Why is this passage in Leviticus? (priest, Moses, exodus, blood)

GodLovesUs · #1 01-31-2006, 09:52 AM

Can someone explain this passage in Leviticus?

27:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

27:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When a man makes a vow, the persons shall be for Yahweh by your valuation.

27:3 Your valuation shall be of a male from twenty years old even to sixty years old, even your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

27:4 If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

27:5 If the person is from five years old even to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.

27:6 If the person is from a month old even to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver.

27:7 If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.

27:8 But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him who vowed shall the priest value him.

fromthe heart · #2 01-31-2006, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GodLovesUs

Can someone explain this passage in Leviticus?

27:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

27:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When a man makes a vow, the persons shall be for Yahweh by your valuation.

27:3 Your valuation shall be of a male from twenty years old even to sixty years old, even your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

27:4 If it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels.

27:5 If the person is from five years old even to twenty years old, then your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels.

27:6 If the person is from a month old even to five years old, then your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver.

27:7 If the person is from sixty years old and upward; if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels.

27:8 But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him who vowed shall the priest value him.

I could be wrong but I think this passage has to do with Vows...these were voluntary obligations assumed before God, often to obtain some desired blessing.

In Genisis we see humanity ruined and in Exodus we see how humanity is redeemed and then in Leviticus it deals with humanity worshipping God...In this book we see that 7 is a significant numberas in 7ty day-Sabbath; 7th year Sabbatic year; 7times 7 years was Jubilee,Pentacost is 7 weeks after Passover; in the 7th month were the feast of the trumpets,tabernacles and atonement...the passages you listed was just wraping up worship ideals by the children of God...perhaps this was their tithing amounts to be given unto God? You have to remember this was during the time where slaves were set free...the blowing of the trumpet signified the ushering in the year released to every bondperson. All slaves of Israelite blood were freed.

michel · #3 01-31-2006, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fromthe heart

I could be wrong but I think this passage has to do with Vows...these were voluntary obligations assumed before God, often to obtain some desired blessing.

In Genisis we see humanity ruined and in Exodus we see how humanity is redeemed and then in Leviticus it deals with humanity worshipping God...In this book we see that 7 is a significant numberas in 7ty day-Sabbath; 7th year Sabbatic year; 7times 7 years was Jubilee,Pentacost is 7 weeks after Passover; in the 7th month were the feast of the trumpets,tabernacles and atonement...the passages you listed was just wraping up worship ideals by the children of God...perhaps this was their tithing amounts to be given unto God? You have to remember this was during the time where slaves were set free...the blowing of the trumpet signified the ushering in the year released to every bondperson. All slaves of Israelite blood were freed.

It would seem so; from:-http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=291

The summary is as follows:-(See the site for the full details)
Overall Observations of Leviticus 27

(1) The entire chapter deals with those gifts which men have voluntarily purposed and promised to dedicate to God. It is very clear in this chapter and from the context of Leviticus as a whole that the offerings which are vowed here are purely voluntary. The vow-gifts are always set apart from the gifts which the Israelites were obligated to give their God.

(2) The concern of the chapter is not to instruct the Israelites that they should make such vows, or how they should make them. Not in Leviticus, nor elsewhere in the Bible, do we find any detailed instructions concerning the making of such vows (other than the exhortation to make all vows cautiously and thoughtfully and then to keep them). This seems to be because vow-making was so common in the ancient Near East that this was unnecessary.

(3) The thrust of the chapter is regarding if and how the Israelites can break their vows. The regulations found in Leviticus 27 are those required by the breaking of vows. The values of each offering were precisely determined and the penalties for redeeming the offering were given so that an Israelite would know if he could renege on his vow and, if so, how he was to go about it (primarily this involved how much he was to pay in penalties).

(4) The regulations of this chapter taught the Israelite that it is a costly matter to break one’s vow. In some instances, what was vowed could not be redeemed, and when it could be redeemed, the offerer would do so at a high price. In instances where the Israelite would try to illegitimately avoid the penalty by substituting offerings, he would lose not only his offering, but the substitute as well. One might be able to reverse his vow, but it wouldn’t be done cheaply.

(5) The underlying assumption is that man is a fallen creature, whose commitments will cool and whose religious zeal will wane. The regulations of Leviticus 27 assume that the Israelite who has vowed to make a certain freewill offering to God will very likely cool in his enthusiasm and will therefore attempt to break his vow or to lower the price or the quality of his offering. None of the regulations of chapter 27 would have been necessary if it were not for the fall of man and for his sin, which dampened his enthusiasm, minimized his generosity, and hindered his worship.