The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less than a half shekel when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. The equal contribution requirement is stated explicitly in the negative: the rich cannot give more (which would buy extra favor), the poor cannot give less (which would be shortchanged on atonement). The identical payment for every life communicates the theological equality of all lives before God: the ransom price for a wealthy life is the same as the ransom price for a poor life. Romans 3:22–23 says there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God — the equal-ransom principle of the census tax is the legal form of the theological equality of all people before God.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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