Leviticus Lesson 22

Leviticus

Lesson 22

Hi and welcome back to this, the final lesson in our study of the book of Leviticus! Yes, the final lesson! Hard to believe, but true! And, even though we have learned a lot about this important Book of the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. There is so much more that we could have studied. But, this is true about the Bible as a whole; a person could spend their entire life studying the Bible and still not be anywhere close to "knowing it all." But, then, "knowing it all" is not what is important. What IS important is knowing God, the author of the Bible!

Anyway, in this final lesson, we are going to be looking at Chapter 27. What is IN this chapter? you ask. Well, this chapter deals mainly with things which the Israelites offered, promised, and dedicated as Vows to the Lord --specifically people, animals, houses, lands, and tithes. These vows were gifts and offerings of special thanksgiving and worship to the Lord and they were given over and above the usual and expected sacrifices.

So, with that said, let's read this final chapter in Leviticus. Then, after we read it, we will look at some of its various teachings in more detail. So, your assignment now is to read Chapter 27 of Leviticus (printed here for you or you may use your own Bible) and, as you read this chapter, look for and mark the following:

1. Put a BLUE CIRCLE around every occurrence of vow, vows, vowed, or any other word used in place of those words. Also UNDERLINE in BLUE what it is that is being "vowed". For example, in verse 2 you would put a circle around the word vow and would underline the word persons.

2. Put an ORANGE CIRCLE around every occurrence of dedicate, dedicates, dedicated, devoted, devotes, or any other words used in place of those words. (In the KJV the word used instead of dedicate is sanctify, sanctified, etc.) Also UNDERLINE in ORANGE what is being "dedicated / sanctified". For example, in verse 14 you would put a circle around the word dedicates and would underline the word house.

3. Put a RED CIRCLE around every occurrence of redeem, redeems, ransom, ransomed, or any other words used in place of those words.

4. Put a GREEN CIRCLE around every occurrence of tithe, tithes or any other words used in place of those words.

5. Also, fill in the heading for each of the sections in the scripture passage. For example, the first section is labeled "Vows concerning __________. And, the heading for that would be "Vows concerning people" (or ... persons).

Ok, that is your assignment. And, as always, if you prefer to use different colors or symbols, you may; and, if your version of the Bible uses different words from these, be alert and mark them accordingly.

Leviticus 27

1. The LORD said to Moses, 2. "Speak to the Israelites and say to them:

_Vows concerning ______________________________ .

`If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values, 3. set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel ; 4. and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels. 5. If it is a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels and of a female at ten shekels. 6. If it is a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels of silver and that of a female at three shekels of silver. 7. If it is a person sixty years old or more, set the value of a male at fifteen shekels and of a female at ten shekels. 8. If anyone making the vow is too poor to pay the specified amount, he is to present the person to the priest, who will set the value for him according to what the man making the vow can afford.

____Vows concerning ______________________________

.9. "`If what he vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the LORD, such an animal given to the LORD becomes holy. 10. He must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy. 11. If what he vowed is a ceremonially unclean animal--one that is not acceptable as an offering to the LORD--the animal must be presented to the priest, 12. who will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, that is what it will be. 13. If the owner wishes to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value.

___Vows concerning ______________________________

.14. "`If a man dedicates his house as something holy to the LORD, the priest will judge its quality as good or bad. Whatever value the priest then sets, so it will remain. 15. If the man who dedicates his house redeems it, he must add a fifth to its value, and the house will again become his.

__Vows concerning ______________________________

16. "`If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it--fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed. 17. If he dedicates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. 18. But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. 19. If the man who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, he must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become his. 20. If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. 21. When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it will become the property of the priests.

___Vows concerning ______________________________

22. "`If a man dedicates to the LORD a field he has bought, which is not part of his family land, 23. the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man must pay its value on that day as something holy to the LORD. 24. In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom he bought it, the one whose land it was. 25. Every value is to be set according to the sanctuary shekel, twenty gerahs to the shekel.

___Concerning things which can _________ be redeemed/ ransomed____

26. "`No one, however, may dedicate the firstborn of an animal, since the firstborn already belongs to the LORD; whether an ox or a sheep, it is the LORD's. 27. If it is one of the unclean animals, he may buy it back at its set value, adding a fifth of the value to it. If he does not redeem it, it is to be sold at its set value. 28. "`But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD--whether man or animal or family land--may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. 29. "`No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; he must be put to death.

___Instructions Concerning _____________________

30. "`A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. 31. If a man redeems any of his tithe, he must add a fifth of the value to it. 32. The entire tithe of the herd and flock--every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd's rod--will be holy to the LORD. 33. He must not pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If he does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.'"

34. These are the commands the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.

. .

Hmmmmm. Very interesting and very detailed.

BUT, what exactly IS a VOW ? Well, that is a great question! And, before we look at this chapter in any more detail, we really do need to know and understand the definition of "vow". And, that means that we need to do a "word study." But, since you may not have your "tools" available, I have researched this word for you. (Of course, if you are so inclined, get out your word study tools and add to this information.) Anyway, as you read the following "definitions", underline or highlight in BLUE any words or phrases which explain VOW.

VOW

VOW = Strong's # 5088 = NEDER ....Pronounced neh'-der or neder {nay'-der};

from #5087; a promise (to God); also (concretely) a thing promised:

...

VOW as defined in Compton"s Interactive Bible:

vow -- noun ... 1 a solemn promise or pledge, esp. one made to God or a god, dedicating oneself to an act, service, or way of life 2 a solemn promise of love and fidelity [marriage vows ] 3 a solemn affirmation or assertion

vow--verb. ...1 to promise solemnly 2 to make a solemn resolution to do, get, etc. 3 to declare emphatically, earnestly, or solemnly --vi. to make a vow --take vows to make the vows required for formal entrance into a religious order or community --vower n.

Synonyms for Vow = ... ... promise, affiance, pledge, solemn assertion, asseveration

Easton's Bible Dictionary:

...Vows .... = voluntary promises which, when once made, were to be kept if the thing vowed was right. They were made under a great variety of circumstances (Gen. 28: 18-22; Lev. 7:16; Num. 30:2-13; Deut. 23:18; Judg. 11:30, 39; 1 Sam. 1:11; Jonah 1:16; Acts 18:18; 21:23).

Webster's Student Dictionary (published in 1938)

Vow = 1. A solemn promise, especially one made to God; specifically, a pledge made in a religious rite such as that of constancy in a marriage ceremony or of obedience in the profession of a religious .... 2. Any pledge or promise. ... To promise to do, give, etc; to promise solemnly, ... to make a vow.

And, while we are learning the meanings of important (key) words in this chapter, let's look at two more which are very significant -- specifically, the words 1. Dedicate / Sanctify and 2. Redeemed. Again, I will give you the definitions. As you read them, underline or highlight in Orange all that you learn about dedicate / Sanctify and in Red all that you learn about redeemed.

.DEDICATE / SANCTIFY

Dedicate / Sanctify = Strong's # 6942 = QADASH ....Pronounced kaw-dash'

a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): Translated in KJV--appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), ... wholly.

DEDICATE as defined in Compton"s Interactive Bible:

dedicate, v. 1. [To consecrate] ----Synonym. sanctify, hallow, anoint; see bless ...

2. [To set apart for special use] ----Synonym. devote, apply, give, appropriate, set aside, surrender, allot, consign, restrict, apportion, assign, give over to, donate.

Webster's Student Dictionary (published in 1938)

Dedicate = ... 1. To set apart for sacred uses with appropriate rites: as, to dedicate a church. 2. To set apart to a definite use; to devote. ... ...

REDEEMED

REDEEMED = Strong's # 1350 = GA'AL ....Pronounced gaw-al'

a primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.):

Translated in KJV as ... in any wise, ... at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk(-man), purchase, ransom, redeem(-er), revenger.

Webster's Student Dictionary (published in 1938)

Redeemed = 1. To buy back or off; to regain possession of or remove the obligation of, esp. by payment of the amount due, as on a mortgage or note. 2. To deliver, as from bondage, by paying a ransom. 3. To make amends for; atone for; as, to redeem an error. 4. To fulfill, as a promise. 5. In religious use, to deliver from the bondage and consequences of sin and enable to merit salvation, as by the atonement of Christ. -- Synonyms. See Ransom -- redeemable. ...

Hmmmmmm. All very interesting. And now, just to be sure that you understand, (yes, you knew this was coming, didn't you?), in the space below and in your own words, briefly summarize each of these 3 very important words. Pretend that you are explaining them to a friend who has asked you what they mean. (And, actually, that is not as "far-fetched" as it might seem, for you will be amazed at how knowing the definitions of these words will come in handy in future conversations with friends and acquaintances. So, practice now and summarize each of these in a few clear and understandable words.)

VOW =

DEDICATE / SANCTIFY =

. .

REDEEM =

Great work and good thinking. And, now that you have a good understanding of these important terms, let's look at this chapter in more detail.

And, let's begin by looking at the first section, verses 2-8, which discussed the Vows concerning people.

We have frequently noticed in the book of Leviticus that the Jewish people and nation were commanded to offer and dedicate many specific people and things to the Lord, (the priests, firstborn, crops, etc). However, in addition to these things, which were required by God to be offered as sacrifices and offerings, often the Israelites would become so zealous in their worship of God that they would often vow to dedicate additional and "not required" things -- such as themselves, their property, or their children to the service of the Lord in His Temple for life. You probably recall that Samuel was so offered by his mother, Hannah. And, Samuel did indeed serve his entire life as a servant of God as a result of that Vow by his mother. To refresh your memory about this, let's read 1 Samuel 1:24-28. Of course, there is much more to this story than these few verses. So, if you have the time, it would be good for you to read the entire story in 1 Samuel. But, these 5 verses will give you the gist of the story. As you read these verses, when you see the vow that had been made, underline or highlight it in blue.

I Samuel 1:24-28

24 After he (Samuel) was weaned, she (his mother, Hannah) took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli (the priest), 26 and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

Obviously, making to vow to offer your son as an offering to God, to serve in His Temple for a lifetime is a very serious vow! And, ditto regarding offering yourself, or your house, or your land, or whatever ! And, sometimes after making such a vow a person began to "reconsider" what they had done and desired "take it back." Indeed, making a vow of any kind, then or now, is a very serious commitment. Therefore, vows must not be entered into lightly or carelessly.

So, what could an Israelite do if he or she had made a vow and wanted to "take it back"? Was there any provision for this?

YES

Hannah kept her vow to the Lord and did not redeem Samuel. But, sometimes the Israelites desired to cancel their vow and to redeem what they had vowed to the Lord. And, Yes, in Leviticus chapter 27 we discovered that there were provisions for revoking / redeeming some of the vows. But, the price that had to be paid to obtain redemption from / for a vow was not inexpensive.

A good way to summarize the various payments and actions that were required for redemption from a vow is to make a chart. So, Let's do that. On the chart provided below (or make one of your own), fill in the following requested information based on what you learn in Leviticus Chapter 27.

The price of Redemption

of persons (v. 2-8)

of animals (v. 9-13)

of a house (v. 14-15)

house (v. 14-15)

A man's own house .

Can a house be redeemed?

How?

of land / field (v. 16-25)

firstborn animal (v. 26-28)

of the person devoted to destruction (v. 29)

the person devoted

to destruction (v. 29)

The person devoted to destruction

Can this person be redeemed?

What is to happen to him?

of the tithe (v. 30-33)

the tithe (v. 30-33)

Tithe of the herd or flock

Can the tithe be redeemed?

How?

Hmmmmm. Very interesting. But, as interesting as this is, I suspect that you are wondering about a few things, and especially about that phrase "the person devoted to destruction." What does that mean? you ask. Well, good question. And actually an entire lesson could be given to this one concept alone. But, of course, we don't have time for that. So, briefly, let me just say that persons devoted to destruction were usually the captives in wars. We will read an example of this in 1 Samuel 15 and if you have time you really should read that entire chapter. It is a key chapter and explains why King Saul lost his kingship; the reason he lost it was because he disobeyed God in this matter of the person devoted to destruction. God had specifically told him to destroy the Amalekites but he disobeyed and did not totally destroy them and their property (cattle, sheep, etc.) As you read the portion of 1 Samuel 15 printed here for you, underline the two places where King Saul was specifically told to destroy the "persons devoted to destruction," who were, in this case, all of the Amalekites and included the King of the Amalekites.

I Samuel 15:2-3, 18-23

2. This is what the LORD Almighty says: `I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

...

18. And He (God) sent you (King Saul) on a mission, saying, `Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' 19. Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?" 20. "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal." 22. But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft in KJV), and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king."

Wow!. And I assume that you correctly underlined verses 3 and 18. In those two verses we learn who and what God told Saul his soldiers to kill and destroy. Who and what were they to kill and destroy?

in verse 3

in verse 18.

And, even though King Saul did destroy most of the Amalekites, what was the problem? Who was not destroyed by King Saul that caused him to be guilty of breaking the command of the Lord? (hint see verse 20).

King Saul did not kill ______________ .

And what did the soldiers do that was wrong? What did they not kill that they had been told to kill? (hint see verse 21).

The soldiers did not completely destroy the ______________________

Correct!

Since Saul took the king captive and brought him back alive as a prisoner, he obviously disobeyed the command of the Lord. And, ditto concerning the actions of the soldiers when they kept some of the sheep of the cattle and did not kill them, but instead decided to offer them to the Lord as an offering.

This saving of the life of the king and the sparing of the cattle and sheep and deciding to use the cattle and sheep as offerings may seem to be a gracious and noble thing to do BUT this was NOT what God had commanded them to do! Therefore, they sinned! They disobeyed God! They decided to do things "their way" instead of God's way! And this is NEVER right!

Then and now, no one is to deviate from God's specific commands regardless of how "wonderful" our "reason" for deviating (disobeying) might seem to be. When God says to DO (or NOT DO) something, He means what He says! And we are to OBEY.

What was God's response to this? Specifically, what happened to King Saul because of this disobedience? (hint see verse 23) and write your answer in the space below:

Yes! God rejected him as King ! Wow! Now that is serious! Rejected as King! WOW !

How did Samuel explain to King Saul that what he and his soldiers had done was wrong? Specifically, what did Samuel tell King Saul concerning what God desires ? (hint see verses 22-23 and in the space below, either summarize what Samuel told King Saul or write the two verses out.)

Do you see any parallel today? Is there a principle or truth being taught here that is universal and that is as applicable to you and me today as it was to King Saul and his army and to the nation of Israel?

YES

Explain your answer: (Note: this is a very important concept, so if the space provide below is not enough, feel free to continue your thoughts on a separate piece of paper.)

Good thinking. And, if God has spoken to you as you answered that question and if He has pointed out any area in your life where you are being disobedient, stop now and deal with that! Confess your sin of disobedience of trying to "do things your way" and in thinking that you know better than He in whatever He has shown you that needs to be changed or added or removed from your life and actions. Take as much time as you need but get this right with God.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Pause and talk to God about this <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Ok. Now that you have that settled (or not settled, depending on how stupidly stubborn you are -- remember Saul lost his Kingship because he stubbornly disobeyed God), Let's continue.

There is another very important command in verses 9 -10 of Leviticus that we need to consider. I will print those verses here again for you. As you read them, underline or highlight in BLACK what it is that they are told specifically to NOT do when redeeming or changing their vow concerning the offering of an animal.

9. "`If what he vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the LORD, such an animal given to the LORD becomes holy. 10. He must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy.

Yes, you are correct. An animal given for a vow could not be exchanged for another. So, you underlined the first part of verse 10, the phrase that said: He must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; Now, you may think that is is a pretty straightforward command and one that should not be difficult to obey. But, guess what? They ultimately disobeyed this also! What do you mean? you ask. How did they disobey God concerning this command?

Well, let me set the stage for you and then we will read the scripture that shows how they disobeyed and what God "thought" about their disobedience.

These commands (and indeed all of the book of Leviticus) were given, as you recall, in about 1491 BC. Then, about a thousand years later, in approximately 400 BC (scholars vary as to the exact date, some say the book of Malachi was written in 397 BC while others date the book to about 433-425), we find recorded in the Book of Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament), a very sad state of affairs. The chosen people of God were so far from what God had intended for them that the priesthood had become corrupt and the people were disobedient to God and His commandments in almost every way imaginable. The Book of Malachi contains many stern rebukes to the people and the priesthood and is attempting to call them back to repentance and obedience.

Ok, with that as your background, let's see if God's people were still obeying Him in this matter of redemption of animals as had been decreed in Leviticus 27:9-10. As you read the following verses from Malachi, underline in BLACK what they are doing concerning this matter.

Malachi 1:10-14 NIV.

10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. 12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, `It is defiled,' and of its food, `It is contemptible.' 13 And you say, `What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

Wow! Talk about disobedience! These people were really disobeying God! They were bringing injured, crippled, and diseased animals and offering them as sacrifices. And even when they had vowed to give an acceptable sacrifice (that was not crippled, etc.) they would cheat and substitute a blemished animal!

What did God "think" about this? (hint see verses 10, 14)

v. 10: God said that He would accept _________________________ from their hands

and

v. 14: that they are __________ because they are _______________

Wow! God will accept no sacrifice from the hands of the disobedient. Indeed He curses them because they are cheats!

And, as we wondered earlier when we considered the sin of the disobedience of King Saul, do you see any parallel today in this passage from Malachi? Is there a principle or truth being taught here that is universal and that is as applicable to you and me today as it was then to the people and the priests of the nation of Israel?

YES

As before, Explain your answer: (Note: this is also a very important concept, so if the space provide below is not enough, feel free to continue your thoughts on a separate piece of paper. And, as before, if the Lord is pointing out anything in your life that is disobedience that needs to be forsaken, talk with God about it and get it right before you continue with this lesson. Again, take as much time as you need. Then when you have finished, we will have one more "topic" to cover and then we will be finished with this lesson and the course.)

Ok, I see that you have finished. So let's continue. And there is one more very important concept in this chapter that we need to consider. (Of course there are other things that could be discussed but again, time is too short.) So, for our final thing in this study, let's look again at verses 30-33 of Leviticus 27. These verses are speaking, as you recall, of the Tithe and of the act of Tithing. Reread those verses, and as you read them, put a GREEN CIRCLE around every occurrence of the word TITHE or words such as IT used in place of that world. Also, underline or highlight in GREEN everything that is able to be tithed. Then underline in BLACK anything they must NOT do concerning the tithe.

Leviticus 27:30- 33

Great! And now, as we have done before, let's be sure that we know what a TITHE is before we continue. so, it's time for another "Word Study." Again, I have provided information concerning the definition of this word for you. As you read these definitions from Strong's Concordance and Webster's Dictionary, underline or highlight in GREEN the words or phrases which define and explain TITHE.

TITHE

TITHE : Strong's Ref. # 4643 MA'ASER

Romanized ma`aser. Pronounced mah-as-ayr' or ma`asar {mah-as-ar'}; and (in plural) feminine ma`asrah {mah-as-raw'}; from HSN6240; a tenth; especially a tithe:

KJV--tenth (part), tithe(-ing).

TITHE: Webster's Student Dictionary (published in 1938)

Tithe: (verb) =1. To pay or give a tenth part of, esp. for support of the church. 2. To tax to the amount of a tenth. ...

Tithe: (noun) = 1. A tenth part, or, loosely, a small part. 2. A tenth (or now often a smaller) part of one's income, produce, or the like, paid as a tax or contribution to church or charity; hence, any small tax or levy.

Now, as before, in the space below, briefly summarize the meaning of TITHE:

Correct, a tithe is a tenth. It is 1/10 of anything offered to the Lord, whether it be money, crops, goods, lands, (your salary, etc.)

In addition to the instructions concerning a General tithe, which we read in Leviticus, it appears that the people of Israel had three tithes: 1. The General Tithe which was paid to the Levities (the priests), who, in turn, also gave a tenth of what they had received as a tithe. (This is detailed in Numbers 18 and we will look at this next). 2. In Deuteronomy 14 we learn of a tithe associated with the sacred meal offering. And, 3. there is the tithe which was paid every 3 years to the poor. We will read about this in Deut 14.

So, let's look at these 3 Tithes as further described and commanded in the Old Testament. And, as you read each of these passages, put a GREEN CIRCLE around each occurrence of the word TITHE, TITHES, and OFFERINGS and any words used in place of these words. Also, fill in the Blank in the heading so you can remember what tithe is being commanded and explained.

1. The ____________ Tithe...(Numbers 18:21-29 and Deut. 12:6-18)

Numbers 18:21-29

21 "I (God) give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting. 22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die. 23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: `They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.' " 25 The LORD said to Moses, 26 "Speak to the Levites and say to them: `When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD's offering. 27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD's portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the LORD's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.'

Deut 12:6-18

6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you. 8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name--there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD. 12 And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you. 15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. 16 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water. 17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. 18 Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns--and you are to rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to.

2. The Tithe associated with the _____________ offering. (Deut 14:22-27)

Deut 14:22-27

22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. 26 Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice. 27 And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.

3. The Tithe paid every 3 years to the _______. (Deut 14:22-29, 26:12)

Deut 14:28-29

28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deut 26:12

12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

Great! Wonderful! And, this is all very important and very interesting. But, I am sure you are also thinking that there is another very important and 'famous' scripture passage concerning the TITHE which is frequently mentioned today. And, yes, you are correct, there is another very important passage concerning the Tithe. It is located in Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. So, by way of completeness, and before we finish this section on the TITHE, let's look at that passage, too. And, again, as you read these verses, printed here for you (or you may use your own Bible), put a GREEN CIRCLE around every occurrence of the word TITHE and the word OFFERINGS and any other words used to mean the same thing. The key passage itself (Malachi 3:10) is short but I am going to include the 'surrounding' verses so you can better see the context and the heart of God concerning the Tithe.

Malachi 3:6-12

6. "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, `How are we to return?' 8. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. "But you ask, `How do we rob You?' "In tithes and offerings. 9. You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing Me. 10. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. 12. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

WOW! Awesome! It is obvious that God is very serious about Tithes and offerings that are and must be given to Him.

Yes, these instructions were given originally to the Jewish nation, but God does NOT change. Therefore, God's commands, concepts, and principles are always universal and applicable to everyone who loves, serves, and claims God as their God. This, obviously, includes you and me today.

So, the question is: What instructions concerning Tithes and Offerings are valid in these New Testament times, in the 21st century, for the Jews and for Christians today? I.E., What principles and truths are valid TODAY?

Thinking about that question, What principles and truths are valid TODAY?, in the space provided below, give your thoughts and understandings of the Tithe and its purpose AND how this relates to you right now in the 21st Century! (This is another important assignment, so, if the space below is not enough, and I doubt that it will be, please do use extra paper and be detailed in your thoughts).

Yes, everything that we have and possess has actually been given to us by God. Therefore, ALL that we have (whether money, houses, lands, our job, our possessions, our health (or lack thereof), where we live, what we do, etc. --- everything is ours only because God has given it to us for some specific purpose in enjoying, serving, and worshiping Him. Therefore, we are not owners of what we have but, rather, we are stewards (servants, ambassadors, overseers, executors -- whatever phrase you prefer) of what we possess, have, and do.

It is God Who is the true owner of all that we have and are. We are to acknowledge His ownership by giving (a minimum of ) a tithe (1/10th) of that back to Him as an expression of our gratitude and worship. Then, the other 9/10's, which also are from the Lord, are to be used by us in ways that will also honor and glorify and exalt God!

We could do a whole lesson, indeed a whole course on this subject of "our" possessions, tithes, and of our robbing God. But, we do not have time for that now, Perhaps sometime in the future we can do that. But, that is then and this is now. However, IF the Lord is speaking to you about this (or anything), stop NOW and listen to Him! Then talk with Him and confess your failure (sin) in this or any area in which He is speaking to you.

<>< <>< <>< Pause and listen to and talk with God about your tithing or lack thereof <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Well, we have come to the end of this study of Leviticus. And, as I have repeatedly said, we have only scratched the surface of the truths that are in this Book. But, we must conclude this study or we will be here forever studying it!.

In drawing this lesson and course to a close, I had originally considered giving you an assignment of reviewing and reflecting upon all the things we have learned and to make an outline of what the book of Leviticus teaches. And, if you have time, that would be a wonderful thing for you to do. But, for those of you who don't have the time (or paper left after all these assignments, heh heh), then let's just briefly summarize what this Book was (and still is) teaching. But, do get out your previous lessons and refer to them as you read and fill in the blanks in this following summary:

You will recall (in Lesson 2) that we said this book basically is teaching about _____________ and was a ____________ for priests and God's chosen people, the nation of __________. It was divided into 2 main sections which were:

1. Chapters 1-16 explain the way a person or nation can _____________ and ___________ the Holy God.

2. Chapters 17-27 teach that the_________ of _______________ before God is by ______________ from the _________ .

We also learned that the KEY WORD (which was used more than 80 times in this book is ___________ .

And, the KEY VERSE(s) is Leviticus ______

Look up those verses (Lev. 19:1-2) and write them in the space below:

Now go back and UNDERLINE or HIGHLIGHT IN GREEN (in both your Bible and in the passage you just wrote out) the phrase: 'Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy'

In Chapters 1-16 we studied many laws and commands concerning sacrifices, burnt offerings, meal (meat in KJV) offerings, thank offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings as well as specific laws for the priests as they performed the sacrifices and services. We also learned historical facts (in chapters 8-10), such as Aaron and his sons (Nadab and Abihu) and what happened to them when they did ________ offer the offerings properly but rather "did it their own way." And we learned that for doing this they were punished by being ______________ by fire!

Also, in Chapters 1-16 (especially in chapters 11-16) we studied many laws concerning purity and the sacrifices required to pay the penalty for impurity. We also learned that the way that we NOW can put away impurity and have our sins atoned for (forgiven) is by putting our ______________ and trust in the once and for all substitute sacrifice for sin which was provided for us by the Lord God, Himself, ________ __________ .

In the Second part of the book (chapters 17-27) we learned of specific laws relating to the separation of God's holy people from the unholy and ungodly and how God's people are to _________ and _______ in holiness before God .

Then, in the final chapters of this book, we were also given promises and warnings concerning what would happen if they (or anyone) disobeys God's commands and instructions.

And, in all of these "details" and laws and commands throughout the entire book, we amazingly discovered that this Book is also a book of Prophecy as we discovered that many of the events, activities, etc were also ______________ and ___________ of future events, some of which have already been fulfilled (such as the coming of Jesus Christ to provide the final, once and for all, atoning ___________ for sin) and some of which are still in the future.

We also learned that the book of the Bible which "interprets" and explains many of the teachings of the Old Testament Book of Leviticus is the New Testament Book of _____________ .

And, fyi, just in case you need or want to check your answers to this last series of fill in the blank questions (though I am sure you were correct as always) the correct answers are: holiness, handbook, Israel, approach & worship, walk of holiness, separation from the world, holy, 19:1-2, not, killed (destroyed), faith, atoning, Jesus Christ, live, walk, shadows and types, sacrifice, Hebrews.

Finally, in conclusion, as we reflect upon this brief review of this very important and still relevant book of the Old Testament, we realize that there is indeed much that we "learned" in this study.

But, the important thing is NOT what you or I "learned" in the way of "head knowledge" but, rather, it is what we appropriate in the way that we live before God that is important..

The REAL "reason" to read and / or study Leviticus (or any book or passage in the Bible) is NOT to become "smarter" in our "head knowledge" BUT

TO know God and His heart and His desires

so that

our lives will reflect the truths we have learned

and

we will walk in holiness before God

and

in obedience to God's Word.

Thank you for doing this course with us! And, it is our earnest and sincere hope and prayer that this IS what happened in your life as you studied the Book of Leviticus!

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright C 1973,1978,1984 International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan Publishers.

,,.

Information from Compton's Interactive Bible is

Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV

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