Bible in 365 Days

Leviticus 26-27

Leviticus 26

This chapter begins by reminding the Israelites of a few of the rules that God wanted them to follow. God told them that they should not worship false idols or create monuments to honor anyone besides the one true God. He also said that the holy sanctuary of the Lord should be respected as well as the Sabbaths.

God told the Israelites in Leviticus Chapter 26 that they would experience many blessings for being obedient to His rules. For one thing, the Lord said He would provide rain for their crops. He said the fruit would be abundant and the people would not go hungry.

In addition, God promised that living in peace, prevailing over wars, and having healthy families would also be blessings for obedient living. The Lord also promised to keep his covenant with the people of Israel.

On the other hand, God said there would be severe punishments for those who disobeyed His commands. There would be the spread of horrible diseases, fear would reign in the community, and the enemies of Israel would steal food from the mouths of the people.

The Lord warns the Israelites of the consequences of not following the Word of God. The chapter ends, however, by giving the people hope even if they fall into a world of sin. God said that if they repented for their sins and the sins of their fathers, He would offer them forgiveness.

Although they must pay the consequences for their disobedience, the Lord promised that He would not break the covenant that He made with Jacob, Abraham, and Isaac. The Lord would not forget the people of Israel whom He delivered from Egypt.

Leviticus 27

God gave specific instructions on the amount of silver that was to be given if a man wanted to free a servant who was promised to God. Males were worth more than females as a male between the ages of 20 and 60 was worth 50 silver shekels and a female was worth only 30.

People were worth less if they were younger than 20 and they had no measurable value until they were at least one month old. Men who were older than 60 were worth 15 shekels and women over 60 were worth only 10.

God said that an animal that was offered to Him should not be altered or changed. He said that if an animal had to be exchanged for another, they should be of equal worth.

Also, a beast that was considered unclean should not be offered at all. Instead, it should be brought before the priest who would evaluate it. A 20 percent penalty was added if the person who offered the animal wanted to buy it back.

Leviticus Chapter 27 also has guidelines on what happens if a man offers his house as a gift. The priest would be called upon to evaluate the house and decide a fair price for it. If the person wanted to buy the house back, he would have to pay an extra 20 percent.

A person could also make a gift of a field that belonged to his family. The value of the field would depend on what kind of seed and the amount of it that was planted there.

This portion of land would revert back to the giver or the giver's heirs during the Jubilee year. One way to keep the giver honest was to make a law that if they tried to sell it to someone else, it would become the Lord's during the Jubilee year. Once that happened, it would not revert back to the owner or their heirs.

The person might also buy the field of another Israelite and offer it to God. The priest would also evaluate this property to determine a fair price for it.

God also lists gifts that cannot be offered to God because they already belong to Him. These gifts include animals, tithes, and a tenth of all crops.