Refuge and Salvation

Joshua 20:1-9

Cities of Refuge:

A representation of God’s Mercy and Salvation.

A city of refuge was a Levitical city designated as a place of asylum for anyone who took the life of another person by accident (Num 35:6). Anyone guilty of unintentional homicide could flee to one of these cities for protection from relatives of the deceased seeking blood revenge (see Num 35:9–29).

These cities were a foreshadow of the God’s plan of Salvation and was another example of God’s mercy upon the world.

In these cities we understand three things about God’s planning and his Mercy.

God’s plan of salvation will come true in spite of ourselves.

God’s will upon your life has order, structure, and an end Goal.

God’s offers mercy to all who come looking for it.

God’s Plan of Salvation will come true in spite of ourselves

Joshua 20:1–2 “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:”

Numbers 35:9–15 “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these cities, which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.”

This plan was first given to Moses, Deuteronomy 4:41–43 “Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising; That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.”

Even with Moses losing the right to fulfill God’s plan. God does not depend solely on man to fulfill his will. He will use man to fulfill it, but he does not depend on man to do so.

His plan does not have a timetable. God is not held by our standard. This plan for these cities was given to Moses 40+ years before they crossed the Jordan. And they would not come true until Joshua had finish his crusade across the Land of Caanan.

2 Peter 3:8–10 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

We can never forget that we are not the center of the universe and we are not the linchpin to God’s plans.

We are the servants of God and We will act during his time line.

God’s will upon your life has order, structure, and an end Goal.

Let’s look back at Numbers 35:12-33 “And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the mur…”

God has Structure

Look at the way the world is designed. The Levitical Lawn and the The plans for the Cities. God is a God of Structure

There were Rules in place regarding who could and could not enter these cities. There were consequences if you left the city before it was your time.

God has Order

There is counsel and A high priest who determines the merit of the manslayer.

We have Structure and Order in our lives. It is our Pastor the decans. More importantly it is the Holy Spirit Dwelling within us and that is Backed by the Word of God

God has an end Goal

For this that end Goal was for the innocent to go back home.

The end goal for the Lord is to have peace in the land have that peace be an offering to all those around you.

Jesus laid the plan out for the Deciples in John 16:7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

Without the Lord following the structure to the end the comforter would not have come and we would still be sacrificing animals thinking that will solve everything.

God’s offers mercy to all who come looking for it.

Joshua 20:9“These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.”

Numbers 35:15 “These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.”

God offers Mercy and Salvation to everyone

I think of Luke 24:44–47“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Matthew 28:19“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The cities of refuge function as Old Testament foreshadowings of Christ, They were designed specifically for those who committed unintentional manslaughter, not premeditated homicide. This distinction becomes important at the cross: Jesus calls all sins—including the sin of crucifying Him—as “unintentional” when He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” This reframing transforms sinners from those deserving death into those eligible for mercy. Christ is the place where sinners find protection from the destroyer of souls, just as the guilty fled to designated cities, we flee to Christ to escape the danger posed by the curse and condemnation of the law, the wrath of God, and eternal separation from Him.

It is now our responsibility to take the peace and protection he has given us and share that with the world.