Scripture:

Exodus 30:12

12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a[a] ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

"Bought With a Price"

You and I have been bought with a price. When you read the Old Testament, you discover how seriously God takes censuses.   Your first thought is probably what is the big deal about counting, I know that had been mine, but when you get the perspective that everything, including us, belongs to God:

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." Psalm 24:1

The idea that we are His, we have been redeemed by Him, this is why censuses are Holy to the Lord, because we were bought at a price and this is demonstrated in Exodus 30:12, and it foreshadows Jesus' sacrifice, where He paid the price, the ransom with His life, His sacrifice was better, no, it was perfect.

Exodus 30:12: The ransom was a "half-shekel of silver," a contribution to the Lord to acknowledge Him as owner.

Jesus’ Parallel: We were not redeemed with "perishable things such as silver or gold," but with the "precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). 

To remember that we were bought at a price, we are not our own, but belong to the Lord, we are His people, all that we are, all that we will be, all that we have, will have, our future is because of Him, and the price He was willing to pay for us.

Lord, let us not lose sight of your great Love for us, that you redeemed us, paid a price for us, purchased us, set us free from the slavery of sin, from the debt of our past, for freedom you have redeemed us, and we should praise you for it every day, in Jesus' name, Amen!