Sermon Central
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City Of Refuge
Contributed by Joe Rowland on Nov 24, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus is my Rock of refuge and as long as I am following Him, I will be sheltered from storms that I have to go through.
City Of Refuge
1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,
2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.
4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
6 And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.
7 And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
8 And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.
9 These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
How many know tonight that, as Christians, we have a place of refuge?
We have a place of safety that we can go when things seem to go wrong in our lives.
Jesus is my Rock of refuge tonight and as long as I am following Him, I will be sheltered from storms that I have to go through.
Tonight God has spoken to Joshua, He told him to appoint out for you cities of refuge, which was spoken by the hand of Moses.
Verse three says, “That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.”
These cities of refuge were set up not for murderers; they were set up for those who had killed someone accidently.
These cities were set up to protect them from family members of the family of the person who had lost a loved one in this way.
The family members of the victims might not have seen the way the situation took place very clearly, so they might have wanted revenge on the person who had killed an individual accidently.
4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
The people would have to declare their cause to the elders of these cities as they were standing in the entrance.
These people were looking for a place of refuge and safety.
5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.
These people were caught in a situation and they were running for their lives.
Have you ever messed up and you felt that the enemy was pursuing you?
Have you ever messed up and Satan has been on your heals?
Has he been trying to tell you that you have messed up and that there is no forgiveness for what you have done?
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus came to give you a way of victory over the enemy.
Satin wants to steal from you, he wants to steal, kill and destroy the plan that God has for your lives tonight.
God has given you a city of refuge tonight and that place of refuge is in the pavilion of Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to give you and me life more abundantly.
