Do you think that the priesthood today is in a normal condition? Without a doubt, the priesthood is in an abnormal state; consequently, we must realize that the priesthood by appointment or by birth is not adequate. Since the main gate is not adequate, the side door is needed. Do not argue by saying that we are priests and kings by birth. Although this is true, the situation today is abnormal. Since the main entrance has been damaged, we need the principle of the Nazarite as a side door. All real Christians are born priests and kings, but unfortunately they do not function as priests and kings. We must apply the principle of the Nazarite. Regardless of the fact that we have been born priests and kings, we must take the standing of a Nazarite and consecrate and separate ourselves unto the Lord. No matter how much we realize that we are born priests and kings, if we are not willing to separate ourselves unto the Lord, we can never be in the genuine priesthood. The main gate in today’s abnormal situation is not adequate. We must use the side door by applying the principle of the Nazarite to separate ourselves unto the Lord.
The fourfold consecration of the Nazarite
1. Separated from worldly enjoyment
Within the consecration of the Nazarite, there are four items of separation. First, a Nazarite should not drink or eat anything of the grape, from its seeds to its skin. In typology, wine or anything of the grape signifies earthly pleasure or worldly enjoyment. If we are going to have the genuine priesthood, we must be separated from all earthly pleasures. To be separated from worldly enjoyment is very difficult because this is a nation of worldly enjoyment. Young people in this country find it hard to realize the genuine priesthood because of the many temptations, earthly pleasures, and worldly amusements. As long as we drink anything of the grape, we are ruined for the priesthood. By regeneration all Christians have become priests and kings, but nearly all of them have been spoiled by the wine of earthly enjoyment. This is a very serious matter.
We all must realize that today’s Christianity has become degraded. To take the standing of the priesthood, we must voluntarily be completely separated from the grape. The Lord’s recovery can only be prevailing with the priesthood which is entirely separated from earthly pleasures and worldly enjoyment. Whenever we partake of something of this world, we are finished with the priesthood. Others do not need to tell us; we already know it within. We are still children of the Lord, but we are no longer priests in reality. Oh, how the earthly pleasures and worldly enjoyments have damaged the priesthood!
You may ask, “What do you mean by earthly pleasures?” Do not ask me, but simply ask yourself. You know! You can never say that you do not know. You know exactly which earthly pleasures and worldly enjoyments are keeping you away from the priesthood. In today’s degradation, the Lord needs those who will pioneer the way in absolute consecration. This consecration must be without any reservation.
2. Separated from self-glory
The second item of the Nazarite’s consecration is that his hair should not be cut. Those in the priesthood must be a peculiar people. We must be a little strange and uncommon. If I were to say that you are peculiar, you might not be so happy. But if you were to say that to me, I would be very happy. To be peculiar in this sense is proper for a Christian.
What does it mean to forbid the Nazarite to cut his hair? First Corinthians 11:14 says that long hair is a shame to a man. It is not a glory, but a shame. Long hair is a glory to a woman, but a shame to a man. A Nazarite is one who is willing to bear shame for the Lord. To have long hair means to be separated from self-glory. The self has been put to death; hence, there is no self-consciousness, self-righteousness, or self-glory. As long as we have something of self-glory, we can never be in the priesthood. We must bear the shame for the Lord’s testimony and for His purpose. Do not be a glory-seeker; be a shame-bearer. If we are going to be priests, we must learn to bear the shame.
Hebrews 13:13 tells us to go outside the camp and bear His reproach, which means to bear His shame. Do not be afraid of bad names or evil reports. If we are not bold enough to bear the shame, we cannot be in the priesthood. A priest is a person with long hair; that is, he has no self-glory. To be a genuine priest will cause others to despise you. In this country of amusements and glory-seeking, you can speak about anything to Christians except separation from the world and the denial of self-glory. Whenever you speak about these things, they are offended. There is a real price to pay for the priesthood. We must bear the reproach, denying all self-glory for His sake.
3. Separated from natural affections
The third item of the Nazarite’s consecration is that he must not be defiled by anything dead, especially by the death of his nearest relatives. Our nearest relatives, representing our natural affections, can be a means to deaden us. We must be separated from our natural affections, which so easily deaden. We can easily be deadened by other people’s deadness. We must overcome our natural affections and not be affected by our mother, our father, our sister, or even our wife or husband. Our business with the Lord must not be involved with anything of our natural affections. If it is, then immediately we are deadened. We are born priests and kings, but what about our relationship with our parents, our brother, and our sister? All of this simply means that we must overcome our natural affections.
So many Christians who have been born priests and kings are out of function today because of these three things: earthly pleasure or entertainment, self-glory, and natural affections. If we are going to realize the position of the real priesthood, we must voluntarily consecrate ourselves unto the Lord to be separated from all of these things.
4. Separated from spiritual deadness
Moreover, the Word of the Lord is even clearer about the matter of spiritual deadness. Numbers 6:9 says that if anyone dies very suddenly by you, you are defiled. Not only our relative’s death, but anyone’s death can affect us. If we are deadened by them, all the days of our separation will be lost. We may have overcome our natural affections, but suppose one day in the church life a brother standing by us dies very suddenly. I do not mean that he dies physically, but spiritually. If this happens, we must be careful not to be affected by him. Do not let him pass on his deadness to you. Satan is the very source of death, and he always likes to spread death toward others. Many brothers and sisters in the church life have been deadened by one or two dead members. Whenever we sense or smell the stench of spiritual death, we must run away.
Do you enjoy looking into a trash can? No matter how fine a home is, it always has a trash can. Even a king’s palace has a trash can. If you come to my home, will you come to smell and enjoy the trash can? Sometimes when you visit a local church, you do not go to the living room, but to the trash can. You do not exercise yourself to taste the good things, but to enjoy the trash can — the gossip, the criticism, and the murmuring. Eventually, you are deadened. The more you contact these negative things, the less you are able to pray. You are simply deadened. You may have one hundred reasons for listening to the negative talk, but you are deadened. If anyone dies very suddenly near you, you must run away. Run away from the dead members, or your spirit will be deadened.
Earthly enjoyment, self-glory, natural affections, and sudden spiritual deadness in others must all be overcome; otherwise, the priesthood will be ruined. We all must realize that the situation today is not normal. If it were, it would be unnecessary to apply the principle of the Nazarite. We must volunteer to be a Nazarite, such as Samuel, who turned the age of degradation into the age of the kingdom. It was a Nazarite, John the Baptist, who turned the Old Testament dispensation into the New Testament dispensation and ushered in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In these last days there must be a people who will turn this age into another age. Only the Nazarites can bring back the Lord Jesus. It cannot be done by today’s Christianity, but by those who will voluntarily separate themselves from earthly enjoyments, self-glory, natural affections, and sudden spiritual deadness in others. They will be the Nazarites of today who will turn this age of degradation into the age of the kingdom. They will bring back the Lord.
We must pray concerning this principle of the Nazarite. Do not say that we have been born priests and kings. This ordination by birth does not work under today’s degradation. There is the need for the side door, which is the vow of the Nazarite. We all must lend ourselves to the Lord. As far as spiritual personnel is concerned, the Lord is very poor today. We must offer ourselves to Him so that He can borrow us for His purpose. Only the vow of the Nazarite can meet today’s emergency. The Lord is calling for a people who will separate themselves entirely from all earthly enjoyment, self-glory, natural affection, and sudden spiritual deadness. Who will be the volunteers?
