Christ in all the scriptures Devotions

Christ in all the scriptures

Singular vows in devotions to the Lord  Leviticus 27

This closing chapter of Leviticus is intriguing and introduces another dimension to the wonder of our God.  In chapter 26, the issue was statutes, laws, judgments, commandments.  These were mandatory, the observance of which brought blessing, and the disregard brought cursing.  Now in chapter 27 the issue is vows of devotion to the Lord, and these are voluntary: they are gifts to the Lord beyond His commandments in gratitude to His goodness.  A look at the New Testament reveals that Paul differentiated between what was mandatory, and what was expedient in his letter to the Corinthians (refer chapter 7 and 14 particularly)  In1st Timothy 2, he divides the chapter into two sections-v1-7 "I exhort therefore..."; and v8-15 "I will therefore...".  The first appeal was exhortatory in light of Divine grace to the world; the second was mandatory using apostolic authority.  There are things we must do, there are other things we could do in light of the goodness of God.  The God of majestic holiness demands our obedience, but He also deserves our offerings.

At the heart of this intriguing chapter is the fact that all our possessions are His; that "He made the world and all things therein", and anything we give to Him is of what He gave us. The chapter begins "When a man will make a singular vow..."-v2.  The Hebrew word pala means wonderful, or marvellous, something hard to do, something extraordinary, or beyond the call of duty-refer Genesis 18v14 (hard); Exodus 3v20 (wonders); Exodus 34v10 (marvels).  How gracious of the Lord to describe anything we give to Him as wonderful, but this is the meaning throughout the chapter.  He speaks about devoting persons (v2-8), animals (v9-13), houses v14-15), inheritance (v16-21), land (v22-25).  A reading of the chapter reveals He does not necessarily mean the giving of all these, but He puts a monetary value by which they would be deemed to have given the gifts as stated.  He gives some regulations regarding all these, for these are gifts to the LORD, and there should be due reverence.  That which is given to the Lord, is called "a devoted thing", and was not for return except on redemption terms.  He makes provision, however for recall, because He graciously accepts that people make vows hastily without counting the cost, and find themselves in difficulty.  For example Paul reminded the Corinthians (2nd Cor. 8v10-12) that they had purposed a year ago to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem, but it had not still materialised, and he said, "As there was a readiness to will, so there would be a performance out of that which ye already have".  They had promised but not yet fulfilled.

All of this goes to the integrity of our words and our ambitions.  A vow is not necessarily for the time it was made, but perhaps for time in the future.  It is a noble thing to make a vow, a commitment unto the Lord, but sometimes the ambition is beyond our ability.  God does not expect us to give of what we do not possess, and He graciously compensates, both now and in eternity for anything we give.   The subject is so vast that we cannot linger, save to say that what we give of an extraordinary nature is a delight to the Lord.

To bring all this in line with our core subject, namely, "Christ in all the scriptures", we can look to the greatest example of all, Christ Himself, who vowed to save the world by the sacrifice of Himself.  There was no duty upon Him to do all that He did, but He did it out of compassion and love to us.

God, Himself, made vows, and unlike most of us He keeps them.  As Balaam the prophet proclaimed under inspiration, "God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent: hath He said and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken and shall He not make it good?-Numbers 23v19.  He first made an oath to Abraham-Genesis 22v16-18 to bless all his seed.  He swore to David that of the fruit of his body He would set on his throne-Psalm 132v11; and that this throne would be everlasting-2nd Samuel 7v16.  He swore to Christ that He would be a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek-Psalm 110v3-4.  "All the promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him Amen unto the glory of God by us" wrote Paul in 2nd Cor. 1v20.  To Titus he wrote (1v2) "...in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began". 

The singular vow that Jesus made is truly wonderful, yet it was also truly hard for Him.  This is recorded in Hebrews 10v5-10.  It is His vow to God on behalf of us:

At His birth "When He cometh into the world, He saith, (quoting from Psalm 40v6-8-Septuagint version) sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou hast had no pleasure.  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will O my God".  Above when He said "Sacrifice and offering and burnt offering and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither had pleasure therein"; which are offered by the law; then said He "Lo I come to do thy will O God", He taketh away the first that He might establish the second.  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all".

In His public life (Luke 9v51) "And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem".  He came into the world to die, to glorify God and save mankind.  Like the flint of an arrow, He set His face, nothing would stop Him until He had finished the work.

At His death (Isaiah 50v5-7) "The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.  I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheek to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.  For the Lord God will help me ; therefore I shall not be confounded: therefore have I set my face as a flint; and I know that I shall not be ashamed".

A truly hard pathway, a truly noble cause, a marvellous vow accomplished for He could say, "I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do"-John 17v4 The hymnwriter-Wylie McLeod in his lovely hymn, "A perfect path of purest grace..." crystallises the thought-"THE VOW WAS ON THEE THOU DIDST COME TO YIELD THYSELF TO DEATH.  AND CONSECRATION MARKED THY PATH AND SPOKE IN EVERY BREATH".