The LORD instructed Joshua (v1-3) to tell the people of Israel to appoint cities of refuge of which He had already spoken to Moses (Numbers 35). These were cities where persons who kill someone accidentally or unintentionally could flee to to escape from the ‘avenger of blood’. The Hebrew word for this last phrase is ‘goel’, a word we met in the book of Ruth, there the kinsman-redeemer was similarly described. This was the person appointed to ensure justice was carried out for the victim’s family.
God cares about those who are murdered, and He is a perfectly just God. The bible says in Genesis 9:6 that whoever sheds man’s blood his blood shall be shed because man is made in the image of God. When God instructed Moses (Numbers 35) about the cities of refuge He said that unpunished murderers defiled the land. No ransom was to be taken for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. Blood defiles the land and the only atonement was the blood of the person who shed it.
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear of a murder taking place. The UK abolished the death penalty over fifty years ago and the thought must go through our heads that the fact that the death penalty was a deterrent as people today seem to value life very cheaply. We meet convicted murders in prison, and we witness to them but before abolition they would not have been there. Some might say that we now have greater opportunity to witness than before but that is questionable.
The avenger of blood was to track down the murderer and hand them over to the judicial system. We must note, however, that conviction was only on the evidence of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6,7). Obviously, those witnesses must tell the truth which, sadly, is a rare commodity today. One may ask the question, do they have to be eye witnesses or would forensic evidence be sufficient today? It is an interesting thought for discussion. Whatever it be, it must be strong evidence and undeniable. It is clear that God demands a very high standard of proof.
The cities of refuge were set up by God as a protection for the innocent. I believe it was the responsibility of families to ensure that murders were avenged but the LORD gave them this command to ensure that the innocent were not condemned. There were, however, conditions laid down by God in regard to the person seeking refuge. In verse 4 we read that he must stand at the gate and declare his case to the elders of the city, and they shall give him a place to dwell in there for his protection. The avenger had no authority if the person was granted refuge. (v5). Israel’s law indicated that to be guilty of murder there must be intent (hate or premeditation).
The person must live in the city until he stands before the congregation for judgment and until the death of the high priest. Then he could return home (v6). His case was still to be fully heard by the authorities and when judged innocent of murder he was protected and could go home. The cities of refuge were also for the stranger who dwelt with the Israelites (v9).
The cities of refuge were spaced out so that they could be reached relatively easily (v7,8)- Kadesh in Galilee, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, Kirjath Arba (Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. These were on the western side of Jordan and on the eastern side – Bever in the plain by Jericho, Ramoth in Gilead and Golan in Bashan. They were instructed to have good roads to ease travel to these cities (see Deuteronomy 19:2).
These cities of refuge are a picture of Jesus. They were easy to reach, open to all, He is our only protection, the only difference is that not only the innocent but the guilty can come to Him for salvation and protection.
