Joshua 20:1-4

“The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint[a] for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.”

There were six cities of refuge, three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west side, placed in strategic locations to be easily reached within one day or less of travel. The roads were well maintained and marked. The perpetrator stood in front of the city gates and pled their case to the city elders, whose requirement it was to admit the fugitive and offer asylum. The elders were not allowed to surrender the person. The fugitive remained in the city until a trial before an assembly. If the High Priest ruled in favor of the fugitive, he was allowed to live in the city until the High Priest died, and then he was redeemed and could return home. If the offender left before the High Priest died, then the other party or family had the right to kill him.

How does this relate to us as a people of the Covenant and not the Law? The cities of refuge and redemption foreshadowed Christ and his shed blood as the atonement for our sins and the gift of eternal life. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Psalm 34 tells us, “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants. And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. “Another translation uses the words, all who take shelter in Him.”

We see God’s masterful plan woven from Genesis to Revelation. As his followers today, we have the benefit of the entire Bible. Studying the Old Testament is essential to understanding the New Testament. Most importantly, we have the blessing of living right here, right now under the Covenant, knowing all our sins are forgiven. We no longer must run to a city of refuge but to the foot of the cross and confess our sins. In the words of an old hymn, we are “Standing on the promises of Christ, my (our) King.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you providing a place of refuge through the cross. Jesus sacrificed his life, so we no longer have to physically run to a place of refuge.  We can cry out in anguish and despair or lift our hands and voices in praise to you anytime, anywhere, and you hear us. You are closer than our next breath. Words of old hymns come to mind as I pray this prayer. I have “Blessed Assurance” because I am “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”. Thank you, Jesus for this assurance and your outstretched arms. Amen.