In the event a husband became jealous of his wife, whether she was guilty of infidelity or not, the man should take his wife to the priest for a test. He would offer a grain offering of jealousy, which would determine if the wife was guilty or not. The test is a bit cryptic, with an earthen vessel full of holy water, and dust from the floor of the tabernacle. The woman would vow that she was innocent, then the curses would be scraped off the pages on which they were written into the water. The woman would then drink the water and they would wait to see what happened. If her belly swelled and the thigh rotted, she would be considered guilty. If not, she would be innocent. If guilty, she would be judged by the law.
The Nazarite Vow was a vow of separation. The Nazarite could eat or drink nothing from the grapevine. They also could not shave their head, but had to let their hair grow. He or she could not go near a dead body. At the end of the vow, the Nazarite would come before the priest and offer a sacrifice.
Two things are at work here: God’s ominscience and man’s devotion. While we do not determine guilt by holy water, dust, and scrapings, God still knows the truth and we cannot hide from His complete and utter understanding of truth. Second, the Nazarite vow is an example of complete devotion to God, even to the point of doing without things that are normally in one’s daily routine. Whether we need a mighty God, or whether we need a time of devotion, we can go to God and know Him in a deeper way than before. Dig deep and seek God, whatever it may cost you. It will be worth the effort!
Devoted To You 