 |
Hallel FellowshipMessianic fellowship in Santa Rosa, California Author: Hallel Fellowship Language: en-us Genres: Christianity, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Render to God what is God’s: Identity, ownership and stewardship in Scripture (Exodus 30; 2Kings 12; 2Corinthians 9)
Saturday, 14 February, 2026
7 key takeaways from this study God measures hearts more than amounts. The half-shekel ransom (Exodus 30) and the widow’s two coins show that what matters most is heart posture, not the size of the gift. Rich and poor gave the same ransom; the widow gave “all she had.” Ransomed people are called to purposeful service. Exodus’ census (ransomed out of Egypt) and Numbers’ census (selected for battle) show a pattern: God rescues first, then deploys. Freedom from bondage leads into a calling, not passive comfort. Stewardship exposes our true priorities. In 2Kings 12, the priests gladly received money but failed for 23 years to repair God’s house. Their inaction revealed where their real priorities lay — they were comfortable with the system but not committed to the mission. Accountability protects both people and God’s reputation. The methods in 2Kings 12 and Ezra 8 (lockbox, multiple money counters, clear procedures) and Paul sending Titus with the gift (2Corinthians 8–9) show that transparent handling of resources is a spiritual duty, not just a business best practice. Holy things must not be made common. The anointing oil and incense (Exodus 30) were not to be copied or commercialized. When what is holy is treated as common — whether smells, symbols, or God’s name. It confuses the nations and distorts who God is. Priests (and all leaders) must align hearing, doing, and walking. The blood on the ear, thumb, and toe (Leviticus 8) pictures shema (hear), asah (do) and halach (walk). Leaders who moralize a lot and don’t do it themselves (Matthew 23) misrepresent God as badly as corrupt priests in Israel’s history. Where your treasure goes, your heart follows. Messiah’s teaching (“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 6) ties together money, time, talents, and calling. Investing in God’s kingdom — with resources, energy, and obedience — shapes and reveals the direction of the heart. In this study, we’ll explore how Adonai ransoms His people, calls them to serve, and then examines how they steward what He places in their hands. Are God’s people really “all in” for the Kingdom of Heaven, or just loosely involved (even apathetic) with their surplus? Where Your Treasure Is: The Heart of the Matter “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“ Matthew 6:19-21 NASB95 This is not merely about financial giving. It is about what a person values most — where their mind, emotions, and will (collectively, the “heart”) are oriented. Treasure may include: Money Time God-given talents and skills Spiritual gifts Any “storehouse of value” entrusted by heaven Money is simply a representation of value — a “certificate of appreciation” or “certificate of completion” that says, “Someone did something I value.” That means the way people hold and use money reveals what they actually honor, trust, and love. Messiah’s interaction about the Roman tax illustrates this (Matthew 22:15–22). When asked if taxes should be paid to Caesar, He requests a coin and asks whose image it bears. When they answer, “Caesar’s,” He replies: “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21 NASB95 Coins bear Caesar’s image. Human beings bear God’s image. The study suggests the real issue is not “Do we give money?” but “Do we give ourselves?” This ties identity (tzelem Elohim, God’s image) to stewardship. The call is not just to manage finances well, but to align the whole self with the kingdom. Exodus 30: The Half-Sheqel Ransom and Atonement The first main text is Exodus 30:11–16, part of the Torah portion Ki Tisa (“when you lift up” or “when you take up”). Adonai commands Moshe to take a census of Israel, but it is done in a surprising way: Each man 20 years and older gives half a shekel It is called “a ransom for himself to the LORD” (Exodus 30:12) The rich may not give more, the poor may not give less (Exodus 30:15) The money funds the service of the Tent of Meeting and becomes “a memorial” (Exodus 30:16) The Hebrew expression מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל makhatzit ha-sheqel (half the sheqel) is crucial. It is described as: A כֹּפֶר kofer (ransom) for each life A means of atonement. A safeguard “so that there will be no plague among them when you number them” (Exodus 30:12 NASB95). This census is not about demographic data but about redemption identity. The people of Israel have just been brought out of מִצְרַיִם Mitzrayim (Egypt, “the house of slavery/bondage,” Exodus 13:3, 14; 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; 6:12; 7:8; 8:14; 13:5, 10; Judges 6:8; Micah 6:4; Joshua 24:17; Jeremiah 34:13). They did not merely “leave” Egypt; Heaven ransomed them out of it. This frames salvation not as a casual rescue but as a price paid. A ransom implies: Something (or someone) has been taken A cost is demanded for release The redeemer absorbs that cost So each half-sheqel becomes a tangible reminder: You belong to the One who bought you out of slavery (1Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). At the same time, Scripture warns us about reducing people to money. Counting coins instead of persons is meant to protect against treating people as mere financial units. Later history shows what happens when societies start thinking that way — people become commodities, even less valued than money itself. Numbers 1: From Ransomed People to a Fighting Force The next major step is the census in Numbers 1:1–3. Again, Adonai speaks to Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai, but the purpose is different: “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.” Numbers 1:2–3 NASB95 Here the key verb is פָּקַד paqad (often “to visit,” “to number,” or “to appoint/select”). The teacher emphasizes that this is not just counting; it is selecting and appointing. The pattern is: Exodus census: You are ransomed out of bondage. Numbers census: You are numbered/selected for battle. The move is from freedom received to freedom defended. The study notes that once Israel is free, the question becomes: Is this freedom worth fighting for, under God’s mission and leadership? In the wilderness accounts, when the people balk at entering the land because of fear (Numbers 13–14), it exposes their lack of trust. They treat the mission as too costly, despite having been ransomed by great miracles. This parallels the life of a believer in Messiah: redeemed out of spiritual bondage, yet called into costly obedience, spiritual warfare, and faithful endurance — not mere spiritual tourism. Priestly Calling: Hearing, Doing, and Walking Two passages illustrate the ordination of Israel’s priests: Exodus 29:4–9 – Aharon and his sons receive garments, anointing, and a perpetual priesthood. Leviticus 8:23–24 – Blood is placed on: The lobe of the right ear The right thumb The big toe of the right foot Ancient Jewish commentators see in this a pattern: Ear – for hearing Thumb/hand – for doing Toe/foot – for walking These align with three key Hebrew concepts: שָׁמַע shama‘ (“to hear, listen, obey”) עָשָׂה asah (“to do, to perform”) הָלַךְ halakh (“to walk, to go”), from which הֲלָכָה halakhah (“way of walking/practice,” i.e., tradition) comes. Priests are thus marked to: Hear God’s word Do what He commands Walk in ways that reflect His character When Messiah later critiques certain leaders (Matthew 23), saying they “say things and do not do them,” He is confronting a breakdown in this priestly pattern. Their halakhah (practical walk) contradicts the Torah and the heart of God, even if their words sound religiously correct. This priestly pattern extends to all who serve in the name of Yeshua. One cannot merely teach Torah, or speak of Messiah, while living a life that contradicts both. Hearing, doing, and walking must remain aligned. Holy Oil, Holy Incense, Holy Lives: Guarding What Belongs to God Alone Back in Exodus 30, here are the key characteristics of the anointing oil and incense used in the מִשְׁכָּן Mishkan (“dwelling place,” the Tabernacle): These mixtures are “most holy” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים qodesh qadashim, “holy of holies,” the same Hebrew term for the Most Holy Place of the Mishkan). They must not be copied for personal or commercial use They must not be applied to common people for their own pleasure. The concern is that what uniquely signifies the presence and authority of God could be trivialized, commodified or associated with corrupt behavior. Later archaeology finds household figurines and inscriptions combining the divine Name with “His Asherah,” suggesting syncretism (mixing of disparate belief systems) and distortion. When Israel took the symbols of the Mishkan and mixed them with pagan patterns, contemporary and later observers (namely, Bible-critical archaeologists) could conclude Israel was no different from the surrounding nations. This is an assemblage of pottery shards from a 8th century B.C. (900s) jar (titled Pithos A) found at the Kuntillet Ajrud site in the northeastern Sinai peninsula. The inscriptions show five figures, including a bull and a calf. A seated musician or weaver is to the right side of this reconstruction. The phrase above the figures includes the phrase “Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah.” (Choi, Gwanghyun. “The Samarian Syncretic Yahwism and the Religious Center of Kuntillet Ajrud.” 2016) This warns against: Treating divine symbols, language, or worship styles as branding tools. Borrowing holy imagery to sell, entertain, or self-promote. Confusing people about who the God of Israel truly is. Holy things must remain holy, not because God is petty, but because misuse misrepresents Him. 2 Kings 12: The Priests Who Wouldn’t Repair God’s House A parallel passage to Exodus 30:11–16 is 2Kings 12:1–16. It’s from a very messy political period in Israel’s history: a divided kingdom north and south, coups, moral corruption led by idolatry. One of the few “good” kings, יוֹאָשׁ Yo’ash ( Jehoash/Joash) of Yehudah (Judah, southern kingdom), commands that: All money brought to the house of the LORD Census money Freewill offerings prompted by the heart Be used by the priests to repair the damages of the Temple On paper, this is ideal: those entrusted with God’s house use God’s people’s gifts to maintain that house. But decades pass. By the 23rd year of Joash’s reign, “the priests had not repaired the damages of the house” (2Kings 12:6). The king confronts יְהוֹיָדָע Yehoyada‘ (Jehoiada) the priest and the others: Why haven’t you repaired it? The text implies: Money flowed in. Repairs did not happen. The priests eventually agree, likely under Yoash’s coercion, to stop receiving repair money and stop pretending they will do the work. This is a sobering mirror: People may have correct theology and even be called by God. Yet their inaction and misplaced priorities betray their hearts. They grow comfortable receiving, but not serving. Note the contrast between the priests and the contractors Yoash later hired to do the repairs. Yoash had secure chest is installed — sealed with a hole is bored at the top — and multiple overseers count and distribute funds transparently. The text explicitly notes there was no suspicion of embezzlement, because the contractors acted faithfully. This lines up with the larger biblical pattern: Stewardship is not only spiritual. It is accountability with practical outcomes. High Places vs. the Holy Place: Compromise and Confusion Looking at the kings of Judah and Israel after Solomon: Many are described as having done evil “in the high places” Even relatively “good” kings of Judah sometimes failed to remove the high places The northern and southern kingdoms start to look strikingly similar, even with similar or the same names for rulers at parallel points in time. KingdomKing/QueenReign (B.C.)Good/BadKey PassagesJudahRehoboam931–913Bad (did evil, high places)1 Kings 12:1-14:31; 2 Chron 10-12JudahAbijah913–911Bad (walked in sins of father)1 Kings 15:1-8; 2 Chron 13JudahAsa911–870Good (did right, removed idols)1 Kings 15:9-24; 2 Chron 14-16JudahJehoshaphat873–848 (coregent 873-870)Good (walked in ways of David)1 Kings 22:41-50; 2 Chron 17-20JudahJehoram853–841 (coregent 853-848)Bad (walked in ways of Ahab)2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chron 21JudahAhaziah841Bad (walked in ways of Ahab)2 Kings 8:25-9:29; 2 Chron 22:1-9JudahAthaliah (Queen)841–835Bad (destroyed royal seed)2 Kings 11:1-20; 2 Chron 22:10-23:21JudahJehoash/Joash835–796Good in youth (did right via Jehoiada), evil in old age (killed prophet)2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chron 23-24JudahAmaziah796–767Good in youth, evil later (turned to idols)2 Kings 14:1-20; 2 Chron 25IsraelJeroboam I931–910Bad (golden calves, false worship)1 Kings 11:26-14:20IsraelNadab910–909Bad1 Kings 15:25-31IsraelBaasha909–886Bad1 Kings 15:27-16:7IsraelElah886–885Bad1 Kings 16:8-14IsraelZimri885 (7 days)Bad1 Kings 16:9-20IsraelOmri885–874Bad1 Kings 16:15-28IsraelAhab874–853Bad (worse than all before)1 Kings 16:28-22:40; 2 Chron 18IsraelAhaziah853–852Bad1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18IsraelJoram/Jehoram852–841Bad (clung to Jeroboam’s sins)2 Kings 3:1-9:26IsraelJehu841–814Mixed (destroyed Baal, but kept calves)2 Kings 9:1-10:36IsraelJehoahaz814–798Bad2 Kings 13:1-9IsraelJoash/Jehoash798–782Bad2 Kings 13:10-14:16This is partial table of kings from the divided kingdoms period comes from conservative scholars like Edwin R. Thiele, whose chronology synchronizes biblical data with Assyrian records. All northern kings “did evil … walked in the ways of Jeroboam” (e.g., 1Kings 15:34). Southern evaluations vary. High places were local worship sites often associated with idolatrous or syncretistic practices. Torah had commanded Israel to bring offerings only to the place where God put His Name—the Mishkan, later the Temple—precisely to avoid mixing worship of Adonai with that of the surrounding nations. The problem is not mere geography. It is mixed allegiance. When Israel keeps the Temple but tolerates the high places, the message becomes blurred: Is the God of Israel just one option among many? Are His instructions just one flavor in a spiritual marketplace? This speaks directly to modern spiritual life. The presence of a “Temple” in one’s life — congregational involvement, correct doctrine, our identity in the Messiah — does not cancel out the heart’s hidden “high places”: areas of compromise, competing loyalties, or unchallenged cultural idols. Ezra 8 and 2 Corinthians 8–9: Accountability and Cheerful Giving In 2Corinthians 8–9, apostle Shaul (Paul) handles a large gift for the believers in need. Some have seen hints in the text suggesting some feared Paul might mishandle funds.1“Paul handles a possible misinterpretation of the collection. Paul has already been accused of embezzlement (cf. 2Cor 12:16ff.), a charge that he addresses in a preliminary way in 2Cor 2:17. In order to prevent any criticism about his handling of this gift, Paul avoids making the delivery himself. Instead, he has commissioned representatives of the participating churches to deliver the collection. The analogy to Ezra’s procedure is obvious (Ezra 8:24–30).” (Scott, James M. 2 Corinthians. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011. Paragraph 42958.) In response, he: Sends Titus and other trusted brothers with the gift Insists things are done honorably “in the sight of the Lord and in the sight of men” Emphasizes that giving must be willing and cheerful, not pressured Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2Corinthians 9:7 NASB95 He then quotes Psalm 112:9: He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,His righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:9 NASB95 The same God who “supplies seed to the sower and bread for food” (2Corinthians 9:10) is able to multiply the seed and increase the harvest of righteousness. The issue is not fundraising technique; it is aligning generosity with God’s character. Some see parallels to Ezra 8:24–30,2Scott, paragraph 42958 where Ezra receives significant contributions from the Persian emperor and the people of Israel for rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem. Ezra: Chose 12 leading priests. Weighed the silver, gold, and utensils into their hands. Held them accountable to deliver everything safely to Jerusalem. Two people verify what is given and what is received. The aim is to avoid even the appearance of financial misconduct (1Thessalonians 5:22). The Widow’s Two Coins: Heart Over Surplus The study then turns to the Gospels’ scene of the poor widow (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4). Yeshua sits opposite the treasury and watches: Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow drops in two small copper coins. Messiah declares: “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43–44 NASB95 From heaven’s perspective: Amount is not the primary measure. Cost to the giver and heart motivation are. The widow surrenders her whole life, not just a portion of disposable income. This echoes the intensive devotion the altar of incense symbolizes in Exodus 30 — prayers rising as a representation of the people themselves, deemed “most holy” in God’s sight. This challenges both religious pride and fear-based withholding. It calls for whole-hearted trust (i.e., faith) in the God who sees and values the hidden sacrifice. Treasures in Heaven: The Final Measure “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19–21 NASB95 Our journey through Scripture today — Exodus, Numbers, 2 Kings, Leviticus, the Gospels, 2Corinthians, Ezra and Psalms — has a consistent message: God ransoms His people. God selects and appoints them for service. God entrusts them with resources — time, money, ability, knowledge. God watches how they steward it. God measures the heart by where that treasure actually goes. For the priests who failed to repair the Temple, their neglected tasks revealed that their treasure — and thus their hearts — lay elsewhere. For the widow who gave her last coins, her action revealed a heart fully entrusted to God. If someone followed the trail of how a believer uses money, time, energy, and gifting, would it lead to the kingdom of heaven — or somewhere else? To be “all in” for the kingdom is to let Adonai direct every “certificate of value” He has placed in one’s hands, whether coins, skills, or hours in the day. The ransom has been paid; the call is to serve with all the heart, all the soul, and all the strength (Deuteronomy 6:4–5), storing up treasure where Messiah reigns and where no thief can touch it. 1 “Paul handles a possible misinterpretation of the collection. Paul has already been accused of embezzlement (cf. 2Cor 12:16ff.), a charge that he addresses in a preliminary way in 2Cor 2:17. In order to prevent any criticism about his handling of this gift, Paul avoids making the delivery himself. Instead, he has commissioned representatives of the participating churches to deliver the collection. The analogy to Ezra’s procedure is obvious (Ezra 8:24–30).” (Scott, James M. 2 Corinthians. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011. Paragraph 42958.)2 Scott, paragraph 42958The post Render to God what is God’s: Identity, ownership and stewardship in Scripture (Exodus 30; 2Kings 12; 2Corinthians 9) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.
