MERCY!
Joshua 20.1-9
S: Mercy
C: Refuge is found in Jesus
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: GOD HAS MERCY ON THE GUILTY.
?: How? How does God provide mercy?
KW: Provisions
TS: We will find in our study of Joshua 20 five provisions God makes to demonstrate His mercy.
Type: Propositional
The ____ provision is…
I. SAFETY
II. ACCOMODATION
III. PARITY
IV. SECURITY
V. READINESS
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Admit your guilt.
• Come under the eternal protection of our Savior.
• Be ready to receive His salvation.
• Announce the good news of protection (salvation).
Version: ESV
RMBC 08 July 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Guilt (H)
A man called his mother in Florida. "Mom, how are you?"
"Not too good," said the mother. "I’ve been very weak."
The son said, "Why are you so weak?"
She said, "Because I haven’t eaten in 38 days."
The man said, "That’s terrible. Why haven’t you eaten in 38 days?"
The mother answers, "Because I didn’t want my mouth to be filled with food if you should call."
Well, it is said that no one can make you feel guilt like a mother can.
Has that been your experience?
Do you ever feel guilty?
I am sure, that if you are like me, you have experienced guilt when you should have.
And there are times, guilt has been thrust on you, even though it probably was not your fault.
As we come to our text today, we are encountering the subject of guilt.
TRANSITION:
First, though, let’s remember our context.
Last week, we returned to our study of Joshua and we understood that…
1. Context: The Promised Land is being prepared for occupation.
The land was being divided up appropriately between the twelve tribes.
Since Joseph was the firstborn, he received a double portion, and each son, Ephraim and Manasseh received a portion.
Levi received no portion, but rather was to live among each tribe, being the spiritual leaders, working in the tabernacle, overseeing the festivals, and teaching God’s Word.
Through this very large passage we considered, we understood that God was keeping His promises to His people.
Perhaps there was no better example of this than Caleb.
He had represented the tribe of Judah decades earlier when they went to spy the land.
When he returned with the others, he, along with Joshua, had urged the people to trust God for the victory.
They disagreed with those who had formed a majority report.
They had only seen the difficulties and the risk.
Judgment came upon those who doubted God’s promise and they died in the wilderness.
Now, decades later, Caleb and Joshua are the two lone survivors, and Caleb is ready to see God’s fulfillment of His promises by taking the land that had frightened the doubters.
In the midst of the passage we considered last week, we purposely left out one chapter – twenty.
It is a chapter about life and death.
Before we consider it, let us back up a bit, and realize that very early in Scripture, God establishes the sanctity of life.
Life is of such value, that according to the text in Genesis 9, if you shed blood, then you pay for the crime with your own blood.
In other words, you are to value the life of your neighbor.
If you do not, and you take his life, you will suffer the appropriate consequences.
As the Scripture text progresses and the law is further refined…
2. “Cities of Refuge” are established because God believes in justice.
In these ancient times, there was no police force.
And for Israel in particular, there was no centralized government.
Rather, it was a nation that was governed by the laws of God.
Here we find the application of what God has set up in previous writings called the “cities of refuge.”
Basically, it went like this…
Anybody who killed another person could flee to a city of refuge and be protected from "the avenger of blood" until the elders of the city could investigate the circumstances.
If they found the fugitive guilty, he or she would be turned over to the closest family member, the avenger, and be put to death.
But if they concluded that it was a case of manslaughter, the fugitive was allowed to live in the city and be protected from the avenger.
Again, a distinction is being made between murder and manslaughter.
The former is premeditated.
The latter is accidental.
So, especially, if you know that it was not your intention to kill someone, but it has happened, you were to run to the closest city of refuge.
This was to prevent vigilante justice, a desire for revenge in the heat of the moment.
Once in the city, protection was given until the truth was established.
What is intriguing for our study, this morning, is that…
3. The “Cities of Refuge” are a type of Christ.
As we examine this application of the law, we see that it also represents the person and work of our Lord.
We see His grace and mercy at work on our behalf.
As we understand the characteristics of the cities, we see parallels that match the work of what Jesus is doing for us as well.
So as we consider this parallel study, we will see that…
4. GOD HAS MERCY ON THE GUILTY.
Here is what we must grasp…
As happy as we are for mercy and grace, let us realize that these are God’s ideas, not ours.
So, our question this morning is “how”?
How does God provide mercy?
Well…
5. We will find in our study of Joshua 20 five provisions God makes to demonstrate His mercy.
(1) Then the Lord said to Joshua, (2) “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, (3) that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. (4) He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. (5) And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. (6) And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’” (7) So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. (8) And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. (9) These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first provision is SAFETY.
When we consider the cities of refuge, we understand that…
1. Protection is offered for the guilty offender.
When one entered into the city, they were protected from the judgment that the sins deserved.
The guilty one was saved.
In other words, legal protection was guaranteed.
This person could not be dragged away by some mob.
They were to be given due process, and the concept of “innocent until proven guilty” was born.
And when the determination was made that the person was guilty of manslaughter, the city became the new home.
Accordingly…
2. We are born with guilt.
We are born sinners.
This really isn’t our fault.
It has been passed down.
But even though it isn’t our fault we are born that way, it is our fault that we stay that way.
As we mature, we reach an age when we can make a choice regarding sin.
And what do each one of us do?
We all choose sin!
The bad news about this, of course, is that Scripture tells us that what sin deserves is death.
We are guilty, each one of us.
Thus, each one of us deserves death.
But…
3. Jesus offers to save us from our sin and its punishment (John 10.9, cf. 14.6).
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Jesus invites us to Him.
He is our city of refuge.
We just need to get to Him.
II. The second provision is ACCOMODATION.
In our text, we see that…
1. Every city was near.
These cities were strategically located, three west of the Jordan River and three east of it.
These six cities could be reached from any spot in the nation with one day’s journey.
A person who was under a threat of retribution was to quickly make his way to one of these cities.
In fact, he was to run, not walk.
The concept of these cities was so important that every spring repairs were made to the roads leading to them.
The highways were cleared.
Bridges were built over ravines.
And the crossroads had signs pointing to the refuge.
This was done so that cities were easily accessible.
In the same way…
2. Access to Jesus is available (Matthew 11.28-30).
Jesus says…
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The gates of the cities of refuge were never to be locked.
It is the same picture for us when we come to Jesus.
We don’t have to worry about finding some weird combination of religious locks and keys, as if it were by a secret, mysterious way that we would get into relationship with Jesus.
No, the doors are wide open.
It is not meant to be hard.
Jesus says to come to Him and He will give the rest we need.
III. The third provision is PARITY.
1. Each city was available to both Jew and Gentile.
One of the unique characteristics of the cities of refuge is that it was offered to all.
If you were a traveler through the nation, you were still treated as an equal.
This was a universal code of justice.
There were no special rights for some.
Instead, each person had the same rights!
In the same way…
2. Jesus offers salvation to all who will believe (Romans 10.12-13).
Paul writes in Romans…
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (NIV)
It does not matter who you are.
It does not matter where you came from.
It does not matter who you were born to.
It does not matter what gender you are.
All that matters is that you believe.
IV. The fourth provision is SECURITY.
Here is an important point…
1. One had to stay the city in order to be safe.
Protection was not guaranteed if you left.
Protection was not guaranteed if you were hanging around at the doors.
Being close did not count.
You had to be in.
There was security in the city, not outside of it.
In the same way…
2. There is security in Jesus alone (Acts 4.12).
Peter would say…
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Again, the only place to find protection from the avenger of blood was in the city of refuge.
You could be as repentant as you wanted to be, but if you were anyplace else besides the city of refuge, it wouldn’t matter.
So, if we do not flee to the refuge that God has provided us in Christ Jesus, there is no spiritual asylum for us.
There is no safety.
It is in Him only.
There is no salvation apart from Him.
ILL Works (S)
During Reformation times and John Calvin was in Paris, he urged a friend to preach a sermon on Christ as our only mediator. This was a highly controversial and provocative move, as the sermon was preached on All Saints Day, a day specifically earmarked to celebrate the role of saints.
In his sermon Calvin’s friend said, "Let us plead to Christ who has great mercy and who is the only Mediator with God, that His Spirit may enlighten our hearts that all our being and striving might praise him, feel him, and bow before him in awe, so that the Divine Redeemer may fill our hearts and immerse them in his grace . . ."
Never had the university heard anything like it from this place. Two Franciscans were seen leaving the church. They had been disturbing the audience with remarks of disapproval for the last half hour. "Grace, pardon of God, Holy Spirit," they said; "that’s all this speech is filled with. Nothing about indulgences, good works - where will it lead to?"
We know that answer.
The answer to this is that it leads to the only security we could ever have confidence in – Jesus.
V. The fifth provision is READINESS.
1. The cities were always open.
No one could be running all night and then find themselves unable to get into the city.
The entrances were always open.
For waiting to get in and having an avenger behind you could spell the difference between life and death.
In the same way…
2. Waiting can be fatal (II Corinthians 6.2b).
Paul writes…
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
God graciously asks us to make the decision now.
Come into the city now.
Don’t linger at the gates.
Don’t wait until the very last moment, because it very well might slip by.
It would be a fatal mistake.
So, surrender to His protection.
Acknowledge your guilt and be free…
ILL Confession (S)
In The Testament, novelist John Grisham paints a portrait of one man’s surrender to God’s will. Nate O’Reilly is a disgraced corporate attorney plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse. After two marriages, four detox programs, and a serious bout with dengue fever, Nate acknowledges his need for God. Grisham describes the transformation:
With both hands, he clenched the back of the pew in front of him. He repeated the list, mumbling softly every weakness and flaw and affliction and evil that plagued him. He confessed them all. In one long glorious acknowledgment of failure, he laid himself bare before God. He held nothing back. He unloaded enough burdens to crush any three men, and when he finally finished Nate had tears in his eyes. "I’m sorry," he whispered to God. "Please, help me."
As quickly as the fever had left his body, he felt the baggage leave his soul. With one gentle brush of the hand, his slate had been wiped clean. He breathed a massive sigh of relief, but his pulse was racing.
APPLICATION:
In order to experience God’s mercy…
1. We need to admit our guilt.
We must admit our sin.
We must admit our hopelessness.
We must admit that there is nothing that we can do to make the situation right.
You see, the only people Jesus will save are those who confess their guilt and throw themselves on His mercy.
If you have not done so, please do so today!
Come under the eternal protection of our Savior.
The access to Jesus has been made easy, not hard.
But it is exclusive.
There is no other way.
For…
2. Eternal refuge can only be found in Jesus.
This is why our church must be a “voice of hope”! (note the bulletin cover).
For, people who need compassion and mercy ought to find it here.
Too often, our attitudes get all mixed up in the church.
We get real good at pointing out the sins and failures of others, but not nearly so good at creating a place that helps them find wholeness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We should be pointing people to Jesus.
We must be in the business of building bridges.
We must be in the business of repairing roads.
We must be in the business of erecting signs.
This is the way!
This is the place of safety!
Come to Jesus and find mercy!
ILL Evangelism (S)
In 1912, 39-year-old, Rev. John Harper a Scottish preacher was making a transatlantic trip to preach at the Moody Church in Chicago. As fate would have it the vessel he chose was the Titanic.
We all know the story about the disaster but do you know the story of John Harper? Harper like many others ended up in the water, and as people desperately tried to survive in the chilled waters, Harper swam to them.
The minister asked people in the water if they knew Jesus. Eventually, Harper approached a passenger clinging to a jagged piece of wood and he pleaded for the man to trust Christ. The minister was completely exhausted at this point. As he succumbed to the conditions and went under the water to his death, Harper’s last words were, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."
A few years later at a meeting of survivors of the Titanic, the final man who encountered John Harper told the group that he had been saved twice that night. First, he had accepted Christ as his personal Savior because of Harper’s efforts. And, of course, he had been rescued from the deep Atlantic seas. He said "Alone in the night with two miles of water under me I believed, I am John Harper’s last convert."
John Harper’s goal, his focus was not on himself. Even in his dying moments, all he thought about was the people around him and their spiritual condition.
How about you?
Are you going to be a messenger of mercy to those who are dying around you?
For Further Study: Genesis 9.5-6; Exodus 21.12-14; Numbers 35.6-34; Deuteronomy 19.1-13; Psalm 34.18, 91.2; Micah 6.8; Romans 8.1; Galatians 3.28; Ephesians 1.7-8; Philippians 3.8
BENEDICTION:
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Cook, Pat Soul Asylum
Foskey, Medford Christ Is Our Refuge
Fuller, Tom Make Room for Mercy, Make Room for God
Goins, Doug Cities of Refuge
Jones, Dwight Kedesh – My Holy Refuge
Morris, William Cities of Refuge
Richards, Tim God Gives Second Chances
Scott, Jerry Finding Refuge
Books:
Boice, James Montgomery. Joshua: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1989.
Campbell, Donald K. No Time for Neutrality. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1981.
Creach, Jerome F. D. Joshua. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, ed. James L. Mays. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003.
Goslinga, C. J. Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Translated by Ray Togtman. Bible Student’s Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1986.
