15. great in the sight of the Lord--nearer to Him in official
standing than all the prophets. (See
Mt 11:10, 11.)
drink neither wine nor strong drink--that is, shall be a Nazarite,
or "a separated one"
(Nu 6:2,
&c.). As the leper was the living symbol of sin, so was the
Nazarite of holiness; nothing inflaming was to cross his lips;
no razor to come on his head; no ceremonial defilement to be
contracted. Thus was he to be "holy to the Lord [ceremonially] all the
days of his separation." This separation was in ordinary cases
temporary and voluntary: only Samson
(Jud 13:7),
Samuel
(1Sa 1:11),
and John Baptist were Nazarites from the womb. It was fitting
that the utmost severity of legal consecration should be seen in
Christ's forerunner. HE was the
REALITY and
PERFECTION
of the Nazarite without the symbol, which perished in that living
realization of it: "Such an High Priest became us, who was
SEPARATE FROM
SINNERS"
(Heb 7:26).
filled with the Holy Ghost, from . . . womb--a holy vessel for future
service.
JFB.
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