In this message we come to the last chapter of Leviticus, a chapter concerning the devotions for a vow.
The book of Leviticus concludes with a vow which we need to have with God. After the twenty-six foregoing chapters, in which many things are covered, this book speaks in chapter twenty-seven about our making a vow to God. This vow is of four kinds of devotions: the devotion of a person, the devotion of cattle, the devotion of a house, and the devotion of a part of a field. These four kinds of devotions surely express what God wants from us, the persons who have enjoyed all the blessings and all the visitations in the foregoing chapters.
In the first section of this book, we have seen the offerings with the priesthood. The offerings refer to Christ, and the priesthood indicates the body of priestly service that takes care of the offerings. In the second section we have seen our condition, which is a matter of uncleanness and unclean discharge. After seeing our condition, we were brought into the enjoyment of the feasts, and this leads us into the jubilee. Then we received a warning. Now, at the end of Leviticus, we need a vow.
Actually, the Christian life should be a life of a vow. I believe that within the heart of every saved one there is, to some extent, a vow to God. This vow may be evident or it may not be evident; it may be strong or it may be rather weak. Nevertheless, there is some kind of vow within every saved one. At least there is a desire which may result in a vow. The desire toward God is the source, and this desire results in a vow to God. Our desire toward God eventually becomes a vow made to God.
On our part, the Christian life is a life of making a vow to God. This should happen not only once but again and again. Every time we experienced a revival we made a vow to God. Now every morning when we are revived we make a kind of vow to God. Therefore, our Christian life is a life of a vow.
Leviticus concludes with devotions for a vow. The totality of all the things in this book is a vow. When we add together the offerings, the priesthood, our condition, our enjoyment of Christ, and the jubilee, the sum, the total, is a vow. This vow then becomes our life, our living. The Levitical living, therefore, is the living of a vow.
The book of Leviticus begins with our offering of Christ in many aspects to God for the satisfaction of both God and man, and it ends with our devoting ourselves and our possessions to God for our vow to Him. But what does the word devote mean? What does it mean to say that we devote ourselves to God? Some may think that devote is the same as to offer or to consecrate. According to my understanding, to devote is stronger than to offer or to consecrate; it is also stronger than to give, to present, to yield, and to surrender. A devotion must always go with a vow. Something may be offered or given without a vow being involved; but if something is given to a person in a will, that is a kind of devotion with a vow. Such a devotion cannot be changed. For this reason, to devote is stronger than to offer.
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