Numbers 3:44-51: a reflection

44The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites shall be mine. I am the LORD. 46For the redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel who exceed the number of the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels apiece for each one; according to the shekel of the sanctuary you shall take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs); 48and you shall give the money, with which their remainder is redeemed, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49Moses took the redemption money from those who exceeded the number of those who were redeemed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 51and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and to his sons, according to the LORD’s word, as the LORD commanded Moses.

In a striking arrangement, God takes the tribe of Levi in place of the firstborn of Israel, who belonged to him, and provides that the firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price, a picture of belonging to God and being redeemed. Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, God says; and the Levites shall be mine. And for the firstborn who exceeded the number of the Levites, a redemption price was to be paid. The firstborn of Israel belonged to God in a special way; and God arranged that the Levites be taken in their place, and that any firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price, bought back. It is a picture of two things: belonging to God, and being redeemed, bought back, by a price. This shows the picture of belonging to God and being redeemed by a price. God's people belong to him and are redeemed by a price. To be redeemed is to be bought back, at a cost, for God. This points to the price paid to redeem us for God. You belong to God, and were redeemed at a cost.

Notice the two ideas woven into this arrangement: belonging and redemption. First, belonging: the firstborn of Israel belonged to God in a special way, and the Levites were taken as his own in their place, the Levites shall be mine. God claims a people as his own, belonging to him. Second, redemption: for the firstborn who exceeded the number of the Levites, a price was to be paid to redeem them, to buy them back. To be redeemed is to be bought back at a cost, set free or claimed by the payment of a price. These two ideas, belonging to God and being redeemed by a price, run through Scripture and point forward to something greater. For we who belong to God have been redeemed, bought back, not by a payment of silver, but by the precious blood of Christ; we are his, purchased at a cost, redeemed for him. This arrangement in the wilderness is a shadow of that greater redemption: that God claims a people as his own, and redeems them at a price. To grasp this is to see both our belonging and its cost: we are God's, not our own, and we were bought back at a price, ultimately the price of Christ's own life. We do well to remember that we belong to God and were redeemed at a cost, and to live as those bought back for him. Remember that you belong to God and were redeemed at a cost. To be redeemed is to be bought back, at a price, for God. You are not your own, but God's, purchased at a cost. Live as one who belongs to God and was redeemed for him.

That is worth taking to heart, for we belong to God and were redeemed at a cost, as the firstborn belonged to God and were redeemed by a price. We can forget both that we are God's and that our redemption cost something; but this arrangement pictures belonging to God and being redeemed by a price, pointing to our redemption in Christ. You are God's, bought back at a cost. Remember that you belong to God and were redeemed at a price, ultimately by Christ's own life; live as one bought back for God, not your own. Remember that you belong to God and were redeemed at a cost, ultimately by the precious blood of Christ, and live as one bought back for him and not your own, as in a striking arrangement God took the tribe of Levi in place of the firstborn of Israel who belonged to him and provided that the firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price, a picture of belonging to God and being redeemed, since God said to take the Levites instead of the firstborn and that they should be his, and a redemption price was to be paid for the firstborn who exceeded their number; for the firstborn of Israel belonged to God in a special way, and God arranged that the Levites be taken in their place and any firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price and bought back, a picture of two things, belonging to God and being redeemed by a price, which run through Scripture and point forward to something greater, since we who belong to God have been redeemed and bought back, not by silver but by the precious blood of Christ, and are his, purchased at a cost, so that this arrangement in the wilderness is a shadow of that greater redemption, that God claims a people as his own and redeems them at a price, and to grasp this is to see both our belonging and its cost, that we are God's and not our own and were bought back at the price of Christ's own life, so that we do well to remember we belong to God and were redeemed at a cost and to live as those bought back for him.

Lord, in a striking arrangement, you take the tribe of Levi in place of the firstborn of Israel, who belonged to you, and provide that the firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price, a picture of belonging to you and being redeemed. Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, you say; and the Levites shall be mine. And for the firstborn who exceeded the number of the Levites, a redemption price was to be paid. The firstborn of Israel belonged to you in a special way; and you arranged that the Levites be taken in their place, and that any firstborn beyond that number be redeemed by a price, bought back. It is a picture of two things: belonging to you, and being redeemed, bought back, by a price. Show me the two ideas woven into this arrangement: belonging and redemption. First, belonging: the firstborn of Israel belonged to you in a special way, and the Levites were taken as your own in their place. You claim a people as your own, belonging to you. Second, redemption: for the firstborn who exceeded the number of the Levites, a price was to be paid to redeem them, to buy them back. To be redeemed is to be bought back at a cost. These two ideas, belonging to you and being redeemed by a price, run through Scripture and point forward to something greater. For I, who belong to you, have been redeemed, bought back, not by a payment of silver, but by the precious blood of Christ; I am yours, purchased at a cost, redeemed for you. This arrangement in the wilderness is a shadow of that greater redemption: that you claim a people as your own, and redeem them at a price. To grasp this is to see both my belonging and its cost: I am yours, not my own, and I was bought back at the price of Christ's own life. Take that to my heart. Help me remember, Lord, that I belong to you and was redeemed at a cost, ultimately by the precious blood of Christ, and to live as one bought back for you and not my own, purchased at a price to be yours.