AM Bible Study Group; January 14, 2014
Joshua 20
Theme: Even in the victory that Christ provides, there will always be human imperfections that require us to show mercy.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
At this point in the story, the conquests of the land of Canaan have largely been made. If you read on to the end of Chapter 21, you find it said that "So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it" (v. 43); and with this affirmation added, "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass" (v. 45). But this didn’t happen until after two final things were done; (1) cities of refuge were established in the land, and (2) the cities appointed to the Levites had been given to them. In Chapter 21, we will read of the cities that were given to the Levites. But in Chapter 20, we’re first told of the cities that were provided for refuge.
The key note of this chapter is mercy. God has called us to victory in Christ; but that victory occurs in the context of a fallen world, and in the lives of imperfect people. Even in victory, we will always need the mercy of God provided through Christ and applied by one another. As Micah 6:8 has it, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
I. THE CITIES OF REFUGE WERE TO BE APPOINTED (vv. 1-3).
A. This chapter begins with great authority. It isn’t man who is issuing this merciful provision, but God Himself. We’re told, "The Lord also spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses . . .’" (vv. 1-2). The Lord first hinted at this provision way back in Exodus 21—significantly, right after having issued the Ten Commandments! God said, “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee" (Exodus 21:12-13). (That God "delivered" the victim into the unintentional manslayer’s "hand" is how God expressed that what to man is accidental nevertheless remains under God’s superintending will.)
B. The reason for this provision is ‘mercy’. God says that these cities were to be established "that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood" (v. 3). The details of this provision are given in Numbers 35:9-28 and Deuteronomy 19:1-13. The fact that God—in two very large passages of His law—explained specifically how this was to be done shows that this merciful provision is something that He valued highly. God in no way permitted a genuine act of intentional murder to go unpunished by this provision, however. Each of these cities were cities that had been given to the Levites. They were priestly cities; and the priests were to make careful evaluations in each case. Those who were truly guilty of murder were to be put to death through due process (Numbers 35:29-34;Deuteronomy 19:11-13). But because, in a fallen world, accidents do indeed happen, this provision of mercy was commanded.
II. THE CITIES WERE TO PROVIDE REFUGE TO THE UNINTENTIONAL MANSLAYER (vv. 4-6).
A. Note that mercy is provided not only for the innocent manslayer, but also for the people themselves—so that neither innocent blood would be shed in the pursuit of justice, nor guilty bloodshed would remain unatonted-for. A process was ordained that made it possible—as much as could be done in a human context—to established the guilt of the guilty and the innocence of the innocent. We’re told, "And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them" (v. 4). There’s something wonderful in the fact that the elders are the elders of a priestly city. He would be guaranteed by this that he would receive God’s own mercy by the priests if he was truly innocent.
B. The reason that the man had to flee was because a member of the murder victim’s family was usually appointed to seek to avenge the murder. This family member was called "the avenger of blood"; and it was from this avenger—operating most likely in the heat of passion—that the elders of the city were to provide protection. Verse 5 says, "Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand." Notice that the assumption of innocence is to prevail.
C. The protection given by the city of refuge was not to be permanent, however. We’re told, "And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled" (v. 6). The high priest is a picture of our Redeemer—who Himself died for our sins. As soon as the high priest died, the man’s unintentional act of manslaughter was atoned for; just as it says in Hebrews 9:26; "but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself."
III. THE CITIES WERE SO LOCATED AS TO MOST PROVIDE FOR MERCY (vv. 7-9).
A. Cities were to be established on either side of the Jordan—three on one side and three on the other. "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. 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. 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" (vv. 7-9). Deuteronomy 19:3 specified that roads were to be prepared; and this would have made travel easy, and would have made the cities of refuge accessible. A man who had accidentally slain someone could have gotten to a city of refuge from any spot within the promised land within a half-day’s time.
B. Matthew Henry wrote this interesting comment about these cities: "Some observe a significance in the names of these cities with application to Christ our Refuge. Kedesh signifies holy, and our Refuge is the holy Jesus. Shechem, a shoulder, and the government is upon his shoulder. Hebron, fellowship, and believers are called into the fellowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, a fortification, for he is a strong hold to all those that trust in him. Ramoth, high or exalted, for Him hath God exalted with his own right hand. Golan, joy or exultation, for in Him all the saints are justified, and shall glory."
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Whether these names were really meant to be symbolic in a direct way or not, they at least point us to Jesus and reminds us that we have a High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. Jesus truly is the ‘City of Refuge’ for us who are His poor, weak, fallible followers—ever in need of mercy, even while in a state of victory. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).