Topical Bible: Money: Atonement

◄ Money: Atonement ►

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In the biblical context, money is occasionally associated with the concept of atonement, serving as a means to fulfill certain religious obligations or to symbolize reconciliation with God. The use of money for atonement is primarily found in the Old Testament, where it is integrated into the sacrificial and ceremonial systems established by Mosaic Law.

Atonement Money in the Census

One of the most direct references to money as a form of atonement is found in the instructions for taking a census of the Israelites. In Exodus 30:11-16, God commands Moses to collect a half-shekel from every Israelite twenty years old and above as a ransom for their lives. This payment is described as "atonement money" and serves to prevent a plague among the people during the census. The Berean Standard Bible states:

"When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted, so that no plague will come upon them when they are numbered. Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD." (Exodus 30:12-13)

The collected money was used for the service of the Tent of Meeting, symbolizing the people's dedication and their acknowledgment of God's sovereignty over their lives.

Redemption and Valuation

Leviticus 27 outlines the laws regarding vows and the valuation of persons, animals, and property dedicated to the Lord. In cases where a person wished to redeem something they had vowed, they could do so by paying its equivalent value in money, plus an additional fifth. This system allowed for a form of atonement through monetary means, providing a way to fulfill vows and maintain one's commitment to God.

The Role of Money in Sacrificial Offerings

While animal sacrifices were the primary means of atonement for sin, money could also play a role in the sacrificial system. For those who could not afford the prescribed offerings, the Law provided alternatives that often involved monetary compensation. For example, in Leviticus 5:11-13, those unable to afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons for a sin offering could bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, which was less costly and more accessible.

The Temple Tax

In the New Testament, the concept of atonement money is echoed in the practice of the temple tax. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus addresses the issue of paying the temple tax, which was a continuation of the half-shekel atonement offering. Although Jesus, as the Son of God, was exempt from this tax, He instructed Peter to pay it to avoid causing offense, demonstrating respect for the established religious customs.

Symbolic and Spiritual Implications

While the use of money for atonement in the Bible is primarily practical and ceremonial, it also carries symbolic and spiritual implications. It underscores the principle that atonement requires a cost, reflecting the seriousness of sin and the need for reconciliation with God. The use of money as a substitute or complement to sacrificial offerings highlights the flexibility and inclusivity of God's provisions for His people, allowing all to participate in the covenant community regardless of their economic status.

In summary, money as a form of atonement in the Bible serves both a practical function in the religious life of Israel and a symbolic role in illustrating the cost of reconciliation with God. Through these practices, the biblical narrative emphasizes the importance of atonement and the diverse means by which God's people could maintain their relationship with Him.

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Exodus 30:12-16
When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to the LORD, when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them.
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Leviticus 5:15,16
If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass to the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with your estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
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Greek

3083. lutron -- a ransom
... Cognate: 3083 (a neuter noun) -- literally, the ransom-money (price) to free ... something
to loosen with, ie A redemption price (figuratively, atonement) -- ransom ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3083.htm - 7k

Library

Extent of Atonement.
... That the atonement is sufficient for all men, and, in that sense, general, as opposed ...
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxvi extent of atonement.htm

The Lamb of God, the Great Atonement
... The extent of Atonement is frequently represented, as if a calculation had been
made ... But while he loved his money better than he loved Christ, and preferred ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xvi the lamb of.htm

The Last Events in Galilee - the Tribute-Money, the Dispute by the ...
... in Capernaum itself, immediately after the scene connected with the Tribute-money. ...
for thirteen successive years, and that on the Day of Atonement - the reason ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iii the last events.htm

Christ as Paraclete, as Propitiation, and as the Power of God.
... But how could He ever be the Paraclete, and the atonement, and the propitiation ... great,"
was consigned to perdition and destruction, he and his money with him. ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/38 christ as paraclete as.htm

Sundry Exhortations.
... It is still the same. The self-righteous do not hate money. ... Both are inconsistent
with the perfect separateness of Christ's atonement. It is well, as St. ...
/.../chapter xvi sundry exhortations.htm

The Cleansing of the Temple.
... In the center was the Holy of Holies, only entered by the High Priest once a year,
at the feast of the atonement; next without ... And the changers of money sitting ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/the cleansing of the temple.htm

The Wordless Book
... You spent your money for that which was not bread, and your labour for that which
did not ... Try to understand, dear friends, the greatness of the atonement. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 57 1911/the wordless book.htm

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic ...
... in open profanation of the Name of God, only death can make final atonement. ... of the
wine and fruit grown; partly paid in kind, and partly commuted into money. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the call of.htm

The Coin in the Fish's Mouth
... whole point of the story depends upon the fact that this tribute-money was not ... this
tax was levied with a double meaning; first, it was an atonement or ransom ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the coin in the fishs.htm

Good Friday
... And so with all the texts which speak of Christ's death and passion, and that atonement
for sin which he, in his ... By giving up thy business, money, time? ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon v good friday.htm