Merry Christmas!

Numbers 6

Set apart and covered by Hie blessing

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” ’ ~ Numbers 6:24-26

There is something powerful about being set apart in a noisy, demanding world. Today’s reading talks about the Nazirite vow and ends with the priestly blessing, showing that a life committed to God is both intentional and deeply covered by His favor. God was not asking His people to withdraw from life, but to live with purpose, devotion, and awareness that His blessing rested on them. This chapter reminds us that choosing God daily positions our lives under His peace and protection. On this Christmas Day, the blessing of Numbers 6 takes on an even deeper meaning. While the world celebrates the birth of Jesus, God’s greatest gift, we are reminded that His blessing and presence are not distant or seasonal, they are personal and constant.

Below are three points to intentionally set your life apart this Christmas:

1.The Nazirite vow was voluntary, it was not forced.

God invited His people to choose devotion. In today’s world, being set apart still begins with a choice. You choose to follow Jesus in how you think, speak, spend, and love.

Begin your Christmas Day by intentionally inviting God into it. Before the schedule starts or the noise fills the room, tell Him that this day belongs to Him. Choose one small act of obedience today, whether it is patience, generosity, or prayer, and let it mark your heart as His.

2. Being set apart creates space for God’s presence

The vow in Numbers 6 created boundaries so God’s presence could be honored. Those boundaries were not punishment, they were protection. In your life, boundaries still make room for God to be a part of every area of your life.

Notice where your heart feels crowded. It may be expectations, financial pressure, family tension, or comparison. Choose to lay one of those things down before God today. Even on Christmas, especially on Christmas, make room for His peace by letting go of what steals your focus from Him.

3. Being set apart positions you to receive His blessing

The chapter ends with God commanding the priests to speak blessing over the people. God wanted His people to know that His desire was to bless them, keep them, and give them peace. On Christmas Day, you are reminded that Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of that blessing.

Receive God’s blessing personally. Read the blessing from Numbers 6 slowly and insert your name into it. Let yourself believe that God’s face shines on you today, not because everything is perfect, but because He is faithful.

In my own life, I can sense when I chose to set myself apart in small but intentional ways. I guard my time with God, intentionally choose what I allowed into my mind, and I am more mindful of my words. I don’t always get it perfectly, but I know that His peace followed those choices. Even when circumstances were hard, I sensed God’s covering and His nearness more clearly. What started as simple daily morning prayer time became a source of strength and assurance that He was with me every step of my days.

Today I want to encourage you to choose a life that is intentionally set apart for God and confidently covered by His blessing. You do not need to strive or perform, you simply need to be present and take steps of faith to follow His plan. As you offer Him your life, trust that His face shines on you, His hand keeps you, and His peace rests over every step you take.

The Lord blesses and keeps me; The Lord makes His face shine on me, and is gracious to me; The Lord lifts up His countenance on me, and gives me peace.

Today’s scripture reading: Numbers 6

1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, 

3 he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. 

4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.

5 ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. 

6 All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. 

7 He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. 

8 All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.

9 ‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. 

10 Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting; 

11 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day. 

12 He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13 ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 

14 And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering, 

15 a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.

16 Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering; 

17 and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering. 

18 Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

19 ‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair, 

20 and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’

21 “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.”

22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 

23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’

27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Journal:

• What area of my life is God inviting me to set apart for Him right now
• Where have I been waiting to feel perfect instead of trusting God’s grace
• How can I intentionally speak God’s blessing and peace over my life each day