Christ our city of refuge
Text Joshua 20 Time 12 06 21 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)
We are looking at the final chapters of the Book of Joshua. We have seen now how the land was distributed among the various tribes and in Chapter 20 we have a short description of how the Cities of Refuge were designated. The Cities of Refuge are first mentioned in Exodus 20 and then again in Numbers 35 and Deuteronomy 4 and 19 as well as here.
Like so much in Scripture the Cities of Refuge point to Jesus Christ and his power to save. In order to properly understand how that is so we need first to understand exactly what was prescribed regarding these cities of refuge and so we will begin there and then come on to how they teach us about Christ and his redemption.
1. Understand the plan behind the cities of refuge
Before we come to the content of the chapter, let me explain what happened when a person was killed in ancient Israel. When a person was killed in ancient Israel it was the responsibility of a person designated by the dead man's family, a man known as the avenger of blood, to hunt down the killer and see that the killer himself was put to death for his crime. What the Cities of Refuge dealt with was the situation where someone kills a person accidentally and unintentionally. Rather than saying that the avenger of blood must be called off, the killer is told to run to what was called a City of Refuge. He is not automatically safe there, certainly not if he is guilty of murder but if it was truly manslaughter then he could find refuge.
So Joshua 20 begins Then the LORD said to Joshua: Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.
Verse 4 explains how When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them.
It then says (5) If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbour unintentionally and without malice aforethought.
We are told, verse 6, that They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.
Then in verses 7 and 8 the cities to be set apart are listed (working north to south) Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. Also East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) (and this time the middle then south then north) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh.
We learn elsewhere that all of these were Levite cities occupied by men from this priestly tribe. They are also all in hill country or high up so that they could be seen from a distance. So there are six cities, three on one side of the Jordan and three on the other side. On the western side, Kedesh is in the north, Shechem in the middle and Hebron on the south, with a similar pattern to the east of the Jordan for Bezer, Ramoth and Golan.
Kedesh is 180 km north of Hebron and if you imagine going south east from Kedesh to Golan due south to Ramoth then back south west to Shechem and south east to Bezer and south west to Hebron, there is not much more than 50 or 60 km between each city - about a day's journey.
If the places were in England, very roughly it would perhaps be something like Chingford, Cambridge and Peterborough (going north) on one side and (going north again) Reading, Milton Keynes and Leicester on the other.
The chapter ends (9) Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.
2. Understand how the cities of refuge point us forward to Jesus Christ and his redemption
I think that if we meditate on what is revealed about the cities of refuge here and elsewhere in the light of the redemption in Christ revealed in the New Testament we will see some worthwhile things.
1. We are all sinners and we are rightly exposed to the danger of death
Just as every individual who killed in the Old Testament was then pursued by an avenger of blood so there is an avenger of blood who is pursuing all of us because we too are guilty. He will drag us down to hell if we are not rescued by some means or another.
Do you realise that?
2. There is a place of refuge in Christ for all who are guilty
In verse 3 we read that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee to a city of refuge and find protection from the avenger of blood. In a similar way, every guilty sinner who flees to Christ will find refuge in him.
The very reason Christ came is to save the guilty. He justifies sinners who repent and trust in him. By nature we are lost and without hope but if we flee to him to find safety then all will be well. He provides a hiding place for the guilty. He protects them and saves them.
3. God himself has appointed Jesus as the refuge for condemned sinners
Just as the cities of refuge were chosen and designated by God so Jesus Christ has been appointed by God as the refuge for condemned sinners. It is the Father who sent the Son, having chosen him for the task before the beginning of time. As Peter says of Jesus in Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Not only did God send him but he allowed him to die, then raised him to life and seated him at his own right hand. Peter says (Acts 10:38) God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
We can go into more detail. Some older commentators try to make something of the meanings of the names of the cities (Kedesh is holiness, Hebron refers to friendship or fellowship and Bezer means stronghold or refuge, etc). That is probably to go too far but these things can be noted.
There were six cities, an adequate number for Israel and pointing to the sufficiency of Christ. Jesus is the sufficient Saviour for all. In him there is room for as many as shall come.
Then there is the way the cities were spaced out over various places throughout the kingdom. There is also the accessibility of Christ then. Christ is accessible to all sinners. God has provided everything that might make you want to come to Christ - in many cases, godly parents or ministers. You have grown up, in many cases, with Bibles you can read and churches that preach the gospel and good Christian books. All are designed to point you to Christ. They lead you away from the cross-roads and by-ways of human reason and human error and self-righteousness that would lead you astray, to the Lord Jesus Christ. They say to you "Flee! flee! Flee for refuge and lay hold on the hope set before you!"
In 2 Peter 3:9 we read The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Christ wants all to come to him. None who come will be turned away.
The roads that led to the cities of refuge would have been broad, well constructed roads and this reminds us of the free, full and plain declarations of the gospel of Christ that we find in Scripture and in the mouths of God's servants. Act on them.
4. Each city of refuge pictures the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ
Once you were inside the city you were safe. In a similar way, once you repent and put your faith in Christ, then you are safe. Once you are in Christ, you are as safe as can be. As long as you remain in him, no harm can possibly come to you. (See John 15). Hell is not possible and heaven is certain. Once you belong to Christ, you are delivered from present condemnation and from the prospect of eternal death. In Christ there is ample provision.
5. The Cities of Refuge remind us that full salvation is dependent on Christ's death
In verse 6 it says They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.
Given that Christ is our High Priest it is perhaps legitimate to point out that without the death of Christ full salvation would not be possible.
6. Just as the Cities of Refuge were the only hope for the guilty so Christ is the only hope today
Jesus Christ is the only refuge there is for sinners. John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. He alone can deliver from hell and from the wrath of God.
3. Hear these final applications
1. Think of the terrible misery and the peril of the careless sinner. It is like a person who has killed someone but is somehow oblivious to the fact that the avenger of blood is already on the road, coming to wreak vengeance on him. Are you awake to your danger?
2. The absolute necessity of repentance before God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In those days, if you entered the city of refuge, all would be well; if you did not. you were at the mercy of the avenger of death. So now outside of Christ, there is no hope for you at all.
3. It is a reminder of how urgent we should be about waking people up to their danger and trying to persuade them regarding the truth
4. You need to come to Christ without delay
In those days it was imperative that the guilty got to the city of refuge as soon as possible. In a similar way we must flee to Christ without delay. In 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2 Paul says As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation.
You know that proverb Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. (Proverbs 27:1) Another says Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed - without remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)
5. How happy are those who have been delivered from the power of Satan, and have come to enjoy the forgiving love of God. Within the city of refuge all our interests are secure both for time and eternity.
