There is a lot of talk these days about being seen. Facebook, Instagram, X, are all about being seen. If you’ve ever wondered whether God really sees you, take a walk through the book of Numbers—yes, Numbers. Buried in what seems like a divine spreadsheet is a profound truth: in God’s economy, every person counts. Literally. In Numbers 1:1–4:20, God commands Moses to take a census of the Israelite men, tribe by tribe, name by name. It’s not just head-counting—it’s head-lifting. The Hebrew word for census, se’u et rosh, means “lift the head.” When God counts His people, He’s recognizing faces, destinies, and callings. Every person matters. Every place, including yours, has a purpose.
God’s census included the Levites, who were counted separately and given the sacred task of ministering around the Tabernacle. Their inheritance wasn’t land—it was the privilege of proximity to God. The rest of Israel camped in order around the Tabernacle, and interestingly, those positions later reflected the tribal territories in the Promised Land. Judah—Messiah’s tribe—camped to the east, and their inheritance later centered on Jerusalem. But here’s the twist: the priestly role wasn’t always reserved for the Levites. Originally, God set apart the firstborn of every family on the night of the Passover, when the blood on the doorposts spared them from death. The firstborns were His—redeemed by the blood of a lamb.
Everything changed after the Golden Calf. When Moses descended Sinai and found Israel worshiping an idol, he drew a line: “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” The Levites stepped up. Because of their faithfulness, God transferred the priestly role from the firstborns to the tribe of Levi. To make that transfer legal and symbolic, each firstborn had to be redeemed with five shekels of silver—effectively a spiritual buyout. Now fast-forward to Luke 2:22-40. Mary and Joseph bring baby Yeshua (Jesus) to the Temple. This wasn’t His circumcision. This was the Pidyon HaBen—the redemption of the firstborn, 31 days after his birth. As the firstborn son of Mary (from Judah, not Levi), Jesus had to be redeemed. At that ceremony, the Levites would be in attendance to “redeem Him,” according to the terms in the Mosaic covenant.
It’s a moment thick with irony. Levite priests handled the ceremonial redemption of the baby Jesus, and decades later, Levite priests were ultimately responsible for offering up Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins, making Him our Redeemer. But through that sacrifice, Jesus became our true High Priest and Redeemer—not with silver, but with His own blood. And still, that census principle remains: God lifts the heads of His people. You’re not lost in the wilderness or buried in a divine spreadsheet. You’re known. Isaiah 43:1 says, “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.’” So, lift up your head. The Lord our God sees you. Know that you count.
