You Can't Take it Back

Devotion.  I've spent a lot of time thinking about that word this past week.  It's a word that we often throw around, but quite frankly, don't fully understand the full depth of its meaning.  

Oh, we may have a good concept of how we define the word, but our definition is not necessarily what the word truly means.  After all, we Americans are good at redefining everything to fit within our culture.  To us, devotion is synonymous with commitment. If we are devoted to some one or some thing we feel committed to it or them.  My question, however, asks if there is something more to this word than mere commitment? After all, commitments are often broken and circumstances seem to always trump any promises made prior to changing our minds.  Commitment is relative.  Relative to our current situation.  

Devotion is far greater than commitment, and as a result, most people never experience the blessings that flow from the heart of that word.  To the Hebrew mind, devotion is the ultimate sacrifice.  It is the greatest of the three voluntary offerings that one can bring to the LORD.  

Let me try to help you understand what I just said.  In the Old Testament God commands His people to bring certain offerings to His house for specific purposes at specific times of the year.  These offerings are required and expected.  Voluntary offerings, however, are neither required nor expected.  They are brought to the LORD out of an intrinsically motivated desire to worship.  

The first of these offerings is the vow.  If a person makes a vow to the LORD, he or she in essence is placing his or her freedom on the auction block of slavery.  An assessment is made of the person's value based on the market's rate for a slave of that given age and gender.  A price is then paid to redeem that person from the vow.  The price, if paid by a slave master, is 100% of that person's estimated value.  If the person making the vow redeems himself, the price paid is 120% of that person's estimated value.  In essence the vow is selling oneself into slavery and purchasing your life back through a sacrificial offering. 

The second option of voluntary offering is the dedication.  The dedication is setting something apart as holy unto God.  Personal or real property is dedicated as holy.  An appraisal of worth is determined by the priest and the property is sold.  If a person other than the original owner purchases the property, it is sold at 100% of its value.  If the person dedicating the property wishes to buy it back he or she may do so, but only at a price that is equal to 120% of the value.  

These two voluntary offerings permit the worshipper to regain what has been offered by paying a price.  The sacrifice is actually found in the price one is willing to pay to keep his or her possessions.

The third, and most holy of all voluntary offerings is the devotion.  Leviticus 27:28 reads: "Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and of beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD." 

Devotion is the ultimate sacrifice.  It is giving something away never to gain it back.  You cannot redeem a devoted thing.  Once devoted it is gone forever.  Wholly devoted to the LORD.

We throw the word "devotion" around so haphazardly.  We talk about our "daily devotions," we speak of "devoting our time and energy" to the Lord's work, we tell people we have "devoted" our lives to Jesus Christ, but at the least sign of inconvenience we adopt an americanized definition of the word and slip into a modern commitment that is contingent upon our current circumstances.  We say we are devoted, but yet we always try to take back that which we've laid on the altar.  

I don't know about you, but after learning this truth I will never look at my daily devotions the same way again.  Lord forgive us for being committed when we should have been devoted.  

If my people . . .

pk