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T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
MARCH 16, 1919. T H E C ITIES O F REFUG E Golden Text: “ Blessed are th e merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Matt. 5:7. , LESSON TEXT Jo shu a 20.
(1) The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, (2) Speak to the chil dren of Israel, saying, Appoint ou t for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand -of Moses: (3) T hat th e m an-slayer th a t killeth any person unaw ares and unw ittingly m ay flee th ither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. (4) And when he th a t doth flee unto one of these cities shall stand a t the en ter ing of the gate of th e city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of th a t city, they shall take him into the city unto them , and give him a place th a t he may dwell among them . (5) And if the avenger of blood pursue a fte r him, then shall they not deliver the slayer up into his hands; because he smote his neighbour unw ittingly, and hated him n ot beforetime. (6) And he shall dwell in th a t city, until he stand before the congregation for Six cities of th e Levites were set aside and designated as Cities of Refuge. Three of these were on one side of th e Jo rd an and th ree of them on th e other. It will be well to LESSON ta k e a map o f Old EXPOSITION Testam ent P a l e s - Jo h n H . H u n te r tine, and no te ju st how th e cities were situated. They were located so th a t a city of refuge was w ithin a half a day’s jou rney of th e pursued man. W e' are told th a t th e roads to th e cities were k ep t in a continual sta te of good rep a ir and th a t th e re were signs placed frequently enough th a t no man need stop to ask th e way. Q . Why They W ere Provided. In th a t day and in th a t land, th e cur re n t law was th a t th e next of kin should avenge th e death of a kinsm an. This was no t in any way like our modern lynch law in th e United States, w ith its lawless and maddened mob, breaking down all law. God distinguished very clearly be I. The Number an d Position of th e Cities.
judgment, and until the death of the high priest th a t shall be in those days; then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled. (7) And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in m ount Ephraim , and K ir- ja th -a rb a which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. (8) And on the otherside Jordan by Jericho eastw ard, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of R eu ben, and R amoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Basham out of th e tribe of Manasseh. (9) These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger th a t sojoum eth among them, th a t whosoever killeth any person unaw ares m ight flee th ither; and not die by the hand of th e avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. The cities of refuge were provided for th e un in ten tion al m anslayer; th e man who had n o t ang er in his h ea rt toward his fellow. The d eliberate m u r derer, however, had no claim, whatever, upon th e city of refuge, except th a t it m ight offer him a safe trial. If it were shown th a t th e m u rder was w ill fu l and intentional, no m a tte r w hat may have been th e causes leading up to it, th en th e elders of th e city m ust refuse him refuge. The innocent m anslayer was no t only safe from th e avenger of blood by escap ing to th e city of refuge, bu t he must continue to reside in th e city un til the death of th e H igh P riest. A fter the death of th e H igh P rie st he was a t liberty to go to his home again. The line is draw n very clearly between the guiltless and th e gu ilty man. The gu ilt less man is no t shown mercy. He is dealt w ith on th e stric test grounds of justice, in being rescued from th e hand of th e avenger of blood. The guilty tween w illful and accidental slaying. Note th e language of verse 5 and see also Deut. 19:1-13.
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