Joshua 20
Refuge cities to be set up by Joshua verse 1- 3
The LORD also spoke to Joshua
saying
Speak to the children of Israel
saying
Appoint out for you cities of refuge
whereof I spoke to you by the hand of Moses
that the slayer that kills any person unawares
and unwittingly may flee thither
and they shall be your refuge from
the avenger of blood
Judgment of unwitting killer verse 4- 6
When he that does flee to one of those cities shall stand at the
entering of the gate of the city
and shall declare his cause in the
ears of the elders of that city
they shall take him into the city
to them – and give him a place
that he may dwell among them
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him
THEN they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand
BECAUSE he smote his neighbor unwittingly
and hated him not beforetime
And he shall dwell in that city
until he stand before the congregation for judgment
and until the death of the high priest that shall
be in those days
then shall the slayer return and come to his own city
and to his own house
to the city from whence he fled
Listing of the six cities of refuge verse 7- 9
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali
and Shechem in mount Ephraim and Kirjath-arba
which is Hebron in the mount of Judah
And on the other side of Jordan by Jericho eastward
they assigned Bezer in the wilderness
upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben
Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad
and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh
These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel
and for the stranger that sojourns among them
that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee thither
and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood
til he stood before the congregation
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 That the slayer that kills any person unawares or unwittingly may flee thither and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. (1097 “un” [beliy] means failure, nothing, destruction, none, no, or without. 1847 “wittingly” [da‘ath] means knowledge, cunning, or aware.)
DEVOTION: The LORD established the legal system for the children of Israel before they entered the Promised Land. HE gave many rules regarding dietary, worship and legal matters that would affect the children of Israel for the time period they were going to be in the Promised Land. Sometime we think that God just had too many commandments for the children of Israel to follow. However, everything HE established were necessary for a good society. It was a Theocratic Society. HE word was final. The priests were to enforce HIS commandments.
One of the commandments dealt with those who accidently kill someone. The one who accidently killed his neighbor had to run to one of the six refuge cities, so that, a relative of the one killed didn’t kill him. Once he was in the city of refuge, they would determine whether the killing was pre-meditated or not. If it was not the man had to live in the city until the High Priest died. Then he could return to his own home.
The Hebrew uses two words to form this one word. The word means a failure to be aware. No prior knowledge. No premeditation. If he was guilty the avenger of blood would take him and execute him. If he were found innocent, then he would live in the city until the High Priest died. Then he could return home to his family. There were no jails or walls but if the individual left the city of refuge too soon the avenger of blood could take his life.
Christ redefined murder as hating a brother. We need to watch our attitude toward those around us. Sometimes we do and say things that we wished we never did but it is hard (or impossible) to take them back once they are done. Our words can harm the one we communicate concerning. Many churches have been hurt by individuals spreading rumors. Sometimes what is said may be true but that doesn’t make it any less harmful. Our words are to be encouraging to those around us.
Our responsibility is to love our enemies. Our responsibility is to encourage our brothers and sisters in the LORD. If we have to confront regarding disobedience there are guidelines for this in the gospel of Matthew. If we do things Biblically there is the blessing of the LORD. If we do things our way there is confusion. God is a God of order. HE gives the Israelites commandments regarding legal matters. HE give commandments regarding our relationship to legal matters.
CHALLENGE: Remember that God is a merciful God. HE gives protection to those who accidently kill someone. HIS system regarding legal matters is better than any government. Study HIS system.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 4 And when he that does flee to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. (1697 “his cause” [dabar] means word, matter, affair, thing, a brief statement, discourse, account, or happening.)
DEVOTION: If the individual was found innocent he still had to live in the city until the death of the high priest. That could take many years. So the people of the city had to find him a place to live.
They would also have to provide him with a means of supporting himself. He would be living alone and so would not need much but he would still have to occupy his time with healthy work inside the city walls.
He was never allowed outside the city walls because the avenger of blood could be camped outside the city waiting for him to leave. There were probably some who tried to leave and get passed the avenger of blood. Usually they would lose their life.
Ex- offenders need to have the support of the church if they are going to have a healthy life after jail. They need to know that they can count on believers to help them stop whatever they were doing and help them start doing what was right for a healthy citizen to do.
Churches should have programs to help those who need help getting back into society as workers. Our attitude can be either good or bad toward those who have had a bad beginning in life.
Also the elders have to work with those who are not guilty. Even those who are innocent need encouragement to continue to work and live a healthy life.
CHALLENGE: What are we providing for those who need to get a fresh start in our neighborhoods?
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: 5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand: because he smote his neighbor unwittingly and hated him not beforetime. (8032 “beforetime” [shilshowm] means three days ago, the day before yesterday, times past, heretofore, or previously.)
DEVOTION: The LORD made provision for individuals who accidently killed someone to prevent that person to be killed by a relative of the individual killed from being able to kill them without a trial.
God is a God of justice. HE wants each person to have a chance to defend himself before a court of law without fear of being killed before he had his day in court.
In the Old Testament the children of Israel were given these rules to help them deal with any issue that came up. The death of someone was important to deal with in a proper manner.
If a person killed someone by accident or during a fight they would have to go to a refuge city gate and explain what had happened and they would let him in the city to protect him from a relative of the one kill who wanted to him for the death of a family member.
The penalty for killing someone accidently was that the person had to live in the city of refuge until the High Priest died. That could be a long time or a short time.
So there was a time away from his own city. This is what the LORD expected to happen to anyone who killed another person.
We need to realize that life is important to the LORD. HE wants us to help one another. HE wants us to settle our differences without violence. HE wants us to make sure that we are working with our neighbor at all times.
Today we have courts of law to settle these types of problems but sometimes the courts are not fair to individuals. It sometimes depends on the income of individuals regarding a crime of murder.
There has to be a system that is fair and that honors God in dealing with people who have committed a crime, especially murder. A proper sentence for a crime needs to be established and carried out by the court of law.
CHALLENGE: We need to be sure to practice justice in our nation that honors the LORD. The rich and poor need to be judged properly.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days,: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from whence he fled. (1005 “house” [bayith] means dwelling house, a social unit living together usually consisting of family, understood by the physical building in with a family normally resides)
DEVOTION: The sentence of the innocent individual depended on the life of the high priest. He was going to live in the city until he died. After his death he could return to his home wherever it was.
He was free. There would be no problems that could cause him to not be able to come home to his family. He would return to his own relatives. He would walk out of the city of refuge.
Congregations can be judgmental today. They might know the individual is innocent but still not treat him the way he should be treated. Those who are strangers in our midst should receive the benefit of doubt.
Remember that the Word of God says that we might entertain angels unaware. We need to help people who are not home to feel at home in our congregation. They will return home someday and tell their family and friends how they were treated at your location.
What kind of comments with they say to those loved ones? Every church should have visitors on a regular basis who know that they are loved by the congregation. How loving were you this last weekend? Did you take a visitor out to lunch after church?
We had a couple in my last church that would make it a habit to invite visitors to go out to lunch with them after church. This caused many people to stay and become active in the church.
CHALLENGE:Today we might not be able to judge people regarding past sins but we can make them home when they are willing to be part of our fellowship for other reasons. We should be good friends to visitors.
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: 9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. (7684 “unawares” [shagagah] means ignorance, unwittingly, inadvertent sin, fault, unintentional error, or accident.)
DEVOTION: The legal system in Israel was not just for those who were Israelites but for anyone in the land. If someone who was not an Israelite accidently killed someone they would be able to use the cities of refuge as well.
The one who was killed accidently would have relatives that would chase the individual who accidently killed their relative. If the avenger of blood caught the person before he made it to the city of refuge he would die. Therefore the one who accidently killed a person had to run fast to the city of refuge. Once outside the city he had to yell to those inside to come and listen to his story. If these individuals accepted his story they would bring him in the city for a trial. If he won his case he still had to stay in the city until the death of the high priest.
After the death of the high priest he could return to his home whether it was in the Promised Land or some other nation. He had paid his debt to society for the accidently death of someone.
Our legal system should work the same. It is based on the Old Testament. However, there are many inequities of life today. There were no lawyers in the city of refuge. They stated their case to the elders of the city and they decided what would happen to the individual.
If the individual was found guilty they would put him out of the city for the avenger of blood to deal with in the case. That would mean the death of the individual. The LORD believes in capital punishment of those who are guilty.
CHALLENGE:The legal system in Israel in the Old Testament is different from the legal system today. However, remember the LORD is still on the throne. HE is the ultimate judge.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
- Chastity (Purity in living)
- Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
- Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
- Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
- Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
- Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
- Frugality (wise use of resources)
- Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
- Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
- Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
- Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
- Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
- Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Moses verse 2
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah) verse 1
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Neighbor verse 5
Stranger verse 9
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Slayer verse 3, 5, 6
Hate verse 5
Kill verse 9
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Slay unawares verse 3, 9
Slay unwittingly verse 3, 5
Declare his cause to elders of city verse 4
Slayer returns after death of high priest verse 6
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Joshua verse 1
Children of Israel verse 2
Cities of refuge verse 2, 7, 8
Kedesh of Galilee
Shechem in mount Ephraim
Kirjath-arba in Hebron
Bezer out of tribe of Reuben
Ramoth in Gilead – out of Gad
Golan in Bashan – out of Manasseh
Moses verse 2
Slayer who kills unawares or unwittingly verse 3
Avenger of blood verse 3, 5, 9
Elders of the city verse 4
Stand before the congregation for judgment verse 6, 9
High Priest verse 6
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Death of high priest verse 6
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QUOTES regarding passage
7Three cities of refuge were selected in the territory west of the Jordan. They were strategically located so that wherever a person might be, he would have ready access to one of them. “Kedesh” (see 12:22) is in the north, “Shechem” (see comment and note on 8:30; cf. 8:33; Judg 9:7) in the center, and “Kiriath Arba” (see 14:15) in the south. Kiriath Arba (Hebron) was given to Caleb as a reward for his unwavering faithfulness (14:6–14). In 21:12 we are told that the territory around Kiriath Arba, the agricultural land and the villages, remained in Caleb’s possession. Perhaps Caleb shared the city with the Levites (see comment on 21:1).
8The cities of refuge in Transjordan had already been selected by Moses (Deut 4:41–43). This passage may refer to the implementation of Moses’ selection. Once again the distribution of the three cities is strategic. This time they are named from south to north (as in Deut 4:43). “Bezer” was in the south; it may be modern Umm el-‘Amad. “Ramoth in Gilead,” modern Tell Ramith, was in the center. “Golan” was in the north. (Madvig, D. H. (1992). Joshua. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel (Vol. 3, p. 349). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
20:7–9. The six designated cities were located on both sides of the Jordan River. On the west side were Kedesh in Galilee … of Naphtali, Shechem in … Ephraim, and Hebron in … Judah. The cities on the east side were Bezer in the south in Reuben, Ramoth in the region of Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in the northern territory of Bashan in Manasseh’s tribe.
But why is there no record in the Old Testament of a single instance in which this merciful provision of deliverance was utilized? Some critics suggest that these cities were not part of the Mosaic legislation but that this provision was instituted after the Exile. Yet the postexilic books likewise do not refer to their use, so other critics have suggested that the cities were not occupied till the time of Christ. In the face of such shifting arguments it is better to recognize the historicity of these accounts and to explain the silence of the record by the obvious fact that the scriptural authors were selective about what they recorded. Once the provision was made, it was apparently not important to document specific cases of its use.
Israel’s benefit of sanctuary reminds believers of Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble,” and of Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews may have had the Old Testament cities of refuge in mind when he wrote that believers may have great encouragement because they “have fled to take hold of the hope offered to” them (Heb. 6:18). The cities of refuge, then, seem to typify Christ to whom sinners, pursued by the avenging Law which decrees judgment and death, may flee for refuge. Paul’s frequent expression “in Christ” speaks of the safety and security possessed by every believer. (Campbell, D. K. (1985). Joshua. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 363). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The six “cities of refuge” were needed because society in that day had no police force to investigate crimes. It was the responsibility of each family to see to it that murders were avenged, but how could they tell whether it was a case of premeditated murder or accidental manslaughter? In the heat of anger a relative of the dead person might kill somebody who was really innocent of a capital crime.
Joshua set apart three cities of refuge on each side of the Jordan River. On the west side, Kedesh was farthest north, in the territory of Naphtali; Shechem was in the middle of the nation in the tribe of Manasseh; and Hebron was in the south in the tribe of Judah. On the east side of the Jordan, the cities were Golan in the north in Manasseh, Ramoth in Gad, and Bezer farther south in the tribe of Reuben. Since the Holy Land is about the size of the state of Maryland, you can see that nobody was very far from a city of refuge. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Strong (pp. 129–130). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
20:2–9 cities of refuge.Moses had spoken God’s Word to name 6 cities in Israel as refuge centers. A person who inadvertently killed another could flee to the nearest of these for protection (cf. Nu 35:9–34). Three lay W of the Jordan, and 3 lay to the E, each reachable in a day for those in its area. The slayer could flee there to escape pursuit by a family member seeking to exact private justice. Authorities at the refuge protected him and escorted him to a trial. If found innocent, he was guarded at the refuge until the death of the current High-Priest, a kind of statute of limitations (Jos 20:6). He could then return home. If found guilty of murder, he suffered due punishment. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jos 20:2–9). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 7. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, &c.] Of which see ch. 19:37. the appointment of this and the two cities following was made by the children of Israel at this time: and Shechem in Mount Ephraim; called Sichem, Gen. 12:6 and Shechem from a prince of that name that possessed it, Gen. 34. it fell to the lot of the tribe of Ephraim; its name in the New Testament is Sychar, John 4:5 and it is now called Neapolis, or Naplouse: and Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah; it stood in the hill-country of Judea, Luke 1:39, 65. of which see ch. 14:15 and 15:54. There seems to be a difficulty here, since this city was before given to Caleb, ch. 14:13, 14 and yet afterwards given to the Levites, and appointed a city of refuge. The Jews reconcile this by observing, that the city and suburbs were given to the Levites, and fixed for a city of refuge; but the villages and fields, and country around it, and belonging to it, were given to Caleb, ch. 21:12 and Abarbinel makes no doubt that the children of Judah gave something else to Caleb in lieu of it. As these cities of refuge were typical of Christ, as has been observed on Numb. 35:29. their names are applicable to him. Kedesh signifies holy or holiness; Christ is holy in both his natures, divine and human; and so abundantly qualified to be the Mediator, Saviour, and Redeemer; and is the fountain of holiness to his people, and is made sanctification to them, Psal. 16:10. Heb. 7:26. 1 Cor. 1:30 and Shechem signifies the shoulder; and not only the government of the church and people of God is on the shoulder of Christ, but all their sins have been laid upon him, and bore by him; and every particular soul in conversion, every lost sheep, is looked up by him, and taken up and brought home on his shoulder, Isa. 9:6 and 53:6. Luke 15:4. Hebron signifies fellowship; in effectual vocation, the saints are called into fellowship with Christ, and their fellowship is with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ; through him they have access to God, and communion with him now, and shall have uninterrupted communion with him to all eternity, 1 Cor. 1:9. 1 John 1:3. Eph. 2:18. John 17:24.
Ver. 8. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, &c.] In the country possessed by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh: they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, upon the plain, out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh; of these places, and the signification of their names, and of the application of them to Christ, the antitype of the cities of refuge, see the note on Deut. 4:43. These last cities were not appointed now, they were appointed in the times of Moses, and severed by him, Deut. 4:41. nor are they here said to be appointed, but to be assigned or given; they were now delivered up into the hands of the Levites for cities of refuge, for they were before severed for that use; they were not, according to the Jewsd, made use of as such, until the other three were appointed. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 259). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrantWORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
NO GOD BUT GOD: Breaking with the Idols of Our Age
by Os Guinness & John Seel
Many evangelicals, being relatively new to politics, do not realize that the art of prudent and principled compromise is necessary in the political arena. (p. 54)
THE MECHANISM OF THE PROMISE
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
We must look at what I choose to call the mechanism of the promise–the way in which it works. The apostle says that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” He says that we “know” this, that it is something that is well-known and acknowledged, something that to the Christian is self-evident. How is this so? The answer is partly doctrinal and partly a matter of experience.
The doctrinal answer starts at the end of our text–“to them who are the called according to his purpose.” It continues at the end of the chapter. We know that all things work together for good to believers because their whole position is dependent upon God and His activity. Our salvation is God’s work. Listen to the argument: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (verses 29-30). There is nothing accidental or fortuitous or contingent about God’s work. It is all planned and worked out from the beginning right until the end. In our experience it comes to us increasingly, but in the mind and purpose of God, it is all already perfect and entire. Nothing can frustrate it.
But it is not merely a matter of high doctrine. There is a fact that confirms it all: “he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Is God, who actually delivered up His only Son to that cruel death on Calvary’s cross for us, likely to allow anything to stand between us and His ultimate purpose for us? Impossible.
A Thought to Ponder: There is nothing accidental or fortuitous or contingent about God’s work. (From Why Does God Allow War? pp. 122-123. By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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