Message 63
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Scripture Reading: Lev. 27:16-34
In this message we shall continue to consider the devotions for a vow in chapter twenty-seven.
Leviticus 27:16-25 speaks of the devotion of a field.
“If a man sanctifies part of a field of his possession to Jehovah, then the valuation shall be according to the seed required for it: a homer of barley seed for fifty shekels of silver” (v. 16). This signifies that our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ as the rich land should be valued according to the seed of the divine life required for our spiritual increase.
A field sanctified, devoted, to Jehovah was to be valued according to the seed required. Suppose a piece of land was devoted thirty-five years before the jubilee. For each of these thirty-five years a certain amount of seed would be required. The value of this piece of land would be higher than a piece of land devoted only twenty years before the jubilee.
In our interpretation of verse 16, we speak of our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ. The land typifies Christ. However, we should not interpret verse 16 as typifying the devoting of a part of Christ. Such an interpretation is neither meaningful nor logical. Although we cannot devote a part of Christ or devote our enjoyment of Christ, we can have a devotion that is related to the enjoyment of Christ. The three previous devotions — of ourselves, of our cattle, and of our houses — are all for us to enjoy Christ. The more we have these three kinds of devotions, the more we shall be in a position to enjoy Christ. Therefore, this chapter concludes that all our devotions consummate in the enjoyment of Christ.
Our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ should be valued according to the seed of the divine life required for our spiritual increase. In the type, the more seed required, the higher was the value of the land. The valuation was according to the seed required for the period of time before the jubilee. In our spiritual interpretation of this, “according to the seed required” actually denotes the prospect. Suppose I devote something for the enjoyment of Christ as the good land. How should this devotion be valued? This devotion should be valued according to its prospect. The greater the seed required, the greater is the prospect for increase. The lesser the seed required, the lesser is the prospect for the increase of the number in the church. If our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ will afford a greater prospect for the increase of the church, this devotion will be more valuable. However, if our devotion, our consecration, will afford only a limited prospect for increase, our devotion will not be as valuable as one that affords a greater prospect.
Perhaps you are wondering why we interpret verse 16 this way. The reason for this interpretation is the fact that seed is for increase. On the one hand, the seed indicates the value of the land. On the other hand, spiritually speaking, the seed indicates the life increase; it indicates multiplication. We may consecrate ourselves to the Lord, but our consecration may not afford very much prospect of the increase of the church. If our consecration affords a greater prospect of the increase of the church, surely this consecration will be more valuable than one that does not have such a prospect. Let us take Paul as an example. When Paul devoted himself for the enjoyment of Christ, that devotion had a great prospect of the increase of the church.
“If he sanctifies his field from the year of jubilee, it shall stand according to the valuation; but if he sanctifies his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall calculate the money for it according to the years that remain until the year of jubilee, and it shall be deducted from the valuation” (vv. 17-18). The longer the time before the jubilee, the greater was the value of the devoted land. This signifies that our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ should be valued also according to the measure of God’s grace from the jubilee.
In these verses we have two ways of valuation: according to the seed required and according to the number of years from the jubilee. Actually, these two ways are one. The greater the number of years before the jubilee, the greater would be the seed required. The lesser the number of years, the lesser would be the seed required.
Paul’s consecration afforded a larger prospect of the increase of the church. Paul’s consecration also provided him a great opportunity to enjoy the grace of God.
The more increase we bring in, the more grace we have a share in. The more increase our consecration affords, the more grace we enjoy. This is related to the number of years. If we devote ourselves to the Lord early in life, we shall have more years to bring sinners to the Lord and thus to contribute to the increase of the church. This increase will then indicate that we have enjoyed the Lord’s grace. The amount of grace is measured by the amount of increase. The greater the increase, the greater is the grace, and the lesser the increase, the lesser is the grace. This realization urges us to devote ourselves earlier — the earlier, the better. For example, if you have waited until now to preach the gospel by visiting people in their homes, you will afford less prospect of increase than if you had begun last year but more than if you wait until next year. This indicates that the earlier you devote yourself to gospel preaching the better. Preaching the gospel will help you to enjoy Christ. You may enjoy the Lord in the morning by pray-reading a few verses, but you will have more enjoyment of Christ if you preach the gospel by visiting people. To visit people with the gospel requires a certain amount of devotion. As we devote ourselves, our time, and our energy to preaching the gospel, we shall be helped to enjoy the Lord more. This kind of devotion to preaching the gospel consummates not only in people being saved but also in our enjoyment of Christ. The principle is the same with participating in home meetings to nourish the new ones.
The point I wish to emphasize here is this: The more we devote ourselves to the Lord in anything, the more we are related to the enjoyment of Christ. The amount, the degree, the level, of the enjoyment of Christ is figured by the seed required and by the number of years to the jubilee. The seed required indicates the prospect of increase to the Body. The greater the seed required, the greater will be the increase we shall bring in for the Body. The greater the number of years to the jubilee, the greater will be the grace for our enjoyment.
“And if he who sanctified the field would indeed redeem it, then he shall add to it one-fifth of the valuation in money, and it shall remain his” (v. 19). This signifies that we should pay a price for our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ as the rich land.
If we have devoted something and we want to get it back, we have to pay the price. If we do not devote, there is no need to redeem or to pay anything. In such a case, nothing is added to our enjoyment of Christ. But if we devote and we want to reclaim what is devoted, we have to pay the price and then add one-fifth of that price. The important matter here is not the amount added to the price — it is getting ourselves involved with the enjoyment of Christ.
Whether we are right or wrong, it is good to devote. As long as we devote, we are involved with and related to the enjoyment of Christ. In the past I knew quite a number of saints who consecrated themselves to the Lord in a wrong way, but they all became involved with the enjoyment of Christ.
“But if he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed anymore” (v. 20). This signifies that if in our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ as the rich land we will not pay a price, we will lose this enjoyment for a certain time.
“And when the field is released in the jubilee, it shall be holy to Jehovah, as a devoted field; his possession shall belong to the priest. But if he sanctifies a field which he has purchased to Jehovah, which is not of the fields of his possession, then the priest shall calculate the amount of its valuation up to the year of jubilee, and he shall give the amount of its valuation on that day as a holy thing to Jehovah. In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom it was bought, to whom the possession of the land belongs” (vv. 21-24). This signifies that in our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ as the rich land, we cannot take advantage of others and we must be fair with God.
Suppose the owner of a piece of land devoted that land to God. Later, perhaps because he had become poor, he sold that devoted piece of land to another person, who bought it by paying the amount of the valuation plus one-fifth of that amount. Thus this piece of land became the possession of this other person. However, according to the statute of the jubilee, the land was to be returned to the original owner, who was the devoter and also the seller. Although the owner had sold the land, it was not to remain sold forever. At the time of jubilee the one who purchased the land is taken out of the picture, for he was to be the possessor of the land only until the jubilee, at which time the land reverted to its original owner. As we have pointed out, this signifies that in our devotion related to the enjoyment of Christ we cannot take advantage of others and we must be fair with God.
Leviticus 27:26-33 speaks of the regulations for devotion.
“But the firstborn among the beasts, which as a firstborn belongs to Jehovah, no one may sanctify; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is Jehovah’s” (v. 26). This signifies that we may not devote anything that is owned by God. The firstborn are owned by God already; therefore, we have no right to devote them.
“And if it is among the unclean beasts, then he shall ransom it according to the valuation, and shall add one-fifth of its value to it; and if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold according to the valuation” (v. 27). This signifies that even though what we have devoted to God is unclean, through the valuation of our Mediator, the Lord Jesus, the motive of our devotion is still valuable to some degree before God. A certain thing we may wish to devote to God may not be acceptable to Him, but, through the Lord Jesus, the motive of our devotion is still dear to God.
“But no devoted thing which a man may devote to Jehovah out of all that he has, whether of man or of beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah” (v. 28). This signifies that our devotion must be so strong that it cannot be altered.
“No one who has been devoted from among men shall be ransomed; he shall certainly be put to death” (v. 29). This signifies that whatever we devote to God that should be destroyed should not be released back to us.
“And every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is Jehovah’s; it is holy to Jehovah. If a man would indeed redeem any of his tithes, he shall add one-fifth of its value to it. And every tithe of the herd or of the flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to Jehovah. He shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it; and if he should exchange it, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed” (vv. 30-33). This signifies that anything that belongs to God we have no right over, and we may not dispose of it or change its ownership in any way.
After considering all these points, we can see how earnest God is in desiring our devotion. Whatever we devote, God treasures. This should encourage us to devote ourselves to the Lord in our person, in our possessions, and in everything we can do.
Chapter twenty-seven of Leviticus impresses us with the fact that God aspires that we all give ourselves to Him in whatever we are, in whatever we have, and in whatever we can do. This is God’s desire, His aspiration. He is thirsty for this. He wants to see us devoting ourselves to Him, even if it is in a wrong way. He likes to see that we devote to Him our time, ability, possessions, strength, whatever we have, and whatever we can do. As long as we devote ourselves to Him in so many aspects, He is pleased. He accepts such a devotion. This is the emphasis in Leviticus 27.
Leviticus, a book on what God has done for our enjoyment, ends with God’s aspiration that we devote ourselves to Him. God has done everything for us, and now He needs us to enjoy Him. He wants to have more enjoyers. He has prepared everything for us. The feast is ready, and we should come and dine. Here at the end of Leviticus God expresses His aspiration and expectation that we make a vow with Him to devote to Him whatever we are, whatever we have, and whatever we can do. The purpose of this devotion is that we enjoy the Lord in all that He has prepared for us. Everything has been prepared, but many seats at His feast have not yet been filled. Therefore, God is calling, encouraging, and even urging us to devote ourselves to Him for our enjoyment of Him in all that He has prepared and provided for us.
In the book of Leviticus prophecies are implied. These implied prophecies are in the types and also in the warning.
Prophecies are implied in the types of the feasts, in the type of the harvest and the gleanings, and in the type of the jubilee. The feast of the Passover denotes the death of Christ (23:5). The feast of the firstfruits denotes the resurrection of Christ (23:10-11). The feast of Pentecost denotes the producing of the church (23:15-17). The harvest left at the corners of the field and the gleanings for the alien and for the poor denote God’s salvation left for the Gentiles (23:22). The feast of the blowing of trumpets denotes God’s calling back of His scattered people — Israel (23:24). The feast of propitiation denotes the repentance and salvation of the people — Israel — called back by God (23:27). The feast of tabernacles denotes the coming millennium (23:34, 39-42). The jubilee for people to be freed to return to their possessions denotes that at Christ’s second coming the children of Israel will be freed to return to their lost possessions (25:8-41).
Even in the warning (26:1-46) some prophecies are implied. The warning indicates that in obeying God Israel will be blessed, but in disobeying God Israel will be chastised. Furthermore, in the warning we see that God will not abhor and reject Israel, nor will He utterly destroy them. Finally, when Israel repents to God, He will remember them and visit them.
