Leviticus 27

CHAPTER 27THEME: Commutation of vows concerning persons; commutation of vows concerning animals; commutation of vows concerning houses; commutation of vows concerning land; concerning three things which are the Lord’s apart from a vowWhen you begin to read this chapter, you wonder why it is here. It seems to be an addendum or a postscript to the Book of Leviticus. All the expositors note this, and some actually consider this a major problem of the book. J. A. Seiss doesn’t include it with the Book of Leviticus, and Dr. Langley treats it as an appendix. Although the subject matter seems to be extraneous and unrelated to the contents of the book, I see no reason to make a mountain out of a molehill. I think there is a definite purpose in placing this chapter last. Dr. S. H. Kellogg notes with real spiritual perception that what has preceded this chapter is obligatory, while this is voluntary. Actually, this makes a beautiful and fitting climax to the book of worship. In much this same way, chapter 21 of John’s Gospel follows the climax of chapter 20. In chapter 20 the risen Lord has revealed Himself to His disciples and has sent them out into the world. But wait a minuteHe has a message to Simon Peter in chapter 21, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” It is voluntary, and the basis for it is love. That is God’s method. A striking feature about the vows is that they are voluntary. They follow the commandments, ceremonies, and ordinances. It is going the second mile after God has required the first mile. They are the response of a grateful heart. However, it is important to note that after a promise has been made to God, it is essential that it be fulfilled. The natural response of a saved person is to ask what he can do for the Lord since the Lord has done so much for him. We find this expressed many times in the Scripture. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psa_116:12). The apostle Paul wrote to the believers of his day, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom_12:1). This is not a command. He says, “I beseech you.” In Tit_2:11 he wrote, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.” What does it do? Does it demand something?

No. “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Tit_2:12). Micah evidently had this chapter in mind when he wrote, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Mic_6:8). Every normal believer wants to do something for God. He wants to pledge something to God. The deepest problem is to find something worthy to pledge to God. Ephraim Syrus wrote, “I pronounce my life wretched, because it is unprofitable.” David Brainerd cried, “O that my soul were holy as He is holy! O that it were pure as Christ is pure, and perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect! These are the sweetest commands in God’s book, comprising all others. And shall I break them? Must I break them? Am I under a necessity of it as long as I live in the world? O my soul! woe, woe is me that I am a sinner.” What can a saved sinner offer to God? This chapter answers that question. Once a vow was made, it became mandatory. “It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry” (Pro_20:25). You make the inquiry first so you know what you are doing. “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” (Ecc_5:4-6). There were promissory vows and there were vows of renunciation. These vows figured large in the life of the nation. Then there was the Nazarite vow which is given in detail in Numbers 6. The most notable vow is the one made by Jephthah. “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” (Jdg_11:30-31). We know that God strictly forbade human sacrifice. I believe the original can also be translated, “…when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, or I will offer up a burnt offering.” Remember that it was his daughter who ran out to greet him.

He did not sacrifice his daughter, but he did offer her up to the Lord. This is made clear in Jdg_11:39-40: “And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.” In other words, she did not marry. For a Hebrew woman, this was a terrible thing. She was dedicated wholly to the Lord. Jephthah offered her to the Lord, but he did not sacrifice her by killing her. It was a rash vow that he had made, but at least he kept it. If a vow was not kept, a trespass and sin offering must be made (Lev_5:4-6). I believe that God will hold you to your vow. A great many Christians today are not keeping their vows to God. If you do not intend to keep a vow, or you think lightly about your dealing with God, then you had better take a second look at it. I think that there are many Christians who have been set aside today. There are many who are being judged and many who have fallen asleep as Paul says. Remember, God is not asking you to make a vow.

It is voluntary. But if you do promise God something, be sure you go through with it. “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou has vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth” (Deu_23:21-23).

Leviticus 27:1

COMMUTATION OF VOWS CONCERNING PERSONS"Making a singular vow," means to single out something of value, particularly precious to the individual. Remember how David would not offer to God something which had been donated to him. “…Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing …” (2Sa_24:24). If you are in a church and you are attempting to give to God some offering that costs you nothing, may God have mercy on you! We are not under a tithe system today. Israel was, but we are not. God does not require a tithe of us. We are to give a freewill offering. I can promise you that if you are cheap with God, God will be cheap with you. A successful business man was asked the secret of his success. He said, “As the Lord shovels it in, I shovel it out; the more I shovel it out, the more the Lord shovels it in.” Now, that is not to say that the Lord is promising to bless us with money. He has many kinds of blessings for us. However, I do believe that some of us are poor today and some of us have such a hard time financially because of the way we deal with God. A man came to me when the stock market crashed, and he brought in some stock which he offered with this comment, “Now that it is going down, I might just as well give it to the church.” God have mercy on that kind of giving. We are to give something of value. It should cost us something.

Leviticus 27:3

When a person was dedicated by a vow to God, it did not mean that individual must serve in the tabernaclethat was the peculiar service of the Levites. A redemption price could be paid for the person which would relieve him of that service. This is called the commutation price of the person. A man between the ages of twenty and sixty was of greater value because of the amount of work he could do. The labor value seemed to be the standard of evaluation. A male in the prime of life could render the most service. “By thy estimation” meant that which was the current value among the people. The labor value of a female would be less, but the important feature is that a female could be devoted to God. I think this makes it clear that the daughter of Jephthah was not offered as a human sacrifice but remained unmarried and was vowed to God. Hannah brought little Samuel to the temple as a thanksgiving offering to God in payment of her vow. She said, “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD …” (1Sa_1:27-28). She kept her vow. Have you ever come to God and presented yourself to Him? Have you presented your children to God? Your grandchildren? Have you presented your possessions to Him? He hasn’t commanded you to do that, but He has said that you may do it. If you do it, then it is mandatory that you make good.

Leviticus 27:5

You see that the scale of values was determined by age and not by social position, riches, or prestige. The value was based on the ability to labor. Notice how wonderfully God provided for the poor so they could participate in this voluntary service. A fair and equitable price was set by the priest according to the man’s ability to pay. The widow’s mite is of more value in heaven than the rich gifts of the wealthy and affluent. There is another striking feature about the vowing of persons. Ordinarily in human affairs, a man pays for the service of another. In the law of vows this is reversed and a man pays to serve God. It is a privilege to serve God.

Leviticus 27:9

COMMUTATION OF VOWS CONCERNING ANIMALSWhen I was pastor of a little country church, a member of the church took me out to his barn lot and showed me a calf. He told me he had given it to the LORD. To tell you the truth, that calf didn’t look as if it would live, and I suspect that is the reason he gave it to the Lord. Well, that calf became a blue-ribbon prize winner! Then the man told me, “You know, this is such a fine animal that I thought I’d better keep it. I have another animal over here that I’m giving to the Lord instead.” He sold it and gave the money to the church, and felt very comfortable about what he had done. God says, “Don’t substitute.” If you have promised to do something for God, go through with it. Remember the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. They said they were giving to the Lord the entire price of a piece of land, but they didn’t go through with it. They didn’t have to give all of it to God. Peter told them that while it was theirs, they were perfectly free to do with it what they wished. It was a voluntary offering, but then they tried to withhold some of it from God. This that we are talking about is real today. God holds us to our vows. If you have promised Him something and haven’t made good, it is still on His books. We are dealing with a God of reality.

Leviticus 27:11

An unclean animal could be pledged in a vow, but it would not be offered in sacrifice. The priest would value the animal, the man would pay the price of redemption and add a fifth of the price as a sort of fine for offering an unclean animal.

Leviticus 27:14

COMMUTATION OF VOWS CONCERNING HOUSESThe home of a man is his most sacred material possession. He could pledge it to the Lord. I think a Christian home, as well as the children of Christians, should be dedicated to God. The man could continue to live in his house and begin paying rent to God as the owner. If he did not continue paying his rent, he was to add a fifth when he redeemed it. Again this was a sort of fine in recognition of God’s ownership. A man asked me to come out to dedicate his house. He said he wanted it to be God’s house, and I could come out there any time I wanted to. Well, I had a house of my own and didn’t need to be running out to his house. If he really meant that it was God’s house, then he should pay God rent for it as a recognition of God’s ownership. You may ask me whether I think this is that literal. Yes, I think it is just that literal. We make vows to God of our freewill. Then we prove whether or not we are genuine in our vows. This gets right down to the nitty-gritty where you and I live.

Leviticus 27:16

COMMUTATION OF VOWS CONCERNING LANDThis must have been a very complicated system. Land could be dedicated to God even though the land belonged to God. The land was evaluated on the basis of its productivity and in relation to the year of Jubilee. All land returned to the original owner at that time. This was taken into account if a man dedicated the land to the Lord just shortly before the year of Jubilee as a gesture of generosity. In fact he might be a very selfish man. A man could not dedicate a borrowed field to God. God knows the heart of man.

Leviticus 27:26

CONCERNING THREE THINGS WHICH ARE THE LORD’S APART FROM A VOWThe firstborn of both man and beast were already claimed by the Lord and could not be devoted to the Lord in a vow. God insisted that His rights be observed.

Leviticus 27:28

The second classification of things which could not be devoted in a vow was that which was already pledged in a vow to God. In Joshua we learn that Jericho was devoted to God for destruction. Because Achan took of that which God had told them they should utterly destroy, Achan was destroyed (Josh. 6 and 7).

Leviticus 27:30

The tithe was the third thing which already belonged to God and could not be pledged in a vow.

Leviticus 27:34

This verse concludes the Book of Leviticus and sums it up. It also reveals that chapter 27 is not an addendum but part and parcel of the thinking of God for man under law. The believer can be thankful for the grace of God in this day. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit_2:11-14).