Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"Then the Lord said to Moses, "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord. The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives." Exodus 30:11-16
Up to now, the people of Israel were only called onto give an offering of materials for the construction of the tabernacle but in today’s scripture, we see that He asks for more than just that.
For He commanded that when a census was taken of the Israelites, "each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted." Those expected to give were to be "twenty years old or more" and they were to give a half shekel" which would be "an offering to the Lord." The money collected, "the atonement money", was to be used for "the service of the Tent of Meeting" and as a "memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement." So notice that payment was required to secure atonement from their sins. It was going to take more than just sacrifices. There was a cost attached to atonement.
The half shekel wasn’t just payment for atonement. Scripture tells us it was also a "ransom" for the life of each giver so no plague would come upon them. The payment guaranteed their protection.
So the Israelite’s offering was to provide income for the tabernacle, protection from plagues and atonement from sins. All for a half shekel. May be this could have been considered God’s first three-in-one deal.
One other important point to raise before I take this and give you our present day application. Notice that the half shekel levy was to be paid by all. Scripture tells us that "The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives." There was no economic qualifier or disqualifier.
So what does this all mean to us today? Isn’t this just an Old Testament account of the life of the early Israelites and the beginnings of their worship traditions? Why should we be concerned with half shekel payments for atonement or ransom from plagues?
Well, this might be an easy approach to take and might even have us bypass this passage without taking anything away. But I don’t think God would have it in His Living Holy Word if it weren’t significant. So consider the following:
Yes, we don’t have to pay a half shekel every time we are given a census. We’re not even required to give a half shekel at church every week as we worship, although we are expected to give an offering and tithe. Just as the tabernacle needed funds for keeping it maintained, so too does the church. We don’t have to worry about a plague falling upon us if we don’t give nor do we have to pay for atonement. Given all this, do we really have to pay for anything today?
Well friends, don’t allow yourselves to get into the mindset that our atonement today is any less costly as it was back in the days of the Israelites. In fact, our atonement has cost so much more than they ever had to pay. For Jesus Christ was the final sin offering, once and for all. He and only he brought us atonement through His blood shed on the cross. Indeed, He bled and died so we might live…and live abundantly, now and forever.
Question: Do you know Jesus in your life? Do you know Him as your precious Savior, Redeemer and Friend? Do you fully understand the heavy price He paid…that being His very life…so you might not die for your sins? Do you know He died in your place?
Atonement did not come without a cost in the days of the Exodus. It doesn’t come without a cost today either. Thank you Lord Jesus for your giving up your life to pay the bill for our atonement. May we honor You by living like You and giving You our all, just as you gave us. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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