99_The bronze basin Ex 30:11-16 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them. 13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord's offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord's offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.” “And the LORD said to Moses, 18“You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, 19with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. 20Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.” In a small village, there was an old bridge that connected two sides of a deep ravine. The villagers used it for many years. Over time, the wood rotted, and the bridge became unsafe. The villagers feared they would be cut off from the other side without a bridge. A wealthy man saw the danger, and paid a trustworthy contractor to build a strong new bridge that would last for decades. It was now possible for anyone to cross over, whatever their wealth or status. This story illustrates the nature of redemption—a costly provision given freely to all. In Exodus 30:11-16, we see a striking command from God regarding the census of the Israelites. Each man was to pay a ransom for his life, a half-shekel, to prevent a plague. Rich or poor, no one was exempt, and no one could pay more or less. This payment symbolizes the price to be paid for a person to be part of God’s people. Eternal life is a gift from God, and redemption comes at a price. Yet Psalm 49:7-9 shows clearly that the half-shekel tax was only a symbolic payment: “No man can possibly redeem his brother, or pay his ransom to God. For the redemption of his soul is costly, and never can payment suffice, that he should live on forever and not see decay.” The souls of men are