The Ransom Money: Paid In Full

Verse of the day: Exodus 30:11-12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.”

The ransom money collected during the census, contrary to what some think, was not for the construction of the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was built using a voluntary offering given by the people. The ransom money collected was used for the maintenance of the Tabernacle service, such as the purchase of flour, fuel, garments, etc. The payment of the ransom money was their acknowledgment that their lives were not their own, but God’s. It was an acknowledgment that they were surrendering their lives to the LORD, and that they were completely dependent upon Him; by this keeping the plague they deserved to suffer, because of sin, at bay. The ransom money pictures for us the ransom that was paid by Jesus Himself. 1 Timothy 2:6 confirms that it was Jesus, “who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”. 1 Peter 1:18-19 reads, “knowing that you were not redeemed (ransomed) with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” Jesus Himself said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Because Jesus has paid our sin-debt in full, we now belong to Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 makes it clear that we are no longer our own when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” This means that Jesus is not just Savior, but Lord of our lives. He paid the ransom we owed with His precious Blood. For us, this also means that we do not have final say in respect to what we do with our bodies. Today’s thinking, even amongst Christians, is that we have the freedom to choose what we do with our bodies, and how we use them. Before we are told in 1 Corinthians 6, that we have been bought by the Lord, and that our bodies are not our own, Scripture warns us to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Sadly, this mindset of “this is my body, I’ll choose what I want to do with it” has also led to the sin of murder, as many have decided that they have the right to end the life of an unborn, unwanted, child. This, of course, would not be a decision that is necessary, if, in many instances, we obeyed to first command to flee sexual immorality. Nonetheless, the ransom money pictured for us the ultimate ransom that would be paid by Jesus Christ. In verse 13 of this chapter in Exodus, God tells Moses what the amount of the ransom money will be, and then in verse 15 makes it clear that this amount was to be paid by everyone, rich or poor. God did not require the rich to pay more or the poor to pay less. This is very significant, as in Christ, we are all equal, whether rich or poor. God is no Respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11). Just as God shows no partiality, or favoritism, He calls us to be impartial when it comes to the Gospel. It is to be preached to both the rich and the poor. Whether wealthy or destitute, salvation can only be found, and obtained, in Christ Jesus. We are not to show favoritism to those who can give more in the local church, or treat the poor with less respect (James 2:1-13). Proverbs 22:2 clearly tells us that, “The rich and the poor meet together: the LORD is the Maker of them all.” We are not to begrudge the rich for being rich, as God has chosen to allow them to be wealthy (they will give an account for how they use it), and we are not to neglect the poor, as God’s desire is that we meet their needs, when He presents us with the opportunity (Proverbs 19:17; 22:9; 29:7). The bottom line is that Jesus died for all. He did not just die for one class of people, or for someone with a specific background. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world”; and 1 John 2:2 cannot be any clearer that Jesus was the Ransom paid, in full, not just me and you, but for the world.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).