Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, then set aside for yourselves three cities centrally located in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. Build roads to them and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that anyone who kills a man may flee there.
This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life—one who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.
If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them, because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in his ways—then you are to set aside three more cities. Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. Deuteronomy 19:1-14
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The scriptures have made one thing very clear thus far in the Old Testament. God commands and expects justice. But He also wished to protect the innocent. This was the premise behind the cities of refuge.
We read that as Israel entered the Promised Land they were to “set aside…three cities centrally located in the land”. They were to “build roads to them and divide (the land) into three parts…”so that anyone who kills a man may flee there”. The reason this was important was that not all killings were intentional. Tragic accidents could and did happen. And so an innocent person would not face death themselves at the hands of an avenging family member of the deceased, the cities of refuge were established…a place where the innocent person could go to and be safe.
Our passage even gives an example of how someone might kill another accidentally. It said “a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him”. The man had no intent to murder his neighbor. The death happened by accident. Still scripture tells us an “avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death”. This is why the city of refuge was needed. So “innocent blood (would) not be shed in (Israel’s) land”.
So what would happen if someone fled into the city of refuge even though they had killed with intent. The scripture tells us “…if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die”. The cities of refuge were reserved for the innocent.
As I thought about the innocent and a place of refuge, I couldn’t help but think about our Savior, Jesus. We know He was innocent and yet was crucified on Calvary’s cross. On the surface, it would look as if evil won. But Christ’s death was necessary so God’s greatest miracle could be performed…raising His Son from the grave from death to eternal life and His heavenly city of refuge. Never again would anyone ever pass a deadly judgment upon Him for He was placed in honor at His father’s right hand…safe there until His glorious triumphant return to set creation straight and restore God’s order to earth.
The good news for us is that Jesus opened the gates to God’s heavenly “city of refuge” for anyone who would believe and trust in Him as Savior. Christ’s victory over death was extended to us as well…not because we are innocent like He was and deserve it but because He paid the penalty for us. Our current bill of sin was covered by the shed blood of Jesus…a blood that bought our pardon and gave us passage to the heavenly “city of refuge” where He abides and awaits our arrival. Thanks be to God for His Son Jesus…our precious Savior, Redeemer and Friend. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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