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Why /is/ a Nazirite holy?

DataPacRat

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A discussion I'm having elsewhere seems poised to turn the idea that I'm some sort of 'atheist holy man' into a running joke... but it has raised a question about Christian theology: why /is/ someone who follows the rules of Naziritedom more holy unto the Lord than someone who isn't? (And, secondarily, is being a Nazirite /the/ way for becoming holy unto the Lord in this sense, or just /a/ way out of a number of possibilities?)

One option that's been suggested is that the rules are, essentially, arbitrary, and could have been almost anything - the point being that someone who follows them is being obedient to God's expressed will, rather than anything inherent to the rules themselves. However, this seems to run up against the theory of omnibenevolence, in that arbitrary rules would seem to do less good in the world than rules that had some usefully good purpose. But, if our finite mortal minds can't figure out that purpose, then this might serve as a fallback position.

Another option could be that there is some purely physical good that comes out of avoiding cutting one's hair, avoiding grapes and wine, and avoiding dead bodies in Middle-Eastern climes. We were able to come up with a few possibilities, but they don't seem very likely, and we don't know as much as we'd need to about the sanitary conditions of the time to come to any definitive conclusions either way.

The idea that we find most likely, since it seems to be applicable to all three rules, is that following them helps remove some of the bigger distractions of this world, allowing the person who does them to concentrate on more important things. (This also implies an answer to my second question, in that Nazirite vows are a useful tool to achieve that focus, but not necessarily the only one.)


Of course, it's entirely possible that all three of the potential answers we came up with are true at the same time, or that we're entirely wrong about all of them. What do you think?
 

Sketcher

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"Holy" means "set apart for the sake of God," and Nazirites certainly set themselves apart, in a manner according to the law. This was ascetic behavior for Jews who wanted to get closer to God by denying themselves more than they would normally have to. This was one way you could make yourself "holy." This was usually temporary, though Samson and Samuel were supposed to be Nazirites for life.

Even though it is highly unlikely that you will find a Nazirite today (Judaism discourages it because there is no temple to conclude the vow at or purify him), such a man would not be closer to God than a religious Christian. If you reject the Son, you offend and thereby reject the Father as well. Such a person might be religious, and while that can be a good thing, the provided way to God is through Jesus Christ.
 
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drich0150

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:thumbsup:
"Holy" means "set apart for the sake of God," and Nazirites certainly set themselves apart, in a manner according to the law. This was ascetic behavior for Jews who wanted to get closer to God by denying themselves more than they would normally have to. This was one way you could make yourself "holy." This was usually temporary, though Samson and Samuel were supposed to be Nazirites for life.

Even though it is highly unlikely that you will find a Nazirite today (Judaism discourages it because there is no temple to conclude the vow at or purify him), such a man would not be closer to God than a religious Christian. If you reject the Son, you offend and thereby reject the Father as well. Such a person might be religious, and while that can be a good thing, the provided way to God is through Jesus Christ.
 
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HisHomeMaker

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God is. Its a fact and he will use our lives as he sees fit, whether we believe in Him or not. Jesus walks ahead of us, showing us the way, but God walks behind us, pushing us forward. He will use us if, when and how He needs us.

Some of the best Christians do not call themselves Christians at all.

Sometimes the worst enemies of the Christian faith are so called Christians themselves. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian takes on a big responsibility to follow Jesus and to represent the faith for others.

Christ died so that we would not suffer for our sins, for not following "the rules". His life is our example, love and kindness and caring for the sick and the poor.

It is all in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5-7 - Passage Lookup - New International Version, ©2010 - BibleGateway.com

We are to answer others' prayers to God.

Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
 
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