One Year Bible Readings and Commentary for Sunday, March 6th
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Since not everyone would enter the priesthood, the Nazarite vow was a way someone could dedicate themselves to the Lord for a certain period of time.
The vow of the Nazirite was to express one’s special desire to draw close to God and to separate oneself from the comforts and pleasures of this world. This vow could be taken by a man or woman in Israel. Guzik
This was a significant vow and a significant commitment involving giving up some personal freedoms.
This was a special vow, significantly beyond a normal promise or vow. This was a comprehensive vow, concerning what one ate, how one looked, and with whom one associated.
The were several notable Nazirites in the bible including: Samson, John the Baptist, and the apostle Paul. The were three main things that they needed to abstain from:
- Drink any wine or fermented
- Take a razor to cut their hair
- Not go near a dead body
There were man sacrifices required if a Nazarite broke their vow, and another set of sacrifices for ending their vow. Interestingly after the last day of their vow, they could drink wine again. Woo hoo!
At the end of our worship service we usually offer what we call the "benediction" or "final blessing." This blessing also comes from today's reading and it was the blessing God told Moses to give the Israelites.
May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
Importantly at the end the Lord says, "When you use this blessing, I myself will bless them."
When Moses finalized the set up of the tabernacle, he anointed it, and each of the tribes came and brought their offerings. The oxen and the wagons helped to transport the tabernacle. Each tribe's offering was brought as part of the dedication of the altar, where the priests would offer sacrifices to the Lord. Each day for twelve days the 12 tribal leaders brought the offerings for their tribe.
At the end of the chapter we read that Moses went into the tabernacle to speak with the Lord. Note he expected to speak with and hear from the Lord. The Lord spoke to him from above the ark of the covenant at the place of atonement cover. It is rare for someone to hear the audible voice of God, but apparently Moses spoke to the Lord on a regular basis.
We rarely read in the Bible of exactly how God spoke to Moses. Here, at the tabernacle, we see that it was in an audible voice, not merely an impression in the mind. Guzik
Jesus taught the disciples to beware of the religious leaders. Why? Because although they were dressed in fancy clothes, expected people to shower compliments on them, and expected to always be seated at the head of the table, they were really hypocrites. Instead of caring for the widows, they ripped them off. Jesus said they would be punished for pretending to be God's shepherds.
Jesus then pointed out to the disciples what true, sacrificial giving looked like. While the rich people put in large amounts of offering in the temple, a poor widow put in two copper coins, which were not worth very much. But this was all she had. She literally gave everything she had. Jesus said that she put in more than others because of the sacrificial nature of her gift.
Then Jesus does some rare teaching on the "end times". When the disciples marvel at the temple it was for good reason.
After Herod’s work, the temple was huge – nearly 500 yards long and 400 yards wide. Herod’s rebuilding started in 19 B.C., and was not completed until A.D. 63, taking more than 80 years. The magnificent temple compound was finished only seven years before it was destroyed. The beauty of the ancient temple is well documented. The Jewish historian Josephus says that the temple was covered on the outside with gold plates that were so brilliant that when the sun shone it was blinding. Where there wasn’t gold, there were blocks of marble of such a pure white that from a distance, strangers thought there was snow on the temple. Guzik
The disciples got Jesus alone in private and wanted to find out when these things Jesus was talking about were going to happen. Since the temple was so much apart of the Jewish life and culture, the destruction of the temple seemed like the destruction of Israel as well.
This question was asked perhaps as they remembered the events surrounding the last temple’s destruction: the temple was destroyed in the context of national judgment and exile. If the temple will be destroyed, then what will become of Israel and the Jews?
Then Jesus spends some time explaining the general world conditions which will culminate with his return and second coming. Here is the short list of the things he describes:
1. Deceivers will appear and try to deceive the people by claiming to be the Messiah.
2. There will be wars and rumors of wars.
3. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
4. There will be earthquakes and famines
5. The disciples would be persecuted and brought before governors and kings.
6. Members of a person's family would betray each other.
The Lord predicted persecution and even matyrdom for his followers. And this has happened.
According to David B. Barrett in his book Today’s Martyrs, some 165,000 Christians died for their faith in the year 2000. Researchers estimate that since the Day of Pentecost, more than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith. A persecution index provided by Open Doors with Brother Andrew listed 28 countries with strong or massive persecution. In another 23 countries, Christians suffer discrimination and, in some regions, severe harassment. Guzik
"What Now" Study Questions:
The teachers of the law flaunted their prominent positions and placed more value in the length of their prayers than in the quality. How would you evaluate your own position and prayers? Are there areas you need to address to be more humble and sincere in your prayer life?
Num 6:24-26 (NLT): May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.
The widow is applauded by Jesus because she gave all that she had. What can you give sacrificially to the cause of Christ?
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