THE CITIES OF REFUGE

J.Renton

Numbers 35: 9-15; Deuteronomy 19: 1-3; Joshua 20: 1-6

It is interesting to see how Jehovah made provision for the manslayer. It is provision made for a certain kind of sin that could result in the execution of judgment, yet Jehovah makes provision. There was no such provision in the wilderness. This provision relates to the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan as applied to us is not heaven literally. There will be no need for provision for any untoward circumstance because no such thing will arise when we are in heaven literally. But Canaan, the land of promise, suggests what is to be enjoyed down here. It is heaven known while we are down here. We need to under stand that as believers we belong to heaven. We do not belong to earth and visit heaven; we belong to heaven and visit down here. That is the believer's true status. That is what dwelling in the land of Canaan means. The instruction therefore begins in Numbers, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then ye shall appoint for yourselves cities: cities of refuge shall they be for you". This provision relates to the land of Canaan. It relates to what is unfolded in the epistle to the Ephesians, for we have to go to that epistle to understand the fulness of Christianity.

Jehovah foresaw that provision for the manslayer would be needed in the land of Canaan and he makes provision for persons who are involved in this kind of sin. Jehovah does not suggest that they lower the level of things to suit the manslayer or that they should accommodate the manslayer on his own terms. Jehovah directs that there should be cities of refuge and we find in the book of Joshua that these were Levitical cities. As we know, the tribe of Levi did not inherit with the other tribes, they did not have their own territory in the land. Joseph had two tribes which makes up the number twelve; the twelve tribes inherited territory in Canaan, but the tribe of Levi did not inherit territory. They were given cities with suburbs and six of these were appointed to be cities of refuge. These Levitical cities were distributed, forty-eight of them, throughout the land 'On both sides of Jordan and they were meant to exercise a heavenly influence over the tribes. I have no doubt the idea of locality would enter into the twelve tribes having an inheritance. But the tribe of Levi had no inheritance; therefore it is more than simply a local matter although it would be worked out in localities. The Levitical outlook would be a universal outlook and we need to have this outlook today. There were forty-eight cities and they were meant to maintain what is typical of the heavenly level and to exercise heavenly influence over the tribes because there were Levitical cities in very tribe in Israel. Therefore God did not lower the level to accommodate the manslayer. The manslayer would suggest in our day dishonour done to the Lord Jesus. We find that in the second chapter of the Acts. Peter, in his preaching, opens the gates of the city of refuge for the guilty Jews. They had crucified the Messiah yet Peter opens the gates of the city of refuge for every repentant person to flee into. God in His mercy and grace provided refuge for persons who were guilty of the crucifixion of Christ. In our day any dishonour to the name of Christ would involve guilt; but God's provision is the city of refuge. The heavenly level is to be maintained, not common ground made with persons who dishonour the Lord. We have to be jealous, dear brethren, for the Lord's rights and God's rights and maintain these rights, and at the same time have an outlook towards persons who dishonour the Lord's name; not by making common ground with them, nor by accommodating ourselves to them in their present state, but by maintaining what is right according to the heavenly level. That is the idea of the city of refuge. In Ephesians the evangelist is mentioned among the gifts but he is not mentioned among the gifts in 1 Corinthians. Also in chapter 6 of that epistle part of the armour mentioned is having "shod your feet with the preparation of the glad tidings of peace". These two ideas suggest the city of refuge. The level is to be maintained in its height and fulness and there is to be a readiness to be available to repentant persons. Paul himself no doubt found the city of refuge in Damascus. He tells us in 1 Timothy 1: 13 what kind of man he was: "Who before was a blasphemer and persecutor, and an insolent overbearing man: but mercy was shown me because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief". That is, he found a city of refuge available as he was repentant. These cities maintained the level, therefore, of the rights of Christ and the rights of God and were in the enjoyment of the heavenly inheritance. The tribe of Levi, as I said, did not have territorial inheritance. Their inheritance was the "offerings by fire of Jehovah the God of Israel" and "Jehovah the God of Israel" Himself (Josh 13: 14, 33). They were taken instead of the firstborn in Israel; therefore they represented the best that God had in mind for His people down here, and these cities were to exercise this influence over every locality. We need therefore to come in our own locality under the influence of this Levitical outlook in the land of Canaan.

In the book of Deuteronomy you again find it linked with the inheritance: "When Jehovah thy God hath cut off the nations whose land Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and thou hast dispossessed them, and dwellest in their cities and in their houses". Not only did they come into the land of Canaan but they were to dispossess and they dwell. It is a question of dwelling in the land of Canaan; for us, dwelling in the wonderful privileges of our heavenly inheritance. We have only perhaps touched the fringe of the greatness of the privileges of the inheritance we have. Then it says: "Thou shalt prepare thee the way". Not only were cities to be appointed throughout the land but they were to prepare the way. They were to be evangelical. They were to clear away every obstacle so that the way was clear for the manslayer to flee thither: "that every slayer may flee thither". This would be a practical matter as to removing every obstacle. We have put some obstacles in the way of persons. There would be a need now to remove every obstacle so that the way is prepared and marked. There was to be no doubt in persons' minds as to where the city of refuge was. The obligation to prepare the way had to be accepted to make it as easy as possible for persons to find the city of refuge. We know, only too well, how things are confused in our day and we are part of that confusion; we have contributed to it. Damage has been done to persons and we have added to the confusion. There is need, dear brethren, to prepare the way so that as far as possible we should not add further to the confusion but in some way make the city of refuge plain. No doubt we need to be Deuteronomic persons to do this. Moses in the last two months of the last year of his life is speaking in wisdom to God's people in the book of Deuteronomy that they were to prepare the way.

In the book of Joshua we find these cities appointed and it is in this book that we find that there are fortyeight Levitical cities, six of which are cities of refuge. We find here what the manslayer is to do. It contemplates that the way has been made as easy as possible for the manslayer to find the city of refuge. The territory is divided so that he knows where in his territory the city of refuge is, and he comes to it. "And he shall flee unto one of those cities and stand at the entrance of the city-gate, and shall declare his matter in the ears of the elders of that city''. His matter is acceptable as he is repentant and he is invited into that city. It says, "they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them". We have all fled to the city of refuge, we have all been taken into the city unto them. There is a touch of affection in this, there is a touch of brotherly love in it: "and they shall take him into the city unto them". It reminds us of the book of Genesis when the dove returned to Noah. It says that Noah "put forth his hand, and took her and brought her to him into the ark" (Gen 7: 9). Indeed, all the animals came unto Noah into the ark. It was not the ark exactly that was the attraction, Noah was the attraction. So persons become attractive here. This manslayer would be better off being in a Levitical city, having a place amongst the Levites in this heavenly level of things; he would have a part in exercising this heavenly influence. We have all been manslayers, we have all dishonoured the Lord Jesus, we have all failed as to maintaining His rights and the rights of God. Have we all come this way of declaring our matter? Have we found that we have been taken into the city unto them and are given a place and dwell among them? There is a family idea in this; all the wealth of the family is enjoyed in this city.

Well, it is our privilege in this locality to maintain a city of refuge which depends on dwelling in heaven and being visitors down here, maintaining the rights of God and the rights of Christ and being evangelical in our outlook, preparing the way and ready to take "unto us" into the city and provide dwelling conditions. May the Lord help us in it!

Edinburgh

10th July 1973