Jesus--Nazarene, (Nazirite?)

There is no evidence Jesus was ever under the law of the Nazirite though I have often heard Christians make the statement that He was a Nazirite. The Bible actually contradicts the idea of Jesus being a Nazirite because of the restrictions listed in the written law.

So what does the Bible say about Jesus, the Nazarene?

Matthew 2: 23, Joseph moved his family to Nazareth, a village in the Galilean region thus fulfilling prophetic scripture, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’ Though Jesus lived in Nazareth, none of the prophecies concerning Jesus states He was to keep the Law of the Nazirite.

In His lifetime on earth, Jesus separated Himself unto the work of God in all aspects, thus more consecrated to God then those under the Law of the Nazirite.

• Law of the Nazirite

Numbers 6: 2, Anyone placing themselves under the Law of the Nazirite, separates themselves to God.

Numbers 6: 3, 4, 5, Anyone under a Nazirite vow separates themselves from wine or similar drink: vinegar wine, or fermented vinegar of any kind; no grape juice, fresh grapes or raisins. A Nazirite separates himself from all produce of the grapevine, seed to skin.

Numbers 6: 5, All the days of his vows, no razor shall touch his head.

Numbers 6: 6-8, All the days of his vows, he shall not go near a dead body.

Numbers 6: 9-12, If anyone under a Nazirite Vow is touched by; has touched, or unintentionally touches, a dead person, they must go through a special cleansing ritual preformed at the temple in sight of the priest.

• Jesus was a citizen of the town of Nazareth, hence a Nazarene.
• But NOT a Nazirite

John 2: 1-11, Jesus first miracle was to turn water to wine.

The Gospels record Jesus ate meals with many people, including enemies, but not once is it recorded anyone ever tempted Him to break a Nazirite Vow with wine, or other drink.

Luke 22: 17, 18, The bible records Jesus is the giver of the cup of wine that is the predecessor of our Communion Service. If Jesus had been under the Law of the Nazirite, He would never have touched any ‘fruit of the vine’.

Matthew 11: 19, If Jesus had been under the Law of the Nazirite, His enemies accusation of him being a drunkard and a glutton would have been accurate. By observing Him drinking anything fermented, they would prove Him a false teacher and a Hypocrite.

1 Corinthians 11:3-16, Only a man avowed under the Law of the Nazirite would let their hair grow for the length of their vow. All other Jewish men are to have their hair worn short. Jesus would have had short hair as a common man.

(Acts 18:18, The Apostle Paul took a Nazirite vow for a season.)

John 11, Jesus brings Lazarus back to life. (Mark 5:41, Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter. (Luke 7: 14, Jesus raises the widow’s son. (Mark 5: 1-17, Jesus goes to the region of Gadarene and drives out a legion of demons from a man living in a graveyard. 

The Law of the Nazirite forbade touching dead people, or being near the dead. Any such contact required a cleansing ritual. (Numbers 6: 9-12) Jesus never broke any of the OT Laws. There is no record of Him needing the required cleansing ritual after exposure to the dead.

Isaiah 53:2, The bible records Jesus wasn't someone who stood out in a crowd. Had He been under a Nazarite Vow, long hair would have made Him noticeable. The bible records Jesus was able to disappear in a crowd.

Judas identified Him with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane. A Nazirite would have been identifiable among the others. 

If God could say "This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," Jesus couldn't have been a Nazirite and break all these regulations of the Nazirite Vow clearly spelled out in the law given to Moses.

 

God Can Close Down Churches --repost

 (Originally posted August 2013.)

 

In my Ebook *Squished! Why God Seemingly Destroys Our Fruit, I wrote of how I came to understand that a building really isn't the church and the place we worship isn't the main platform to spread the Gospel.

When my home church almost closed its doors after our Pastor resigned it appeared a disaster. It split the church and members left until the count was less than half of the former size.

The Ebook Squished! got its title from my personal lesson that it doesn't matter what you might think you're doing for God is a good thing. It matters what God wants to you to do that's even better. If He has to press a church down in intense crushing, He can.

The pressure didn't close us down but that trial took us right back to our 'first love'. As I tell in the book, we are cleaner, more aromatic for God's purpose. If God hadn't allowed what we considered a disaster, we might have never known the new ministries we have today. The new workers who stepped into ministry might never have known they were capable of serving God in new and powerful ways.

I wrote *Squished! Why God Seemingly Destroys Our Fruit because I saw God do something amazing to a church that thought it was going along producing fruit, yet we needed a time of pressure to make us more useful.  God almost closed our church but He had a purpose.

Christians spread the Gospel, not buildings. It is the people who are God's body and its the people who do the work. If God wants to close a building and scatter the people, He can do it. If we're listening and learning, God will always get the glory.

Glory to God.

* Available on Amazon

Vaporous

 "and you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a time and then vanishes away" James 4:14. (NKJ)

Many women hate to tell their age. I have no such hang-ups about age. In a month I will be 51 years old. To me that is amazing. Especially since I didn't think I would live to reach 30. There were times, I didn't want to reach 20. My life was so miserable, I thought it was way to long to live through a day.

Sexually abused by my Father, bullied at school for being of one of the areas poorest families, ignored by teachers imagining I wasn't worth the time to teach me, lonely and isolated, life was so rotten, suicide was a poplar notion.

I grew more afraid of men and people in general that my isolation became actually terror of public places.

Was help ever going to come or was I destined to kill myself? 

I needed help---where was God?

I knew a God existed but I had no idea that I needed to approach Him through His Son in His perfection. I thought He should do something for me. I didn't know anything about sin verses righteousness. No one had ever explained to me that I was an enemy of God, and unforgiven because of Adam. I imagined God looked down and helped those like me who needed pity. If God were so loving and kind and good, God should help me because I needed help and no human was helping me.

I can't describe all of my life and the day to day thoughts and struggles and survival. I can't explain the hate, rages, fear, and panic. I can't explain the desperation for love that I would allow men to use me. I can't explain the drug and alcohol use that took me away from myself and made life light and fun for a time. Then comes the bitterness of the sickening aftertaste. That is too much to tell. *

But....

Isn't it great there is a but?

But, now that I have the answer, I am going to have my 51 birthday in June of 2014.

My answer is Jesus Christ. My life is Jesus Christ.

My 51 years seems a long time, yet God says I've only lived as a vapor. Poof, I'm born, lived and died. God sees all of that and He sees me with Him now as today. God sees me in my new body living the abundant, glorious life on His new earth He promises to all who believe in Him.

"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure" Isaiah 46:10. (NKJ)

I'm a vaporous puff on this earth but for eternity, I am a forever child of God.

"Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them" Psalm 139: 16. (NKJ)

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great are the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You" Psalm 139: 17, 18. (NKJ)


God gives abundant life!

*(If you want a few more details, click the My Testimony Button in the left panel of this blog.)

Free Books 4 U

Does your child like to read, yet won't pick up a book?

Would you like your child to read but can't get them interested in a book?

Will your child spend hours reading a computer screen?

Give them EBooks.

Amazon has many Free Christian EBooks and  Free Christain Childrens EBooks for you and your child. Just download them to your Kindle or App device and get busy reading!

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If you and your spouse or a good friend want to have a reading contest, each get the same books and see who can read the most titles. Or how about gathering a group of friends or church family and having a EReader Discussion Group. Have a day to get together in person or a group chat to have a discussion about the material you read.

Here are a few other websites where you can download free EBooks.
20 Best Websites to Download Free EBooks

 Maybe you're on the go, and want to read but can't seem to find the time to actually sit down with a good book?

If you're up on the Tech-age, and you have any computer device that you carry with you at all times, you have no excuse at all!

Get into a good book and enjoy yourself. 

 Even your phone can be a great companion as you read your favorite EBooks while you wait for appointments, flights, or just waiting for a friend.