[12] 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. [13]
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 of the LORD. [14]
Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years
old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. [15]
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. [16] 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. [17] And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying,
Some think this refers only to the first numbering of
them, when the tabernacle was set up, and that this tax was to make up
what was wanting in the voluntary contributions. Others think it was to
be always when the people were numbered; and that David offended in not
demanding it when he numbered the people. But many of the Jewish writers
are of opinion, it was to be an annual tribute; only it was begun when
Moses first numbered the people. This was that tribute - money which Christ
paid lest he should offend his adversaries. The tribute to be paid was
half a shekel, about fifteen - pence of our money. In other offerings men
were to give according to their ability, but this, which was the ransom
of the soul, must be alike for all; for the rich have as much need of Christ
as the poor, and the poor are as welcome to him as the rich. And this was
to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that there might be no plague among
them - Hereby they acknowledged that they received their lives from God,
that they had forfeited their lives to him, and that they depended upon
his power and patience for the continuance of them; and thus they did homage
to the God of their lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins
had deserved. This money was employed in the service of the tabernacle;
with it they bought sacrifices, flour, incense wine, oil, fuel, salt, priests
garments, and all other things which the whole congregation was interested
in.
[18] Thou shalt also make a
laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt
put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou
shalt put water therein. [19] For Aaron
and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: [20]
When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with
water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister,
to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: [21]
So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it
shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout
their generations. [22] Moreover the
LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
The laver, or font was a large vessel, that would contain
a good quantity of water. The foot of brass, it is supposed, was so contrived
as to receive the water, which was let out of the laver, by spouts or cocks.
They then had a laver for the priests only to wash in, but to us now there
is a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem, Zechariah 13:1, an inexhaustiblefountain
of living water, so that it is our own fault if we remain in our pollution.
Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet at this laver every
time they went in to minister. For this purpose clean water was put into
the laver, fresh every day. Though they washed themselves ever so clean
at their own houses, that would not serve, they must wash at the laver.
This was designed, to teach them purity in all their ministrations, and
to possess them with a reverence of God's holiness, and a dread of the
pollutions of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean when they
were first consecrated, but they must wash and be kept clean, whenever
they went in to minister. He only shall stand in God's holy place that
hath clean hands and a pure heart, Psalms 24:3,4. And it was to teach us,
who are daily to attend upon God,daily to renew our repentance for sin,
and our believing application of the blood of Christ to our souls for remission.
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