Cities of Refuge

1 Then the LORD said to Joshua: 2 "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.

4 "When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. 5 If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

(Joshua 20:1 – 9)

For the past two days, I have been meditating on this passage of scripture about the city of refuge. Here is some background about the city of refuge in the Old Testament days. Under the Israelite law, it is right for the next of kin to avenge the death of their family or relative. The Israelite code places the severe penalty of death upon those who commit murder, those who scheme and plot the demise of another, or as the Biblical writers put it, those who “lay in wait” to kill. However, there are times when one accidentally kills another person without malice or ill intention, just by pure accident or dumb luck. To avoid being killed unjustly by the “avenger of blood”, cities of refuge were set up all over Israel to ensure that these people who have accidentally killed someone could seek safe shelter from their hunters until they stand trial before the congregation of Israel.

There are altogether six cities of refuge designated throughout Israel – three to the west of Jordan (in the land of Canaan) and three to the east of the Jordan. Each of them were strategically placed upon prominences or high grounds so that it could be easily seen from afar, and the roads leading to these cities were well-maintained – all to facilitate easy escape of the asylum seekers to these cities (within half a day from anywhere in Israel) so that they would not be overtaken by their assassins, and be killed without guilt.

Upon reaching the city, the refugees would then report to the elders his story, upon which the elders would provide him with an accommodation within the city. Then, he would stand trial before the congregation of Israel. If he was found guilty, he would be handed over to the avenger to be killed. Otherwise, he would be returned to the city of refuge, where he would dwell until the death of the ruling High Priest, upon which he would be free to return to his land of inheritance. Should he venture out of the city before that and if he were suddenly confronted by the avenger and was killed, the blame would be laid upon his own head for stepping out of the walls of protection of the city before his appointed time. An interesting to note is that the cities of refuge are not only for Israelites but also for foreigners or aliens amongst them.

All the cities of refuge, if we read on further to Joshua 21, were given to the Levites, the priestly order and ministers before the Lord, as their settlements.

We live in a world where in every corner lurks an avenger waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim. We live in a place where death and desolation are just so imminent all around us, and in any direction we look or face there is bound to be some form or manifestation of them, either through vengeance, unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, sorrow, etc. Dare I say, we live in a world system governed by the law. We live in a world system and mindset that insists in getting what is ‘right’ according to the law to the point where we are adamant and uncompromising in getting things right according to the law, often times pursuing until we satisfy our desires for revenge and chasing until are able to pummel the ‘wrong’ person into submission and smite them with the rod of chastisement. For example, there are so many cases where plaintiffs just will not let go of companies who have scammed them or have caused grievous harm to them and pursue them in court for years, only to have the case ruled in favour of the defendant and them having to bear the cost of legal fees later on.

But do we have a right to be angry when we see such scenarios happening all around us? Do we not desire justice to be served on this earth? Absolutely yes! Indeed, the law is, arguably, one of the fundamental things in today’s society that keeps it running smoothly and orderly.

But how would it be if there was a place of refuge that is a shelter from all of these bloodshed and violence? How would it look like if there was a place of refuge where people who are broken and crushed, smitten and oppressed could come and find safety from all the grief, hurt, sorrows and vengeance inside of them that constantly pursue them day and night?

Are we not supposed to be that place, O Church of the Living God? Are we not supposed to be a place where those who are weak and weary can come and dwell and find grace and forgiveness, and mercy and peace from their relentless tirades of hatred, anger and bitterness? Are we not supposed to be ones where people from all nations can come to find shelter and comfort from the chattering voices in their minds that tell them that they are not good enough, or how they hate their colleague at work, or how things will never change just because they are  ‘so bad’?

And I believe that the cities of refuge were given to the Levites for a reason – they were ministers of the Lord, of the priestly order. In the same way, we too are priests ministering in the cities of refuge. We are to display the grace and the goodness of God to people who come into our midst seeking refuge. We are to minister to people who come into our midst in search of love and forgiveness, and to bring them to discover a God who heals and whose purposes are larger than their small-minded revenge mindsets, or their rigid unforgiveness mentalities.

We are to call people out from living in the law, essentially, where constantly pursuing them are vengeance, bitterness, anger, death and despair to the life of the Spirit where there is freedom, love, mercy and forgiveness. We are to create an environment where even foreigners can find grace and draw strength, a space where they can be safe from being hunted by their pasts, a place where they are free to live in the present to be who they are created to be, and a zone where they have the liberty to push on to a future and a destiny that is far greater than any of their selfish goals or self-centred desires to secure their ‘rights’.

Yet, are we living that out each day? How do we see our Sunday gatherings? Are we too busy doing things here and there that we do not pay attention to a person amongst us who is seeking refuge from their past hurts and worries? Are we just too focused on trying to make church ‘work’ that we have neglected to show grace and compassion for the needy ones among us?

The warning from our Lord is very clear. Salt that has lost its saltiness will be thrown away and be trampled upon. A light is not meant to be hidden under the table, but instead is to be allowed to shine as a beacon for all nations. Christ also warns believers in Revelations that if we do not return to ways of love and truth that he would come and remove their lampstand from its place, meaning to exclude them from the share of inheritance that God had for them.

This most definitely should put grave concern into our hearts. If we fail to serve our role as a city where people from all nations can come and find a peaceful dwelling amongst us, and a place where the reign and goodness of God can flow into their lives, but instead build our own kingdoms of power, pleasure and productivity over the city, then we should not be surprised when God comes, demolishes our cities and sweeps us off our lands, just as He did to the Israelites of generations past. It serves as a solemn warning that those who are part of the community of God, the cities of refuge, are to then minister and display the abundance of the grace and mercy of God to those among us who are seeking for them.

In conclusion, we, as the people of God, are cities of refuge established all over this planet, serving as places where people from all nations can find safety and shelter from their pursuing pasts, hurts, fears, anger, bitterness, vengeance, unforgiveness, and spaces where these people can find grace, forgiveness, love, joy, peace and learn what it means to live in the freedom of the Spirit as sons of God, made in His image, to be all that they can be, ruling over Creation in relationship with Him.