Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 138, Numbers 3:40-4:49.

Hearing “instead of” can be a bad thing. Maybe someone else was chosen for a job promotion instead of your husband. Maybe the Chicago Cubs won the World Series instead of your beloved St. Louis Cardinals. (Highly unlikely.) Maybe the grocery store accidentally gave you zucchini instead of cucumbers in your grocery pickup order. (Much more likely.)

In Genesis we read this phrase “instead of” three times, and each time it’s very good. First, God gave Adam and Eve another son after Cain had killed Abel. Eve “called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.’” (Genesis 4:25 ESV) Next we read that, “Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13 ESV) Finally, in Genesis 44:33, Judah asks his brother, Joseph, “Please let your servant [Judah] remain instead of the boy [Benjamin] as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.”

Today we read about the Levites who were being given to the Lord instead of the firstborns whom God had chosen during the Passover in Exodus 13.

And you shall take the Levites for me
—I am the LORD—
instead of all the firstborn
among the people of Israel,
and the cattle of the Levites
instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel.

Numbers 3:41 ESV

And I’m reminded of the greatest “instead of” story that I’ve ever heard. God poured out His wrath on Jesus instead of me. God nailed His own son to the cross instead of me. Jesus died instead of me.

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 ESV

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of Your Son, the perfect, spotless Lamb who died instead of me. And now I can look forward with full assurance to living in eternity with You. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray. Amen.