7 So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of
Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is
Hebron) in the mountains of Judah.
8 And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward,
they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben,
Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of
Manasseh.
9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of
Israel and for the stranger who dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person
accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood
until he stood before the congregation.
God had told Moses in Exodus 21:13, Numbers 35:6-34, and Deuteronomy
19:1-13, to have the people set aside special six "cities of refuge".
Now that the tribes had received their territories, Joshua could assign these
cities and that’s what we read about now in Joshua 20. As we said yesterday, these
cities of refuge are a beautiful picture of our salvation in Jesus Christ, to
whom we "have fled for refuge" (Hebrews 6:18). The lost
sinner, of course, is in danger of judgment because "the wages of sin
is death" (Rom. 6:23). The avenger of blood is after him or her! God's
appointed Savior is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), but the sinner must come to Him
by faith in order to be saved (Matt. 11:28-30; John 6:37). The way to each city
was kept open with roads that were cared for and marked (Deut. 19:3). God
wanted it to be easy for the fugitives to find their way to safety.
Beyond this, the picture is one of contrast. When we come
to Christ for salvation, there's no need for an investigation or a trial,
because we know we're guilty; and we admit it! The only people Jesus can save
are those who confess their guilt and throw themselves on His mercy.
If the fugitive prematurely left the city of refuge, he
could be killed; but our salvation in Christ is not conditional. Our High
Priest will never die, and we are forever secure. "But He, because He
continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to
save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives
to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:24-25).
The meanings of the names of the cities are interesting and
can be used to describe what we as sinners experience when we flee by faith to
Jesus. Taking them in the order listed in Joshua 20:7-8, you have: Kedesh means
"righteousness". Jesus gives us His righteousness, and we can never
be accused again. There is no condemnation! (Romans 8:1). Shechem means "shoulder"
and Hebron means "fellowship". Like a shepherd, Jesus carries us on
His shoulders, and we enter into fellowship with Him. Bezer means
"fortress" or "strong"; Ramoth means "heights" and
some say that Golan means "exile." Jesus is our fortress, our
stronghold, and we are safe. We dwell in the heights even though we are exiles,
pilgrims, and strangers in this world.
We discover our seventh lesson in these cities of refuge.
Unless we have fled by faith to Jesus Christ, we aren't saved! Since our sins
put Jesus on the cross, all of us are guilty of His death. He is the only
Savior, and apart from faith in Him, there is no salvation. Have you fled to
Him?
God bless!
