Lit., shall be wonderful to make a vow. The book of Leviticus concludes with a vow of four kinds of devotions, showing that the totality of all the things in this book is a vow, which becomes our life, our living, as God’s priesthood.
Lit., shall be wonderful to make a vow. The book of Leviticus concludes with a vow of four kinds of devotions, showing that the totality of all the things in this book is a vow, which becomes our life, our living, as God’s priesthood.
In the devotion of a person to God, the value of the person is set by God, i.e., in the eyes of God, “according to the shekel of the sanctuary” (vv. 3, 25), i.e., according to the holy scale of God’s dwelling, the spiritual scale of the church, which is God’s dwelling today (1 Tim. 3:15). The valuation was done in order to redeem the devoted thing (vv. 13, 14, 19).
Males in this category, the most valuable, signify those who are spiritually strong, mature, experienced, and able to serve at war in the church (Num. 1:2-3). Their being valued at fifty shekels — fifty is composed of ten (fullness) times five (responsibility) — signifies that they are required to bear the greatest responsibility.
cf. Exo. 30:13; Lev. 27:25
The female signifies those who are spiritually weaker than those categorized as males (1 Pet. 3:7).
Those in this category, the third most valuable, signify those who are spiritually young in the church (cf. 1 John 2:13-14).
Those in this category are the least valuable and signify those who are spiritually the young children (cf. 1 John 2:13).
Those in this category signify those who are spiritually deteriorated.
The valuation of the one who was poorer being according to his means signifies that actually we are not valued according to our spiritual age but according to our spiritual ability, not according to what we should do spiritually but according to what we can do spiritually.
To be holy is to be sanctified to God and thus to belong to God, becoming His possession. The devoted animal not being able to be exchanged or substituted (v. 10a) indicates that once we have devoted ourselves to God, our status cannot be changed. Once something has been devoted to God, being placed on the altar, it cannot be returned. If an exchange were made, both animals would be holy (v. 10b); i.e., both would belong to God. This indicates that God earnestly desires our devotion.
That the unclean animal devoted to Jehovah was valued by the priest (vv. 11-12) signifies that even though what we devote to God is unclean, through the valuation of our Mediator, the Lord Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5), the motive of our devotion is still valuable to some degree before God.
The adding of one-fifth to the valuation signifies that we should be careful, not owing anything to God in our devotion.
Or, dedicates. So throughout this chapter.
The valuing of the devoted house by the priest signifies that our devotion related to the church (1 Tim. 3:15) should be valued by our Mediator, the Lord Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5).
The adding of one-fifth of the valuation to redeem the house signifies that we should not take advantage of our devotion related to the church life, that we may keep the enjoyment of the church life. Otherwise, we will be churchless persons.
Spiritually, the devoting of a field, a part of the land, is related to the enjoyment of Christ as the rich land (see note Deut. 8:71). The more we devote ourselves and our possessions to God, the more we will enjoy Christ. All our devotions consummate in the enjoyment of Christ.
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. In the type, the more seed required, the higher was the value of the land. Seed is for multiplication, for life increase (John 12:24). 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.
The longer the time until the jubilee, the greater was the value of the devoted land (vv. 17-18). 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. The amount of seed needed for the devoted land, and hence the value of the land (v. 16), depended on the number of years before the jubilee. If we devote ourselves to the Lord early in life, we will have more years to bring sinners to the Lord and thus to contribute to the increase of the church. The greater the increase we bring in, the greater the grace we will enjoy (cf. John 15:2, 6).
Or, for it. So also in v. 23.
The regulations in vv. 21-24 signify 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.
Lev. 25:28, 31, 33, 41
Not consecrating the firstborn, which already belonged to Jehovah, signifies that we may not devote anything that is owned by God.
See note Lev. 27:111a.
This signifies that our devotion must be so strong that it cannot be altered.
The regulations in vv. 30-33 signify that we have no right over anything that belongs to God, and we may not dispose of it or change its ownership in any way.
Leviticus, a book on what God has done for our enjoyment, ends with God’s aspiration that we vow to devote ourselves to Him. God has done everything for us, and now He needs us to enjoy Him. At the end of Leviticus God expresses His aspiration and expectation that we vow to devote to Him whatever we are, whatever we have, and whatever we can do. The purpose of this devotion is that we would enjoy the Lord in all that He has prepared for us.