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It all started when…

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.” ~exodus 30:11-16~

there’s a saying that goes like this: ‘there’s always a price to pay’, (i’m sorry i don’t know who it originates from), and i suppose there is truth to this when you want something badly. in these verses it speaks about doing this as an offering to The Lord, paying a ransom for your life, and it would be used in “the tent of meeting” - to help you never forget what The Lord has done for you and i, giving His life for mine.

i don’t believe this is saying you are to pay God to get something, like you are buying favor or redemption for your sins. simply done to remind you of the goodness of God regardless of whether you were rich, poor, or in-between.