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Text: Exodus 30: 11-16

MEDITATION

Exodus 30:11-16

11 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.
13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.
14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD.
15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.
16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”

MEANINGFUL APPLICATION TO LIFE

1. Census taking

a. The wrong reasons for taking a census.

i. To take pride in numbers.

ii. To trust in numbers for protection of the nation.

iii. To hope that numbers would result in prosperity.

iv. The leader (the king) may feel that he is the “lord” of all in the land.

v. To number the men with reference to recruiting them for the army.

b. The right reasons for taking a census.

i. Planning for allotment of the land in Canaan.

ii. Larger tribes would need larger tracts of land.

iii. To rejoice in the Lord and His blessing of multiplying the nation.

iv. To acknowledge the Lord is the One to whom everything is owed.

v. There must not be the loss of faith and focus on the Lord as their shield (protection).

c. Who were being counted?

i. To count all who were 20 years and above! They were considered adults.

ii. It seems to be focused on the men.

2. Ransom money

a. To acknowledge God’s work of ransoming Israel from Egypt.

b. A token amount is to be given to the Lord as “ransom money”.

c. This was half a shekel (a small amount).

d. The same rate is charged for all (the poor and the rich) to symbolize equality.

e. It is also called “atonement money”.

f. It is meant to be a “memorial gift”.

g. It is dedicated for the service of the Tabernacle.

3. Warning of severe consequences if the census is taken wrongly

a. God can send a plague.

b. This is to show His deep displeasure of sinning against Him by having the wrong reasons for taking a census.

经文：出埃及记 30：11-16

沉思

《出埃及记 30: 11-16》
11 耶和华晓谕摩西说：
12 “你要按以色列人被数的计算总数，你数的时候，他们各人要为自己的生命把赎价奉给耶和华，免得数的时候在他们中间有灾殃。
13 凡过去归那些被数之人的，每人要按圣所的平，拿银子半舍客勒，这半舍客勒是奉给耶和华的礼物，一舍客勒是二十季拉。
14 凡过去归那些被数的人，从二十岁以外的，要将这礼物奉给耶和华。
15 他们为赎生命将礼物奉给耶和华，富足的不可多出，贫穷的也不可少出，各人要出半舍客勒。

16 你要从以色列人收这赎罪银，作为会幕的使用，可以在耶和华面前为以色列人做纪念，赎生命。”

在生活里有意义地的应用

1. 人口普查

a. 进行普查的错误原因

i. 以数字为荣

ii. 信任数字可以以保护国家

iii. 希望数字会带来繁荣

iv. 领袖（国王）可能会觉得他是这片土地上所有人的“主”

v. 编号人口，以征募他们加入军队

b. 进行普查的正确理由

i. 规划迦南土地

ii. 更大的部落将需要更大的土地

iii. 让我们在主里喜乐，并因他使国家倍增而蒙福

iv. 要承认上帝是万物的那一位

v. 要以上帝为他们的盾牌（保护），一定不要失去信心

c. 谁在被算计？

i. 计算二十岁及以上的所有人！他们被认为是成年人了

ii. 它似乎集中在男人身上

2. 赎金

a. 承认上帝从埃及赎回以色列的工作

b. 象征性的数额将作为“赎金”交给上帝

c. 这是半舍客勒（少量）

d. 对所有人（穷人和富人）收取相同的费率，以象征平等

e. 也称为“赎罪金”

f. 旨在成为“纪念礼物”

g. 专为会幕使用

3. 如果普查不正确，将导致严重后果

a. 上帝可以发瘟疫

b. 这是为了表明上帝对错误的原因进行了人口普查的不满