I’ve entitled our message this morning, “The Census and the Plague.” This is the year of the United States 2020 Census. This is also the year of a global pandemic known as the Corona Virus and Covid 19; and I’ve been contemplating for quite some time the irony of how we actually had a pandemic during the last Census taken back in 2010. H1N1, or the Swine flu, “made headlines in 2009 when it was first discovered in humans and became a pandemic . . . The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 pandemic over in August 2010.”(1) In wondering if there is a correlation between the census and the plague, I began searching the Scriptures, and I think you’ll be surprised as to what I found out. So, let’s go ahead and get started with Exodus 30:11-16.
A Ransom for the Plague (Exodus 30:11-16)
11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. 13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD. 15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”
In verse 12, the Lord told His people that when they took a census they needed to pay a ransom price; otherwise, they would suffer a plague. So, why would the taking of a census result in God’s judgement?
Douglas Stuart, in The New American Commentary, says that “in the ancient world, as far as we know, a census was taken for one of only two purposes: 1.) to prepare for war, or 2.) to impose some sort of taxation. In ancient Israel there was technically only one purpose: to prepare for war. Because the Israelites had no right to go to war except for the taking and holding of the Promised Land by holy war as called explicitly by Yahweh through a prophet, and because they had no right to impose taxes beyond the contribution system revealed in the Law by God Himself, the taking of a census would constitute in most cases an act of direct covenant disobedience.”(2)
Verse 14 says, “Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.” The age of those who were to pay included any male from twenty-years-old and up. It is at the age of twenty that a Hebrew was considered to be full grown. At this age, they would be considered acceptable for military service.(3) So, if the primary motivation for taking a census was to assess potential military might, and to impose taxes, we see why the Lord added warnings . . . to this proceeding. After all, a great deal can go wrong when powerful men want to go to war, or get more money [from] the people. It is almost as if God was saying, ‘You can take this census, but you cannot do it independent of Me or My sovereign rule. It must not become an occasion for your own manipulation for wealth or power’.”(4)
Commentator Philip Ryken points out that a census carries with it the possibility of pride. He says, “Who has the right to take inventory? Only the person who owns whatever is being counted.” This means that only God, the rightful owner of all, could call for a count of the people. Ryken continues, “Whenever the Israelites took a census, they were in serious danger of forgetting this. After all, they were the ones doing the counting. Thus, they would be tempted to think that their great numbers were a credit to them rather than to God. And, although it was not a sin to take a census, it was a sin to rob God of His glory.”(5)
Perhaps, with this in mind, we can understand what happened in 1 Chronicles chapter 21. In verses 1-2 of this chapter, we read, “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, ‘Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it’.” Taking an unsanctioned census was considered a sin by God, because David was placing his trust in the number of soldiers he had instead of placing his confidence in the Lord’s power to fight for Israel; meaning that he trusted in people more than he trusted in God. We read in verse 14, that as a result of David’s actions, “The LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.”
“The Lord [was] exercising His authority and demonstrating His ownership of Israel through the coming census. This is why the sin of David in the taking of a census was so great. He went out to number the people of Israel without the Lord’s direction. He was [basically] claiming his ownership of them and excluding the Lord’s authority in the process; and it was a costly lesson for David.”(6)
The ransom payment the Lord required, in verse 12, recognized two important facts: 1.) God owns the lives of His people, and 2.) although He would have the right to require His people to lose their lives in battle, He generously gave them back their lives so they could enjoy abundant life within His covenant protection.(7) “The ransom price simply reminded those counting, and those being counted, that they had no might or power as a people other than what God granted them. It was recognition of His sovereign rule, as well as of His gracious gift of life.”(8)
So, with all this information in mind, I’ve got to ask, “In what way has America sinned during the taking of the census?” One aspect of the census in the ancient world was to impose taxes, so let me focus on this idea for a moment. The United States 2020 Census website states that one of the purposes of the census is to distribute billions of dollars in federal funding to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other services based on census data. This sounds reasonable and makes you feel like the government really cares about local communities; that is, until you look and see how the federal funding was actually allocated. In my research, I discovered that the majority of the money went to social services and welfare programs,(9) which shows that the Census website is misleading.
So, let’s look back and consider the 2010 Census. During that time period, our country was experiencing what has been called “The Great Recession.” CNN reports “that nearly 50 million Americans – roughly 15% of the population – needed food stamps.”(10) A 2012 article in the Washington Times states, “Federal welfare spending has grown by 32 percent over the past four years . . . Spending on more than 80 low-income assistance programs reached $746 billion in 2011, and state spending on those programs brought the total to $1.03 trillion . . . That makes welfare the single biggest chunk of federal spending – topping Social Security and basic defense spending.”(11) Also during this period, “The Affordable Care Act” was signed in 2010 by President Obama, which we know was a push for socialized medicine; and you had better believe that the population and financial data collected in the 2010 Census figured into the equation for these programs.
So, why is it important to consider how the U.S. Census leads to a vast majority of tax dollars being spent on social programs? How does this relate to some of the sin issues warned about in the Scripture? Well, let’s now think about the 2020 Census, and then I’ll explain.
In the year 2020, there has been a major push for socialism in the United States. Consider that in socialism people become dependent on the government to supply their needs. This leads to less trust and dependency on God; and even a falling away from the Christian faith. And there are leaders in politics right now seeking to crush the economy with lockdowns, with the intention of having people look to the government as their savior. We also need to consider that there are serious discussions among nations right now for something called “The Great Reset,” which is a push for a one world government with citizens having no property rights, and where people will be totally dependent on the government; and I’m sure the data being collected in the 2020 census is being figured into these schemes.
The Bible warns about this kind of socialized scenario playing out in the end-times. Revelation 17:13 speaks about ten kings, or nations, that give their authority and power to one ruler known as the Antichrist, and describes the ten kings as being of “one mind,” or being in agreement, which represents the one-world order, or a universal government. In Revelation 13:7, we read, “It was granted to him [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” This new world order will be the vehicle through which the Antichrist gains this authority over every people group and nation. In Revelation 13:17-18, we read “that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” which is “six hundred and sixty-six,” or rather, 666.
So, perhaps 2020 is the year of the plague, because plans are being made right now, with the help of census data, for the establishment of a one world government, which represents terrible sin. And if, by God’s grace, we evade this one world-order for now, the Bible still warns that nations can all too easily interpret census data in such a way that a country will rely more on the strength of its soldiers and citizens than on God; and individuals will rely more on government assistance than on God. In light of the Corona Virus pandemic, I think it’s important to ask ourselves the following question: “In what ways have we, as America, failed to recognize God’s sovereignty over our nation and forfeited His protection from the plague?”
Getting back to our passage, we see in verse 13 that each person counted was to give “half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.” “The half-shekel payment made by each Israelite male as temple tax . . . would have been made in a measure of precious metal, not coined money. The average shekel weighed 11.4 grams, but this text refers to a ‘sanctuary shekel,’ which is believed to be a smaller fraction of the common shekel. Weights discovered in archaeological finds evidence a shekel weighing 9.3-10.5 grams . . . The gerah is the smallest of the Israelite measures of weight. It weighed approximately half a gram and was equivalent to one-twentieth of a shekel.”(12)
According to verse 15, everyone alike was to give this half a shekel, rich and poor, no more and no less. This was to be “atonement money,” and it was to be given “for the service of the tabernacle of meeting” (v. 16), given to provide for the priests who would continually make atonement for the people; and given for the continuation of worship. The half a shekel helped the people keep their focus in the right place, which was on the Lord instead of on themselves and their own ability. And “the fact that all paid the same amount is also important. A wealthy man’s life is not worth more than a poor man’s, and a poor man’s life is not worth less. All human beings stand on level ground before the Lord,”(13) and today all people stand on level ground before the cross of Jesus Christ.
Let’s now back up to verse 12. The primary stipulation of the census was that all those counted would “give a ransom for his life.” As a result of this ransom, “no plague” would come among them. The word negeph, or “plague,” has only been seen once in the Scripture up to this point, in Exodus 12:12-13. In these verses, the Lord said, “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague [negeph] shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” The Lord is making a direct connection between the shedding of the blood of the lamb and the ransom payment. This connection is prophetic, referring to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
Now, fast forward about 1300 years, and we read in Luke 2:1-7 about the events surrounding another census: “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
According to the historian Josephus, immediately following the deposition of Herod Archelaus, Judea was turned into a Roman province. The general population also began to be taxed by Rome.(14) So, the Roman government not only took control of the land promised to God’s chosen people, but they also wanted to number the land for taxation purposes. The Lord must have been extremely angry about these events, so we have to wonder why there was no plague. The answer is that the ransom to stay the plague, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), had been born during the time of the census, right as Mary and Joseph entered Bethlehem to be counted.
In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which is called the Septuagint (LXX), the word for ransom (kopher) in Exodus 30:12 is lytron, formed from the verb lyo, meaning “to release from prison, from slavery, and from a debt.”(15) Lytron is the word used in Mark 10:45, when Jesus declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom [lytron] for many.”
Consider the ransom price paid by each Israelite male at the time of the census. He was paying a ransom for his life. How then must the words of Jesus and Paul have sounded to those who were accustomed to such an idea? 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” The ransom payment of Christ was unique and powerful. It was a life, not a coin; no mere half a shekel. The ransom is Jesus’ life, the giving of Himself. Jesus is the ransom payment, and it is a once-and-for-all payment!(16)
Time of Reflection
As we close, I need to point out that God has taken a census. He knows everybody who has ever lived or ever will; and He has offered a ransom payment for us all, in order to pay the price for our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The way we receive this ransom payment, and this amazing gift, is to first of all confess our sins and repent of them. In Job chapter 33 we read of the sinner, “Then he looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it did not profit me.’ He [or God] will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, and his life shall see the light” (vv. 27-28); “He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom’” (v. 24). In addition to repentance, we must also confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
NOTES
(1) “Swine Flu (H1N1),” Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/swine-flu (Accessed November 22, 2020).
(2) Douglas K. Stuart, “Exodus,” The New American Commentary, Vol 2. (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2006), p. 636.
(3) Charlie Garrett, “The Ransom Payment,” The Superior Word: http://superiorword.org/exodus-30-11-16-the-ransom-payment/ (Accessed November 22, 2020).
(4) Wyman, “Exodus 30:11-16,” Walking Together Ministries: https://www.walkingtogetherministries.com/2016/12/08/exodus-3011-16/ (Accessed November 22, 2020).
(5) Philip Ryken, “Exodus,” Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), p. 935.
(6) Garrett, “The Ransom Payment.”
(7) Stuart, “Exodus.”
(8) Wyman, “Exodus 30:11-16.”
(9) Marissa Hotchkiss and Jessica Phelan, “Uses of Census Bureau Data in Federal Funds Distribution,” https://2020census.gov/content/dam/2020census/materials/partners/2020-01/Uses-of-Census-Bureau-Data-in-Federal-Funds-Distribution.pdf (Accessed November 23, 2020).
(10) Heather Long, “The Obama Economy in 10 Charts,” (January 6, 2017), CNN Money: https://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2017/01/06/obama-economy-10-charts-final/6.html (Accessed November 23, 2020).
(11) Stephen Dinan, “Welfare Spending Jumps 32% During Obama’s Presidency,” (October 18, 2012), Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/18/welfare-spending-jumps-32-percent-four-years/ (Accessed November 23, 2020).
(12) John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), p. 114.
(13) Wyman, “Exodus 30:11-16.”
(14) “Judea (Roman Province),” Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judea_(Roman_province) (Accessed November 23, 2020).
(15) Victor P. Hamilton, Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary (Baker Publishing Group, Kindle Edition).
(16) Wyman, “Exodus 30:11-16.”
