LEVITICUS 27
This chapter deals with what is devoted or hallowed to Jehovah by His people. It concerns the spontaneous fruit of divine grace, maturing in a willing-hearted people. It is an attractive subject to those who love God.
Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 1: 11) was the prayer of a devoted heart. Such prayers do not fail of an answer. She prayed for “a man child”, not to have the gain of him for herself, but that she might “give him to Jehovah all the days of his life”. She devoted him by a vow in a day when the priesthood was feeble and undiscerning in Eli, and corrupt in his sons, and the kingdom was shortly to be introduced. I think that we may say that Jehovah, and Israel too, got the value of that vow. The prophetic word came in by Samuel, and the way for the setting up of the kingdom was prepared. There is much in common between Hannah’s day and our own.
We are called upon to yield ourselves “to God as alive from among the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6: 13). We are privileged to present our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service” (Romans 12: 1). If we have not yielded ourselves to God we are not yet in normal Christian relations with Him. Paul says of the assemblies of Macedonia that “they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us by God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8: 5). That is the starting point of what is for God — a self-dedication which has definite spiritual value.
But this chapter teaches us that there is a graduated scale of spiritual value even in what is devoted. All [p. 295] devotedness is not alike. It may be feeble and immature, as seen “from a month old even unto five years old”; it may be growing up in increasing strength, as typified “from five years old even unto twenty years old”; it may be in the maturity of full growth “from twenty years old even unto sixty”; it may be of “male” or “female” character — a greater or less measure of active energy; or it may, alas! be weakening or decrepit, as “from sixty years old and above”.
There is such a thing as spiritual growth, and no doubt John’s three grades of babes, young men, and fathers would correspond with the three different ages here with their increasing “valuation”. “From sixty years old and above” is a sorrowful picture of decline. It is very sad when a man’s spiritual value drops, but it is by no means an uncommon case. Look at Ephesus! There was, perhaps, the highest possible spiritual value there at one time, but Revelation 2 shows how terribly it dropped. It should be a constant exercise with us to be on the line of increase rather than diminution. There is no reason on the divine side why we should ever get above “sixty” in a spiritual sense. Decline is not inevitable. Moses’ eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated, at one hundred and twenty (Deuteronomy 34: 7); Caleb was as good a warrior at eighty-five as he was at forty (Joshua 14: 7, 10). Paul, John, and Peter never dropped in the scale of spiritual value; and some of us have known what it was to be in contact with men and women whose spiritual value did not drop to the very end of their course. What encouragement there is in this!
The valuation of Moses would typify the Lord’s [p. 296] estimate of our true spiritual value: that is, of what we really are by divine grace. There is often a great disparity between our natural age and our spiritual growth. It does not follow that because I have been breaking bread forty or fifty years I am full grown. I may be spiritually under “five”! But even in that case I have a definite spiritual value, and my happiness will very largely depend on my answering to it in true devotedness. The Lord does not value us by our natural abilities or mental powers or acquirements; He values us according to what we are by the grace of God. Paul could say, “By God’s grace I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15: 10), and every truly converted person can say that. What we are by God’s grace is the measure of our spiritual value, and the Lord takes account of it; He makes no mistakes in His “valuation”. Many persons may overvalue me, and some may undervalue me, but my comfort is that the Lord does neither. He knows exactly my true age spiritually, and values me accordingly. Now I want to answer to that so that God may get the full value of it from me. If people overvalue me they only put me in a false position, for I cannot yield fifty shekels if I am only worth twenty! If they undervalue me they rob themselves of some of the gain which they might derive from me through grace. It is safer for me to be undervalued, but if my brethren were to undervalue me — which they do not — they would be the losers! How much the blessed Lord Himself was undervalued! They weighed for Him thirty silver pieces — “a goodly price that I was prized at by them”. Jehovah says, “Cast it unto the potter”. He absolutely repudiates their valuation. “Chosen of God and precious”, “a name, that which is above every name”, “crowned with glory and honour”, and all heaven filled with worshipping myriads, tell God’s valuation of Christ!
Each of us has to be exercised that God gets the full value of what we are by His grace. None of us need wish to be somebody else, but we have to see to it that we come up to the measure of the grace, or faith, or gift which God has bestowed upon us. The question is, Are we devoted to God according to the “valuation” which the Lord has made of us?
As to service we find the Lord giving talents “to each according to his particular ability” (Matthew 25: 15). He estimated the value of each for service. But what we have before us in Leviticus 27 lies behind that; it is a question of our value in devotedness of heart. If that is there as a basis God can confer gift. I am sure if there were more devotedness there would be more gift; for gift comes in answer to desire (1 Corinthians 12: 31; 1 Corinthians 14: 1). It is probable, too, that there is already much gift, and God-given ability, amongst Christians which does not come into activity because devotedness is not sufficiently energetic. I am convinced that God would have us more exercised to grow in devotedness, so that our spiritual “valuation” might increase. Romans 16 is a beautiful illustration of spiritual valuation. Paul does not lump together all those mentioned; he has something different to say of almost each one.
Leviticus is a book of wonderful grace; grace comes in at unexpected places; and there is a beautiful touch of it here in relation to the man who is “poorer than thy valuation” (verse 8). Every Israelite ought [p. 298] to have been able to answer to the valuation of Moses. To be poor in Israel would indicate some failure to utilize the wealth of the land. But, notwithstanding this, there is a compassionate consideration of the actual means of one who is poorer than the valuation. He is not deprived of all opportunity to be devoted. “He shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him: according to his means that vowed shall the priest value him”. The priest valued a poor man, not according to what he ought to pay, but according to his actual means. His devotedness was accepted, through priestly grace, even though its value was not so great as it might have been, or ought to have been. I have no doubt there are many who, from different causes, are actually “poorer” than they ought to be. But if this is owned compassionate priestly grace is available, and a measure of devotedness may be accepted as being what is within the “means” of the poor person. These things are very touching; they magnify the grace of our God, and give us to know Him better.
If you are conscious that you are poorer than the “valuation”, go to the Priest. You will find priestly grace that estimates the devotedness of which you are capable, and it is permitted to you to be as devoted as you are spiritually able to be. Many a young believer has prayed earnestly that he might be wholly for the Lord. I suppose that we have all done so at some time or other. There was devotedness in that; but we may not have fully followed it up. Through unwatchfulness and lack of spiritual diligence we may find that practically we have not “means” to carry out what we desired and intended. We have fallen off in earnestness, and divine resources have been [p. 299] neglected, or but partially utilized. Let us go to the Priest in true exercise of heart; He will value us according to our actual means at the moment, and there will be something really for God, and accepted by Him. But then in honouring God according to our means we shall come in for great spiritual gain according to Proverbs 3: 9, 10, and our “means” will rapidly increase. So that one who really judged his past slackness and want of purpose, and had to do with Christ about it, would find his “means” increase, and if spiritual diligence were maintained he would come up to his true spiritual valuation. It is a comfort to know that the Lord makes the best of what is there. We see that in the epistles to the seven assemblies; He puts the full value on what is there, though He calls attention to the deficiency. But then when there is true exercise He makes divine resources available in Himself and in the Spirit, and the deficiency is made up.
The Lord as Man here was fully devoted to God; the vows of God were upon Him. But He was absolutely cast upon God for those resources of divine strength by which alone devotedness could be preserved and carried through. He set Jehovah always before Him, and was never diverted a hair’s-breadth. He was always in the spirit of “Preserve me, O God: for I trust in thee” (Psalm 16: 1). We can only be devoted as we follow Him in that path of prayerful dependence, divinely strengthened and maintained. There are wonderful “means” available for us — Christ and the Spirit and all divine resources. We may have neglected to draw upon our resources, and therefore our “means” in a practical sense may be reduced, but the deficiency can be supplied. Let us [p. 300] not forget the Priest in all His compassion and consideration. I have often been touched by the grace which He has shown to me, when I have had to own that I was poorer than the “valuation”. And I have seen His grace to others who have felt in the later years of their lives ashamed that they had not been more devoted. The enemy might use the consciousness of this to cast us down. But the grace of Christ is wonderful, and were there is an upright acknowledgment, and a true turning to Him, He can secure to the heart what it desires in the way of devotedness.
“And if it be a beast whereof men bring an offering unto Jehovah, all that they give of such unto Jehovah shall be holy” (verse 9). This would, I think, typify an apprehension of Christ as held by the heart of the believer in true devotedness to God. There is no “valuation” here, for it is the preciousness of Christ Himself that is set forth in such a beast. It is not to be altered or changed. The purpose of heart which devoted what it apprehended of Christ to the pleasure of God is to stand. Even another, and perhaps a better, apprehension of Christ cannot be substituted for it, though it may be added to it. Each apprehension of Christ that is devoted is “holy”, and it is so pleasurable to God that He will not forego it. This shows how God values every movement of devotedness in the hearts of His people in relation to their apprehensions of Christ. What has been devoted to Him cannot be recalled, but this is because of the pleasure God has in retaining it for Himself. It is really a lovely touch of grace. He says, as it were, You may add a better beast if you can, and if your heart prompts you to do so, but I value your first [p. 301] movement of devotion too much to allow anything to be substituted for it.
An “unclean beast, of which they do not bring an offering unto Jehovah” (verse 11), would, I think, apply to anything which had not “holy” character which might be surrendered in devotedness to God. Not something sinful, but something on the line of the natural. This must be valued by the priest because it expresses a heart-movement which yields something definitely for God. That yield may be more or less; all surrenders have not the same value. The Priest knows exactly how to appraise all such devoted things. Many have made surrenders which all could see — giving up earthly prospects and advantages, and comforts and family ties, to serve the Lord. Others have made surrenders for the Lord’s sake only known to themselves and to Him. All such surrenders are appraised by the Priest. There may have been mixed motives in some of them which have diminished their value, but the Priest takes account of their true worth God-ward. There are no mistakes in His valuation. “According to the valuation of the priest, so shall it be”.
In this case the thought of redeeming the devoted beast is brought in. “And if they will in any wise redeem it, then they shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy valuation” (verse 13). Probably the thought of redemption looks on to the future. The spirit of devotedness in the day when the Messiah is in reproach and rejection leads to surrender, as the Lord so plainly intimated in the Gospels. But in a coming day Israel will take up on redemption ground what the faithful remnant surrendered in their devotedness, and they will so hold these things in relation to Jehovah that He will get His added “fifth”.
The hallowing of a “house” would speak of devotedness coming out in relation to the conditions in which God’s people dwell together. We have seen “a leprous plague in a house” in chapter 14, but here we have the thought of a hallowed house. I suppose every believer has some idea that there is a “house” character of things; that is, that Christians have the privilege of being together. Generally speaking they do get together in some way, but the question is raised here of the value of the “house”. It may be a “good” house or a “bad” one, and its value will be correspondingly high or low as an expression of devotedness. The Priest does not value an unhallowed house. There may be associations in which there is no element of devotedness — of being “holy to Jehovah”. This scripture does not concern such associations, and one would trust that no true saint would wish his “house” conditions to have that character. But if there is a true desire that the “house” should be hallowed it becomes a serious exercise to know what value Christ puts upon it. How much devotedness does it really express? How much spiritual value is there in it? The Priest makes no mistake. Let us not be content without getting His valuation of our “house”.
The one who hallowed the house could have it for his own by paying the price of redemption. This suggests that to dwell in a hallowed “house” costs something! When it came home to the people of God that a great corrupt profession united with the world was no suited “house” for them, and they sought to have a “house” which could be held as truly hallowed, they had to pay the price. Every hallowed “house” costs something if it is to be [p. 303] possessed in a divine way. The greater the spiritual value of the “house” — the more true devotedness it expresses — the more it costs to secure it as our own.
God has given great light in these last days as to the “house” conditions in which He would have His people to dwell. Many have been enlightened as to assembly truth and principles. We cannot plead lack of light as an excuse for the “house” being “bad”, for in the grace of the Lord, and by the Holy Spirit, there has been a great opening up from scripture of the spiritual conditions that make the house “good”. We have to see that those conditions get place with us in a practical way, and that they are maintained in a spirit of true devotedness. Our “house” should be a hallowed one, and we should be prepared to pay the price so that we may hold it as having made it our own. I have no doubt there has often been great devotedness with little light; the Priest knows how to value it aright. It is for us to see that with much light we do not fail in devotedness.
The hallowed “field” (verses 16 - 21) would refer, I believe, to Israel’s portion on earth, which he failed to “redeem”, and to which he has lost all title. It has reverted to Jehovah and to the Priest. Israel has no longer any claim or right to the land. They will inherit, but it will be through the blessed Priest whom they have so long despised and rejected, and through Jehovah’s sovereign mercy under new covenant conditions. It will be to them Emmanuel’s land, and as a devoted people they will hold it as hallowed, and all that is due to Jehovah will be rendered.
“The firstling” (verse 26) cannot be hallowed, because “it is Jehovah’s”. “And as to every tithe ... it is Jehovah’s” (verse 30). There is that which [p. 304] God claims as His due, and which must be rendered to Him. The voluntary devotion which is set forth in a “vow” is very acceptable to God, but He reminds us in the closing verses of this book that He has definite claims which cannot be righteously ignored. We must all feel how desirable it is that the spirit of devotedness should be increased in our hearts. But while we think of this let us not forget that there is much which is not left to be suggested by voluntary devotedness, but which is a matter of simple obedience, and of rendering to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ what is due. If we are not faithful in such matters we certainly cannot take the ground of being devoted.