When the nation of Israel was traveling through the wilderness on their way to the promised land, the LORD instructed Moses that the tribe of Levi were to be set apart for Himself.
Num 3:12-13 – And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
The Levites received no inheritance in the land because the LORD was their inheritance (Deut 18:1-2). Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and their posterity replaced what would have been the tribes of Joseph and Levi (Num 1:32-35).
The LORD had declared that the firstborn, both of men and beast, in the twelve tribes were to be His. But rather than taking the firstborn of the twelve tribes, the LORD took the Levites to be His in their stead.
Num 3:40-41 – And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
When Moses numbered the firstborn of the Israelites, he found their number to be 22,273.
Num 3:42-43 – And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
However, when the Levites were numbered, their total was only 22,000.
Num 3:39 – All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
There was therefore a shortfall of 273 males in the tribe of Levi who were supposed to be dedicated to the LORD instead of the firstborn males of the twelve tribes. Some might suppose that since this deficit only amounted to about 1%, the LORD would just round up and call it good. But that’s not how redemption works. It must be one for one. The LORD therefore required that since a Levite could not be given for each of the 273 additional males who were to be redeemed, the children of Israel would have to pay a redemption fee for each of them.
Num 3:44-51 – And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 50 Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 51 And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
The LORD got exactly what was due unto Him. “Close enough” may work with horseshoes and hand grenades, but it doesn’t satisfy God’s requirements for redemption.
There is a lesson here as it pertains the redemption of men’s souls. Just as it was not sufficient for the Levites to be given as a general payment for the redemption of the firstborn of the Israelites, so was it not sufficient for Jesus Christ to merely suffer for sin in general to atone for the sins of the redeemed. Jesus Christ had to suffer for both sin (Isa 53:10; Rom 8:3) and for specific sins (1Pe 2:24; Heb 1:3). It was necessary for Christ to suffer for the sins of each specific person whom He was given to save, for if He did not, then that man’s sins would remain unatoned.
Just as God got exactly what was due unto Him by way of the payment of Levites and money, so will He get all that He sent Jesus to save through the payment of the precious blood of Christ which was shed for them.
1Pe 1:18-20 – Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
