Sanctity of Life as seen in the Cities of Refuge

Sanctity of Life

Sanctity of Life is a term that we hear often. We typically talk about it at least one Sunday each year, on Sanctity of Life Sunday.

But this morning we are going to discuss this topic, because it relates to a portion of the book of Joshua, which we have been studying through for the past several months.

Sanctity= Holiness, goodness, sacredness, blessedness. IT also means of ultimate importance and value.

When the topic of the Sanctity of life is brought up, there is a good chance that we begin to think of the Pro-Choice vs Pro-life debate surrounding Abortion. If you follow the news at all, you probably have heard something in recent weeks about a number of state governors that have signed a new law that relates to abortion in some way.

There is a battle going on between those who would continue to recognize the sanctity of human life and those who are seeking to destroy the significance of human life. This battle is not only for the unborn, but also for the elderly, disabled and weak.

So this morning I want to show you from the pages of Scripture why human life is so sacred and valuable. I want you to understand why this current battle is so important, but also help you to see that a correct understanding of the sanctity of life affects our entire life, not just the beginning or the ending of human life.

Joshua 20:1–9 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. 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. 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.’ ” 7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 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.

Sacredness of Human Life- vs Post Modern Philosophy, which promotes devaluing human life through abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, which stem from a lack of believing the Word of God.

Humans are distinct from the animals because we are made in God’s image- By His design and command.

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We are his image bearers! We (male & female humans) were given the responsibility of having dominion over every living thing and fill the earth with other image bearers. We were made for a purpose, the glorify God, by bearing His image and likeness throughout His creation.

Genesis 9:5–6 ESV

5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

A reckoning required

God made it very clear that the lifeblood of a man was valuable. If someone or something took the life of a human, there needed to be an account given. Why was this so, the answer is at the end of verse 6, “For God made man in his own image.” That is the reason we are so important, so sacred, so valuable.

Created in God’s Image!

First, let’s just make this very clear. . . Humans are created not evolved!

Not only are Humans are created like everything else in this universe (apart from the creator God) they have been created in God’s image! Not like the animals or the plants! Later on in the book of Genesis Noah and his sons were told, “every moving thing shall be food for you.”

So what is different about us versus the other living and moving creatures?

Humans have the ability to discern between right and wrong, we have a soul, we have a God-given ability to love. We are not special or sacred because we say we are, or because we have some incredible talent or gift or skill, or simply because we choose to be “special”. It is so, because that was how God chose to make us. God alone has the right to make it so. We cannot change that, despite what evolutionists, humanists, philosophers, or scientists say. We cannot change the fact that we are created in God’s image.

Let’s continue looking at other passages that bring more light to this subject.

Leviticus 24:17 ESV

17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.

Eye for Eye, tooth for tooth, life for life. But because God is also gracious and merciful He provided a place of safety for those who took a life accidentally, unknowingly or unintentionally. But that doesn’t minimize the value of the life that was taken accidentally or unintentionally.

Deuteronomy 4:41–43 ESV

41 Then Moses set apart three cities in the east beyond the Jordan, 42 that the manslayer might flee there, anyone who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without being at enmity with him in time past; he may flee to one of these cities and save his life: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.

The value of a life was such that God made a special plan for situations of accidental and unplanned manslaughter.

Numbers 35:6–7 ESV

6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands.

Clear routes, signs and “runners” or guides to show the way to a city of refuge for those who needed refuge.

A city of refuge was not a hiding place for a murderer, it was a place of safety for someone who committed another to die in an unintentional and accidental manner. Evidence or testimony by witnesses of premeditation or the existence of a motive was investigated before and during a trial.

Manslaughter vs Murder

God through the words of Moses went on to explain that the cities of Refuge were for accidental or unintentional manslaughter rather than homicide.

Even so, the person who commited manslaughter would have to stay in the city of Refuge until the high priest died. Which illustrates the extreme value that God places on the human life.

Notice there is not one description or delineation based upon IQ, religion, age, race, ethnicity, or physical ability. The only qualifying basis for this plan to go into affect is that a human life has been taken by another human, involuntarily (accidentally or unknowingly).

Running for Refuge

Imagine yourself living in the time of Joshua and you find yourself in a situation that was described in Joshua 20. Through a series of circumstance you find yourself responsible for accidentally taking a persons life. You unintentionally caused the death of another human, you have knelt down to see what can be done to help the victim and you realize there is no help for them. You have caused their death and you suddenly realize the gravity of what has just taken place.

You realize that your life as you know it has drastically changed. All the things that you dreamed of doing, planned to do and even the things you were in the midst of doing, were not going to continue as you had envisioned. You have one thing on your mind.

If you want to continue to live, you need to GET TO A CITY OF REFUGE.!

You probably don’t go home or stop to visit your friends along the way. It is likely that you will drop everything and try to get to the nearest city of refuge.

Now as your on your way there, you see their family member, the avenger of blood, as he is called, and you realize you must make it inside the city border, in order to spare your own life and allow for your story to be heard and judged by the elders of the land.

Run you must! Because the avenger of blood is going to track you down, in order to bring justice (a life for a life).

We may do things accidentally, or unintentionally, but there are still consequences. There is still a reckoning that must take place. That is how our Creator designed it. And His design and plan was so that we can know Him and worship Him.

Our understanding of these laws and rules, help us to understand ourselves, and our relationships with one another but most importantly they direct our thoughts and focus to the Lord Himself. The Lord, whose Image we bear. We are so blessed to have a knowledge and understanding of our Creator. Our Lord God is worthy of such praise and honor. His incredible design and plan for us is such a marvelous thing, that extends far beyond our own abilities. We are His image bearers.

Prayer of Praise

Communion

I find it interesting that the cities of Refuge were also the cities of the Levites, which represented God’s presence, His provision and His promises.

It is to God that we need to flee for Refuge, Mercy and Forgiveness.

We have seen this morning that even unintentional actions, have very serious affects upon our lives. Even more so, do our intentional, thoughts and words and deeds have on us and on those around us.

The cities of refuge are a picture of God’s grace and mercy in the place of our mistakes, but there is an even greater picture of God’s grace and mercy. That is in the message of the Gospel of Peace. Psalm 46:1 tells us that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.

Christ our Refuge!

We may have sinned accidentally, but we have also sinned intentionally, and are therefore guilty!

Yet Christ is not simply a refuge in the same sense as the cities of refuge were. He is our refuge, but He is so much more.

Christ our Redeemer!

Christ our Propitiation!

There is Power in the Blood!