Separation and Service; or, Thoughts on Numbers VI, VII. — Key Ideas to Explore

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In Category - Theology

Authors: Taylor, James Hudson, 1832-1905 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2008 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. Numbers VI-VII -- Commentaries Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 19,331

Reading time 85 min

Text sections 3

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #26384

An exposition of Numbers 6–7 by missionary J. Hudson Taylor, focusing on the Nazarite vow, the Aaronic blessing, and tribal offerings. Taylor draws on his own spiritual experience and emphasizes separation, consecration, and the work of the Trinity.

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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.

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J. Hudson Taylor opens his exposition of Numbers 6–7 with a personal anecdote: while traveling in Cheh-kiang, he felt spiritually oppressed and reluctantly read the repetitive seventh chapter, only to find it a feast for his soul. This framing sets the tone for a work that treats the biblical text not as dry ritual but as a source of living devotion. Taylor’s method is to move verse by verse, drawing out typological and Trinitarian meanings. He reads the Nazarite vow as a pattern of separation to God, the threefold blessing as a revelation of Father, Son, and Spirit, and the tribal offerings as expressions of freewill love. The result is a devotional commentary that consistently links Old Testament institutions to New Testament realities.

The Nazarite Vow as a Pattern of Separation

Taylor treats the Nazarite regulations in Numbers 6 as a sustained metaphor for the believer’s consecration. He emphasizes the vow’s three prohibitions—wine, haircutting, and contact with the dead—as symbols of separation from worldly pleasure, self-will, and defilement. The language is practical: “Implicit Obedience” and “Entire Consecration” are his headings. He notes that the Nazarite was “holy to the Lord” and argues that this holiness is not merely ceremonial but points to a heart wholly given to God. Taylor is careful to ground his reading in the text, observing that the law of the Nazarite includes provision for unwitting defilement, which he interprets as teaching the heinousness of sin and the necessity of sacrifice. He does not claim that every Christian must take a literal vow, but rather that the principles of separation and dedication are universal.

The Threefold Blessing and the Trinity

In the second part, Taylor expounds the Aaronic benediction of Numbers 6:24–26 as a revelation of the Trinity. He identifies “the Lord bless thee and keep thee” with the Father, “the Lord make his face shine upon thee” with the Son, and “the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee” with the Spirit. Each clause receives a separate treatment. Taylor argues that the blessing is not a mere wish but an effective bestowal, and he connects it to New Testament passages about the Father’s love, the Son’s intercession, and the Spirit’s indwelling. He writes that the Spirit “makes real things real to us” and that His peace is the fruit of a restored relationship. The exposition is structured as a series of meditations, each drawing on cross-references from both Testaments. Taylor’s aim is to show that the Old Testament blessing is fulfilled in the Christian experience of the triune God.

Love-Gifts and Princely Service

The third part covers Numbers 7, the lengthy account of the tribal offerings for the tabernacle. Taylor does not skip the repetitions but sees them as emphasizing God’s delight in freewill gifts. He notes that each tribe brought identical offerings, yet each is recorded individually, showing that God values the person of the offerer as much as the gift. The heading “According to his Service” points to Taylor’s observation that the offerings were proportionate to the tribe’s role. He also highlights the “Display of the Gifts” as a public testimony. Throughout, Taylor stresses the motive of love: the offerings were not compulsory but sprang from gratitude. He connects this to New Testament principles of cheerful giving and priestly service. The section is less typological than the previous ones, focusing instead on the heart attitude behind worship.

The Altar as the Center of Worship

Taylor concludes his exposition by emphasizing the centrality of the altar in Numbers 7. The offerings were brought to the altar, and the altar was the place of atonement and communion. He argues that the altar prefigures the cross of Christ, where all true service must be grounded. Taylor writes that “the importance of the Altar” cannot be overstated: it is the meeting point between God and man. He also notes that the princes offered their gifts after the tabernacle was anointed, symbolizing that service flows from consecration. The closing paragraphs return to the theme of separation and service, tying the two chapters together. Taylor’s tone is pastoral, urging readers to examine their own hearts and to ensure that their service is built on the foundation of Christ’s sacrifice.

Taylor’s commentary is best read as a devotional companion to the biblical text, not as a critical study. His method is to let the Old Testament narrative speak directly to the Christian life, often drawing personal applications from the details. Readers should expect frequent cross-references to the New Testament and a strong emphasis on the Trinity. The work is short, just over 19,000 words, and can be read in a single sitting. Those interested in Taylor’s missionary spirituality will find here a clear expression of his theological convictions.

That rainy afternoon, Taylor’s gentle insistence on holy separation lingered with me long after the lamp was lit. The Nazarite vow felt less like ancient law and more like a quiet hush over my own distractions. Setting the pamphlet down, my hand wandered to a dusty shelf, pulling out The Church Handy Dictionary — Inside the Classic. Its simple alphabetized order offered a soothing map for all that unsettled wondering.