Living Stream Ministry

II. THE REGULATIONS FOR DEVOTION

Leviticus 27:26-33 speaks of the regulations for devotion.

A. The Firstborn among the Beasts, Which Belonged to Jehovah, No One Was Permitted to Sanctify

“But the firstborn among the beasts, which as a firstborn belongs to Jehovah, no one may sanctify; whether it is an ox or a sheep, it is Jehovah’s” (v. 26). This signifies that we may not devote anything that is owned by God. The firstborn are owned by God already; therefore, we have no right to devote them.

B. The Devoted Beast That Was Unclean Was to Be Ransomed, with One-fifth of the Valuation Added to It, or Sold according to the Priest’s Valuation

“And if it is among the unclean beasts, then he shall ransom it according to the valuation, and shall add one-fifth of its value to it; and if it is not redeemed, it shall be sold according to the valuation” (v. 27). This signifies that even though what we have devoted to God is unclean, through the valuation of our Mediator, the Lord Jesus, the motive of our devotion is still valuable to some degree before God. A certain thing we may wish to devote to God may not be acceptable to Him, but, through the Lord Jesus, the motive of our devotion is still dear to God.

C. No Devoted Thing Devoted to Jehovah Being Sold or Redeemed but Being Most Holy to Jehovah

“But no devoted thing which a man may devote to Jehovah out of all that he has, whether of man or of beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to Jehovah” (v. 28). This signifies that our devotion must be so strong that it cannot be altered.

D. No One Who Should Certainly Have Been Put to Death and Who Had Been Devoted to God Could Be Ransomed

“No one who has been devoted from among men shall be ransomed; he shall certainly be put to death” (v. 29). This signifies that whatever we devote to God that should be destroyed should not be released back to us.

(Life-Study of Leviticus, Chapter 63, by Witness Lee)