As well as the required sacrifices and offerings, people could make additional offerings to the Lord. These were usually given as an expression of thanksgiving. A person may dedicate an animal, a servant, or some property to the Lord. It was permissible for them to give money in place of the object, but were usually required to add 20% of the value.
Devoting was different than dedicating. Devoting meant irrevocable giving something over to the Lord, such things could not be redeemed. People had to think clearly and carefully before making vows to dedicate something, and even more so to devote something. There was no requirement for them to do either, but if they made a vow to do so God took this seriously.
There were rules about not substituting poor animals for good animals. Men will find all sorts of ways of getting round rules, or playing the system.
So what does all this say to us today? We should be straightforward in our giving. When we give we give to God. So we should just do things in a simple manner, and definitely be on our guard against any tendency we detect within ourselves to be trying to pretend to be doing something we are not. Ananias and Sapphira are the prime example of how things can go badly wrong (Acts 5:1-11).
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