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Leviticus 27(ESV)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, If anyone makes a special vow to the Lord involving the valuation of persons……
9 “If the vow is an animal that may be offered as an offering to the Lord, all of it that he gives to the Lord is holy. …….
14 “When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. …….
16 “If a man dedicates to the Lord part of the land that is his possession, then the valuation shall be in proportion to its seed. A homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. …..
30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the Lord. 33 One shall not differentiate between good or bad, neither shall he make a substitute for it; and if he does substitute for it, then both it and the substitute shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.”
34 These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.
REFLECTION
- Regulations of Vows
- The law set a minimum amount that the Israelites were to contribute to support ministers (vv30-33). But each individual had the privilege of making a special vow to the Lord. The person making a vow might give anything he possessed – himself, one of his family, an animal, his house, his family land, or a field he had purchased. In effect, the person making the vow paid the value of the dedicated thing into the tabernacle or temple treasury.
- “These are the commandments that the Lord gave…for the people of Israel” (v34). This book begins with divine presence and urges the people to avoid the effects of sin and uncleanness, so that God will continue to be present among them and give them life – hence all the instruction on purity and holiness. It also provides means of restoring that relationship. It is divine grace that educates the ancient Israelite, as well as the modern day Christians, how to live a life of holiness.
PRAYER
Lord, I thank You that You are holy, righteous and gracious. You have instructed me to be holy. I thank You that I can trust and rest in You, and I ask that I would live in sanctification and honor.
HYMN:
All We Like Sheep – youtu.be/Qq9nRup7LAk