Lev 27:1-8 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter has to do with the rights of God to His people. He will make His people His property, no matter how far they have distracted. In this chapter we see the path by which God will realize this. The question is not what God will do if someone is unfaithful, but what He will do if someone wants to be faithful and makes a vow about it before the LORD. Here we find the two principles, that of grace and that of responsibility. Grace in the sense that God can work consecration in believers, but also responsibility that the believer in that consecration acts according to the commandments of God. If there is consecration, God sets the standard for it, not man. The standard is the measure of the sanctuary ( ). The making of vows, like the sacrifices, is very old ( ; ). A vow can exist in the promise to give something to God. Someone can also, to His glory, renounce something that he is permitted to possess. The idea that plays a role in making a vow is that one does something that is pleasing to Him and that one then becomes part of His special grace. It may also be the intention, in a special case in which the help of God is urgently needed, to secure this help, by solemnly committing oneself to a service in advance. In the provisions of the law, we can distinguish two aspects with regard to vows: 1. He who does not make vows does not sin; if anyone promised anything to God, he must keep that vow ( ). 2. Nothing may be promised to the LORD that belongs to Him already, or by which His order sanctified by the law is broken, or to which sin and shame cling ( ; ; ). Also, nothing less in value than what was actually promised to Him may be brought as payment of the vow. The reverse is also not allowed ( ). Vows can consist of either the promise of a consecration to God, or a withdrawal from something. In both cases it is a vow of which the purpose is to honor Him. The law distinguishes the two cases in vows of consecration and vows of abstinence. A vow of abstinence we can see in the Nazarite vow of Numbers 6 ( ). In our chapter it is only about vows of consecration. What can be consecrated to the LORD is mentioned: 1. a human being ( ), 2. an animal ( ), 3. a house ( ), 4. a piece of land ( ). A vow can be made voluntarily, but not made undone voluntarily. A person who makes a vow and wants to be released from the obligation of it must be valued by the priest. It is important whether someone is fully aware of what he promised or whether he has made his promise a little hastily. In the latter case, he can be relieved from his promise. He can redeem his promise and for that he must be valued. Hasty vows are often warned of ( ; ; ). Israel has made such a promise. At Mount Sinai they promised three times: We will do all that the LORD has spoken ( ). The LORD has not demanded such a promise. They have not been able to fulfill that promise. A price has to be paid to redeem them. That is what the Lord Jesus did. A person who vows usually does so in case of illness or imminent danger. On condition of healing or deliverance, such a man promises then to consecrate himself, or his wife, or his child, or his slave to the LORD, as a special property. In general, all in Israel are the property of the LORD ( ). But whosoever promised himself so to the LORD, or was promised to Him by his parents or master, became therefore a bond-servant of the sanctuary. Such a person no longer has anything to do with social life, but must serve in the tent of meeting whenever he has the opportunity to do so. Someone who has become the property of the LORD in this special way can redeem himself or be redeemed. The money from the redemption benefits in his place the service of the sanctuary ( ). In determining the price of the value at which he can redeem himself or must be redeemed, account shall be taken of age, sex and property. Most pays he who is in the power of his life. Age | Value from one month to 5 years | 5 shekels from 5 years to 20 years | 20 shekels from 20 years to 60 years | 50 shekels over 60 years | 15 shekels In Exodus 30 there is a similar amount for every numbered one of twenty years and older ( ). That has to do with atonement. The price paid by the Lord Jesus for atonement is the same for every member of the church: the price of His blood. The development of spiritual life that every believer possesses, is different and the measure of consecration is different. There are the little children, or babies, in the faith, young people in the faith, and fathers in the faith ( ). The value of each person’s life according to his spiritual development is determined by our Priest, the Lord Jesus. If we judge and value each other, we can be very wrong. The Lord is not. He is entitled to our whole person and everything we have. The Macedonians understood this principle and “first gave themselves to the Lord” ( ). The fact that the valuation for those over sixty years falls so dramatically from fifty to fifteen shekels may have something to do with a relapse in the spiritual life. As one gets older, there is a danger that everything is no longer experienced as before. Isaac became blind. But that’s not how it should be. Moses was one hundred and twenty and Caleb eighty-five years old, but the power of their spiritual life was not diminished. The difference between man and woman also has a spiritual meaning. The female speaks of the position, the male represents the force with which that position is realized. It is one thing to know that you are in Christ, a child of God, that is one’s position; it is something else to live up to that, that is the realization. The Lord also knows how to value us on this. It may be that we know what we are, but we don’t show much of it in practice. Samuel is one who has been ordained by his mother to the LORD from birth. For him no estimate needs to be paid, because his mother meets the requirements ( ). According to His age, the Lord Jesus had to be valued at fifty shekels. However, the estimate on which He is valued is only thirty shekels of silver ( ). But that is a valuation by man. God has valued Him on His true value and given Him the place of glory at His right hand. Whoever cannot pay his estimate ( ), whoever feels his shortage, can go to the priest, the Lord Jesus. He knows perfectly what value we have for Him. This is beautifully expressed in the parables of the talents ( ) and the pounds ( ). There is a difference between the gift someone has, the talents, and the faithfulness with which the gift is used, the pounds. The gift is different, which is expressed in the parable of the talents, where the slaves are given a different number of talents. The pound is the same for everyone, what we see in the parable of the pounds, where every slave gets one pound. Someone who has a small gift, but who is faithful in its exercise, is valued higher than someone who has a large gift, but is unfaithful in the exercise thereof. The pursuit of the greater gift of grace is a task for all of us ( ). Someone who is faithful, gets more entrusted. Ability the Lord gives; acting with them to His honor, dedicating ourselves to them, is our responsibility.

‏ Leviticus 27:1-8

Introduction

This chapter has to do with the rights of God to His people. He will make His people His property, no matter how far they have distracted. In this chapter we see the path by which God will realize this.

The question is not what God will do if someone is unfaithful, but what He will do if someone wants to be faithful and makes a vow about it before the LORD. Here we find the two principles, that of grace and that of responsibility. Grace in the sense that God can work consecration in believers, but also responsibility that the believer in that consecration acts according to the commandments of God. If there is consecration, God sets the standard for it, not man. The standard is the measure of the sanctuary (Lev 27:25).

The making of vows, like the sacrifices, is very old (Gen 28:20; Job 22:27). A vow can exist in the promise to give something to God. Someone can also, to His glory, renounce something that he is permitted to possess. The idea that plays a role in making a vow is that one does something that is pleasing to Him and that one then becomes part of His special grace. It may also be the intention, in a special case in which the help of God is urgently needed, to secure this help, by solemnly committing oneself to a service in advance.

In the provisions of the law, we can distinguish two aspects with regard to vows:

1. He who does not make vows does not sin; if anyone promised anything to God, he must keep that vow (Deu 23:22-23).

2. Nothing may be promised to the LORD that belongs to Him already, or by which His order sanctified by the law is broken, or to which sin and shame cling (Lev 27:26; Num 30:3-4; Deu 23:18). Also, nothing less in value than what was actually promised to Him may be brought as payment of the vow. The reverse is also not allowed (Lev 27:10).

Vows can consist of either the promise of a consecration to God, or a withdrawal from something. In both cases it is a vow of which the purpose is to honor Him. The law distinguishes the two cases in vows of consecration and vows of abstinence. A vow of abstinence we can see in the Nazarite vow of Numbers 6 (Num 6:1-7). In our chapter it is only about vows of consecration.

What can be consecrated to the LORD is mentioned:

1. a human being (Lev 27:2-8),

2. an animal (Lev 27:9-13),

3. a house (Lev 27:14-15),

4. a piece of land (Lev 27:16-25).

A vow can be made voluntarily, but not made undone voluntarily. A person who makes a vow and wants to be released from the obligation of it must be valued by the priest. It is important whether someone is fully aware of what he promised or whether he has made his promise a little hastily. In the latter case, he can be relieved from his promise. He can redeem his promise and for that he must be valued.

Hasty vows are often warned of (Ecc 5:4-5; Deu 23:21-23; Pro 20:25). Israel has made such a promise. At Mount Sinai they promised three times: We will do all that the LORD has spoken (Exo 19:8 ; Exo 24:3 ; 7). The LORD has not demanded such a promise. They have not been able to fulfill that promise. A price has to be paid to redeem them. That is what the Lord Jesus did.

Consecration of Persons

A person who vows usually does so in case of illness or imminent danger. On condition of healing or deliverance, such a man promises then to consecrate himself, or his wife, or his child, or his slave to the LORD, as a special property.

In general, all in Israel are the property of the LORD (Exo 19:5). But whosoever promised himself so to the LORD, or was promised to Him by his parents or master, became therefore a bond-servant of the sanctuary. Such a person no longer has anything to do with social life, but must serve in the tent of meeting whenever he has the opportunity to do so.

Someone who has become the property of the LORD in this special way can redeem himself or be redeemed. The money from the redemption benefits in his place the service of the sanctuary (2Kgs 12:4). In determining the price of the value at which he can redeem himself or must be redeemed, account shall be taken of age, sex and property. Most pays he who is in the power of his life.

Age | Value

from one month to 5 years | 5 shekels

from 5 years to 20 years | 20 shekels

from 20 years to 60 years | 50 shekels

over 60 years | 15 shekels

In Exodus 30 there is a similar amount for every numbered one of twenty years and older (Exo 30:11-16). That has to do with atonement. The price paid by the Lord Jesus for atonement is the same for every member of the church: the price of His blood. The development of spiritual life that every believer possesses, is different and the measure of consecration is different. There are the little children, or babies, in the faith, young people in the faith, and fathers in the faith (1Jn 2:12-14).

The value of each person’s life according to his spiritual development is determined by our Priest, the Lord Jesus. If we judge and value each other, we can be very wrong. The Lord is not. He is entitled to our whole person and everything we have. The Macedonians understood this principle and “first gave themselves to the Lord” (2Cor 8:5).

The fact that the valuation for those over sixty years falls so dramatically from fifty to fifteen shekels may have something to do with a relapse in the spiritual life. As one gets older, there is a danger that everything is no longer experienced as before. Isaac became blind. But that’s not how it should be. Moses was one hundred and twenty and Caleb eighty-five years old, but the power of their spiritual life was not diminished.

The difference between man and woman also has a spiritual meaning. The female speaks of the position, the male represents the force with which that position is realized. It is one thing to know that you are in Christ, a child of God, that is one’s position; it is something else to live up to that, that is the realization. The Lord also knows how to value us on this. It may be that we know what we are, but we don’t show much of it in practice.

Samuel is one who has been ordained by his mother to the LORD from birth. For him no estimate needs to be paid, because his mother meets the requirements (1Sam 1:11 ; 28).

According to His age, the Lord Jesus had to be valued at fifty shekels. However, the estimate on which He is valued is only thirty shekels of silver (Zec 11:12-13). But that is a valuation by man. God has valued Him on His true value and given Him the place of glory at His right hand.

Whoever cannot pay his estimate (Lev 27:8), whoever feels his shortage, can go to the priest, the Lord Jesus. He knows perfectly what value we have for Him. This is beautifully expressed in the parables of the talents (Mt 25:14-30) and the pounds (Lk 19:11-27).

There is a difference between the gift someone has, the talents, and the faithfulness with which the gift is used, the pounds. The gift is different, which is expressed in the parable of the talents, where the slaves are given a different number of talents. The pound is the same for everyone, what we see in the parable of the pounds, where every slave gets one pound.

Someone who has a small gift, but who is faithful in its exercise, is valued higher than someone who has a large gift, but is unfaithful in the exercise thereof. The pursuit of the greater gift of grace is a task for all of us (1Cor 12:31a). Someone who is faithful, gets more entrusted. Ability the Lord gives; acting with them to His honor, dedicating ourselves to them, is our responsibility.