Leviticus 27, Regulations on Voluntary Offerings

Here are a couple more observations on Lev. 26.

·       26:22,31,32,34,35,43: We mentioned earlier the term “fury” as being significant in the prophets as they prophesied of the coming judgment on Israel that would bring about removal from the land.  Another key term is found in these verses: desolate/desolation.  In 2 Chron. 7:19-22 the LORD warned Solomon about the desolation of the city, temple and land if the people disobeyed.  This was the reason for the 70 years of Babylonian captivity prophesied by Jeremiah (2 Chron. 36:17-21).  Look how Jeremiah keys in on the term in Jer. 12:11: They have made it desolate; desolate, it mourns to Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no one takes it to heart.  The point that we are making is that the prophets knew Lev. 26.  They saw the disobedience of the nations, they saw God’s patience, and they knew that His patience would be turned to fury and bring about the desolation of the land. 

·       26:43-45: This chapter is about the effect of the Law on whether or not Israel stayed in the land.  The Law was never intended to justify a person before God; that was always by faith.  But it is about staying in the land, as this chapter points out.  In the end, because of God’s gracious and unconditional covenant with Abraham, we know that He will not utterly destroy them and break (His) covenant with them. 

I find it quite interesting that the inspiring Holy Spirit concluded Leviticus with this chapter on voluntary offerings.  Chapters 1-26 are obligatory.  Ch. 27 has regulations about the proper conduct of voluntary offerings; so the regulations are obligatory but the offerings are voluntary.  It just reminds us, again, that the OT calls for true worship from the heart.  The obligations of the Mosaic Law are built on the greatest commandment: Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength (Deut. 6:5).

·       27:1-8: Regulations on dedicating persons to the Lord.  Their value is based on their ability to serve.

·       27:9-13: Regulations on dedicating animals to the Lord.

·       27:14-15: Regulations on dedicating houses to the Lord.

·       27:16-25: Regulations on dedicating land to the Lord.  There was a distinction between family land (inheritance, v16-21) and non-family land (v22-25).

·       27:26-33: These regulations prohibited dedicating a firstborn to the LORD (all firstborn were already His), a condemned person (that would dishonor the LORD; they had no value), or tithes (again, the tithe already was the LORD’s).

This concludes laws given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  In Numbers the people will begin to move toward the Promised Land.