Leviticus 26-27

Leviticus 26 Promises of flourishing, and warnings about rebellion

Leviticus 26:1-2 A repetition of the second and fourth commandments (Exodus 20: ) sets the stage for the blessings an cursing to follow. Do not worship idols and observe the Sabbath. Respect God’s holy place, the sanctuary.

Leviticus 26:3-13 Promises to those who keep His laws. Fruitful harvests, peace and national safety and victory in war, population growth. Most importantly, God Himself would walk among them. This did not require the Incarnation of Jesus, although He was its ultimate fulfillment. There are several places in the Old Testament where God was tangibly present with His people, and of course He is always invisibly but spiritually with us through the Holy Spirit.

Leviticus 26:14-39 Five stages of punishment for disobedience, in increasing severity. Israel went through all of these stages.

• Disease and defeat in war, being ruled by others.
• Drought and famine.
• Wild animals to ravage their children and livestock.
• Cannibalism, mass death, pillaging and ruin of cities, exile. The land will be laid waste so that it can enjoy its Sabbath rest. (See below)
• Those few who survive will flee in terror even when no one is pursuing. Exiles will die in foreign lands.

Leviticus 26:40-45 But He will not destroy them completely. If the survivors of all the above repent and to Him, the Lord will remember His covenants with their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and those who left Egypt. 

Leviticus 26:46 This concludes the laws, rules, and regulations given via Moses to Israel on Mount Sinai.

A recap of the Ten Commandments shows that the Levitical law further explained all of them except the ban on coveting.

• Have no other Gods before YHWH. (Exodus 20:3) (Leviticus 20:1-5) Stone them to death.
• Do not worship idols (Exodus 20:4-6) (Leviticus 19:4) 
• Do not profane the Name of the Lord (Exodus 20:7) (Leviticus 24:17-22) The punishment is death.
• Keep the Sabbath holy (Exodus 20:8-11) (Leviticus 19:3)
• Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12) (Leviticus 19:3, 20:9) - death penalty
• Do not murder (Exodus 20:13) (Leviticus 24:17-22) - the punishment is death.
• Do not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14) (Leviticus 18:20, 20:10) - death penalty
• Do not steal (Exodus 20:15) (Leviticus 19:11)
• Do not give false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16) (Leviticus 19:11-12)
• Do not covet (Exodus 20:17) - perhaps not discussed in Leviticus because it is an internal sin, so no objective or concrete evidence is possible. 

Sadly, it appears that Israel did not observe the Sabbath years, and the promise of 26:34 was fulfilled as noted in 2 Chronicles 36:31. At the time of the Babylonian exile, when Nebuchadnezzar carried off the remaining Jews, it was observed that the land enjoyed its sabbath rests for the period of desolation, seventy years.  This implies that Israel did not observe Sabbath years for a lengthy period. The Sabbath schedule was that there were to be 8 sabbath years in every fifty year period. Taking seventy years times the inverse ratio 50/8 gives 437.5 years for a total span. This is interpreting the time span as though each end of every six years immediately turned over a new six year cycle with no rest. Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon and the remaining Jews were carried into captivity in 586 BC. 586 BC + 437.5 = 1023.5 BC. Saul became king of Israel around 1020 BC. Given uncertainty in ancient dates, this seems a plausible interpretation. This covers the entire time that Israel was a kingdom.  

How this differs from modern life where most don’t even observe a weekly Sabbath, and the consequences of the modern lifestyle, is entirely open to debate. I do not know if anyone in modern Israel observes Sabbath years or Jubilee years. But the stress of modern society and work is doubtless a major factor the disease-ridden society we live in.

Leviticus 27 Redeeming What Is the Lord’s

As an appendix to the conclusion in chapter 26, Moses here laid out guidelines for evaluating the price  of redemption for various kinds of items that have been promised or devoted to the Lord.

Leviticus 27:1-8 if a person is dedicated to the Lord, the price of buying them back is based on age and gender. Adults in the prime of life cost the most, children and those over sixty are less. (Recall that Moses was about eighty at this time.) Females were priced at roughly 60% of males. No explanation is given for these prices. Presumably this had something to do with their productivity over their remaining lifespan. Poor people could appeal to the priest to get their price reduced.

Leviticus 27:9-13 An animal that was vowed to the Lord can only be redeemed by a substitute of equal or higher quality. A clean animal that is vowed becomes holy. 

Leviticus 27:14-15 The price for redemption of a house dedicated to the Lord will be set by the priest. 

Leviticus 27:16-21 The price for a field depends on two factors. The amount of seed it will take to plant it, and the number of years until the next Jubilee. Fields can be redeemed for 120% of their valuation. Otherwise, they will become the permanent possession of the priesthood at the next Jubilee.

Leviticus 27:22-25 A field bought from another and then dedicated to the Lord has the additional provision that it will revert to its original owner at the year of Jubilee, and not become the priests’ property. 

Leviticus 27:26-27 Special rules for the firstborn  animal. If it is clean, it is automatically the Lord’s. If it is an unclean animal, it can be bought back for 120% of its value.

Leviticus 27:28-29 Nothing that is devoted to the Lord can be bought back. It is His - person, animal, or land. A person  that is devoted to destruction must be killed. No exceptions or redemption.

Leviticus 27:30-33 The tithe can be redeemed for a 20% surcharge. Inferring, this means if someone has a number of animals and ten percent of the increase needs to be tithes, they can buy back the animal for cash, at a 20% markup. However, the substitution of one animal for another has limits and special rules.

Leviticus 27:34 This really is the conclusion of Leviticus. (26:46)