Scripture: The LORD said to Moses, “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’S offering. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’S offering to make atonement for your lives. You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
Exodus 30:11-16 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping yesterday’s Daily Focus, Yahweh outlines to Moses the construction and use of the altar of incense. Its square design will include horns at its top corners and rings for transport rods. Craftsmen will construct all its elements with acacia wood overlayed with gold and then place it before the veil above the ark (where Yahweh will meet with the high priest). Aaron and his successors must burn fragrant incense on it every morning and at twilight as an offering before Yahweh—but for no other purpose (which otherwise constitutes unauthorized fire). Additionally, the high priest will make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood of a sin offering—which will be deemed most holy to the Lord.
Today’s reading marks a break in the list of tabernacle accoutrements with a directive to Moses to take a census of Israel, with each counted person twenty and older giving a life ransom to make atonement to the Lord, thereby averting plagues. Pragmatically, the ransom will fund the Levites’ tabernacle operations. The offering’s fixed amount (half a shekel) applies to all, regardless of one’s extent of wealth. Lastly, this census and offering will remind Israel of the God they serve.
Takeaway: A half-shekel did not constitute a large sum of money as it weighed about 2/5ths of an ounce (11 grams). In comparison, compensation for accidental injury caused by one’s ox totaled thirty shekels (21:31). Thus, all adult Israelites shared an equal commitment to support the tabernacle ministry. As such, this fixed amount sent a message that one does not attain atonement from God based on one’s measure of wealth but on obedience to his commands.
Looking through the lens of history leading to the age of our New Covenant, it is painfully apparent that we are sin-marred to our core and incapable of paying any amount or achieving any measure of obedience to earn God’s favor. Thus, Christ had to incarnate and become one of us, live his sinless life in obedience to the Father, and pay the ransom that none of us could afford: bearing our sins in his body to reconcile us to the Father. Indeed, as Paul succinctly writes, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (Corinthians 5:21 ESV).
Our takeaway? As implied above, we do not pay for the gift of Christ’s substitutionary death. Instead, Paul reminds us, we receive the gift of Christ’s atoning death by grace through faith in him (Ephesians 2:8). It is unmerited by works or wealth so that none of us may boast (Ephesians 2:9). And it serves as a memorial of atonement, reminding us that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, gifted to do good works that the Father has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10).
Our part? As mentioned often in our devotions, once we receive this gift by faith, out of gratitude and love for our Lord and Savior, we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to mature in grace and obedience to the Father and Son’s commands while relying on the hope expressed in their promises. When we do, we will find the strength to run the race of good works marked out before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, our memorial of atonement, who joyfully paid our ransom in full (Hebrews 12:1).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who paid our ransom in full at the cost of his life and momentary separation from you as he bore our sins in his body. And we thank you for the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of our sinful ways and guides us toward the higher ground where we can continue doing the good works you have prepared for us. So please help us remember the supreme work of your Son, our memorial of atonement, and humbly agree with the Holy Spirit when he convicts us of sin, that we might readily receive your forgiveness and serve you and your Son with gladness and singleness of heart. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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