The Tabernacle was the place where God met with His people. The focus thus must not be on the elements or furniture in the Tabernacle, but on the people. When doing God’s work, we must remember that it is God’s people that we are serving. We must focus on them and minister to their spiritual needs.

1.  Ownership of God’s people (Exod 30:11-12)

The LORD told Moses to take “the sum of the children of Israel” (Exod 30:12), i.e. to number the children of God. Such numbering has the idea of ownership or possession. God’s people belong to God. And everyone who was numbered was to pay half a shekel as “a ransom for his soul unto the LORD” (Exod 30:12), i.e. his acknowledgment of his need to have his sins atoned by the LORD. The significance of the numbering was that the children of Israel would remember that they did not belong to themselves, but that they belonged to God and were indebted to Him.

In 1 Chronicles 21, when King David numbered the people, no ransom money was paid. His purpose was that he might know the number of people (1 Chron 21:2), i.e. he numbered the people out of his own pride.

As children of God, we know that we belong to God. Thus, we must not take advantage of each other. How then are we to treat our fellow Christians?

2.  God’s people are equal (Exod 30:13-15)

Everyone numbered was required to give half a shekel. A shekel is a unit of weight. Half a shekel is about 4 to 5 grams of silver. (Today, it will be about S$4 or S$5.) This payment was not to be regarded as a form of taxation which is obligatory. This was a ransom for ownership, an offering unto God. Everyone, whether rich or poor, was to give the same amount of ransom money, thus reminding the children of Israel (and all of us today) that everyone is a sinner in need of a Saviour. Before we are saved, we were sinners, lost and condemned. After we are saved, we are sinners saved by grace. We are indebted to God. In God’s sight, we are all equal, we are all sinners. And we cannot pay the ransom money on behalf of another. Each is to acknowledge his own need for a Saviour.

3.  God’s people are to serve (Exod 30:16)

The ransom money was to be used for God’s service in the Tabernacle. God’s people must always be involved in God’s service. We must not outsource God’s work to unbelievers. God’s work must be done by God’s people. Thus, as children of God, we must be prepared to serve Him.