Mercy In Our Mistakes
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 4:41-49 (NASB)
41 Then Moses set apart three cities across the Jordan to the east, 42 that a manslayer might flee there, who unintentionally slew his neighbor without having enmity toward him in time past; and by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites.
44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel; 45 these are the testimonies and the statutes and the ordinances which Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, when they came out from Egypt, 46 across the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon, whom Moses and the sons of Israel defeated when they came out from Egypt. 47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east, 48 from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, even as far as Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 with all the Arabah across the Jordan to the east, even as far as the sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.
SUMMARY
In this passage, Moses sets aside three cities east of the Jordan, and declares that anyone who has unintentionally killed someone without malice can flee there and live. Then, he goes over the testimonies and laws, and begins by reiterating the borders of Israel.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
On Thursday, we read, “For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them” (Deut. 4:31). Then, on Friday, we read of how His mighty power brought them out of Egypt and into the promised land, because He loves them. He is God, and there is none other like Him.
I felt that the decree to set aside cities for those who committed accidental murder was an enormous act of mercy, and spoke so loudly about the heart of God. God is not a robot. It is not an input of wrongs and an output of judgment. But He searches our hearts, knows us, sees beyond the seeming black and white of law and straight through the messy grays of life, and reaches out to still demonstrate His love for us. Life is not black and white. Sometimes it is enormously confusing and multi-faceted. In a strange way (because... intentional or not, someone died) it was moving to see how HE KNOWS US by how He made provisions for mercy, even in something as serious as murder.
APPLICATION
The same God who protects His people is my God and my Father. I wonder if I am so moved by this passage because I don’t really trust in His goodness in my mistakes. God continually works in us, and through us, because He loves us — not just when we are doing well, but even in our mistakes, even in our failures, and even in the serious valleys of life His mercy is there, because He is close to us.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for showing me more of Your heart in this passage. Thank You for drawing me near. I want to know You more fully as Father, and live in the freedom of Jesus.
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