Having Fled For Refuge

Feature 4 – June 2013 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Having Fled For
REFUGE

“We ... fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” —Hebrews 6:18 NKJV
“Let us ... come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

God gave the Hebrew people a perfect code by which to run their national, urban and rural lives. There was religious law, civil or social law and criminal law. In towns and villages the elders “sat in the gate,” acting as advisers and local magistrates. Weightier matters would be brought before the priests, “for the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 2:7).

The cities of refuge were an essential part of this system of government and allowed a manslayer respite to prevent the “avenger of blood” from perpetrating revenge for an accidental killing of a near relative. It also put constraints on the manslayer since it restricted his movements to the city of refuge to which he had run. Solomon invoked part of this law when he told Shimei, son of Gera, to stay in Jerusalem. Shimei had cursed David years earlier, and following David’s last instructions, Solomon passed judgment on Shimei. He commanded Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem and to dwell there, never to leave the city. But, when Shimei disobeyed and went outside of Jerusalem, Solomon passed sentence and executed him (1 Ki. 2:8, 36-46).

Responsibilities Of The Kinsman
It may seem strange to us that many things in those days were left in the hands of families. The nearest relative had many responsibilities, including marrying the widow of his brother. We see this practiced in Ruth 3 where the elders in the gate witnessed the agreement between Boaz and the other kinsman, allowing for the marriage of Boaz and Ruth.

More distasteful and worrying was the case of murder or manslaughter. The nearest kinsman, the goel* had to pursue the killer and exact revenge by killing him. That was the law – murder was to be punished by the death of the murderer. We read “he that kills any man shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 24:17, 21) and “the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meets him” (Num. 35:16-21).

However, God provided six cities where a manslayer could escape and seek sanctuary (Num. 35:1-15). The elders of the city to which the manslayer fled could then be consulted, the case investigated, witnesses called, a judgment made, and the slayer (for an accidental death) be given refuge in the Levitical city until the death of the high priest. Of course, such a city would have many learned and mature minds and could quickly assemble a team of magistrates to hear such a serious matter.

If the killer was found to be a murderer, the kinsman would be allowed to take vengeance. In certain cases the murder might “stand before the congregation” for the stipulated sentence to be carried out, usually death by stoning.

In all this everything was open and above board. All was done in public and the proceedings appear to have been very informal. One imagines that anyone with evidence would have been heard without any of the formal proceedings found in British or American courts, and certainly not with any secrecy as in some countries where tyrannical governments keep people in the dark. Justice, in God’s administration, must be done and be seen.

Besides this openness, there was also the admirable fact that these proceedings were not at public expense. The elders of a Levitical city would be men experienced and learned in the law of God. Ideally, every son and daughter of Jacob would have had a far better understanding of the laws of God and of their land than the average person does today. Moreover, men retired from active priestly service would not be left to an inactive retirement but would take on these magisterial responsibilities.

Some individuals would be put to expense if they had to travel to bear witness or, as in the case of the revenger of blood, to pursue the offender and to see that justice was meted out. However one would suppose that the whole extended family or clan would shoulder part of the burden seeing it was in their interest for the laws to be correctly applied.

The Perfect Kinsman
Compared to affairs today, noticeably absent from the proceedings was the special class of professional lawyers, for God’s law was and is simple. The contrast with how God’s law was to be administered is quite amazing. How good it would be to go back to the Bible and apply those laws now. One day they will be. Soon things will change, for the Lord Jesus will return to this sad earth and then all inequality will be done away and real justice will rule. “For out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:3-4). Indeed all will know the Law, for at the beginning of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus, God says He will “put My Law in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33).

Not surprisingly, there is much, much more to all this. The laws God gave to Israel through Moses are prophetic. They hold us responsible for our behavior. They tell us how God will judge the world. They speak of redemption, sanctification and glorification. Above all they point to the One who is the Goel, the Kinsman, Redeemer, and Avenger. They shine a light on the many facets of the beautiful and perfectly just character and person of our Lord Jesus Christ – for it was He alone who lived them out. He is the only one who could ever say, “Which one of you convicts Me concerning sin?” (Jn. 8:46).

When we read that even giving way to anger is tantamount to murder (Mt. 5:21-22), we understand, in a small way, the purity of the life and person of the Lord Jesus, and how He alone could completely fulfill all the Law of God (Mt. 5:17). It was He who became “flesh, and dwelt amongst us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).

Let us see what the Apostle Paul has to say about this miraculous event. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant; and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

Here then is the true Kinsman. God became man, and as a man He took all our sin and went into death itself to save us from it – the true Avenger has destroyed him that had the power of death. This is what the writer to the Hebrews taught. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb. 2:14-15).

The Lord Jesus, who is our Kinsman, is also our Redeemer. There is the example of the family which had fallen into poverty and had to sell their land. The law of redemption says, “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold” (Lev. 25:25). If a worse case had ensued and a man had to sell himself into slavery, then it was the responsibility of the nearest or any near relative to redeem him; to buy him back out of slavery (v. 47-49).

Isaiah wrote concerning God’s people Israel, but it also applies to this age as well. “For thus saith the Lord, ‘Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money’” (Isa. 52:3). This prophecy was fulfilled when the blood of the Lord Jesus was shed as our purchase price from the bondage of sin, Satan and death. “Forasmuch as ... ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

There is still more to this as the Lord Jesus, who is our Kinsman and Redeemer, is also the one who takes vengeance. We have seen how the kinsman was to pursue the manslayer to take his life, until the offender reached a city of refuge. Let us consider the words of the Apostle Paul: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God; and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Th. 1:6-9). Let us be assured that He who has said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:19, Dt. 32:35), will indeed do justice and take vengeance on all who still say of the Lord Jesus, “Away with Him, crucify Him” (Jn. 19:15), “we will not have this man to reign over us” (Lk. 19:14).

There is one more very touching point of which we ought to be aware. The manslayer was to stay in the city of refuge, away from his family and home, until the death of the high priest (Num. 35:25-28). However we do not have that alienation and exile from our home. Our home is the city of refuge and all our true friends and family are there, including our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father. Who could be happier than those who have “the God of Jacob for [their] help. Whose hope is in the Lord [their] God” (Ps. 146:5).

ENDNOTE
*Goel is taken from ga’al (Strongs #H1350). Ga’al is translated in the Old Testament into both noun and verb forms of “to redeem, to act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.”

By Roger Penney