Planting Seeds
Seeds are important,but it is vital when planting to ensure that not only the seed is good but the soil is good as well. Check back here as we will discuss a variety of thoughts and topics, essentially, planting seeds in our lives that we can help nurture into good fruit.
Mark 4:14-20 The sower sows the word. (15) And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. (16) And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. (17) And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. (18) And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, (19) but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (20) But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
Counted at the Skull: A Messianic Revelation from the Wilderness (Numbers) to Golgotha
“Take a census… by the number of their skulls.” – Numbers 1:2
“And He went out, bearing His cross… to the place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull.” – John 19:17
There is a profound prophetic thread connecting the census of Israel in the wilderness to the crucifixion of Yeshua at Golgotha. On the surface, these two events may seem unrelated—one a logistical count of fighting men, the other the brutal execution of the Son of Elohim. But seen through messianic eyes, these moments are inseparably linked by the language of atonement, covenant, and being counted among Yahweh’s people.
The Wilderness Census: Each Man Counted by His Skull
In Numbers 1:2, Yahweh commands a census: “Take the sum of all the congregation… by their families… by the number of their names, every male by their skull.” The Hebrew term gulgolet—translated “skull”—is intentionally vivid. It wasn't a faceless tally; it was a personal reckoning. Each man stood to be individually recognized and assigned his place among the tribes of Israel.
But this census wasn’t free. In Exodus 30:12-16, each man had to give a half-shekel of silver as atonement for his soul. This ransom was not a bribe, but a sacred offering—a symbol that each life belonged to Yahweh. It was both a spiritual identification and a prophetic shadow of what was to come.
Golgotha: The Place of the Skull
Centuries later, we find ourselves in John 19:17, as Yeshua is led to Golgotha—“The Place of the Skull.” The Hebrew-Greek wordplay echoes gulgolet, bringing us full circle. At this very hill, Yeshua—our High Priest and perfect Lamb—is lifted up as the atoning sacrifice. No longer is silver required for a man to be counted. The blood of Mashiach becomes the final ransom.
Just as each man once gave a half-shekel to be counted, Yeshua gave everything, so that all—Jew and grafted-in Gentile—might be counted among the redeemed. The census of Numbers pointed toward this moment: the great spiritual census where Yahweh counts those who are in covenant through the atoning work of His Son.
Messianic Fulfillment
This powerful connection highlights a truth often missed: the Torah is not abolished in Yeshua—it is fulfilled and brought to its fullness. The census, the silver atonement, and the camp organization of Israel all foreshadowed a greater reality. Yeshua, by dying at the “place of the skull,” became the once-for-all atonement that the silver half-shekel only represented.
As those who follow Mashiach and walk in Torah, we see that this was never about legalism—it was always about covenant relationship. Redemption is not the end of obedience but the empowerment to walk in it. We are counted to walk, not just to be saved.
Practical Life Applications
- Reflect on Your Standing
Ask yourself: Am I counted among Yahweh’s people through the atonement of Yeshua? This is not about religion—it’s about covenant. - Live with Purpose
Each “skull” was counted for a reason. Your life has a purpose in the body of Mashiach. You are called to take your place, actively. - Honor the Atonement
Just as the half-shekel required intentional giving, so our lives should reflect intentional gratitude for Yeshua’s ultimate offering. - Obey the Torah Joyfully
Walking in obedience isn’t bondage—it’s identity. You’ve been redeemed to live out the instructions of Yahweh. - Proclaim the Message
Golgotha is not merely a place of sorrow. It is a place of victory, where all can now be counted if they receive Yeshua and return to covenant faithfulness.
Final Thoughts
The census in Numbers and the crucifixion at Golgotha are not disjointed events. They are part of a divine tapestry woven by Yahweh to point us to the central truth of Scripture: Redemption is personal, prophetic, and purposeful.
At the skull, Yeshua made a way for every soul to be counted—not with silver, but by His blood. He did not erase Torah; He fulfilled its promise. And now, through Him, we are not only saved—we are numbered among those who will inherit the promises of Yahweh.
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