Redeeming Vows (Leviticus 27)

What if a person promised something or someone to serve God, but wanted to change their mind? Could their vow be redeemed? From what are Christians redeemed? Let’s look at Leviticus 27.

Did a person’s age depend on how much they redeemed themselves from a vow of service to God?

The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When a person makes a solemn promise to the Lord involving the value of a person, if it is the value for a male between 20 and 60 years old, his value is fifty silver shekels according to the sanctuary’s shekel. If the person is a female, her value is thirty shekels. If the age of the person is between 5 and 20 years, the value for a male is twenty shekels, for a female ten shekels. If the age of the person is between one month and 5 years, the value for a male is five silver shekels, for a female three silver shekels. If the age of the person is 60 years or more, the value is fifteen shekels if the person is male, ten shekels for a female. But if financial difficulty prevents the promise maker from giving the full value, they must set the person before the priest. The priest will assign the person a value according to what the promise maker can afford. (Leviticus 27:1-8 CEB)

Are there promises made to God that cannot be reversed?

If you promise to sacrifice an animal to me, it becomes holy, and there is no way you can set it free. If you try to substitute any other animal, no matter how good, for the one you promised, they will both become holy and must be sacrificed. Donkeys are unfit for sacrifice, so if you promise me a donkey, you must bring it to the priest, and let him determine its value. But if you want to buy it back, you must pay an additional 20 percent. (Leviticus 27:9-13 CEV)

What percentage was to be added to the original estimate, if a gift could be redeemed?

When a man dedicates his house as a holy gift to the Lord, the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. And if the donor wishes to redeem his house, he shall add a fifth to the valuation price, and it shall be his. (Leviticus 27:14-15 ESV)

Did the 20% surcharge also apply to fields promised to God?

If a man consecrates to the Lord any part of a field that he possesses, your assessment of value will be proportional to the seed needed to sow it, at the rate of 50 silver shekels for every five bushels of barley seed. If he consecrates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the price will stand according to your assessment. But if he consecrates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will calculate the price for him in proportion to the years left until the next Year of Jubilee, so that your assessment will be reduced. If the one who consecrated the field decides to redeem it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and the field will transfer back to him. But if he does not redeem the field or if he has sold it to another man, it is no longer redeemable. When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will be holy to the Lord like a field permanently set apart; it becomes the priest’s property. (Leviticus 27:16-21 HCSB)

What if the field is not a part of his clan’s inheritance but leased until the Jubilee?

If he consecrates a field that he had bought and that isn’t part of his inheritance, then the priest is to account to him the evaluated worth until the year of jubilee. Then he is to give the amount of valuation on that day as a holy gift to the Lord. During the year of jubilee, the field is to be returned by the one who originally sold it—that is, to the owner of the land. Every valuation is to be according to the shekel of the sanctuary, evaluated at 20 gerahs to the shekel. (Leviticus 27:22-25 ISV)

God already claimed all firstborn males of humans and clean animals, so could they be dedicated twice?

Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the Lord's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the Lord's. And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:26-27 KJV)

If someone has incurred the death penalty for a crime, could they be redeemed?