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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus:
Here is another insight from Susan on giving:
Pastor Jeff, I am still pondering this and your earlier email hoping for a "miracle of coin" … why the half shekel tax? The links to some wonderful discoveries are shared below:
Its origin is from the time of Moses. Exodus 30:11-16 CJB "HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: 'When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to HaShem an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted. This they shall give, everyone who goes through the counting: half a shekel according to the holy shekel. Twenty gerahs equal one shekel; half of such a shekel shall be an offering to HaShem. Everyone who goes through the counting, from the age of twenty and upward, shall give an offering to HaShem. The rich shall give no more, and the poor shall give no less than half a shekel, with which to give the offering to HaShem, to atone for your souls. You shall take the silver of the atonements from the children of Israel and use it for the work of the Tent of Meeting; it shall be a remembrance for the children of Israel before HaShem, to atone for your souls.’"
Mishnah Shekalim 1:5 discusses this commandment for every Jew to give half a silver shekel annually for the support of the Temple, which was required when the Temple existed. This donation was collected in the month of Adar and used for communal sacrifices and other Temple needs.
“About Mishnah”
The Mishnah is the first major work of rabbinic literature, compiled by Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi around 200 CE. It preserves centuries of Jewish legal opinions and debates. It is a foundation of the Jewish oral tradition, which continues with the Talmud, a work that is structured as commentary on the Mishnah compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries.
“About Talmud”
From the time of Moses, every son and daughter of Israel, from the age of 20, was required to give half a silver shekel annually for the support of the Temple’s communal sacrifices and other needs. From 125 BC, silver shekels were minted in the city of Tyre and they became the dominant currency in the Middle East until around 18 AD when the Romans shut down the mint. Jesus most likely paid the temple tax with a Tyrian coin. When instituted by the LORD, the half shekel's weight was to be equivalent to the weight of 160 grains of barley or 8 grams, but the Tyrian half shekel coin weighed around 7 grams of 94% pure silver. What is today’s value of the LORD'S required half shekel? The value of silver today is $2.18 per gram, so 8 grams would be equal to $17.44.
“The Silver Shekel”
2 Corinthians 9:10-13 CJB He who provides both seed for the planter and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your tzedakah, (righteousness, charity) You will be enriched in every way, so that you can be generous in everything. And through us your generosity will cause people to thank God, because rendering this holy service not only provides for the needs of God’s people, but it also overflows in the many thanks people will be giving to God. In offering this service you prove to these people that you glorify God by actually doing what your acknowledgement of the Good News of the Messiah requires, namely, sharing generously with them and with everyone.
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your Word. It speaks to Your rich heritage of faithfulness and provision. You are the One who puts both provision and need in our lives. I give You thanks and praise as You are the One who can enrich our lives to be generous in charity. Your Word says when we provide for the needs of others, it is giving to You and what glorifies You, is so good for us. I am praying for a half shekel donation from each one reading this prayer. May the rich give no more and the poor give no less than half a shekel, $17.44. May these donations fill NDR’s storehouse to assist and support the ministries who are sharing throughout the nations, the Good News of the Messiah. In His Mighty Name, I pray You will create in us generous hearts, undivided hearts. Amen
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Join us on Wednesday March 25 for another Flip Your Focus, 10 AM Pacific on You Tube. You will have an opportunity in private with your Holy Spirit to remove an old sin stronghold !
https://youtube.com/live/Qf3hAc2qXa8?feature=share
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