“The silver from those of the congregation who were recorded was a hundred talents and 1,775 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary: a beka a head (that is, half a shekel by the shekel of the sanctuary), for everyone who is listed in the records from 20 years old and upward, for 603,550 men.”
– Exodus 38:25–26
Is that not the most inspiring verse you’ve ever read before, Exodus 38:25–26? You might be wondering, “Okay. How are we going to pray according to these verses, in a chapter that just lists out all kinds of instructions, very specific details about the construction of the tabernacle as a place for God’s worship, specifically the altar of burnt offering and the bronze basin and the making of the court and all these different materials for the tabernacle?”
God cares deeply about every person that makes up His kingdom.
When we read Exodus 38:25–26, I want to pray according to them. So it lists here 603,550 men who are over 20 years old, so that’s a count that had been made that factored into how many shekels would be involved and talents would be involved in this part of the construction of the tabernacle. And the picture I want you to see here is that every single one of those men, in this case, 20 years old and upward mattered. They counted and they all contributed. They all had something to give for the construction of the tabernacle.
Exodus 38:25–26 Reminds Us God Cares for Every Person
And these verses are pointing to, so amidst the massive God’s people who he’s brought out of Egypt, every single person matters, every single person down to… It doesn’t just say around 600,000 men. It says 603,550 men, and if somebody’s birthday happened that week, then the next week, it would have said 603,551 men. Every single person counted, and I just want to encourage you with that picture from the Old Testament.
When you think about it, there are, by God’s grace, millions upon millions of followers of Jesus today, children of God, sons and daughters of God, right now in the world and we rejoice in that reality. We want there to be more and more and more and more. At the same time if we’re not careful, we can either implicitly or explicitly start to think that, I mean, we’re just one person. You are, I am, just one. How much do we really matter? How much does my life, your life, really count?
Exodus 38:25–26 Reminds Us We Matter
And the Bible is saying it totally counts. Your life matters. Your life counts. And you are loved by God. He knows you. He doesn’t just know millions of people. But He loves you. And He knows what you were walking through. I think about just people I’ve been walking through this week with difficult things in their lives, just horribly challenging days in their lives, and I’m just saying to them, “God is with you. He loves you. He’s walking right beside you in this. He’s there to give you, specifically you, every single thing you need.” And I just want to pray that over each of you today.
This Verse Leads Us to Praise God
God, I pray based on this picture in Exodus 38:25–26, I pray that each person listening right now would know that they matter to you and their lives count in beautiful, glorious ways in your family and in your kingdom, that you’ve given me gifts to them to contribute for the spread of your glory and the advancement of your kingdom.
God, I pray that every single person listening right now, who has put their trust in Jesus, would know right now your personal love for them. Help them to know your personal presence with them, in them. As well as your personal intimate care for them. You know all the details they’re walking through in their life right now. Whether they’re going through good days or they’re going through really hard days, you know. I praise you for this reality in a fresh way, my own life today. I pray this over every single person listening right now that they would know that you love them and that their life counts and counts for your glory, for the spread of your glory, God, that they would know that they are not on the sidelines.
This Verse Leads Us to Ask God to Use Our Lives
You have not called any of your children to be spectators in your kingdom and the great commission. So God use our lives, every single one of our lives, every single one. Use us maximally for your glory. Help us to glorify you today in every single detail of our lives as we walk in personal intimacy with you. God, we praise you.
We praise you, God, that you, the Lord of all the universe who reign sovereign over 7.8 billion people right now in the world, and you are the father of millions of people who have put their trust in Jesus. We praise you that love us, and you know every detail of our lives and you’re intimately involved in our lives, leading us, guiding us, providing for us at every moment, everything we need. All glory be to your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
