Why Ransom Our Souls? WWJD?

Our loving Heavenly Father, came to the rescue of the Israelites who were captive slaves in Egypt by sending numerous plagues on the Egyptians until the Pharaoh let the Israelites leave. Once they were no longer being pursued by the Egyptians., G-d gave them many instructions one being:

When you do a census of the people, each person over the age of 20 needs to pay a ransom for their soul to G-d of half a shekel to protect them from any plague.

These funds were to be used for the maintenance of the temple. Therefore, this became known as the "Temple Tax". Curiously, the rich were not to pay more than the poor! (Exodus 30:12-16)

I spent last Shabbat pondering and researching this passage, and I have yet to find an answer that satisfies me on this point-

Why did the rich not have to pay more than the poor?

The only reason I could discern all the people paying the same amount was the word "democracy ". Could it be that by having everyone pay the same amount, the rich could not feel that they deserved a more privileged place in the temple? Some people might add - the poor could surely afford a shekel, so they couldn't quibble over that. However, you might recall- Yeshua did not have a shekel to pay the Temple Tax!

What Yeshua Thought of The Temple Tax

Yeshua had a few comments about the Temple Tax. For example, when asked if they paid the Temple Tax, Jesus responded with a question, "Who do you tax the people of a country or its foreign visitors?"

Yes, Yeshua didn't have a shekel to pay the tax, but Our Creator did! Yeshua sent His disciples to the river to get the needed coin from the mouth of a fish!

Yeshua was NOT impressed with the money changers in the temple either!

While some scholars teach that the money changers in the temple were making people exchange their sacrificial animal offerings for other sacrificial offerings- the phrase is "money changers". Could it be that since the Temple Tax was to be exactly a Temple shekel, people would have to get the correct change to pay the tax? Perhaps the money changers would charge for making the exchange. Yes, Yeshua threw the tables over and drove the money changers out of the temple roaring, "My Father said my house shall be a house of prayer."

So, where does this leave us with the issue of paying this Temple Tax today? I'm going to continue to ponder and pray to understand this more. But for now, I've had my say, what's yours?

Please pop a note in the comments below before you go.

Yours in Christ,

References: Exodus 30:12-16