In this message we will continue to consider the matter of being sanctified to be a Nazarite covered in chapter six of Numbers.
In the foregoing message we saw that to be sanctified to be a Nazarite, first, one must not touch any earthly pleasure (signified by wine—vv. 3-4) and, second, one must keep oneself under God's headship (signified by not shaving the head—v. 5). Now we need to see that a Nazarite must not touch anything dead so that he might not be defiled. The most hateful thing in the eyes of God is death, and a Nazarite must not be defiled by it.
A Nazarite should not be defiled by the death of his blood relatives, the relatives closest to him, but should remain in his separation to be holy to God (vv. 6-8). Even the death of his father and mother should not defile him. This signifies that we should not be defiled from the deadness that comes through natural affection, but should keep ourselves clean in our sanctification. A Nazarite must remain fully sanctified, separated to God from all things, and should continually cleave to God.
A Nazarite had to abstain from earthly pleasure and not be defiled by the deadness that comes through natural affection. Pleasure is a matter of enjoyment, and natural affection is a matter of love. To avoid defilement, a Nazarite had to be careful concerning both earthly pleasure and natural affection.