Bird's-eye view
Here at the end of Leviticus, we are dealing with the economics of devotion. The book has laid out the intricate system of sacrifices, the demands of holiness, and the separation of clean from unclean. Now, at the conclusion, we are given instructions for how to rightly value those things that are voluntarily dedicated to the Lord. This is not about the mandatory tithes, but rather about the free expression of a devoted heart. A man might, in a surge of gratitude or piety, set apart his house as holy to Yahweh. This is a good impulse, but God, being a God of order and not of chaos, provides a structure for how this is to be handled.
These two verses address the consecration of a house and its potential redemption. They establish a principle that runs throughout Scripture: what is given to God is truly given, and it falls under His authority. The priest, as God's representative, is tasked with the valuation. But the passage also provides a gracious way for the man to buy back his own house, with a key condition attached. This isn't just archaic real estate law; it's a tangible lesson in the costliness of dedication and the nature of redemption. It teaches us that while our vows are significant, God's grace provides a way forward, but it is a grace that must not be treated cheaply.
Outline
- 1. The Sanctification of Property (v. 14)
- a. The Voluntary Act of Dedication (v. 14a)
- b. The Priestly Valuation (v. 14b)
- c. The Authority of the Valuation (v. 14c)
- 2. The Redemption of Sanctified Property (v. 15)
- a. The Option of Redemption (v. 15a)
- b. The Redemption Price: Valuation Plus a Fifth (v. 15b)
- c. The Restoration of Ownership (v. 15c)
Context In Leviticus
Leviticus 27 functions as an appendix to the entire book, dealing with vows and things consecrated to the Lord. After the grand pronouncements of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience in chapter 26, this final chapter brings the principles of holiness down to the level of personal property and possessions. It addresses the practical outworking of a heart devoted to God. What do you do when you promise something to the Lord? This chapter provides the answer, covering persons, animals, houses, and land.
The placement is significant. The entire book has been about drawing near to a holy God. The sacrificial system, the purity laws, the Day of Atonement, all of it has instructed Israel on how to live as a holy nation in the presence of Yahweh. This final chapter underscores that this holiness is not an abstract concept; it touches everything, including a man's home. It's the application of all that has come before, showing that our devotion has tangible, economic consequences.
Clause-by-Clause Commentary
v. 14 ‘Now if a man sets his house apart as holy to Yahweh, then the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand.
The verse begins with a voluntary action. This is not a tax or a required offering. This is a man whose heart is moved to dedicate his dwelling to the Lord. To set something apart as "holy" means to consecrate it, to remove it from common use and assign it to God's service. In this case, the house would become the property of the tabernacle, and its value would be used to support the work of the priests and the sanctuary. This act of sanctification is a recognition that all we have is from the Lord, and it is our privilege to give it back to Him.
Once the vow is made, the matter moves out of the man's hands and into the hands of the priest. The priest's job is to be an objective arbiter. He is to "value it as either good or bad." This doesn't mean a moral judgment, but rather an economic one. Is it a well-built house or a shack? The valuation is based on its market worth. The priest is not to be swayed by the owner's sentimentality or by a desire to inflate the value for the sanctuary. He is to make a sober, honest assessment. And notice the finality: "as the priest values it, so it shall stand." This is a binding valuation. The priest acts as God's ordained authority in the matter, and his word is decisive. This teaches us that our dedication to God, while flowing from the heart, must be subject to the order and authority that God has established in His church.
v. 15 Yet if the one who sets it apart as holy should wish to redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his.
Here we see the provision of grace. A man might make a vow in a moment of zeal and later realize the practical hardship of losing his home. Or perhaps his circumstances change. God provides a way for him to "redeem" his house. The word redeem is crucial; it means to buy back something that was forfeited or sold. It is a central theme of the entire Bible, culminating in the redemption we have in Christ.
But this redemption is not free, and it is not cheap. To redeem the house, the man must first pay the full valuation price set by the priest. But that's not all. He must "add one-fifth of your valuation price to it." This additional twenty percent is the key to the whole transaction. Why the extra fifth? It serves two purposes. First, it discourages rash or frivolous vows. If you know that changing your mind will cost you a significant penalty, you will be more careful with your words. It upholds the sanctity of a vow made to God. Second, it teaches a profound theological lesson. Redemption always costs more than the original value. When we were lost in sin, Christ did not just pay the original price of our creation; He paid the infinitely higher price of His own blood to buy us back from the slavery of sin and death. The extra fifth is a tangible picture of the fact that grace is not cheap. It is costly grace. Once this price is paid, the valuation plus the twenty percent, the house "may be his." The ownership is fully restored. The debt is paid, and the man can live in his redeemed house with a fresh understanding of both the seriousness of his vow and the high cost of redemption.
Application
We are not under the Levitical code today, but the principles here are perennial. We are called to set our entire lives apart as holy to the Lord. Our homes, our work, our families, all are to be consecrated to His service. This is not done through a formal declaration before a priest, but through a daily surrender to the lordship of Christ. Our homes should be places of worship, hospitality, and refuge, set apart from the world for the glory of God.
Furthermore, this passage reminds us of the cost of our redemption. We were God's by creation, but we sold ourselves into the slavery of sin. We were like the consecrated house, forfeited and belonging to another. To redeem us, Christ did not just pay our original worth. He added the infinite value of His own perfect life and substitutionary death. He paid the price "plus a fifth," and then some. Because of this, we are not our own; we have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). We are His, twice over. This should fill us with gratitude and motivate us to live as redeemed people, joyfully serving the One who paid such a high price to bring us back to Himself.