Power on Her Head
The Nazirite Vow
(Article requested by Drew J.)
This vow in Numbers 6 follows the “inspection of jealousy” in Numbers 5. Mark Horne observed that, just as the woman in Numbers 5 was to be inspected for harlotry with her hair untamed, so the Nazirite (whether male or female) was not to cut his or her hair. A Nazirite is a human picture of the church as a warrior bride. Hair is glory. Hair is the cloud of angels (and now, saints) surrounding the throne of God.
“Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” (1 Cor. 11:10)
A woman is the glory of her man. A woman’s hair is a symbol of submission, but also a symbol of her own “cloud of angels” – her godly offspring (See Ezekiel 5 for the children of Israel symbolised as the prophet’s hair, Micah 1:16, Matthew 10:30 and also my comments on Nehemiah and his hair-pulling). In battle, a Nazirite was like a blazing torch (the Ark-chariot/Adam) and smoking firepot (the smoke clouds of the incense altar/Eve army), parting his enemies like the pillar of God.
The hair is her “crop”, the twelve stars around her head (Rev. 12), and the question constantly posed to Israel concerns her role as God’s mediatorial Land. Is her crop one of thorns and thistles, or is it godly grain? This is also the question in Numbers 5, and the Lord put Israel to this exact test after the idolatry with the golden calf. The “harlots” were slain with the Levitical sword.
You must be logged in to see the rest of this post.
Join now for a year for $15!
May 8th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Do you remember where I made this observation? Love the pic!
May 8th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Hi Mark
It was on http://markhorne.tumblr.com, but I can’t seem to find that post on there now.
May 10th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Well Michael, it has taken me a few days (err… weeks) to come and read this, and of course, yes I love that “hair is our glory, hair is the cloud of angels (and now, saints) surrounding the throne of God, and that “…the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.” I think my hair is a wonderful example of authority, or at least it’s wild enough to be mistaken for um… the word escapes me.
Apart from this, being a new Christian, and unfortunately not the smartest of the female species, most of this article escapes me. I would love to actually understand all of this, but I would be lying if I said I did. Firstly, I don’t focus on the mess of threads outside God’s word, (if that is what you’re talking about), though I have so so long to go with understanding the inner illumination of (I would say) the gift of glory in Christ, rather than typology. After all typology is of the world, God’s of course, the master typologist, :), however Christ is of so so much more…
If my understanding is completely my own, then forgive me and it was still lovely to find Xena on your blog. No woman doesn’t love Xena, and me especially, nicknamed Warrior Princess in a previous workplace. Visit my blog, nothing as intellectual, but still as passionate.
http://ginamtheresa.wordpress.com
Gina
xx