Making a place for justice

Our theme for 2024 is “Possessing the Land”

We have been working our way through the book of Joshua and we are nearing the end of the book.

Most of the second half of the book is about dividing up the land with lists of genealogies and property boundaries.

Last week we were able to extract some stories that contained lessons about receiving an inheritance and we applied those to receiving our spiritual inheritance in Christ.

This week we are talking about special cities that were interspersed throughout the tribes.

Cities that were designated for the Levites to live.

And cities that were places of refuge from those seeking revenge.

We read several weeks ago that the Levites do not get a portion of land as their inheritance because the Lord is their inheritance.

The Levite will inhabit towns and farms throughout Israel, but they won’t actually own any of it.

The Levites were devoted to serving the Lord and to maintaining the religious life of the community.

During the wilderness wanderings, their job was to carry the items associated with the tabernacle - the dwelling place of God among his people.

Now that the tabernacle has a permanent and central home.

They are being dispersed among the tribes of Israel.

They are to live among the people, but still be devoted to the service of the Lord.

What are the Levites going to find to do with their time?

That is where the cities of refuge come in.

God made a place where justice could be served.

But these are also priestly cities.

The new priestly function is not just to offer sacrifices for sin, but to help in administering justice.

And that is also our role and priestly believers under the New Covenant.

Let’s take these concepts one by one and see how it all fits together.

First we will talk about cities of refuge as a place for civil justice.

Then we will see how the priestly duties transferred to priestly cities among the tribes of Israel.

And then we will consider how these two things merge into one as cities of refuge were also priestly cities.

A place for civil justice.

Joshua 20:1–3 ESV

1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood.

The concept of a “city of refuge” may be lost in translation to our modern American culture.

Today we have “sanctuary cities” where city official have refused to prosecute illegal immigrants or to enforce laws against the homeless.

Often these policies began as crusades against what are perceived as unjust laws which targeted vulnerable populations.

But lately it has risen to a level of absurdity as the numbers of undocumented immigrants has risen to unprecedented levels.

Combine the rising population of immigrants with the rising homeless population, and we have a situation that is truly unsustainable.

A “city of refuge’ in the Bible is not a place to go to get away from the law, it was a place where people could go to come under the protection of the law.

Justice offers protection.

Joshua 20:4–5 ESV

4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past.

Someone that Karie and I know who lives in the Middle East was involved in an accident involving a child who ran out in the street. He was driving along and suddenly a child breaks free from his mother an jumps out in from to his car. He stops and assists in getting the child to the hospital and then he goes immediately to the police station to turn himself in to the police.

You might be thinking, “Why does he turn himself in to the police if its an accident and not his fault?

He turns himself in to the police for their protection. If the child dies, in that culture, a family member might take it upon himself to kill our friend in revenge for the child’s life., regardless of who’s fault it was. The police are there for his protection so that the leaders of the family can come to the police and negotiate for whatever they may feel is owed to them.

In the mean time, our friends life is safe as long as he is in police custody.

This is what a “city of refuge” was in biblical times.

It was a refuge from lawlessness and revenge culture.

It was a place that a person could come and receive a “fair trial”

By “fair trial” - it not the same as we imagine a trial - in a courtroom with a judge and jury.

The person who is seeking refuge would present his case to the elders of the city who sit at the city gate and watch all that comes in or goes out.

They would the wait to see if the an avenger, a family member of the person who was injured or killed, arrives.

That person would then tell their side of the story.

The elders would then serve as the jury to determine guilt or innocence.

All of this would take time - days, weeks or even months.

In the mean time, the person who is seeking refuge has a safe place to live within the city of refuge.

But even if it is decided that they are innocent, they may still need a place of refuge if the avenger does not agree that justice has been satisfied.

Justice offers a path forward.

Joshua 20:6 ESV

6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’ ”

Here is a curious note in the text.

After the congregation of the elders has met and made their decision, it is possible that this decision will resolve the matter and the person who unintentionally killed someone can return home - if the avenger accepts the decision as final.

But what if the avenger is not satisfied ith the result of the trial?

What is going to keep them from taking matters into their own hands?

Israel, at this time doesn’t have a central police force.

If the person seeking justice returns to the place from which they came they are going to be subject to whatever those people think “justice” should have been.

But they have another option, they can settle down and stay in the city of refuge.

It is a path forward - a place to start over.

Sometimes feelings of injustice don’t just go away - even when a decision has been made.

We all have times when we need a place to start over - and God provides that place.

God provides another kind of fresh start as well.

Is says that if the High Priest dies, the person seeking refuge can then return home.

Honestly, this is a hard one - even for Bible scholars!

The High Priest is the one who makes atonement for the people each year with a blood sacrifice.

Commentators speculate that if the High Priest dies, his death was considered as payment for the life of the one who was killed unintentionally.

The scripture requires blood as a payment for wrongful death.

Numbers 35:33 CSB

33 “Do not defile the land where you live, for bloodshed defiles the land, and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it.

The reasoning would be that if the person who sheds blood for your atonement dies, then you must accept that as payment for the life that was lost.

Isn’t this an amazing foreshadowing of what Jesus, our High Priest, did for us on the cross.

His blood was shed, not only for our forgiveness, but so that we could have a place to go with the injustice of sin that is committed against us.

When someone sins against us, even if the didn’t mean to, its hard to just let that go - our innate sense of justice says that someone needs to pay for that.

Someone did pay for it - Jesus shed his own blood to avenge that persons sin.

Nobody is getting away with murder - Jesus paid for it.

Justice offers a chance at life.

Joshua 20:9 ESV

9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.

The cities of refuge were six cites, three on each side of the Jordan river, appropriately spaced so that anyone in Israel could reach a city of refuge within a few days.

While everyone had to travel to Shiloh to worship at the tabernacle, which could take up to a week of travel, cities of refuge were designed to be accessible to everyone.

Everyone deserves a chance at life.

Notice that the cities of refuge are not only for the tribes of Israel.

Foreigners could use them too.

Even the foreigner, who might otherwise be considered an outcast, deserves the same opportunity for justice.

God gave Israel instructions that foreigners are to have the same rights, provided that they abide by the same laws as everyone else..

Numbers 15:15–16 ESV

15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

What the Bible is teaching is that human life has inherent value.

And each life is valuable - not one more than another.

Murder essentially says, “your life has no value.”

In bringing justice, we recognize the value of every life - not just the life that was taken - but the life of one who has taken it.

Only where the murder was proved to be intentional has the person who committed it also forfeited their own life.

A place for priestly habitation.

Joshua 21:1–3 ESV

1 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.

During the wilderness wanderings, the Levites were responsible for carrying the tabernacle and all of its furniture.

While everyone else was moving their own household, the Levites had to pack light because they were moving God’s house too.

When they entered the promised land, it was already decided that the Levites were going to be set apart from the rest of the people.

They were literally “purchased” in place of the firstborn of all of Israel to be set apart for God and His purposes.

Moses promised to give them cities - because even people who are devoted to serving God have a life, and families.

But these cities are not all clustered around the tabernacle, but rather scattered throughout Israel.

What’s up with that?

Hosting a priestly sanctuary.

Joshua 21:4–5 ESV

4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. 5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities.

The descendents of Aaron are given cities in Judah and Benjamin.

God must have know that the temple was eventually going to be in Jerusalem, so the priest who would serve in the temple are also living near what would eventually be Jerusalem.

At Joshua’ time - the tabernacle was located at Shiloh which was centrally located in the hills of Ephraim.

Joshua purposely scatter the levitical cities throughout the land.

It is a picture of God dwelling among his people.

Solomon would later say that the temple cannot contain God’s Presence

2 Chronicles 2:6 NLT

6 But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?

The tabernacle and the temple were places that people could go to meet with God, but God had already put his representatives among them.

The Levites would live among the people and facilitate the religious life of the community, not just in the tabernacle, but everywhere in Israel.

Do think the Torah was only read in the tabernacle?

It was read and studied by the Levites in their cities.

Do you think the songs and poems that David commissioned were only sung in the tabernacle of David?

Musician have to practice - they would have been heard in the cities of the Levites.

God made it so that what is done in his sanctuary, though central at the time, would be echoed throughout the land in many places at once.

Conducting priestly service.

Joshua 21:6–8 ESV

6 The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 7 The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

During the wilderness wanderings, the Gershonites and the Merarites did the heavy lifting when it came to the tabernacle - they carried the coverings and the frame pieces.

Now they are scattered through the north country of Israel and East of the Jordan.

The scripture doesn’t say what service the Levites performed outside of the work associated with the Tabernacle, but there was a lot of them, and Israel was supposed to support them with their tithes.

We know that during the exile they studied the Torah and established worship in synagogues around the teaching of the Torah.

During the period of Joshua, worship was centralized around the tabernacle and the feasts, but the Levites would have helped to facilitate some traditions in the communities where they lived.

It has also been suggested that the Levites devoted themselves to public service, to caring for the orphans and the widows - I hope this is true.

because even though Israel was chastised for not doing this, perhaps some did?

Perhaps Levites were the deacons of the Old Testament - devoting themselves to good deeds and the care of the poor - if only it were so!

Giving priestly leadership.

Joshua 21:9–12 ESV

9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession.

The cities were chosen by lot and the lot for the descendants of Aaron fell to Hebron - the city which Caleb chose to conquer.

It was the old homestead of Abraham- the father of faith.

And it was also the home of Arba - the father of giants.

And now it was the home of Caleb - the faithful Israelite.

And of the Levites descended from Aaron - the prototype of the High Priest.

This speaks to another role of the Levites in Israel.

They served as leaders in their communities.

The Bible calls them judges - people who were called upon to decide in difficult matters.

The cities of refuge were also Levitical cities - Hebron was one of them, because people sought the advice of Levites as representatives of God.

The Levites were appointed to assist and advise the people of Israel in understanding God's laws.

Their role as teachers and advisors underscores the importance of people whose lives are devoted to God serving as leaders in the community.

Becoming priests who administer justice.

It has already been said that Hebron was both a priestly city and an city of refuge.

Have you noticed that all of the cities of refuge were also priestly cities!

What does this tell us about the intersection of these two ideas?

We have cities that are designated as a safe place for justice.

And we have a people who are set apart for God to serve their communities.

And these two ideas serve and support each other.

Some people think that the work of the gospel and social justice are two very separate things - but in scripture they are very interrelated.

The last few verses of Joshua 21 will help us to draw some conclusions.

Our worship must be practical.

Joshua 21:43 ESV

43 Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there.

Possessing the land is not just getting God’s promise for yourself.

Remember the Reubenites, Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh?

They promised not to settle down until everyone had their inheritance.

Joshua 1:15 MSG

15 until God, your God, gives your brothers a place of rest just as he has done for you. They also will take possession of the land that God, your God, is giving them. Then you will be free to return to your possession, given to you by Moses the servant of God, across the Jordan to the east.”

And now everyone has their inheritance - including those who are usually forgotten or overlooked by society.

One reason why the gospel cannot be separated from social justice is that until people are cared for, they are never going to believe the good news that God cares for them.

How are they going to believe that God loves them if we don’t?

How are they going to receive eternal salvation if there is no help for the living hell they are going through?

What missionaries have found through centuries of service is that it is not enough to preach to gospel, you have to demonstrate the gospel.

Our service must be restful.

Joshua 21:44 ESV

44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands.

God had promised to drive out their enemies before them.

Some of that happened through military conquest.

And some of it happened through people switching sides.

Rahab and the Gibeonites were just a few examples.

When you read through the history of Israel, there are many people who are designated as being from other nationalities, even those of Caanan.

When you look at a list of David’s might men, at least several of them were not even Israelites. (Zelek the Ammonite, Uriah the Hittite, Ithmah the Moabite)

The Lord will give us rest when our work becomes His work.

When we recognize that we are set apart for God and many of our battles will be won simply by living our lives in a way that is faithful to God.

Yes, there are enemies to the gospel, but how many of those may switch sides when they see the goodness of God through us?

Our faith must be victorious.

Joshua 21:45 ESV

45 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

This verse is almost like, “ and they all lived happily ever after.”

Not quite.

There is still much land to be possessed.

Israel still has enemies, including giants.

As Joshua is wrapping his tenure as leader of Israel, it is not clear who will take his place or even what the next objective should be.

All this verse is saying is that God has done His part.

God kept His promises.

He brought them into the land and made room for them.

There are many more books to be written.

When we think about the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is important to recognize that God has done his part and that He wants us to participate in bringing His plan to completion.

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 NLT

4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

He has done His part:

He paid for our sins and brought us out of darkness into light.

He gave us the Holy Spirit and the gifts that we need to do His work.

Sure, Jesus is going to come back to wrap things up, but we need to do our part.

We have a land to possess.

Possessing means living in this world as a people devoted to God.

It means creating a place for justice, where people can come under the Lord’s protection.

Where people who make terrible mistakes can also find second chances and a path forward.

Possessing the land means creating a culture that values life.

May the Lord find us doing so when He returns.

Questions for reflection:

1. How can the concept of cities of refuge inspire us to create safe spaces for those in need of help and redemption in our communities today? What are some practical ways can we demonstrate God's love and care for others, especially those who are marginalized or suffering?

2. How does the role of the High Priest's death in the context of a city of refuge foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus as our High Priest? How does The gospel of Jesus Christ help us to forgive and allow for second chances?

3. Reflecting on the idea of “possessing the land”, what are some steps we can take to create a culture that values justice, mercy, and the sanctity of life in our communities? How can we actively participate in bringing God's redemptive plan to completion in our world today?