It Is Holy

Leviticus 27:9-10 KJV

And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy.

He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.

The Lord commanded that an offering was to be accepted as it was. In being offered the offering, whether a good one or a bad one, became holy. 

Gill says that this command that the offering could not be altered or changed was not directed toward the priests but to the one making the offering so that he could not come at another time and ask to change what he had offered for something else. A person might, without this command, think twice about his gift and want to exchange it for a more "practical" one. To prevent a person from the temptation to exchange the offering for a lesser one but claiming it was a better one, the priest was not to make the exchange even if the new offering was a better one. He may add to his offering but he may not change his offering. 

The point, I think is this, whatever we offer becomes holy to God. 

Whether it be:

            Our tithe

            Our time

            Our treasures or

            Our talents

when they have been offered to God they are his. We may not repent of our offering. We may not take it back after thinking better of it. 

• I think of those who have made promises for a certain financial gift to Gods work but want conditions on the gift
• I think of those who have surrendered to the Lord for His ministry but have later backed out
• I think of those who have dedicated a talent such as music to God only to then have given that talent up or sold it to the world's goods
• I think of those who have dedicated their children to the Lord only to later encourage them toward worldliness

I do not claim to know what might be the consequences for altering and changing their vows but I do suggest there are consequences. 

Of course we live in the New Testament grace and not Old Testament law. This, however, does not mean that the Old Testament has neither lesson nor warning for us.

            We are not saved by obedience to the Law

            We are not made right with God through obedience to the Law

But the Law is righteous and teaches principles of holiness and righteousness. 

What we give to God is God's and may not be taken back, altered for something else or changed for something less.