DEUTERONOMY 19
God gave great prominence in the land to the cities of refuge. They had a great place in His heart as a provision of mercy for “every slayer” who should “unwittingly” smite his neighbour. There is no doubt that in this the [p. 257] Spirit of God had in view the slaying of Christ. The Prophet of chapter 18 would become the slain Neighbour of chapter 19. And the issue of this would depend on how the slayer could be regarded by God. If the act was done “unwittingly” cities of refuge were available for the slayer; if done out of deliberate hatred there was no escape from the avenger of blood. The Spirit’s testimony to a risen and exalted Christ would manifest in every case whether the slayer was of the one class or the other. On God’s part He answered the intercession of Christ on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”, by taking account of the deed as done in ignorance, and by His Spirit in Peter He said, “I know that ye did it in ignorance, as also your rulers” (Acts 3: 17). Peter addressed the Jews in Acts 2 and 3 as slayers of Christ, and offered them mercy in His Name, but when the Spirit’s testimony to Christ was rejected Stephen addressed the whole council of the Jews in Acts 7 as the murderers of the Just One. Standing deliberately to their act and deed, in presence of the testimony of the Holy Spirit to Jesus glorified, they became wilful murderers for whom no city of refuge was available. Saul of Tarsus persecuted Jesus in His saints, but he says that mercy was shewn him because he did it ignorantly in unbelief.
The actual result of the coming in of Christ was that Israel was found in the position of the manslayer, and as such forfeited all right to live in the inheritance. So that none of those who came into blessing at Pentecost and the following days could boast of their pedigree, or assert any claim to their assigned inheritance; they could only live as refugees from the avenger of blood. The cities of refuge suggest a character of dwelling in the land which greatly magnifies the sovereign love and mercy of God. The “heirs of promise” got the good of the unchangeableness of God’s purpose, and the [p. 258] unchangeable character of His promise and oath, but on their part they came into it purely as refugees, for they had been verily guilty of crucifying and slaying Jesus. All the blessedness of God’s purpose was there to be known and enjoyed — all that He had promised to the fathers — but on their part they were simply refugees from the avenger of blood.
The cities of refuge are a special divine provision for cases when the normal enjoyment of the land is no longer possible. They contemplate an end governmentally of normal conditions. They represent what God had in reserve, in the supremacy of His mercy, when the promises had been forfeited as a result of the slaying of Christ. In making this provision God had in view the true Israel, the children of the promise (Romans 9), in regard to whom He could and did account that they slew Christ “unwittingly”. But even for such the inheritance as on earth was forfeited; there was no reinstatement in it, no restoration of the kingdom to Israel. Another place of blessing became available of which the cities of refuge were typical. No place of earthly blessing remained even for Israel; they must either live in the cities of refuge or be destroyed under the judgment of God. God opened up to them what was holy and heavenly as a refuge when everything on earth failed. It is this which the Spirit of God refers to in Hebrews 6: when He speaks of the “strong encouragement” which those have “Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us; which we have as anchor of the soul, both secure and firm, and entering into that within the veil, where Jesus is entered as forerunner for us”. This was what the believing remnant of Israel did; Judaism failed them, for as connected with it they were guilty as Man-slayers, but all that was unseen and heavenly, connected with a risen and heavenly Christ, was made available for them as a city of refuge.
[p. 259] Now if Israel, to whom earthly blessing pertained, have lost all title to it through the slaying of Christ, and have to flee for refuge to lay hold on a hope which is heavenly, it is beyond all question that we of the nations cannot look for inheritance here. The slaying of Christ has rendered that as impossible for us as for Israel. We have to take up the inheritance as enjoyed in the cities of refuge, or we shall not possess it at all. And this is of immense importance for every Christian to apprehend. The people of God at the present time must not look to live in any inheritance on earth. We must flee for refuge to those things which lie within the veil. To want place, popularity, power, or influence on earth at the present time is, in principle, apostasy. The finer the buildings, the more attractive and beautiful in an earthly way the services, the nearer do Christians come to those “earth-dwellers” who are so soon to fall under the long-announced judgment of God. We are in the midst of a Christian profession that has, more or less, taken up the position of having what is earthly as its object. But the end of those who mind earthly things is destruction (Philippians 3: 19). We only live as having fled to heavenly things, as having set our minds on the things above, where the Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. The things that are on the earth are not the sphere of our life. “For ye have died, and your life is hid with the Christ in God” (Colossians 3: 1 - 3). We are partakers of heavenly calling, and as Christ is the heavenly One those quickened by Him are heavenly ones. God has prepared the way for us; He has made what is heavenly accessible. Let us see to it that we flee thither.
The public Christian profession is as great a failure as Judaism was; it has practically set aside the Holy Spirit, whose presence here is characteristic of the period during which Christ sits at the right hand of [p. 260] God. Not giving the Holy Spirit His place is the great outstanding sin of christendom, but when this is felt and owned the unseen and the heavenly are there for saints to flee to as a refuge. 2 Timothy is, in principle, on this line. The state of the Christian profession is such that enjoyment has been forfeited, but all that is spiritual and heavenly, and of God’s purpose in Christ, remains as a refuge for those who have a sense of what has happened. It is there for those who are in the spirit of refugees.
God distinguishes between what is done in deliberate hatred and what is done unwittingly, even though in both cases the result may be fatal to what, has divine value. But He does not allow the seriousness of what is done “unwittingly” to pass without the fullest recognition. For the slayer it changed all the conditions on which he could live in the land. Much that has happened in the Christian profession has been done “unwittingly”. The gravest errors have been introduced, or furthered, by men who truly loved the Lord Jesus. The whole episcopal and clerical system which is around us today developed under the influence of men who were personally devoted to Christ. Some, at least, of the sects were formed with true desire to be more consistent with the truth. But these things have proved fatal to much that is of God, and have had the effect of depriving the saints of the true privilege and gain connected with the assembly. So that now if saints would live in the divine inheritance they can only do so by withdrawing from iniquity, by purging themselves from vessels to dishonour, and by pursuing righteousness, faith, love, peace with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. This is the prepared way by which persons may flee for refuge today.
It is a mercy that God takes account of a great deal as being done “unwittingly”. Many offences against [p. 261] Christ and against His people are committed through ignorance or inadvertence. In the midst of energetic service there may not always be sufficient care to provide against injuring or destroying something that is of Christ. The man with his axe in verse 5 might illustrate this. He is intent on his work, and zealous in it, but he kills his neighbour. Much labour of earnest men has had the effect of destroying life in the land rather than ministering to it. Not that this has been deliberately intended, but it has actually been done.
We learn from Joshua 20 that the three cities of refuge in the land were “hallowed”. They were priestly and levitical cities (Numbers 35), and they were all “in the hill-country” (Joshua 20). When the conviction is brought home to us that we are exposed to the consequences of serious departure from what is of God, even though it may have been “unwittingly” so far as we are concerned, it is very blessed to know that what is set forth in these cities has such a great place in the ways and ordering of God. It is on this principle that God has placed amongst His people in these last days a spiritual ministry of the truth, and has called attention to the hallowed conditions in which alone He can be served in a priestly way. The “hill-country” has its counterpart in the heavenly elevation of much that the Lord has given to attract the hearts of His saints and to form them in their affections. The best and the richest and highest that God has to give is available as a city of refuge today. There is a prepared way for any who have desire to flee from what they find in themselves, and from what is of man in the Christian profession. They may find what is holy and elevated and satisfying, so that, notwithstanding all that has come in, they may live in the very best of the wealth of the inheritance. One comes as a refugee, indeed, and with no other title, but through infinite mercy and grace one [p. 262] is permitted to have place and part in what is holy and heavenly and spiritual, and to be the associate of those who are conversant with holy and heavenly and spiritual things. The priests and Levites held the three cities for the benefit of such, and whatever the man-slayer enjoyed there he enjoyed in the spirit of a refugee. This makes the inheritance available in a peculiar way under abnormal conditions. One may live on the best of its wealth even when the normal enjoyment of it is no longer possible. For the refugee must have lived on tithes, first-fruits, etc. with the priests and Levites amongst whom he dwelt.
The cities of refuge do not strictly represent a divine provision for perishing sinners, but a provision for people of God who have realised that there has been terrible departure from the normal conditions in which the land was originally held. It is such a provision as is indicated to us in 2 Timothy — a provision for conditions which are wholly abnormal, but which enables life in Christ Jesus to be known and enjoyed by those who avail themselves of the prepared way of escape. It is a special instruction for those who are conscious that privileges have been forfeited. God is not less gracious to saints of the assembly than He was to Israel. The whole spiritual order of things connected with God’s purpose and grace is available as a refuge. He had in view from the beginning all that would occur that would be fatal to life in the land, and He has ever distinguished between what was done deliberately and what was done “unwittingly”. There have been those in the Christian profession who have been deliberately adverse to what was of Christ and of the Spirit, but many blows have been struck against the truth and against the brethren “unwittingly”. When conviction of this is brought home to the conscience the city of refuge is ever available.
The thought of “three cities more” being added when the border was enlarged would shew that spiritual enlargement would ever be accompanied by increased provision for refugees. The more we are enlarged spiritually the more shall we be capable of holding what is spiritual and heavenly as a refuge for all those who are conscious that they can only live in the land as refugees. As regards the public position things have been forfeited, but the inheritance can be enjoyed still in this peculiar way. Everything that is hallowed, all the wealth of spiritual ministry, and holy associations that are suitable to God, are available now on the principle of refuge. How many are feeling the deplorable state of things in the Christian profession! Groaning over the fatal blows that are being struck against what is vital, and feeling that they are implicated by their associations in the consequences of many things which they truly deplore in their hearts! Oh, that such might know that there is a prepared way of escape for them! All that is of God and for God, all that is holy and heavenly, can be enjoyed in the “hill-country” in the appointed place. It is there for all in Israel who feel the need of it, and whose hearts value it.
“Thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have fixed in thine inheritance” (verse 14) shews that there is a divine apportionment which is not to be interfered with. The inheritance is common to all; all are sons, children, brethren, and have a common portion in Christ and in the Spirit,. But in detail each has an assigned portion, and it is to be our care, according to Deuteronomy, that our neighbour has his full portion. This is in keeping with the spirit of grace and consideration for the good of others which marks the book. We have no daughters of Zelophehad here desiring inheritance for themselves; our care here is that our neighbour’s inheritance shall not be infringed upon. The inheritance [p. 264] is enjoyed in a neighbourly way; I can only enjoy your bit of it as you enjoy it, and therefore if I remove your landmark I really defraud myself! It is our interest to see that our neighbours enjoy their full assigned portion. In great part we enjoy the inheritance through our brethren; it is blessed to see them enjoying their portion; no one moving spiritually would wish to curtail it in the least degree. This stands in marked contrast with slaying our neighbour, even though such a thing should be done unwittingly. It emphasises the neighbourly character in which the inheritance is taken up. We get on together by fully recognising the portion assigned to each.
If any one’s landmark is removed it is not only a wrong done to him, but it tends to impoverish all by interfering with the way in which God has given things. The clerical principle has greatly tended to remove landmarks, and has deprived the people of God of what divine favour would have made available in the brethren generally. The arrangements of men, and human order, are simply a removal of landmarks “which they of old time have fixed in thine inheritance”. The commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14: 37) are fixed landmarks, and are not to be disregarded; they would give to each one his true spiritual place amongst the brethren for the benefit of all. Many of our neighbours have had their landmarks removed, and we all suffer from it, but our care should be to give full place to what is assigned by God to each. The inheritance will only be truly and spiritually enjoyed as we are set together in affection, and each holds his portion in relation to the common joy. To be self-centred, or to move independently of one’s brethren, is really to lose the good of what God has given to others for our benefit as joint-heirs with them.
Paul would not “overstretch” to boast in “other peoples’ labours”, or “in another’s rule of things made ready to hand” (2 Corinthians 10: 13 - 16). He respected the divine allotment even in spheres of service. The apostles had their assigned portions; James and Cephas and John recognised that the glad tidings of the uncircumcision were confided to Paul (Galatians 2: 7 - 9). It is “as the Lord has given to each” (1 Corinthians 3: 5). There is a sovereign distribution, in keeping with “he gave them their land by lot” (Acts 13: 19), and this is to be regarded. “But to each one of us has been given grace according to the measure of the gift of the Christ” (Ephesians 4: 7). The grace given to our brethren is for our enjoyment and increase through them; so it is truly our interest to safe-guard our neighbour’s portion, and not to encroach upon it. So we are exhorted not to regard “each his own qualities, but each those of others also” (Philippians 2: 4). We desire that all the brethren shall be possessed of what is assigned to them. It is narrowing to lose sight of the fact that it is largely through the brethren that we get the gain of the inheritance. On the other hand it is important to remember that whatever we hold is for common and neighbourly enjoyment with our brethren.
Another important principle in connection with our going on together in the land comes out in verses 15 - 21. Evil is to be dealt with on adequate testimony; one witness is not sufficient to establish any matter. The Lord’s own words in Matthew 18: 16 and the apostle’s words in 2 Corinthians 13: 1 and 1 Timothy 5: 19 shew how this principle is distinctly set up in relation to the assembly. Nothing is more serious, or more fatal to the enjoyment of the inheritance together, than to believe evil reports as to brethren without adequate testimony. There are often instances of strong personal feeling being aroused by reports or suspicions for which there is really no foundation. The testimony of one unrighteous or mistaken witness has been listened to, and the matter [p. 266] regarded as proved when it has not been substantiated at all.
There are means available for testing the evidence of an unrighteous witness — one who is moved by the desire to damage his brother, a witness of violence, as it is literally. It is a solemn thing to “stand before Jehovah”, and He is with “the priests and the judges”. A merely human scrutiny might be baffled or evaded, but no man can lie to God with impunity, and God is in the assembly of His saints. See Acts 5: 1 - 6. The unerring government of God will ensure that an unrighteous witness will reap what he has sowed, and the priests and judges will act in accordance with that holy government, that “those that remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in thy midst”. No false pity is to lead any eye to “spare” what is definitely under judgment before God.