God Has Granted Us the Grace of Refuge
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 19:1-14 (NASB)
“When the Lord your God cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses, 2 you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to possess. 3 You shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which the Lord your God will give you as a possession, so that any manslayer may flee there.
4 “Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously— 5 as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live; 6 otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. 7 Therefore, I command you, saying, ‘You shall set aside three cities for yourself.’
8 “If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers— 9 if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His ways always—then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. 10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.
11 “But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.
SUMMARY
Moses set guidelines for the people of Israel to make cities of refuge. They were to prepare roads and divide them in three parts to provide a place of refuge. Should anyone kill a man unintentionally, they were able to flee there and be safe so that the innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land the Lord will give to them. However, if anyone is killed intentionally, he must be delivered into the avenger’s hands and be punished and put to death for their crime.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
God knows my every thought and the intentions of my heart. More shockingly, I’m surprised that I’m not struck down for the sins I carry and struggle with from day to day. I’ve hurt and slayed many in my thoughts of those who were disdainful and cruel to me. Thanks be to our God, who commanded to make a place of refuge- because He knew they (and we) would need it. This will also be a foreshadowing of the One Eternal Refuge, Jesus Christ, who would take our sins upon Himself and cover them with His blood. What we could never do, He did in our stead, Hallelujah! What a wonderful Savior and what joyful news to know we can receive His forgiveness and providence of eternal protection.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)
APPLICATION
My first application today is praise and adoration to our God for providing a refuge for me. Had it not been for Him, I would have been unequivocally lost and hopeless. So even if my day at work was hard, my body is aching, my children are defiant, my “to do” list is longer by the minute, and my faith seems unstable, I can be assured that He never changes, He’s my solid Rock and I can lean on Him.
My second application is that there is no one I can not forgive, because I have been forgiven much, I’m compelled to understand and forgive others with His love. The ones closest to me can be the greatest challenge for me-my husband, children, and parents. It’s not possible to do with my own strength but He can do it for me.
PRAYER
2 Corinthians 5:21
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Father, to think that You struck down Your one and only Son who was innocent, to save a sinner such as I, is beyond my comprehension. I love You Lord because You have first loved me. Help me to grasp daily the depth, height and width of this great love! Thank You for being our strong tower and our refuge. There is no safer place to be than being in the center of Your will-to love You with all of our hearts, soul, mind and strength and to love others as You have loved us. Help us lead others also to This Refuge that they may be saved and find eternal shelter. In Jesus Name, amen.
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