Currently, there are many Nazarites; they are estimated to millions. But I do not know how many would survive and be declared true Nazarites if a divine judgement would be brought down upon us.
1.Shabbat Shalom to the saints. The topic for this sermon is: “We have driven God away from our midst.”
2.In Leviticus 20:26, Yahuah says: “And ye shall be holy unto me for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”
3.In Numbers 6:3-6, Yahuah says: “He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink.
4.All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD.”
5.A holy person is the one who conducts their life in accordance with the precepts of Yahuah! But a Nazarite has to comply with other laws in addition to regular ones.
6.He does not drink liquor or wine, and he does not shave his head or beard; he does not touch a corpse (Numbers 6).
7.Should he touch a corpse, for various reasons, he ought to go through a purification process before associating with holiness.
8.Initially, being a Nazarite was a temporary vow, just like abstinence!
9.But after a while, there emerged individuals who were born Nazarites, such as Shimshon and Prophet Shemuel.
10.Though it has not been explicitly revealed in the Bible, but history teaches us that Yeshua and his followers were the Nazarites!
11.A Nazarite is someone whose life has been set aside for God; they always lead a holy life!
12.In morning, evening and Shabbat liturgical prayers, there is a common verse which says: “Remember that you have, today, made a covenant with Yahuah your God to the effect that you will dwell in Yahuah’s until the end of your days.”
13.That means that becoming a Nazarite should keep one aware that they have taken a vow of holy living until death!
14.But leading a holy life is not just a small, trivial undertaking that anybody can take. In Hymn 143, Shembe says:
15.“Our piety within this Nazarite Order is virtually like negotiating a slippery, rocky terrain through which many cannot succeed.
16.You would like to follow us where we are headed to; first buy courage if you intend getting where we are headed to.
17.The path is narrow, with stones and thorns, and only a few tread thereon, to where we are headed.
18.Indeed, are you courageous enough to walk on that path? It is a slippery, rocky terrain through which many cannot succeed.
19.Come ye heroes, make a clarion call, protect the cowards and rapidly organise the armies!”
20.Indeed, that is the case. Many of us would commit our lives to the Lord as usual, but we then do not live in accordance with Nazarite instructions!
21.Currently, there are many Nazarites; they are estimated to millions. But I do not know how many would survive and be declared true Nazarites if a divine judgement would be brought down upon us.
22.In Hymn 10, Shembe says: “The City of the Nazarites, where we are headed to, shines more than the sun and the moon.
23.There is only one Counsellor there; it is only Yahuah, the Mighty Lord!”
24.I just wonder how many of us, Nazarites, will enter that shining city, to which Shembe is inviting us, on the occasions of our demise on this planet.
25.Any Tom, Dick and Harry can understand that we have destroyed the Nazarite faith system of the Maker of heaven and earth! Only those who are still claiming to be the Nazarites remain!
26.For the majority of the Nazarites simply joined this holy assembly under the assumption that it is just like any other organisation.
27.In this sermon I will cite extracts of Lord Galilee Shembe’s sermons, the Leader who taught us solely about the Nazarite faith until his departure from earth.
28.These sermons are contained in Advocate Mnyandu’s book entitled: “Izintshumayelo zeNkosi iLanga.”
29.Though I have not provided pages, they are all in one book.
30.As I have explained, in addition to all God’s laws, the Nazarite does not take booze, shave their hair or touch a corpse except if there is a need to do this!
31.Over and above all that, we are the pious that observe the Shabbat and, according to the teachings of this assembly, we do not enter temples with our shoes on!
32.Let us now get to know how Lord Galilee Shembe occasionally reminded us about basic protocols of this holy assembly of the Supreme Being, as brought to our midst by Prophet Isaiah Shembe (pbuh)!
33.Reviving this Nazarite faith, Lord Galilee Shembe uttered these words: “Shembe started, once more, teaching the people never to shave their hair. Even that is written in the Bible.
34.He started teaching the people that a Nazarite may not drink liquor!
35.Then God realised that it would not be good if Shembe would remain in Ntabazwe and told him to come down here in the east (Natal).
36.On his arrival here, Shembe’s teaching allowed everybody to come to God with their men’s back aprons or women’s leather skirts.
37.Even those with their modern skirts might come with them but could not enter holy temples with shoes on their feet. That is Shembe’s teaching!”
38.In detail, Lord Galilee Shembe often narrated Prophet Shembe’s plight and melancholy whenever he wondered if we would not abandon Yahuah after his demise! Lord Galilee Shembe said:
39.“Shembe was fasting, asking God: ”Lord, since you say I must come to you, how will the situation be after my departure from eKuphakameni?”
40.He fasted for ten days, eating nothing; even those who brought him some water would put them a bit far from him so that he would get it himself.
41.Even drinking water would be placed far from him so that he would come out and have a drink.
42.He was suffering for our sake; wearing a sackcloth he said: ‘Lord, tell me, what will be the fate of this people after my departure?
43.Will alcoholic drinks, tobaccos or cigarettes and pork not enter eKuphakameni?
44.Will whores and witches or wizards not fill eKuphakameni; will the Shabbat not be violated?
45.Will they not throw away this holy regalia I have offered them, and will this holy dance not end up being adopted by those who take excessive liquor?
46.Lord Galilee Shembe proceeded thus: “It is very easy, Nazarites, for an individual like me, the one who is favoured by all people, to persuade you to take booze.
47.Who can stop me if I want you to take alcoholic drinks or to consume pork; who would dare stop me?
48.You never think about that, but I often wonder how the situation will look like after my departure.
49.Will you not domesticate dogs, drink liquor or eat pork?
50.That is what Revs. Mnqayi and Mzobe said when we met in Durban one day.
51.I asked if it was true that they consumed liquor in their assemblies.
52.They said: ‘Yes, the people no longer attend worship services, and WE ARE TRYING TO ATTRACT THE PEOPLE!’ Do you think that cannot happen? It can happen!
53.My point is: search for priests that possess Shembe’s spirit! Teach them even if they are still young; eveb women can be ordained into priesthood. But search for priests with Shembe’s spirit!
54.Even if they have sins, they will never admit pork into the premises of eKuphakameni; they will not allow dogs and liquor here at eKuphakameni!”
55.Lord Galilee Shembe said: “I need to ask you, Nazarites, what would become of you if I were to start drinking liquor, any alcoholic drink, Zulu traditional beer or any strong drink today? How many among you would still retain teetotalism?
56.I would first hide the beer on a first day, but you would, later, figure out when I arrive among you that I am, all of a sudden, merry and extremely kind. Even my movements would reflect my condition. That is liquor!
57.If one commits a sin in secret, it tends to reveal itself in public; THAT IS HOW UKUPHAKAMA WILL BE DESTROYED AND PUSHED TOWARDS ITS OBSCURITY!
58.The Lord proceeded and said: “Never turn back, Nazarites! Never drink liquor! Even if there are claims that God takes alcoholic drinks, never drink it.
59.Never hesitate to expel any person that takes liquor here at eKuphakameni. Even if you see me under the influence of liquor, just say:
60.’Sir, because you now take liquor here at eKuphakameni, go away to a place of your choice. When you have stopped drinking liquor, come back to eKuphakameni.’
61.I would not oppose you; I would not even respond to your demand. I will pack my bags and leave with immediate effect according to your directive because I am not a great individual here at eKuphakameni.
62.God is the One who is great here at eKuphakameni, the One who came down from to earth because He loved you, Zulu people.
63.Here there are more than twenty chiefs; they are here right in front of me. They have not come to me, but they have come to God!
64.When my time for departure from earth, I will depart just as my Father did, but God does not leave; He stays!
65.What I do not like is the practice of working towards driving God away from here at eKuphakameni while I am still around.
66.I would not like to work towards taking booze so that God may come out of eKuphakameni.
67.Then, I would remain here as the king. I do not know what kind of a king I would be.
68.When God has left from our midst, I do not know if I would be a piggish, cattish or baboon king!
69.Here at eKuphakameni, only Shembe is the Lord! Why? Because he was sinless; he never committed any sin!
70.When he departed from earth, the Nazarite faith expanded instead of shrinking. His holiness expanded!
71.Shembe has left us with the light; we were shining, but our light has now faded.
72.Now, I am speaking; I am saying if you see me under the influence of liquor, just tell me straightforward: ‘Sir, go somewhere else.
73.Just when you have quit drinking, you may come back’. Why? For you are the custodians here at eKuphakameni.
74.Good people are those who put their city under their custodianship; good people are those who preserve their holiness!
75.You would never see God coming down to guard your residence. You would never see Shembe descending from heaven in order to guard your holiness!
76.No, He has already given this city of eKuphakameni to you on a permanent basis. If you do not preserve or look after your holiness, it will slip through your fingers.
77.Lord Galilee Shembe proceeded, saying: “After my tenure, young, vain lads may arise who think they are smarter than Shembe and teach you that taking liquor is appropriate!
78.Never accept that, for such a teaching destroys holiness.
79.This once happened in Yisra’el, and the people abandoned God and did something that was undesirable!
80.I also confirm that such a thing may occur; in future you may get a priest who is a drunkard, particularly among these younger priests!
81.But never accept that; do not hesitate to erase the name of that priest from your book if he drinks liquor and smokes.
82.Excommunicate and take him out of your midst because drinking liquor is the root of every sin!
83.It is often said that money is the root of sin. Yes, that is true, but I say drinking liquor is the root of all sins. Money comes afterwards. All sins emerge after the intake of liquor!”
84.Lord Galilee Shembe’s statement is prophetic. We do not know if there is any leader, within this assembly, who either drinks liquor or smokes!
85.I have never heard that there is anyone who commits such acts. But what is done by the majority of the Nazarites shows that faith principles no longer exist within this community of the pious!
86.Lord Galilee Shembe said he once met Revs. Mnqayi and Mzobe, priests who had backslided from eKuphakameni and started their own churches.
87.When he enquired if it was true that there was a tendency of consuming liquor in their churches, they responded in the affirmative, claiming that is how they could attract the people!
88.The Lord said: ‘If I may start drinking liquor, how would things look like here at eKuphakameni?
89.All the Nazarites will start drinking, and God will then flee from our midst!
90.Today, the Nazarites drink liquor, shave their hair and make the Nazarite faith a laughing stock in various ways which I have not mentioned here!
91.In the Hymnal it is clearly indicated that these hymns are meant only for holy dance sessions.
92.But nowadays you will find people using them in their traditional dance parties, with spectators in attendance!
93.Just as Lord Galilee Shembe said, we have driven God away from our midst!
May the Lord bless what you have heard.
This sermon is also available on YouTube channel, Rev. Mpanza NCG.