Immediately after the Exodus (about 1552-1551 BC), Moses was called by God to organise a census or numbering of the people so that the materials and moneys could be acquired for the building of the Tabernacle. It is from the census that the book of Numbers receives its name.
God redeemed His people from Egyptian captivity, and in order to redeem something a price had to be paid as far as the law of contract is concerned. In the "Introduction" chapter we discussed the atonement money (the price) that was to be collected for the 273 excess number of Israel children over the number of Levite children which God promised He would provide for the priesthood. This money was to make good, or compensate in value for the deficiency in number of children in the Levite familities. The moneys (273 children multipled by five shekels each) totalled 1365 shekels. This amount of money seems hardly enough with to build the Tabernacle according to God's instructions to Moses as described in the biblical book of Exodus.
The major part of the atonement moneys came from the numbering of all the Israelite men aged 20 years and upwards, who were of military age, or who were old enough to go to war. The men of Levi were not included in the census count for military purposes, as they were especially set aside to serve in the priesthood. Half a shekel was to be given willingly from each of the Israelite numbered men.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
"This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering to the Lord.
" Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.
"The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
"And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls."
The total count of military men in the census was 603,550. Half a shekel per person would be a total of 301,775 shekels, which equalled the amount of silver collected for the treasury. The following chart is a summary of the Exodus Census.
Bible Chronology Measure the Temple CONTENTS |
