In Lev. 27: 28, 29, are some things which perplex me, and also verses 2-8. Can you give me some light upon them. J. S.
Verses 2-8 refer to the dedication to the Lord of persons whom one could dedicate. Of course they could not be sacrificed even tho given to God, and therefore the Lord placed a certain value upon persons thus dedicated, children they might be, servants or slaves—for the Israelites held slaves, and it might be captives—taken in the wars, which would be used as servants. Males between the ages of twenty and sixty were valued at fifty shekels of silver, a female at thirty, and others in proportion to their ages. The individual could give the money into the treasury of the Lord's house instead of giving the person. Of course the persons were not to be offered as sacrifices, nor could they be used otherwise. Verses 28 and 29 refer to devoted things, that is, things that are accursed; that is the meaning of the word "devoted," accursed, or devoted, of God. So Jericho was devoted. It must be destroyed. So a man or beast thus devoted was one which was worthy of death, and consequently must be put to death. We are not to understand by this, however, that the devoting of persons to death rested with the individual; that must be in harmony with God's plan. In His plan those tribes which inhabited Palestine had reached that condition of wickedness that it was a mercy to rid the earth of them. So when Saul was sent on his mission against the Amalekites, they were to be devoted, all their cattle, and all their beasts; they could not be redeemed.