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constant flow of higher and holier blessing. He saves His people no t merely from th e penalty b u t from th e sins themselves.— Blaikie. v. 6. HJe shall dwell in th a t city. The involuntary slayer had th u s to undergo a considerable penalty. He could no t longer cultivate his farm . His friendships, his whole associations in life, were changed. I t was a testimony respecting th e aw fulness th rough w h at ever cause of shedding innocent blood. — Exp. Bible. Until d eath of high priest. The cities of refuge, being cities of th e priests, bore th e sin of the man slayer. W hat th e H igh P rie st was to th e Levites th e Levites were to the nation. On th e day of atonem ent, the sins of th e nation came into his hand. On his death he was freed from th e law (Rom. 6 :7 ; 7 :1 -4 ), and those whom he represented were freed also. (Cf. Rom. 5:9-11; Heb. 7 :23 -25 ).— Comp. Bible. The death of th e earth ly high p riest became a type of th a t heavenly one (Heb. 9:14, 15).— J. F . & B. v. 7. They appointed. The cities stood in th ree p arts of th e country so conveniently th a t a man m ight in a h alf day reach some of them from any corner of th e country. God is a refuge a t hand.— Henry. There, were six cities. Six characterizes hum an imper fections. Look which way we will we can b u t see our own u tte r sin and imperfection, yet w here sin abounds grace much more' abounds, and the mercy of God extends to all.—W itherby. Kedesh signifies “ holy.” Our refuge is th e holy Christ Jesus. Shechem, “ a shoulder”— th e government is upon Christ’s shoulder. .Hebron, “ fellow ship”— believers are called into th e fel lowship of Christ Jesus our Lord. Bezer, “a fortification”— Christ is the streng th of all who tru s t in Him. Ramouth, “ exalted”— Christ has been exalted by God’s own rig h t hand. Golan, “ joy of exultation”— in Christ all the saints glory.— T reas. Scrip. Knowl.
man bding none o th er th a n Jesua Christ. (They know no t w h at they do). See 1 Cor. 2:8, 1 Tim. 1:13. Israel is in the same case as th e unw itting man slayer, and because of shed blood m ust suffer th e consequences. Acts 3:15-17.— Dunbar. The avenger of blood. F rom tim e immemorable in the east, if a man were slain, th e du ty of avenging has lain as his sacred obliga tion upon his n earest relative. Even to th is day, th e distinction between in ten tional and un in ten tion al killing is no t too strictly observed, and men are often done to death in revenge for what was pu rest accident. To prevent such a thing, these cities were in stitu ted .— Ewing. , v. 4. W hen h e th a t do th flee. The hu rried , eager flight of th e man who, w ith th e dread of th e avenger behind him , feared every moment to be stru ck to th e h eart, will set fo rth w h at should be th e earnestness of our flight to lay hold on th e hope set before us in the Gospel.— Sel. Declare h is cause. Does he plead righteousness? No, b u t mercy, and asks for sh elter from th e avenger of blood. He acknowledges his guilt, and is allowed to enter. So w ith us (Rom. 3 :2 3 ).— Delaney. v. 5. Avenger p u rsu e a fte r him . Considering Israel as th e man slayer, an ti-ch rist is th e rod to be used for the final chastisem ent of Israel. When the whole ea rth is feeling th e devastating power of th e man of sin, th e re will be a sanctuary where God will hide His people safely (See Dan. 11 :41 ; Rev. 12). Who during those days before the K ing comes will succor th e fugitive? Isaiah 31 throw s some ligh t upon it.— Dunbar. In Old Testam ent tim es it was th e duty of th e nearest relative to execute vengeance. In th e New T esta ment, the term “avenger” occurs bu t once (1 Thess. 4 :6 ). The Lord is th e avenger.— Comp. Bible. Shall n o t deliver th e slayer. All th a t th e man slayer received in the city was safety, b u t from Christ, our Refuge, th ere is a
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