Num 5-6 Lent: A Great Opportunity for Life Change

February 13th, Numbers 5-6

       It works out very well that this passage containing information about a Nazarite Vow comes on the same day as the beginning of Lent. Lent is a traditional time to take some sort of vow as a voluntary part of life. A Nazarite vow is the same. It is a voluntary dedication of oneself to yield to God completely.
       There is no divine command, just an invitation. Men and women alike could take the vow. A Nazarite vow had a beginning and an ending point. The vow included abstaining from fermented drink, haircuts, and dead bodies. The ending of the selected time was marked with a sacrifice.
       Although the Nazarite vow is an Old Testament concept there is a New Testament equivalent...
       Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
       Taking a vow is a great practice of moving into something new. Having our lives transformed through the consistent action that a vow requires. What could you vow to do differently for the next 40 days? What new thing could God awaken in your life? What life change could you celebrate Easter morning thanks to God's work in your life? Consider a vow to the Lord as an act of worship!