Numbers 6:13-20: a reflection

13“‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 14and he shall offer his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for peace offerings, 15a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil with their meal offering and their drink offerings. 16The priest shall present them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering and its drink offering. 18The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved the head of his separation; 20and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. They are holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.

This passage describes the completion of the Nazirite vow: when the days of the vow are fulfilled, the one who had separated himself to the LORD comes to bring his offerings and complete his dedication. The vow was not left half-done; it was carried through to its completion, fulfilled to the end. The one who had made this commitment to God saw it through, completing what he had vowed, bringing his dedication to its proper end rather than abandoning it partway.

Notice the completion of the vow: it was carried through to the end, fulfilled. The Nazirite had made a commitment, a vow of separation to the LORD; and when the time was fulfilled, he completed it properly, bringing the appointed offerings, seeing his dedication through to its end. He did not abandon the vow partway, or leave it half-fulfilled; he completed what he had committed to God. The commitment made to God was carried through to its completion, fulfilled to the end, not left undone.

That completing of a commitment is worth taking to heart, for we can make commitments to God and leave them half-fulfilled, not seeing them through. We can vow, resolve, commit ourselves to God in some way, and then let the commitment lapse, abandon it partway, leave it half-done; but the Nazirite completed his vow, carrying it through to the end. Commitments made to God are to be completed, seen through to their fulfillment, not left half-done. Do not leave your commitments to God half-fulfilled, abandoning them partway; complete what you have committed to him, carrying it through to the end, as the Nazirite fulfilled his vow to its completion. See through the commitments you make to God, completing them faithfully rather than leaving them half-done, as the Nazirite carried his vow of separation through to its proper completion; for commitments made to God are to be fulfilled, seen through to the end, not abandoned partway.

Lord, this passage describes the completion of the Nazirite vow: when the days of the vow are fulfilled, the one who had separated himself to you comes to bring his offerings and complete his dedication. The vow was not left half-done; it was carried through to its completion. The one who had made this commitment to you saw it through, bringing his dedication to its proper end rather than abandoning it partway. Show me the completion of the vow: it was carried through to the end, fulfilled. The Nazirite had made a commitment, a vow of separation to you; and when the time was fulfilled, he completed it properly. He did not abandon the vow partway, or leave it half-fulfilled; he completed what he had committed to you. The commitment made to you was carried through to its completion. Take that completing of a commitment to my heart, for I can make commitments to you and leave them half-fulfilled, not seeing them through. I can vow, resolve, commit myself to you in some way, and then let the commitment lapse, abandon it partway; but the Nazirite completed his vow. Commitments made to you are to be completed, seen through to their fulfillment. Keep me from leaving my commitments to you half-fulfilled, abandoning them partway; help me complete what I have committed to you, Lord, carrying it through to the end, as the Nazirite fulfilled his vow. Help me see through the commitments I make to you, completing them faithfully.