Ex.30:12-16 it will be easier to explain these verses.
First God told Moses to set up a collection of 1/2 a shekel coin from all Israel people 20 years and older.
This was a mandatory offering. The coin as stated in 30:16 was called atonement money. It was a atonement for their souls. After every census, battle victory, and other major things God would do, they would give this coin. To help you see what atonement means---it is the same as Jesus making atonement of his blood on the cross. This was the payment for our sins, his life and blood.
In my post on 40: chapter in Exodus, When you read it you will see that the furniture of the tabernacle is a shadow of Christ. it is even laid out just as God told Moses to do. The new find there was how the lifting up of the tabernacle was the raising of Jesus by a shadow and type. it says twice it was raised up. Also the cloud which was where Jesus was dwelling as the pre-incarnate was there also. 40:33 another way to read this is ---it is finished.
Before the tabernacle was built , the coin of ch.30 was collected. This atonement offering was used in the service of the Tabernacle. it was the foundation for the building of it. The atonement of Jesus is the very beginning and foundation of the offering up of himself on the cross. In Jn.ch. 2:19-21 we see that Jesus makes statement of raising the temple. He was saying his body will be raised. If you read this in John 2: you will see that there is a lot of figurative statements and shadow and types in the bible. This is all based on the great wisdom of God.
