Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 27

Verse 32

"Handfuls of Purpose"

"... whatsoever passeth under the rod." Lev 27:32

This passage brings under our attention the fact that many passages of Scripture have been misinterpreted. The misinterpretations of Scripture have been full of mischief. Men should make sure of the interpretation before they assert the doctrine. This has always been understood to refer to punishment, the figure being that God is smiting every one of his flock, and is only approving of them according to the measure of stripes which that flock lovingly accepts. No such meaning is to be attached to these words. Instead of being severe they are gentle: instead of pointing to chastisement they point to proprietorship. The idea is that the flock are passing into the fold, and that the shepherd is causing each of them to be numbered by the rod. The sheep that pass under the rod in this sense have passed from out of the field into the security of the fold. They have been numbered. They have been safely housed. The idea is that the flock does not go in as a whole without regard to individuality. Sheep by sheep enters the sacred enclosure. We are saved one by one. We die one by one. We are to be judged one by one. Every man shall give an account of himself to God. Those who have passed under the rod have been acknowledged as the sheep of the Shepherd; no mistake has been made as to the identity of the sheep; no other shepherd can come and claim any sheep that has so passed. There is but one Shepherd who can identify each member of his flock, and cause each to pass into the fold from which there shall be no more going out. Do not let us turn sweet words of grace and promise into bitter words of chastisement and penalty. There is more sweetness in the Bible than we have yet discovered. Do not let us be afraid to go up to many passages of which we have heretofore stood in terror; instead of being avenging angels they may be loving friends, waiting to deliver to us some new and larger message from heaven.