I understand the idea of dedicating a new home to God.
People do it in many ways. Some pray over the lot before new construction. Others pray over the rooms. Some put a touch of olive oil on each of the doors. Some will spend time talking about Jesus throughout the house, speaking His name and letting the unseen world know He is their Lord. You can play worship music. I suppose there are many ways to give a home to the Lord.
Did you know the Bible actually provides for the dedication of a home? Leviticus provides an entire chapter instructing God’s people in how to dedicate to God themselves, their children, their animals, and their land.
“And when a man shall sanctify [dedicate] his house to be holy unto the Lord, then the priest shall estimate it [appraise its value], whether it be good or bad. As the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand. And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then shall he add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it and it shall be his” Leviticus 27:14-15.
If a homeowner wanted to dedicate his home to the Lord, the priest would determine the value of the house—and the priest’s word would be final. But if the owner was paid for the house, then it became the property of the temple or the priests or whatever. However, if the owner wants to dedicate the home while still living in it, then the owner must pay the value of the property to the priest, PLUS one fifth, or an additional twenty percent.
What does that mean for the young American homeowner? I guess it means if you want to dedicate your house to God—and you are an unusually wealthy homeowner—then pay to your local church the value of the home plus twenty percent.
That’s a lot more difficult than putting big white stickers in the back window of the car!
It’s also a lot more costly than prayers and a bottle of olive oil. But we are talking about a holy dedication to God. And remember: these gifts in Leviticus 27 are voluntary. No one is required to give a house to God.
God asks us for the first fruits, for the first ten percent of our income. He does not ask for your house! But if you are earnest and deeply compelled to give to the Lord, Leviticus 27 provides for the dedication of yourself, your wife, your children, your animals, your home, your land, and more.
With the exception of clean animals that can be sacrificed, each of these items can be dedicated to God through a gift of money. (That is, you keep the house, the car, the children, the animals, and dedicate those things to God by giving God money instead of those items. That is what REDEMPTION means: the owner can REDEEM the house by giving money in its place, just as Jesus redeems us, buying our souls with His blood.)
The cost of these dedications is significant. But if you want to give your children to God, perhaps you should expect that the cost will be weighty. After all, when Hannah gave her unborn son Samuel to God, she dropped him off around the age of three and he was raised in the temple. She only saw him once a year when she returned to visit and bring him new clothes for the year ahead. When Hannah chose to dedicate her child to the Lord, she paid dearly. Perhaps we should not rule out a weighty financial sacrifice when we wish to dedicate something to God. Again—such gifts are VOLUNTARY. Think hard about them and remember the Biblical mandate:
“Don’t make rash vows” Ecclesiastes 5:2.
Do not make rash vows. You know what that means? It means use your head. Talk to wise, older Christians. Listen to some advice and be wise with your money and possessions. And ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. Remember, wealthy Israelites sacrificed bulls, others sheep and goats, and the poor sacrificed only a pair of doves. God knows your income. He knows what you can afford.
Dear God, we want to live for You. We want our houses, our cars, our children, and our money to belong to You, to serve You, to bring You glory. Show us practical ways that we can dedicate ourselves and all our STUFF to You. May we live every day for Your glory and Your renown.
AΩ.
P.S. Original opening, removed as unnecessary:
Personalized plates and bumper stickers distract me more than anything else on the freeway. Here’s one I cannot understand: Darkly tinted rear windows with huge white letters in the shape of a rainbow spelling out “IN MEMORIAM” followed by the name and birth year and death year of a loved one.
It is easy to relate to the grief people feel over deaths. But what I’m struck by is the words. I understand when a musical composition is labeled ‘in memoriam.’ And a monetary donation given in memory of a loved one makes sense. But how do you drive a car “in memoriam”? Are you driving in memory of the deceased? Or is your car now dedicated to them? Does the sticker indicate that everything you will do in the car from now on will be done in a manner that honors the deceased? Are you in there behaving “in memoriam” right now? What is going on?
You know what I do understand? …
Household Words: 