Equal In The Eyes of God

The Tabernacle Experience was like a many-sided gem- and I’d like to share one last facet of that experience.  As part of the experience, they give you a coin meant to symbolize a half-shekel.  Right before you leave the courtyard area and enter the tabernacle, you recreate the giving of the “atonement” or “ransom money”- the half-shekel- that God required. The part of this story that impacted me was that every person who gave this ransom money was ordered by God to give the same amount.  A half-shekel, no more and no less.  The rich could not give more, and the poor could not give less.  All were equal in the eyes of God.

Giving of the Atonement Money

In Exodus 30:11-16,  God told Moses to take a census of the Israelites, and when doing so, each person, 20 years old or older was to give a half-shekel as an offering to the Lord. It was a continuation of the principle that they were God’s people and needed a sacrifice for redemption.  “It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.” (v 16) They used the money only for the care of the Tabernacle.

Created Equal in His Image

We were all created equal and in his image. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Gen 1:27  We are like him and equal in that he gave us personality, intelligence, emotions, reasoning, etc.  We may not all be born into the same circumstances or family, but we are equally loved in God’s eyes.

All Have Sinned and Fall Short

We are also equal in that we are all sinners.  We are all equal in our need for forgiveness.  You can’t buy it and you can’t be held to a lesser standard.  There are no excuses. We all need a ransom.   God wants us to know that no matter who we are, or what we do or don’t do, we are equal in our need for forgiveness.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”- Romans 3:23

We Need a Savior

This giving of the half-shekel by the Israelites all the way back in Exodus is a beautiful reminder to us today of how God sees us.  We need a ransom.  All of us.  The price is the same for all.  Long ago God wanted us to understand that Jesus would be everyone’s ransom payment. It was another one of those “aha!” moments I talked about last week.  Each tiny detail was executed perfectly and had a meaning that pointed to Jesus.

Jesus even used his own words to explain it to his disciples and to us:  “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Jesus gave his life as a ransom for ours.  He did it so that in the eyes of God, we would all be equal.  God will look at us and see Jesus, not our multitudes of sins.  He forgives us equally.  We can’t buy it or bargain for it.  No amount of good works will put us further “ahead”.  All we can do is accept his offer, his gift, to pay our ransom.

Pretty extravagant offer, no?

Jesus Paid Our Ransom

Think of it this way:  Jesus sits behind the bench as we plead guilty for our sins.  We deserve punishment and await our sentence.  The gavel drops. “Guilty,” he declares.  Jesus speaks again.  “Your sin brings a death sentence.” We hang our heads in defeat.

He rises.

In the most unlikely circumstances, he announces, “I will serve your sentence.”   The authorities handcuff Jesus and take him away.  He accepts our death sentence.

We are all free to go; to walk out of the courtroom.  Forgiven.  Record expunged.  As if we had never committed our crimes.

Say Yes to Jesus

Saying “yes” to his extravagant offer puts believers on an equal footing.

When God forgives, it is complete and everlasting. We are equal in the eyes of God.  It was God’s plan all along, and we see its beginning in the tabernacle of the Old Testament.

Pray to have the eyes of God in all we see.

Pray for humility in regard to our own sin; remembering all sin keeps us separated from God.

Give thanks for Jesus’ extravagant, sacrificial love offering.

Blessings!

AnnMarie

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:28

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