give to His
people fulness of blessing, but it must be on His own lines. Though we
are not our own, it is, alas! possible to live as though we were;
devotion to GOD is still a voluntary thing; hence the differences of
attainment among Christians. While salvation is a free gift, the
"winning CHRIST" can only be through unreserved consecration and
unquestioning obedience. Nor is this a hardship, but the highest
privilege.

Let us now look into the law of the Nazarite.


IMPLICIT OBEDIENCE: verses 3, 4.

    _"He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall
    drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall
    he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All
    the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the
    vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk."_

The first thing that we note is, that as the obedience of Adam was
tested in the Garden by the prohibition of one tree--a tree pleasant to
look upon, and good for food--so was the obedience of the Nazarite
tested. He was not forbidden to eat poison berries, nor was he merely
required to abstain from the wine and strong drink which might easily
become a snare; fresh grapes and dried raisins were equally prohibited.
It was not that the thing was harmful in itself, but that the doing the
will of GOD, in a matter of seeming indifference, was essential to his
acceptance.

Not less true is this of the Christian Nazarite. Whether he eat or
drink, or whatsoever he do, the will of GOD and not self-indulgence must
be his one aim. Christians often get into perplexity about worldly
allurements by asking, Where is the sin of this, or the danger of that?
There _may_ be danger that the questioner cannot see: Satan's baits
often skilfully conceal a sharp hook; but supposing that the thing be
harmless, it does not follow that it would be pleasing to GOD, or
spiritually helpful.

The fruit of the vine is a type of earth-born pleasures; those who would
enjoy Nazarite nearness to GOD must count His love "better than wine."
To win CHRIST, the Apostle Paul gladly suffered the loss of all things,
and counted them as dross and dung for the excellency of the knowledge
of CHRIST JESUS his LORD. The things he gave up were not bad things, but
good--things that in themselves were gain to him; and CHRIST Himself for
our redemption emptied Himself, and came to seek not His own, but the
will of Him that sent Him.

The highest service demands the greatest sacrifice, but it secures the
fullest blessing and the greatest fruitfulness. CHRIST _could not remain
in His FATHER'S bosom and redeem the world; missionaries cannot win the
heathen and enjoy their home surroundings; nor can they be adequately
sustained without the loving sacrifices of many friends and donors. You,
dear reader, know the MASTER'S choice; what is YOURS? is it to do His
will even if it mean to leave all for Him, to give all to Him?_


ENTIRE CONSECRATION: verse 5.

_"All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come
upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth
himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of
the hair of his head grow."_

We have already seen that GOD tested the obedience of the Nazarite in
the matter of food: pleasing GOD was rather to be chosen than the most
tempting cluster of grapes. But in the foregoing words we find that his
obedience is further tested, and this in a way which to many might prove
a more severe trial. GOD claims the right of determining the personal
appearance of His servant, and directs that separated ones should be
manifestly such. To many minds there is the greatest shrinking from
appearing peculiar; but GOD would often have His people unmistakably
peculiar. We sometimes hear the argument, "all the world" thinks this,
or does that, given as a reason for our doing likewise; but that is an
argument that should have no weight with the Christian, who is commanded
_not_ to be conformed to the world. While we are not to seek to be
peculiar for its own sake, we are not to hesitate to be so when duty to
GOD renders it necessary, or when the privilege of self-denial for the
benefit of others calls for it.

Further, this command again reminded the Nazarite that he was not his
own, but was utterly the LORD'S; that GOD claimed the very hair of his
head. He was not at liberty to cut or trim it as he saw fit, nor to wear
it as long or as short as might be agreeable to himself. So absolute was
GOD'S claim upon him, that not merely while his vow lasted was that hair
to be recognised as GOD'S possession, but when his vow was fulfilled the
whole of it was to be shaved off, and was to be burnt upon the altar.
Like the burnt-offering, it was to be recognised as for GOD'S use alone,
whether or not any utilitarian purpose were accomplished by the
sacrifice.

So now, in the present dispensation, we are told "the very hairs of
your head are all numbered"--so minute is GOD'S care for His people, so
watchful is He over all that affects them. It is beautiful to see the
fond love of a young mother as she passes her fingers through the silken
locks of her darling child--her treasure and her delight; _but she never
counts those hairs_. He only, who is the source of mother-love, does
that! And shall not _we_, who are not our own, but bought with a price,
_gladly_ render to Him _all_ we are and have--every member of our body,
every fibre of our being, every faculty of our mind, all our will-power,
and all our love?


HOLINESS TO THE LORD: verses 6-8.

    _"All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall
    come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his
    father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister,
    when they die; because the consecration of his GOD is upon his
    head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD."_

Here we have a most solemn and important prohibition--to refrain from
all uncleanness caused by contact with death. Death is the wages of sin:
the consecrated one was alike to keep aloof from sin and from its
consequences.

No requirement of GOD'S Word is more clear than the command to honour
and obey our earthly parents; but even for his father or mother a
Nazarite might not _defile_ himself: "he that loveth father or mother
more than ME, is not worthy of ME."

But let no young Christian think lightly of the requirements of parents,
when these do _not_ conflict with GOD'S written Word. Young Christians
are sometimes distressed because their desire to preach the Gospel to
the heathen has been opposed by parents: such should be encouraged to
_thank_ GOD for the obstacle; and to seek by prayer its removal. When
they have learnt to move man through GOD at home, they will be the
better prepared to do the same thing in the mission-field. Where there
is fitness for the work, the way will probably be made plain after a
time of patient waiting.

These verses teach us that mere contact with death is defiling: how vain
then is the imagination of the unconverted that by dead works--the best
efforts of those who are themselves dead in trespasses and sins--they
can render themselves acceptable to GOD! The good works of the unsaved
may indeed benefit their fellow-creatures; but until life in CHRIST has
been received, they cannot please GOD.


UNWITTING DEFILEMENT: verses 9-12.

    _"If any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head
    of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his
    cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it. And on the eighth
    day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the
    priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the
    priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a
    burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned
    by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day. And he shall
    consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall
    bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass-offering: but the
    days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was
    defiled."_

A most important truth is here taught--that even unwitting contact with
death might bring sin upon the Nazarite. Sometimes we are tempted to
excuse ourselves, and to forget the absolute sinfulness of sin, apart
altogether from the question of premeditation, or even of consciousness,
_at the time_, on our part. The one who became defiled, _was defiled_,
whether intentionally or not; GOD'S requirement was absolute, and where
not fulfilled the vow was broken; the sin-offering had to be offered,
and the service recommenced.


THE HEINOUSNESS OF SIN.

The teaching here, and that of offerings for sins of ignorance, is much
needed in this day, when there is a dangerous tendency in some quarters
to regard sin as misfortune, and not as guilt. The awful _character_ of
sin is shown to mankind by its _consequences_. Man's heart is so
darkened by the Fall, and by personal sinfulness, that otherwise he
would regard sin as a very small matter. But when we think of all the
pain that men and women have endured since the Creation, of all the
miseries of which this world has been witness, of all the sufferings of
the animal creation, and of the eternal as well as temporal consequences
of sin, we must see that that which has brought such a harvest of misery
into the world is far more awful than sin-blinded men have thought it to
be.

The highest evidence, however, of the terrible character of sin is to be
found at the Cross; that it needed such a sacrifice--the sacrifice of
the SON of GOD--to bring in atonement and everlasting salvation, is
surely the most convincing proof of its heinous character.

Death was brought into the world by sin; and, like all the other
consequences of sin, it is loathsome and defiling. Man seeks to adorn
death; the pageantry of the funeral, the attractiveness of the cemetery,
all show this. The Egyptian sought in vain to make the mortal body
incorruptible by embalming it. But we have to bury our dead out of our
sight, and the believer is taught to look forward to the resurrection.


CLEANSING ONLY THROUGH SACRIFICE.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that the accidental death of any one
near the Nazarite--that the thoughtless putting forth of the hand
even--might violate his vow of consecration as truly, if not as
guiltily, as an act of deliberate transgression; in either case all the
previous time was lost, and the period of consecration had to be
recommenced after his cleansing. And that cleansing could only be
brought about through sacrifice; the sin-offering must _die_; the
burnt-offering must _die_; without shedding of blood there could be no
remission. So serious was the effect of transgression--and yet, thank
GOD, it was not irremediable.

The bearing of this on the life of consecration to GOD in the present
day is important. Nearness to GOD calls for tenderness of conscience,
thoughtfulness in service, and implicit obedience. If we become
conscious of the slightest failure, even through inadvertence, let us
not excuse it, but at once humble ourselves before GOD, and confess it,
seeking forgiveness and cleansing on the ground of the accepted
sacrifice of CHRIST. GOD'S Word is, "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and _to cleanse us_ from all
unrighteousness." This cleansing must be accepted by faith, and a walk
"in the light" be at once resumed. And shall we not reverently ask and
trust the HOLY SPIRIT to guard and keep us from inadvertence, and to
bring to our remembrance those things which we may be in danger of
forgetting?


ACCEPTANCE ONLY IN CHRIST: verses 13-15.

    _"And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his
    separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the
    tabernacle of the congregation; And he shall offer his offering
    unto the LORD, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for
    a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without
    blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for
    peace-offerings, and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine
    flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed
    with oil, and their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings."_

Having seen the character of the vow of the Nazarite, and of the
ordinances to be observed should the vow be violated, the case of a
Nazarite who has duly fulfilled his vow is next dealt with. He has
carried out all GOD'S requirements, and his conscience is void of
offence: before GOD and man he is blameless. May he not now congratulate
himself, and claim some measure of merit, seeing he has rendered to GOD
an acceptable service, and among men has borne a consistent testimony?
The offerings to be made on the conclusion of his vow give an impressive
answer to this question, and bring out the important difference between
being _blameless_ and being _sinless_. Having fulfilled the ordinances
he was blameless; but the necessity alike for sin-offering, for
burnt-offering, and for peace offering, remind us of the sin of our holy
things; and that not our worst, but our best, is only acceptable to GOD
through the atonement of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

While, however, the best services of the believer can neither give full
satisfaction to his own enlightened conscience, nor be acceptable to GOD
save through JESUS CHRIST, it is very blessed to know how fully all his
needs are met in CHRIST, and how truly he is accepted in Him, and
enabled to give very real joy to GOD our FATHER, which issues in the
bestowal of His richest blessings. Very imperfect--sometimes worse than
useless, is the attempt of a little child to please and serve its
parent; but where the parent sees an effort to do his will, and to give
him pleasure, is not the service gladly accepted, and the parent's
heart greatly rejoiced? Thus it is our privilege to be Nazarites, only
and always Nazarites, and through CHRIST JESUS to give joy and
satisfaction by our imperfect service to our heavenly FATHER. The
following anonymous lines, taken from a leaflet,[A] beautifully
illustrate this thought:--

  I was sitting alone in the twilight,
    With spirit troubled and vexed,
  With thoughts that were morbid and gloomy,
    And faith that was sadly perplexed.

  Some homely work I was doing
    For the child of my love and care;
  Some stitches half-wearily setting
    In the endless need of repair.

  But my thoughts were about "the building,"
    The work some day to be tried;
  And that only the gold and the silver,
    And the precious stones should abide;

  And, remembering my own poor efforts,
    The wretched work I had done,
  And, even when trying most truly,
    The meagre success