Around the time of Christ, there was a group of people known as the Essenes. They were a devoutly religious order of Jews that dedicated themselves to priest-like purity, and even though there were isolated pockets of them scattered throughout Judea, many still chose to live relatively normal lives in ordinary communities.
Why did they choose to live so different from those around them? If you could ask them, I’m sure they would argue that a life of purity ensured their dedication to God in a way that may or may not be possible in regular life. By dedicating themselves to the highest purity laws, they solidified their righteousness.
It’s thought by many that John the Baptist was an Essene, due to his ascetic lifestyle. Even though his life and devotion does parallel the Essenes, John the Baptist more closely resembled a Nazirite. He was hairy, never drank (Luke 1:15), and devoted himself fully to the work of God.
These are basically the same qualifications for the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6. According to the Text, those under the vow are “separated” from everyone else (metaphorically). They don’t drink wine, don’t cut their hair, and stay far away from dead bodies.
The idea is to maintain ritual purity at all times, arguably even more so than a regular priest would. It’s also a completely voluntary calling; nobody was ever forced to take a Nazirite vow, with the possible exceptions of Samson and Samuel.
When someone did take a vow, they remained under the regulations for an entire year. If someone dropped dead next to them, they restarted the entire process.
So why would someone take this type of super restrictive vow? Most likely it’s for the same reasons the Essenes lived and any monastic order throughout time lives like they do—to draw closer to God.
Those who became Nazirites desired this type of intimacy for reasons that may be personal to them, either because they’re begging for God’s help or showing contrition after a sin. Regardless, they want to reaffirm their commitment to God by showing their extreme dedication to Him.
Think of it as a temporary priesthood. For those who wanted to serve closer to Him but were unable to because of their lineage, a Nazirite vow afforded them a deeper level of commitment. It wasn’t for everyone, but for those who were willing to do it, it almost assuredly changed the way they lived from then on.
