"Our Place Of Refuge” (Part 1)

Our Place of Refuge (Part 1)

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPOYN68DzZg

As we enter into the year 2022, the uncertainty of what we might expect is palatable. Literally,f we can taste the uncertainty as another wave of the COVID virus, or what is being called the Omicron strain, is now within the borders of our country and is now the predominant strain.

We are told, and I believe this report to be true, is that our nation’s mental health is at a precarious level. Fear and isolation have taken their toll and have taken such a hold on our society that people are living more in a state of hopelessness than in a state of hope.

And to top it all off, there exists a vaccination divide that is causing even more hurt and isolation. Dr. Cynthia Ackrill said, “Once again, we’re looking at other humans as a risk, and we weren’t trained to do that, except in battle.”

So, what are we to do? Where can we go? Current medical science is clearly stymied, because they don’t know if additional booster shots are required, or even if current vaccination will even help. They simply don’t know.

And so, where can we go to find a refuge in the midst of the storm we find ourselves in?

The Apostle Paul tells us something that is extremely helpful in times like this.

To the church in Rome, he said, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NKJV)

Speaking of what happened to the children of Israel, Paul said, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11 NKJV)

And so, to our current situation, and to whatever situation that we might find ourselves in, God has a special word for us to hold onto, as we are told of our place of refuge where we can go to find grace and mercy in our time of need, and that is the throne room of God.

But our refuge isn’t really a place as it is a person, and that is Jesus Christ. So, why did I entitle today’s message, “A Place of Refuge?” Well, it’s because to understand just how Jesus is our refuge is to understand what God did when He set up the Cities of Refuge when they entered into the Promised Land.

In order to keep His people safe from injustice, God required Moses to set up six cities out of the 48 given to the Levites as places of asylum for those who had been accused of manslaughter, that they may be legally protected from those wishing to avenge the victim until they, that is, the perpetrator, could come to trial, where their guilt or innocence could be established (Numbers 35:22-25).

And this is where the verses I quoted from the Apostle Paul come into play, that these Cities of Refuge has a modern equivalent, and that is Jesus Christ.

The Cities of Refuge are a type of Christ, in whom sinners find a refuge from the destroyer of our souls, the avenger of blood, and that is Satan. Just as the guilty person, whether it was intentional or not, sought refuge in the cities set up for that purpose, so it is that we flee to Christ for refuge from sin.

The writer of Hebrews says that we can have this assurance, that we can flee and find refuge in Jesus to take hold of the hope that is then set before us (Hebrews 6:18).

We run to Christ to escape the danger we are in from the curse and condemnation of the law and from the wrath of God, which is an eternity in hell. Only Christ provides refuge from these things, and it is to Him alone that we must run.

Just as these Cities of Refuge were open to all who fled to them for safety, it is Christ who provides safety for all who come to Him for refuge from sin and its punishment.

Satan, the accuser, is that avenger that is out for blood and is out for every one of us. But the person who forsakes sin and seeks righteousness stands securely sheltered by the atoning blood of Christ (Exodus 12:13; 1 John 1:7, 9).

Solomon, who himself was no saint understood this when he wrote, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10 NKJV) King David knew that dwelling in God was his only refuge saying, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” (Psalm 91:2 NKJV)

The Cities of Refuge can then be viewed as a foreshadow of God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ. But how do these cities resemble Jesus as our refuge? There are several aspects that I would like to explore with you.