11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.

14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

After reading this short story in Matthew about the efforts by the temple tax collectors to get Jesus to commit to paying the tax

The origin of the temple tax is found in Exodus 30:11-16 and Ex 38:26 (see also 2 Chronicles 24:9 for a later mention). When Moses was taking the census of the Israelites in the desert, God told him to collect a tax from each male twenty years and older to pay for the construction and upkeep on the Tabernacle. The amount to be paid by each person, regardless of wealth or standing, was to be half a shekel. At that time the shekel was not a coin, but was a unit of weight for silver and gold. Online source ----- https://acts242study.com/the-temple-tax/

Efforts by the temple tax collectors to get Jesus to commit to paying the tax. Do we really need to pay tax?

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax approached Peter and asked, 'Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?' 'Yes, he does,' Peter replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke first. 'What do you think, Simon?' he asked. 'From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?' 'From others,' Peter answered. 'Then the children are exempt,' Jesus said to him. 'But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.'" — Matthew 17:24-27

2 Chronicles 24:9 NKJV

9. And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. Language Translation

2 Chronicles 24:12 NKJV

12. And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord. Language Translation

Can We Pay Temple Tax ?

In the Old Testament, Israelites paid taxes for temple services. But now, with Christ as our Most High Priest, the temple of God is within us. We give freely and willingly, as Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 9:7-8. John 14:16-17 tells us that the Spirit of God dwells in us. God no longer dwells in a physical temple, but inside those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:32 NKJV

32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Language Translation

Romans 8:39 NKJV

39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Language Translation

3 likes
Mark Riches @mark-riches       5 months ago   

This is great script... Read more