Christ, Vows, and the Redemption Price
Leviticus 27:1-2
Introduction.
We are here, the final chapter of Leviticus!
We have looked at how Christ fulfills all the sacrifices (Lev. 1-7).
We have seen salvation in Lev. 8 and worship in Lev. 9, and its violation in Lev. 10.
We have seen the cleanliness codes in regard to food (Lev. 11), childbearing (Lev. 12), leprosy (Lev. 13-14), and various emissions (Lev. 15).
We have considered Christ in the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath, and other Hebrew holidays (Lev. 16; 23; 25).
We have considered the importance of blood in the scheme of redemption (Lev. 17).
We have seen acts of true love and false love (Lev. 18-20).
We have seen the perfection God desires (Lev. 21-22).
We have seen the importance God places on His name (Lev. 24).
We have also seen the blessings of following His Law and curses of disobeyed (Lev. 26).
But today, we see a peculiar ending.
Why, after presenting all the blessings and curses, would the Lord add more to it?
As you might expect, plenty of critical scholars will claim this is a later addition to the text—I always wonder, if that were true, the person doing this clearly didn’t have respect for the text, so you’d think they would have put it somewhere else.
No, but it’s our job to find out why God would place this here.
Some suggest it’s because after the curses, they would need some instructions of making vows to promise their faithfulness.
I think the most likely explanation is the nature of these commands—they are voluntary.
While there have been some freewill offerings and vows mentioned and discussed some before this, this is the most comprehensive section on this topic.
“If/When a man,” is found frequently in this chapter, after all.
The main point here is concerning something or someone that has been dedicated to God.
If you were having second thoughts about a particular vow, some provisions were made concerning that.
Instead of dedicating a person or a possession as you had vowed, you could pay a steep price instead.
This steep price was to prevent vows from being made rashly, yet still providing some way around it, to redeem the person or possession.
Christ has indeed paid the price to redeem us all.
Preview.
Dedicating People (27:1-8).
Dedicating Possessions (27:9-25).
Dedications Prohibited (27:26-34).
Body.
Dedicating People (27:1-8).
People separated by gender and age.
At first glance, this passage raises some questions.
It sounds like the Lord is placing an objective value upon people, and then men are worth more than women.
Looking at it that way, babies and toddlers are worth hardly anything, while men 20 to 60 are worth more than those older than 60.
However, based on what we read elsewhere, this cannot be the case.
Jesus places children very highly, Paul states that in Christ there is no male or female, while the Scriptures tell us in many places to honor our elders.
These valuations are, in fact, the market value for slaves at that time.
They weren’t given based on intrinsic worth, but on ability to work.
Looking at it that way, it makes much more sense.
Surely a man between 20 and 60 could do more work than any of the other demographics generally speaking, and especially at that time.
Since a shekel was the slave’s wage for a month, this was certainly a steep price, again, likely to keep one from making a rash vow (though it didn’t quite work in one example).
Two examples.
A potential example is the only daughter of Jephthah in Judges 11.
Jephthah makes a vow before God that if he is victorious in battle he will sacrifice the first thing that comes to greet him when he returns home.
Alas, that first thing is his only daughter—a rash vow indeed.
Since human sacrifice was repugnant to faithful Israelites, many take this to be figurative, and that he had merely dedicated her to the service of the Lord.
Also, in 1 Sam. 1, Hannah vows her son to the Lord, should she be relieved of being barren and produce any offspring.
This is a slightly different situation, however, since firstborn children (anything that opened the womb) already needed to be redeemed, and so could not normally be dedicated like this.
This is a special circumstance since she was barren, and was miraculously allowed to bear children.
After he is weaned, her son, Samuel, is taken to Eli the high priest, dedicated to the service of the Lord.
Christ our Redeemer.
Job exclaims in Job 19:25, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”
While he had no conception of Christ, we can say the same thing, can’t we?
Our redeemer is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
He paid the price for us, we were bought at a price (1 Cor. 6:20).
He gave His life as a ransom for many, did He not? (Mark 10:45).
As Phil Sanders said, “The believer is pictured as having been redeemed from the law’s curse and given full rights as a child of promise. Jesus paid the price of redemption. That redemption price was the ‘precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect’ (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Redemption is a release from all wickedness so that we may serve the living God” (Sanders 21).
We note that “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’)” (Gal. 3:13).
What was the curse of the Law that He has redeemed us from? Well, didn’t we talk about them last week? (Lev. 26:14-46).
As sinners, we are all under the penalty of the curse of the Law—we’ve all sinned and have come short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).
As Christians, however, we don’t have to worry about such things because Jesus has taken care of it for us!
Dedicating Possessions (27:9-25).
Types of possessions.
There were several different types of possessions one could dedicate.
This included animals, both clean and unclean, a house, or a field.
These things do have worth.
Animals are used for food and sacrifice. Unclean animals such as camels were beasts of burden.
Houses could be lived in and fields could be farmed.
Such things were useful to the priests or to whomever they were sold/leased to.
Particulars of redemption.
Clean animals were to be sacrificed.
If you were to attempt a bait-and-switch, then both animals were to be sacrificed.
Unclean animals could not be sacrificed, so they were to sell it according to the appraisal of the priest and give the money to the priest.
If he wants his animal back, add one-fifth to the priest’s appraisal.
This is the same for the house. Obvious a house can’t be sacrificed on an altar, but it can be sold and the proceeds go to the priest.
Again, if the man wants it back, he needs to pay the asking price plus one-fifth.
Recall, the house does not return to him at the Year of Jubilee if it is within city walls (Lev. 25:30).
The field, on the other hand, was to be return on the Year of Jubilee.
Therefore the price of the field depended on how far away that year was—as in Lev. 25, it was basically a lease.
The value was also based on that of the seeds that could be planted in the field or the crops that could be sold from it in that time.
There are some other details there concerning a field, but the general instructions are clear.
Christian application.
While we know that none of our earthly possessions will mean anything in heaven, we do have treasures waiting for us in heaven.
As we note in Matt 6, Jesus states that we ought to be building our treasures in heaven rather than on earth.
Paul talks about a crown of righteousness waiting for him in glory (2 Tim. 4:8).
Those in the church in Smyrna were to expect the crown of life should they be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10).
We strive for an imperishable crown, after all (1 Cor. 9:25).
All that is waiting for us, if we strive and remain faithful, love His appearing, having built up our heavenly treasures.
Dedications Prohibited (27:26-34).
Some things could not be dedicated.
Firstborn of the clean animals.
Do you remember the tenth and final plague in Egypt that finally changed Pharaoh’s mind to let the Israelites go? The death of the firstborn, except for those who had the blood of the Passover lamb on their doors.
Ever since then, as a reminder of this event and His deliverance, the Lord has had certain stipulations for all who “open the womb,” animals and people alike (Exo. 13; Num. 18:15-18). People and unclean animals were to be redeemed, 5 shekels of silver. Clean animals were to be sacrificed on the altar. They could not be dedicated.
Recall, Jesus opened Mary’s womb, so she had to pay the 5 shekels (Luke 2:23), which is the same price given for a boy up to five years old given here (Lev. 27:6).
The firstborn of unclean animals could be dedicated and redeemed, however, as we discussed.
Things that were “devoted” could not be redeemed.
A prime example of that was the spoils from the defeat of Jericho.
Since Jericho was the first Canaanite city to be conquered, its spoils became a firstfruits of the land, and were therefore devoted to God—some translations (including KJV) call them the “accursed things” (Josh. 6:18).
Achan violated this, and he and his family paid for it, not to mention those killed in the battle to take Ai (Josh. 7).
At the same time men who had violated the law and were sentenced to death could not be redeemed.
Things that were already devoted to God could not be devoted again.
Tithing, a giving of a tenth, was now discussed.
Since things tithed belonged to God, they could not be redeemed, but there were exceptions.
Tithing of the livestock could not be redeemed, but tithing of the land could be—he may need it for various reasons. But of course the one-fifth rule was in effect.
Christian application.
We do not tithe in the Lord’s church. Tithing is a O.T. practice where they all had to give a tenth of their produce and riches.
We take up a collection (calling it an offering or contribution), as we see in the N.T.
This is totally and completely voluntary—we aren’t going to come after you if you don’t put something in the collection plate.
You, as a member, are certainly encouraged to give, and the Bible makes it clear that you should.
And there’s no indication that a tenth is what we are to give (why we don’t call it a tithe). But it is a good rule of thumb.
But ultimately that is between you and the Lord… and maybe your accountant and the IRS.
But once you do donate something, don’t ask for it back. We are very transparent about where the money goes, so if you’re concerned, you should know before you donate.
Recall this morning, we talked of Barnabas giving the proceeds from a land sale and laying it at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:36-37).
But right after, Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Apostles and to the Lord about what they had given, and so they died (Acts 5:1-11).
How much they gave was not the issue, the issue was lying about how much they gave.
This is a statement on how much we promise to give, and to any other promise and vow we might make.
Keep your vows.
Many of us have internalized the concept that we shouldn’t make vows or oaths.
This comes from Jesus’ comments about letting your yes be yes, and your no no (Matt. 5:33-37).
But there are certain vows that many of us make: marriage vows, for instance, or even a pledge that we will give a certain amount.
He have promissory notes and contracts, too. This are all oaths of some type, are they not?
Paul himself made a vow that caused him to have his hair cut off (Acts 18:18).
Making vows is not wrong, but we should be sure to keep them.
As Solomon wrote, “Better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (Eccl. 5:5).
Conclusion.
And so concludes our look at Leviticus.
I hope you have gained as much from it as I have.
It is good to have a greater understanding of this ancient law so that we can better understand the Lord, and our place in His religious economy.
I intend to start a series on Hebrews soon so we can see just how much better the Christian economy is to the Israelite one, and hopefully now we can appreciate it more.
Still, we can find so many concepts in the N.T. that are right here in this book, even though many of the particulars are not carried over.
Certainly a discussion on vows and redemption are relevant in the N.T. age as well.
Christ, our Redeemer, lives and has redeemed us from the curse of the law, the curse of death!
We strive for the imperishable crown of righteousness.
And we are people of the truth, who tell the truth, who love the truth.
We keep our vows.
And when we fail to do so, we have sinned, and must repent.
Thank God for our Redeemer!
Do you want to be redeemed? Because a Christian today.