What were the devoted things in the Bible?

Devoted things in the Bible were items God set apart for His use in some way. Through these items, God revealed His righteousness, holiness, justice, and the need to obey His commands.

The principle of “devoted things” is first found in the book of Leviticus. The law allowed a man to vow to give something wholly to the Lord, without reservation. The thing so solemnly dedicated was a “devoted thing” and belonged to the priests from then on. The priests could not sell it, and the original owner could not buy it back. The vow was permanent: “No devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord, of anything that he has, whether man or beast, or of his inherited field, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:28, ESV).

The book of Joshua repeatedly references “devoted things.” God instructed the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan to capture Jericho, saying, “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared” (Joshua 6:17). In this passage, to be “devoted to the Lord” meant to be marked for complete destruction. The Israelites were to “keep away from the devoted things” (Joshua 6:18). Jericho and all that it contained belonged to the Lord alone:

Israel suffered an unexpected defeat after Jericho fell. The Lord revealed the cause: “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions” (Joshua 7:11). A man named Achan of the tribe of Judah had stolen gold, silver, and a robe from Jericho, bringing judgment upon himself and the entire nation. God’s favor did not return to the Israelites until Achan’s sin was exposed and he and his family were stoned to death (Joshua 7:24–26).

God is holy, and His people must reflect that holiness. In Deuteronomy 7:26, God warns the people against idolatry: “You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become devoted to destruction like it” (LSB). Devoted things such as idols represented spiritual contamination. Allowing them into one’s home would bring destruction to oneself.

The theological lesson is clear: God’s people are not entitled to the spoils of victory unless God gives them. What belongs to God is God’s. Devoted things are objects of judgment or an offering of worship. In 1 Samuel 15, God instructed Saul to annihilate the Amalekites, demonstrating that His justice operates on His terms. Saul partially obeyed God’s command, sparing King Agag and the best livestock. Saul admitted that what he had spared were “things devoted to destruction” (1 Samuel 15:21, ESV). The result was Saul’s rejection as king. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” Samuel told Saul, “and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).

God is not as interested in rituals and sacrifices as in wholehearted devotion: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Christ was the ultimate offering for our sins. He was crucified not because of His sin (He had none) but to bear the penalty for ours. In a sense, Christ’s body was “devoted to destruction” so we could be redeemed through His blood and set apart for God’s glory. His sacrifice deserves nothing less than our own wholehearted devotion (Romans 12:1). Now we are the “devoted things,” as we are called “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9).