Creating A Refuge Series

Conquering the land, or claiming new spiritual territory, involves grueling spiritual labor. We will encounter resistance, or even minor persecution, when sharing the message of salvation in Jesus Christ; and we can grow weary if we do not have times of refreshing. We’ve got to find a safe haven from the chaos of life. The same goes for those who do spiritual battle alongside us; and the same goes for those whom we win to faith in Christ. All who seek to follow Jesus in faithful obedience, while walking in hostile territory; they need a place of refuge. And it’s up to us, as the body of Christ, to create that safe haven for ourselves and for others.

Once we lead someone to faith in Jesus, then we’re going to invite them to church, or to a Bible study. So, we need to focus on making that place of worship an environment of healing, and create an atmosphere of refuge. The word “refuge” is defined as, “shelter or protection from danger” and “anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.”(1) The place of worship is where believers should feel a sense of release and escape from the world; so, we must be conscientious about creating a spiritual climate that contains the attributes of a refuge; and we’re going to look at those attributes this morning as we learn about the cities of refuge.

A Haven for the Downtrodden (vv. 1-3)

1 The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood’.”

When the Israelites began settling the land there arose disputes and offenses towards one another, and some were serious enough that the consequence was death. We read here that if a person accidentally killed a fellow Israelite, that the avenger of blood would be in hot pursuit to exact vengeance (v. 3). William H. Morton, in The Broadman Bible Commentary, says,

Blood revenge was a practice of ancient Israel which reflected her desert heritage. According to this institution, the next of kin of a victim . . . had the responsibility of avenging his death . . . [However], biblical law sought to restrain the swift execution of private vengeance until public justice could intervene. This it did by distinguishing between intentional and accidental slaying, and by establishing places of refuge where the involuntary killer would have asylum from the avenger of blood.(2)

Manslaughter can be the result of pure negligence, or perhaps just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a crime committed without intent; nevertheless, it carried a serious penalty. From the Israelite’s point of view the punishment for the offense was seen as “an eye for an eye” with no exceptions (cf. Leviticus 24:17-22); however, from God’s perspective a person’s true heart and motives were considered and they were extended grace. The Lord made special provision for accidental killing by establishing cities of refuge where the manslayer could live free from condemnation, judgment and death.

Everyone sooner or later winds up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and all people make mistakes. The Bible says that no one is guiltless (Romans 3:10, 3:23). But let me remind us that when we find ourselves in a heap of trouble, receiving judgment and criticism from the world, we can run to our refuge in the Lord. In Deuteronomy 33:27, Moses declared, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you.” In Psalm 62:7-8, David proclaimed, “In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

Since the church represents God who is our refuge, then it stands to reasons that we should be able to find a place of refuge in the church. R. Kent Hughes says, “With God as your Father, the church will serve as your nurturing mother, providing a safe haven, and isle of sanity in a wild, confused world.”(3)

If we, as Christians, truly desire to claim new spiritual territory for the Lord, then we must make sure that the place that represents Him (i.e. the church) truly demonstrates the love of God, and that it truly is a safe haven. The church must be a place of grace where those who have been slammed by the world, or caught in the snare of sin, can retreat for refuge. Too many people who suffer misfortune are cast aside and treated as the plague, and shot down with the ammunition of condemnation. As believers, we must be ready and willing to receive and nurture the wounded refugee.