D. A Purchased Slave of a Priest and Those Who Were Born in a Priest’s House Being Permitted to Eat the Holy Things

“But if a priest buys a slave, the purchase of his money, that one may eat of it; and those who are born in his house may eat of his food” (v. 11). This signifies that the ones purchased by Christ with His precious blood and born of God in His house may enjoy Christ. Since we have been purchased by Christ and since we were born of God in His house, we are surely qualified to enjoy Christ.

E. The Priest’s Daughter Who Married an Outsider Was Forbidden to Eat the Heave Offering of the Holy Things, but If She Became a Widow or Was Divorced, and Had No Child and Returned to Her Father’s House, She Was Permitted to Eat Her Father’s Food

“And if the priest’s daughter marries an outsider, she shall not eat of the heave offering of the holy things. But if the priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, and has no child, and she returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; but no outsider shall eat of it” (vv. 12-13). This signifies that a believer who is attracted away by an outsider may not enjoy the ascended Christ. But if he cuts off his relationship with the outsider without leaving any connection and returns to the church, he may still enjoy Christ.

For one to be a daughter of the priest means that such a one belongs to the priesthood. If we who belong to the priesthood are attracted by an outsider, we are finished with the priesthood and with the enjoyment of Christ. However, if that attraction dies and we return to the church life, then our enjoyment of Christ will be recovered.

F. A Man Who Ate a Holy Thing through Ignorance Adding One-fifth More to It and Giving It to the Priest

“If a man eats a holy thing through ignorance, then he shall add one-fifth more to it and give the holy thing to the priest” (v. 14). Here we see that if someone ate a holy thing without knowing that it was holy, he was required to make restitution by adding one-fifth more to the holy thing and giving it to the priest. This signifies that our careless enjoyment of Christ should not be considered a real enjoyment of Christ but should be dealt with before God.

It is possible for us to be self-deceived regarding the enjoyment of Christ. We may think that we are enjoying Christ, when that enjoyment is not the real enjoyment of Christ. Such a false enjoyment of Christ needs to be dealt with before God.

II. THE ACCEPTABLE WAY FOR THE OFFERING OF A VOW AND A FREEWILL OFFERING

We have briefly covered the need of holiness for the enjoyment of Christ as the holy things. Now we shall consider from verses 18 through 33 the acceptable way for the offering of a vow and a freewill offering.

A vow is much stronger than a freewill offering. Once made, a vow is something very stable, and it must be kept. A freewill offering, on the contrary, is a matter of our free will. We may make a freewill offering and then not follow through with it or even forget it. We may have a freewill offering toward God and later want to change it. This refers to a kind of consecration that is not stable or sure. A vow, however, is like an oath made with God that cannot be retracted. It must be kept. A saint may consecrate himself to God of his free will, but after a period of time, he may forget about it. But a vow cannot be cancelled. Hence, the offerings for a vow are stronger than those for a freewill offering. Furthermore, a certain offering may be accepted as a freewill offering but not as an offering for a vow.
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