Our Place Of Refuge (Part 2)

Our Place of Refuge (Part 2)

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhHVs4uvp08

Last week, I began a two-part message talking about how Jesus is our refuge in these troublous times we find ourselves in. And the onus or burden of how He is our refuge came from the Old Testament example of how God told the Israelites to set up Cities of Refuge throughout the Promise Land to ensure that the innocent, those found ‘not guilty’ could be kept safe from those who sought their life, or who is known as the avengers of blood.

And so, from our study we saw how these Cities of Refuge were a foreshadow of God’s plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ and then how they resemble Jesus as our refuge. And we did so mainly by looking at the names of these cities and how they speak of a particular feature or character of God, and then of Jesus Christ. But when we put all these names together, we saw how they revealed just how sufficient God is, how sufficient Jesus is in providing that refuge to meet the need of our day.

This week, I’d like to pick up our study on how these Cities of Refuge resemble Jesus, that He is not only our sure refuge from the avenger of blood, but also how He is our judge, that is, our great High Priest.

Jesus A Sure Refuge

This aspect of the character of God and of Jesus is seen in the book of Numbers, the 35th chapter.

“They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.” (Numbers 35:12 NKJV)

Going back to the purpose of these cities, when a situation arose where an individual unintentionally killed someone, the perpetrator was to flee to one of the six Cities of Refuge. Once arrived, they were to stand in front of the gate and plead their case to the elders of the city, who were required to admit the fugitive inside their gates and offer them asylum.

This is seen in what the Lord said to Joshua in Joshua 20.

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge … so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. (And) if the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive.” (Joshua 20:2-5a NKJV)

Therefore, these cities of refuge became a sure refuge for them. But they were also required to be tried by the judges of the city in or near where the murder was committed, and if it was not a premeditated murder, but had been done accidentally or unintentionally, then they were restored to the city of refuge (Numbers 35:12, 24, 25).

But this wasn’t the end. The case then went before the High Priest, and if he ruled in favor of the fugitive, he was allowed to continue living in the City of Refuge until the death of the that High Priest. After that, the offender was free.

But, if the offender left the protection of the city before the death of the High Priest, then the one who sought vengeance had the right to kill him without being guilty of murder (Numbers 35:26-27).

So, how does all this relate to Jesus being our sure refuge.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus he proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul said, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’).” (Galatians 3:13 NKJV)

And then to the church in Rome Paul said, “Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Romans 8:33-34 NKJV)

And so, Jesus, as that sacrificial lamb, as the Lamb of God, He took upon Himself our sins and died upon the cross to set us free from the law of sin and death. And He is now at the right hand of the Father forever making intercessions for us, that Satan, the avenger of blood, cannot make an accusation against us stick, for we are now found not guilty in Christ.