Cities of Refuge
22 August, 2007“The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.” - Joshua 20:1-3
Some people view the Old and New Testament as two sides of a coin, insofar as God in the Old Testament is seen as a stern, jealous disciplinarian while the New Testament paints a picture of a God of love and forgiveness. This view could not be more mistaken. One of many examples of this can be found in God's instructions to the Israelites to designate Cities of Refuge amongst the possessions of the Twelve Tribes.
Under the legal system imposed by God on the Israelites, the penalty for killing another person was that of death (as in 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' style justice that is so haughtily dismissed today). Such is a just punishment as defined by the issuer of laws (though the killer and relatives may disagree). Yet even the stern, jealous disciplinarian that some love to paint saw fit to provide mercy when circumstances asked for it. As we read in the above passage, those who killed by accident and without prior malice were able to seek sanctuary in a City of Refuge to escape the just punishment that would no doubt be meted out by the relatives of the slain person. Continue Reading >>
