(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Numbers 3: 40-51, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel. And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.”
This section makes it quite clear that the Lord had a plan when He brought Israel out of Egypt and then asked Moses to take a census of the people. The tribe of Levi was taken in exchange for the firstborn who were saved during the first Passover. This is a legitimate request that the Lord made. We know that Israel was the Lord’s firstborn and we know that the Lord took Egypt’s firstborn because they tried to commit genocide on Israel when they were slaves. However, it is right and proper that Israel acknowledged that the Lord had saved their firstborn and give the Lord some recognition for this gift. They also were required to show the Lord some respect for the fact that He took them away from the land of slavery. When the firstborn among Israel were counted it was discovered that there were more firstborn than there were men in the tribe of Levi. In order to redress the balance Israel paid the Lord a fee for all the extra firstborn. Because the Lord chose the tribe of Levi for His service He gave the money to Levi so that they could be free to devote their time to serving the Lord.
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