Joshua 20:1-9 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. The cities of refuge were Levitical cities which would give further security for the manslayer (Numbers 35:6). It was God also who appointed his Son to be the Christ and to be the Saviour of the world. Maimonides, invoking talmudic literature, expands the city of refuge count to all 48 Levitical cities. 28: 18 -20 •And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. Upon reaching a city of refuge, the fugitive stated his case to the elders at the city gate and was received hospitably. Point 1: The plan for the cities of refuge all started with God; God knew that there would be a need and He knew what the need would be. The cities of refuge did not only provide legal protection, but were also stocked with a supply of food, so that they were a completely sufficient refuge, as they met all of a man’s needs once he was inside.. The cities of refuge served as a protection for only those who had slain a person without enmity. Jimbomkamp mentions on his site that Arthur Pink wrote about how if the definition of each of the names of the 6 cities of refuge are put together that they reveal the work of Jesus Christ in providing refuge to us, His people.. Schechem means “shoulder” which is the place of strength (Isaiah 9:7) and of safety (Luke 15:5)—under the government of Christ the believer finds security. ” In the service was a man who had killed four men. “Israel’s Cities of Refuge.” Presbyterion 19.2 (1993): 116–118. (6) The names, location and purpose of the cities of refuge and the lessons for today to be drawn from them and their use. He was in a desperate situation and had absolutely no hope, except what was offered him through the wisdom of almighty God. It is God who said there should be cities and how many there should be and God who said that they were places of refuge. Go ye therefore, and teach all The Jews dream, that in the days of the Messias, three other cities are to be added to those six which are mentioned in the Holy Scripture,--and they to be among the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites. First, the only hope for the slayer was to get to the city of refuge. Feel:Ackowledge the need to flee to Christ for refuge. These cities included all of the cities of refuge. They were then given a place to stay until a trial could be conducted (Numbers 35:12). On Human Rights Day, the Cities of Refuge research team officially launched its own podcast. The cities of Refuge. (7) The inflexibility of God's law. In sum: we learned 3 lessons: historical, prophetic (how Jesus relates to the cities of refuge) and spiritual (Romans 15:4) Do we recognize the following in the cities of refuge: a) Jesus, b) God’s promises, c) our lives and d) our church? The cities of refuge were six of those forty-eight Levite cities. Cities of Refuge ---- Our Refuge in Christ •3. Lesson 13: Cities of Refuge * Introduction: In the last chapters of Numbers we see that God is truly bringing His people into Canaan. Upon entering one of the cities of refuge a person had to first explain, to local elders, what happened (Joshua 20:4). Mt. Lesson Name: The Cities of Refuge Theme: Salvation: Provision For All. The cities of refuge are types of Christ, in whom sinners find a refuge from the destroyer of our souls. Once inside the city, the accused was free from the wrath of the accuser. 46:1 Memory Verse Text: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.. Talking Points. God commanded the Israelites to set aside six Levitical cities in the Land of Israel to be cities of refuge. Let's consider what other spiritual lessons appear in a study of the cities of refuge. The Lord has provided a city of refuge - and safety from the avenger - for any who will flee to Him. He listened to Ham explain that Christ is a refuge for sinners of any kind and stripe and the “Cities of Refuge,” described in the Old Testament, are a type of Christ, who is a haven of … He had given this same message to Moses about the cities of refuge. Memory Verse: Ps. Cities of refuge in Israel were far different from the asyla of the Greeks and Romans, which often served as a protection for the most profligate characters. Six such cities, spread throughout the Promised Land, were appointed by Moses and later by Joshua, under Jehovah’s direction. They were: (1) Refuge was for one who had killed This is an example for the day of a deeper spiritual lesson. Purpose of Cities of Refuge Joshua 20:3-6 God set rules for these cities of refuge. Levite cities where an unintentional manslayer could seek asylum from the avenger of blood. There would be men who knew the law and could apply it objectively. There was probably some connection between cities of refuge and Levitical cities since all six refuge cities are Levitical. If a man acci-dentally or on purpose killed a man, the victim’s nearest relative could become a killer (Deuteronomy 19:12) to get even . Divinely appointed and subject to Mosaic Law, the cities offered offenders refuge and protection from retribution of the avenging family until their case went to trial. Upon reaching one of the cities of refuge, the slayer stood at the gates and presented his case to the elders of the city (Joshua 20:4). Cities were reached from all parts of the country •3. Fifth, we know from the Bible itself, of course, that if a killer did not flee to a city of refuge there was no other hope. The cities of refuge were for people to flee to until a trial for deciding their innocence or guilt. The establishment of the cities of refuge served a humanitarian purpose by transforming a case of homicide from a private feud between two families to a judicial matter settled by a group of elders. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. Cities of Refuge Laindon – 30 September 2009 P Moriarty 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. subject, “Christ Our Refuge. "Let him that kills the high priest by a sudden chance, fly to a city of refuge… The cities of refuge only helped the innocent, but the guilty can come to Jesus and find refuge. 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