Numbers 35:6–32

So we learn this. Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, forty-eight cities, with their pasturelands, were to be given to the Levites. And out of these again, the Levites had the privilege of supplying six cities as a refuge for the poor manslayer. A most lovely provision! Lovely in its origin! Lovely in its purpose!

The cities of refuge formed a part of those given to the Levites. They belonged with Levite ministry, in spiritual meaning as much as in fact. In both we find a provision for the control of sin. The Levitical cities lay across the land like a garrison of the Lord, to keep the people in the knowledge and fear of Him.

The man who killed without meaning to finds refuge with servants of God who have no inheritance of their own on earth. But he stays outside the land of his possession until the death of the high priest anointed with the holy oil.

There was always a city within reach of anyone who might be exposed to the sword of the avenger. This was worthy of our God. If any slayer fell into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge stood near. It was because he had failed to use it. God made every needed provision. The cities were named, clearly marked, and known to everyone. Everything was as plain, as simple, and as easy as possible.

In addition to the forty-two cities of their inheritance, there were six cities of refuge. Three stood east and three west of the Jordan... So throughout the whole inheritance, these cities of refuge reminded the people that they were a sheltered people. Redemption's defence marked their whole land.

Numbers 35 then introduces the unusual arrangement of Levitical cities. Some of them served as a refuge for those who might have been guilty of shedding blood. If a man killed with deliberate malice, such a place of asylum gave him no shelter. The cities could serve only as a prison; in due time he must come out of it to face judgment. But there were many cases in which death might follow where there was no malice. On the one hand, God would not make light of the bloodshed. On the other, He would not lump the guiltless in with murderers.

Six of their cities were to be refuges for those who had killed someone by accident. This is a precious picture of God's dealings with Israel, who killed the Christ in their ignorance. In this sense, God judges them to be innocent... Such a man, however, remains out of his possession until the death of the priest living in those days.

The names of the cities are not given in the book of Numbers. They were: Bezer, Ramoth, Golan, Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron (Deuteronomy 4:41-43; Joshua 20:7). The cities are also pictures of Christ because they gave shelter. He is our refuge and our hiding place.

The Lord's servants depended entirely on Him for their portion. They had no inheritance or possession except Himself. What a blessed inheritance! What a precious portion! There is none like it, in the judgement of faith… God took care of His dependent servants. He let the whole congregation of Israel taste the holy privilege — and it truly was one — of being co-workers with Him. Together they provided for those who had willingly devoted themselves to His work and given up everything else.

Levi is dedicated to the service of God, and separated from ordinary Israelites. No inheritance is given to them as to the other tribes. They are Jehovah's pensioners. He provides for them out of Israel's abundance. Each tribe gave a portion to the Levites, few cities from those who had less, many from those who had more.

In Israel's economy the people were to care for the Levite by giving him their tithes. In the Christian economy there is no stated rule. There are only special principles, and the love of Christ is the power that carries them out.

They were to receive forty-eight cities, scattered throughout the portions given to the other tribes. They were also to hold land round each city, reaching out 2,000 cubits — at least 1,000 yards, and probably a little more. This land was for their cattle and for their goods; that is, we suppose, for their support by means of cultivation.

In these Levite cities, scattered through the land, we see the prophetic word about Levi fulfilled: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." Yet how differently it is fulfilled here than we would have thought! Grace shows itself in absolute sovereignty over all the sin. What seemed to be only penalty has become blessing. This is completely in line with God's way in grace: the one who had been under it becomes a blessing to others… God's government still stands, and for Levi's own sake he must be scattered. Seed must not lie in a heap, or it does not fulfil its purpose.

The number twelve recurs often in God's ways with Israel, and signifies administration in His kingdom. The number four runs all through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, as a mark of completeness. So these cities, spread across Israel's inheritance, show that everything in the land was rightly ordered. God had provided for the complete administration of His word in the possession He had made Israel's.

The Levites had no tribal possession. They were to be scattered among the tribes so as to serve and teach the ways of the Lord… Their presence in all the tribes ought to have kept Israel united… In fact, sad to say, the Levites themselves seemed to have little sense of the great dignity given to them. God had chosen them for the work He entrusted to them.

Besides the forty-two cities of their inheritance, there were six cities of refuge, three east and three west of the Jordan. Throughout the entire inheritance, these cities of refuge reminded the people that they were a sheltered people, and that the protection of redemption marked their whole land. God already foresaw their future guilt in bringing about our Lord's death. How wonderful is the grace that uses that very death to shelter those who were guilty of it!

Levi is dedicated to the service of God and set apart from ordinary Israelites. They receive no inheritance like the other tribes. They are Jehovah's pensioners. He provides for them out of Israel's abundance. Each tribe gave a portion to the Levites, few cities from those that had less, many from those that had more.

The Lord's servants were wholly cast upon Him for their portion. They had no inheritance or possession except Himself. Blessed inheritance! Precious portion! None like it, in the judgement of faith. Blessed are all those who can truly say to the Lord that He is the portion of their cup and the lot of their inheritance.

Each of the tribes of Israel had the privilege — we do not say the duty — of giving the Levites a certain number of cities with their pasture lands, according to their ability… God took care of His dependent servants. He also let the whole congregation of Israel taste a holy privilege. And it truly was a privilege. They became co-workers with Him, providing for those who had willingly given themselves to His work and left everything else behind.

It is very precious to see how those who have little stand before God in their offerings alongside those who have much… This is because the Lord accepted them according to what they had, and not according to what they did not have. And so the poor widow put her two small coins into the offering of God. Many rich people put in much. Yet Christ measured her two coins against all that the rich gave, and His verdict was that she put in more than all of them.

Ask the children of Israel, "To whom do you give the tithes?" The godly would answer, "We give them to the Lord." Ask the faithful Levites, "From whom do you receive the tithes?" They would answer, "We receive them from the Lord."

In these Levite cities, scattered through the land, we see the prophetic word about Levi fulfilled: "I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." Yet how differently it is fulfilled here from what we would have thought! Grace shows its complete sovereignty over all the sin. What seemed to be only a penalty has become blessing… The government of God is maintained, and for Levi's own sake he must be scattered. Seed must not lie in a heap, or it does not do its work. Levi must be God's witness in Israel. Levi is also the seal that marks the whole land as set apart to God — a people whose portion is God alone: "They shall teach Jacob Your rules and Israel Your law."

So we learn that the twelve tribes of Israel were to hand over forty-eight cities, with their pasture lands, to the Levites. Out of these, the Levites in turn had the privilege of providing six cities as a refuge for the poor man who had killed someone by accident. Most lovely provision! Lovely in its origin! Lovely in its object!

The twelve tribes of Israel were to hand over forty-eight cities, with their pasturelands, to the Levites. Out of these, the Levites had the privilege of supplying six cities as a refuge for the poor manslayer. What a lovely provision! Lovely in where it came from! Lovely in what it was for!

If the killer acted with deliberate malice, he could find no shelter in such a place of refuge. The city could serve only as a prison, and in due time he must be taken out and judged. But there were many cases in which death might follow where there was no malice. God would not make light of the bloodshed. But neither would He lump the guiltless in with murderers.

Where the evidence showed intent to kill, the image of God in which He had made man made a strong case against pity. God had ruled on this case long before, in Genesis 9, and that ruling has never been cancelled and never can be: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." That ground remains, and so does the guilt on a land that does not avenge blood.

He placed those cities, meant as a merciful provision for the slayer, so that shelter stood close at hand wherever anyone needed it... If a slayer did fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near, but because he had failed to use it. God made every provision: He named the cities, marked them out, and let everyone know where they were.

Once there, he could breathe freely... He dared not step outside the gate. Inside, he was perfectly safe. Outside, he was completely exposed. He was an exile from his father's house. He was a prisoner of hope.

God's holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. When competent judges and witnesses examined the case, the guilty man had to be handed over. And the grace of God shines brightly in keeping the unintentional slayer inside the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him... He graciously regards Israel as a "slayer," rather than a "murderer," to be restored in due time to the good land that belongs to them. The Lord, when crucified, made intercession for the transgressors and put the deed on the ground of ignorance: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

As long as Christ exercises His priesthood in the way pictured here, as long as He is the anointed Priest who "always lives to make intercession" in the presence of God, the slayer must stay out of the land he owns. But our Lord Jesus is coming back. So He is going to bring to a close the form in which He now exercises His priesthood, pictured by the death of the high priest who was anointed with oil.

The Lord Jesus is now both City of Refuge and Priest, and not for Jews only but also for Gentiles; our security and our inheritance are both bound up with Him... The sinner who repents of his sins finds the City of Refuge ready to receive him day and night.

If we take this as a picture of a sinner taking refuge in Christ, it fits only in a very limited way. We would meet contrasts on all sides rather than likenesses. To begin with, the manslayer in the city of refuge was not exempt from judgement... But for the believer in Jesus there is and can be no judgement, for the simplest of all reasons — Christ has borne the judgement instead.

In addition to the forty-two cities of their inheritance, there were six cities of refuge, three east and three west of the Jordan. These emphasize the same truth, with the added thought of redemption. So these cities of refuge reminded the people across the entire inheritance that they were a sheltered people. Redemption's defence marked their whole land. God already foresaw their future guilt in bringing about our Lord's death. How wonderful is the grace which by that very death provides shelter for those who were guilty of it!

So we learn that the twelve tribes of Israel were to hand over forty-eight cities, with their pasturelands, to the Levites. Out of these the Levites had the privilege of furnishing six cities to be a refuge for the poor manslayer. A most lovely provision! Lovely in where it came from! Lovely in what it was for!

He designed those cities as a merciful provision for the slayer. He ordered their placing so that wherever anyone needed a shelter, that shelter would be near at hand. There was always a city within reach of anyone in danger from the sword of the avenger... If any slayer fell into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge stood near. It was because he had failed to use it. God made every provision needed. The cities had names and clear borders, and everyone knew them.

The city of refuge was in no way meant to turn away judgment from one who was in His sight a "manslayer." Where the evidence showed intent to kill, the image of God in which He had made man pleaded against pity, and prevailed. God had already pronounced long before in this case (Gen. 9), and there has been, and can be, no revoking of it: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words went up to the ear and to the heart of the God of Israel. He heard them and answered them... That people are now under God's keeping. They are exiles from the land and the home of their fathers. But the time is coming when God will bring them back to their own land. That will not happen through the death of the high priest — blessed be His deathless name, He can never die! He will leave His present position instead, and come out in a new character, as the Royal Priest, to sit on His throne.

But it is not Israel alone who have crucified the Lord. Gentiles joined with Jews in that terrible deed... So the cross is the guilt of the whole world. Yet it is a world which, when He was in it, "did not know Him." For this reason what their own hands inflicted may still serve for them as their atonement. The faith of the Gentile too can be accepted on this principle alone.

He is liable to death from the avenger of blood. But when he gives up all his own efforts to save himself and flees to the City of Refuge, he is safe. He may have perfect peace, for he is hidden safely from the judgment that was his due. When he is "found" in the City of Refuge, no one may touch him.

God in His mercy would not leave the slayer without a refuge from the avenger of blood. Instead, true to His character, He placed those cities Himself. They were a merciful provision for the slayer. Wherever a shelter was needed, that shelter was close at hand... If a slayer did fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near. It was because he had not used it. God provided all that was needed. The cities were named, clearly marked, and known to everyone. He made it all as plain, as simple, and as easy as possible.

It was a provision for a manslayer, not for a murderer. He might kill another person without meaning to. The law gives an example of this. A man might swing his axe to cut down a tree, and the axe head could slip off the handle and kill another person. In that case he could flee to the city of refuge. There he would be safe from "the avenger of blood." That man would be a close relative or friend of the victim, and he might feel he had a right to take revenge on the manslayer.

The holiness of God is seen in this: He would not shield the guilty man. When the case was examined before qualified judges and witnesses, the guilty man had to be handed over. The grace of God shines in this: He kept the unintentional slayer safe inside the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay a hand on him.

The prime thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. So verse 30 states the death penalty for anyone convicted of murder on the word of two or more witnesses. This repeats the early law of Genesis 9:6... Shedding a man's blood on purpose pollutes and defiles the land, and the land is cleansed only when the murderer's blood is shed.

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words rose to the ear and to the heart of the God of Israel. They were heard and answered... They are exiles from the land and the home of their fathers. But the time is coming when they will be brought back to their own land. It will not happen through the death of the high priest — praise His undying name! He can never die. He will leave His present place and come out in a new character, as the Royal Priest, to sit on His throne.

God Himself provided the cities of refuge. He would not have the manslayer treated as a murderer. Nor will He have you treated as guilty of the murder of His Son, if you flee to Christ. He has provided that refuge in the richness of His mercy. The manslayer's hope was freedom through the death of the High Priest. Those whom God shelters now have the blessed hope of entering His presence and glory at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These six cities belonged to the Levites. God provided a refuge for anyone who had killed a person by accident, since a relative or friend of the victim might well seek revenge by killing the person responsible. In that city he would be safe until the case was investigated. If it proved to be a case of actual murder, he had to be handed over to the avenger.

If a case was not fully clear as to whether there was intent to cause harm or not, when the manslayer came to the city of refuge, "then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments" (v.24).

The avenger of blood (Hebrew: goel, which means to redeem) pursued the man who had killed. The city of refuge gave him shelter. The death of the high priest brought freedom to everyone inside the cities of refuge. It was the signal that they could return to their possessions (verse 28).

Under the Law the Kinsman had two services to do. He had to redeem his brother's person or his brother's inheritance, if either had been sold to a stranger. And he had to avenge the wrong done to his brother, whether that wrong was captivity or death. These things are seen in Leviticus 25 and Numbers 35, where the word for "kinsman," "redeemer," and "avenger" is the same. This Kinsman, we know for certain, was a type or a shadow of the Christ of God.

The city of refuge was in no way meant to turn judgment away from a man who was a "manslayer" in God's sight. Where intent to kill could be shown, the image of God in which He had made man pleaded against pity, and that plea prevailed… The land cannot be cleansed of blood shed in it except by the blood of the man who shed it.

Even after a verdict of innocent, he could not simply go free. He had to stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only then could he return to his inheritance in the land.

Three of these cities stood east of the Jordan and three west of it. God ordained that cities designed as a merciful provision for the slayer should be placed so that wherever a shelter was needed, that shelter was near at hand… If a slayer did fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near, but because he had failed to use it. The cities were named, clearly marked out, and known to everyone.

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words reached the ear and the heart of the God of Israel. They were heard and answered… The manslayer must stay out of his possession until the appointed time. But he is not to be treated as a murderer, because he did it without knowing.

By the grace of God there will be the manslayer who is innocent of murder. But there will also be the murderer who will be put to death, because there will be a judgment. He will stand before the congregation for judgment.

If we take this as a picture of a sinner taking refuge in Christ, it can only fit in a very unusual way. We would find contrasts on every side rather than likenesses. First, the manslayer in the city of refuge was not exempt from judgment… But for the believer in Jesus there is and can be no judgment, for the simplest of all reasons: Christ has borne the judgment instead.

In the Old Testament the manslayer fled for refuge to one of the appointed cities. If he had a claim to that shelter, he was perfectly safe from the avenger of blood. In the same way, this scripture sees believers as people who have fled from coming judgments to a sanctuary guaranteed by two unchangeable things — the word and the oath of God… But their hope is the coming out of the High Priest.

So the twelve tribes of Israel were to hand over forty-eight cities, with their surrounding land, to the Levites. Out of these, the Levites had the privilege of giving six cities as a refuge for the poor manslayer. What a lovely provision! Lovely in its origin! Lovely in its object!

Were Reuben and Gad right or wrong to settle east of that significant boundary? Either way, God in His mercy would not leave the slayer without a refuge from the avenger of blood. On the contrary, He acted in keeping with His own character. He arranged for those cities, meant as mercy for the slayer, to stand close at hand wherever there was need of shelter... If any slayer fell into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near, but because he had failed to use it. God made every provision: He named the cities, marked them clearly and made them known to all. Everything was as plain, as simple and as easy as possible. Such was God's gracious way.

By calculation, the distance from city to city would be about 70 miles, so that no one anywhere in the land would be farther than about 35 miles from one of them.

We have then the cities appointed in Canaan, with the list of those beyond Jordan also. Comparing them together, we find in the first series the divine side of salvation, the display of God in it. In the second series we find the human side, the salvation itself.

Kedesh was in Naphtali. Kedesh means "sanctuary," and Naphtali means "wrestler-struggler." Christ is the refuge for the struggling sinner. Shechem means "shoulder," and is the type of service. He who is the perfect servant, who served and gave His life, is the place of refuge. Kirjath-arba, which is Hebron, is the third, and Hebron means "communion." This we find in Him. Bezer (defence), Ramoth (heights) and Golan (rejoicing) were the other three beyond Jordan.

Besides the forty-two cities of their inheritance, there were six cities of refuge, three east and three west of the Jordan. These six emphasise the same truth as the forty-two, with the added thought of redemption. So all through the inheritance, these cities of refuge reminded the people that they were a sheltered people, and that the defence of redemption marked out their whole land. God already foresaw their guilt in bringing about our Lord's death. How wonderful is the grace which by that very death provides shelter for those who were guilty of it!

The shedding of blood has defiled Palestine, above all the blood of God's dear Son. Was His death murder or manslaughter? The dying prayer of our Lord, recorded in Luke 23:34, was in effect asking God to treat it as manslaughter only. Peter's words in Acts 3:17 were in effect an announcement that God had accepted that prayer. So in the exaltation of Christ in heaven, before He comes in glory to crush His foes on earth, God has opened a city of refuge... The hope set before the manslayer, shut up in a city of refuge, was the death of the high priest. Our High Priest can never die. But the way He exercises His priesthood will change when He comes again in glory. That is the hope set before the believer today.

Wherever there was need of a shelter, that shelter might be near at hand. There was always a city within reach of anyone who might be exposed to the sword of the avenger. If any slayer happened to fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because there was no refuge near at hand, but because he had failed to use it. God made every provision needed. The cities had names, clear boundaries, and everyone knew them. Everything was as plain, as simple, and as easy as possible.

Like the church, the city of refuge was for the Israelite, and the stranger and sojourner among them. The man who killed another suddenly, without any earlier hatred, was safe there. He was to flee there and stay there until the death of the high priest who had been anointed with the holy oil. Then he could return to the land of his inheritance.

A deliberate murderer could not count on the protection of the city of refuge. If one struck another on purpose with an iron tool, a stone, or a wooden weapon, this was murder. The murderer was to be sentenced to death (vv. 16-18). In fact, the avenger of blood was to put the murderer to death (v. 19).

The main thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. Shedding a man's blood on purpose pollutes and defiles the land. Only the shedding of the murderer's blood cleanses it again. In the light of this, we live on an earth that is deeply defiled — above all by the death of the Son of God.

In keeping with these words the Gospel of God is sent to the race that crucified His Son. If God had counted His death as an act of deliberate murder, His righteousness would have forced Him to judge us all. Under the law there was a remedy for the manslayer — the man who killed another without intent. In the same way, God provided a means of escape in the death of Christ. So the grace of God in salvation can righteously flow out to all.

The Lord Jesus is now both City of Refuge and Priest, and not for Jews only but also for Gentiles. The sinner who repents of his sins finds the City of Refuge ready to receive him day and night.

One thing more let us note: the refuge was provided, but the manslayer had to make the effort to use it. If he did not, his blood would be on his own head. This exactly pictures the situation as the Gospel is preached today.

If one struck another with an iron instrument, or stone or wooden weapon purposely, this was murder, and the murderer was to be sentenced to death. In fact, the avenger of blood was to put the murderer to death.

If a case was not fully clear about whether there was intent to cause harm, the manslayer came to the city of refuge. Then the congregation was to judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. "These judgments" involve the question of whether the case was one of murder, as seen in verses 16-21, or whether it was unintentional manslaughter, as in verses 22-23.

The city of refuge was in no way designed to turn judgment away from someone who was in His sight a "manslayer." (Compare verses 16-18.) If it could be shown that the man meant to kill, the image of God in which He made man argued effectively against pity.

The law demands the greatest care to prevent all abuse of the cities of refuge. The cities must give a murderer no chance of permanent shelter there. If a man shed blood intentionally and deliberately, the elders of his city had to send and fetch him from there and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he might die.

The main thought behind the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. So the death penalty is plainly pronounced on anyone convicted of murder on the testimony of two or more witnesses. This repeats what God laid down long before in Genesis 9:6. Properly constituted authority is to carry out the death sentence on the murderer. The wilful shedding of man's blood pollutes and defiles the land, and only the shedding of the murderer's blood cleanses it.

In Numbers 35 we have a striking picture of the holiness and grace of God in His dealings with the slayer... His holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. When the case was examined before competent judges and witnesses, the guilty man was to be given up. His grace shines brightly in keeping the unintentional slayer safe within the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

The unintentional murderer pictures Israel, murderers of Christ "in ignorance." It was of them that the Lord Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." ...But in another sense both the leaders of the Jews and the people were wilful murderers. They rejected God and His Christ deliberately and knowingly.

Israel was given the benefit of whatever doubt there might be, not considered as guilty of murder but of unintentional manslaughter. Certainly there were some who proved to be murderers, as Stephen testifies in Acts 7:52. However, for centuries now Israel has been allowed to remain in a refuge and will not be free until the time pictured by the death of the high priest.

A deliberate murderer could not count on the protection of the city of refuge. If someone struck another person on purpose with an iron tool, or a stone or wooden weapon, this was murder, and the murderer was to receive the death sentence (vv.16-18). In fact, the avenger of blood was to put the murderer to death (v.19).

The main thought behind the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No one has any right to take it away. So verse 30 clearly states the death penalty for anyone convicted of murder on the testimony of two or more witnesses. This restates the early law of Genesis 9:6. A properly appointed authority is to carry out the death sentence on the murderer. Deliberate shedding of human blood pollutes and defiles the land, and only the shedding of the murderer's blood cleanses it.

The city of refuge was never meant to turn judgment away from a man God saw as a killer. (Compare vv. 16-18.) Where someone could show that the man meant to kill, the image of God in which He had made man ruled out all pity. God had already spoken on this case long ago (Gen. 9), and that word has never been and can never be taken back: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." That ground still stands. This chapter states the guilt that rests on a land which does not avenge such blood, and people today who would abolish the death penalty should weigh it: "no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it."

God's holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. Once competent judges and witnesses had examined the case, the guilty man had to be handed over. And God's grace shines out in keeping the unintentional slayer safe inside the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

Six of their cities were to be refuges for those who had unintentionally committed murder; a precious picture of God's dealings with Israel, who killed the Christ in ignorance. In this sense, God judges them to be innocent. They are guilty of blood which they could not bear, but guilty in their ignorance... Such a murderer, however, stays out of his inheritance until the death of the priest serving at that time.

But in another sense both the Jewish leaders and the people murdered on purpose — yes, they deliberately and knowingly rejected God and His Christ. "This is the heir," said they, "come, let us kill him and have his inheritance." (Matt. 21:38)... It also says that the deliberate murderer must be put to death. Along with several other prophecies about the Jews, this judgment was partly fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem.

If we read it as a picture of a sinner taking refuge in Christ, it would fit only in a very unusual way. We would find ourselves faced on every side with contrasts rather than likenesses. First, the man sheltering in the city of refuge was not free from judgement, as Joshua 20:6 shows. But for the believer in Jesus there is and can be no judgement, for the simplest of reasons: Christ has borne the judgement instead.

A deliberate murderer could not count on the protection of the city of refuge. If one struck another with an iron instrument, or stone or wooden weapon purposely, this was murder and the murderer was to be sentenced to death (vs.16-18). In fact, the avenger of blood was to put the murderer to death (v.19).

The design of the city of refuge was in no way to turn away judgment from one who was in His sight a murderer. (Compare verses 16-18.) Where it could be shown that there was intent to kill, the image of God in which He had made man effectually pleaded against pity. God had already pronounced long before in this case (Genesis 9), and there has been, and can be, no revocation of it: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

In the gate of the city (the place of judgment) he could declare his case before the elders, and if it was established that he was not guilty of murder, he was to be welcomed into the city, where the avenger of blood was not permitted to touch him (v.4). Numbers 35:16-19 makes it clear, however, that he must be given no refuge in that city if his case was one of actual murder, and the avenger of blood could put him to death.

If a case was not fully clear as to whether there was intent to cause harm or not, when the manslayer came to the city of refuge, "then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments" (v.24). These judgments involve the question of whether the case was one of murder, as seen in verses 16-21, or whether it was unintentional manslaughter, as in verses 22-23.

Cain was a murderer, and the murderous hatred of his brother was in his heart before he actually killed him. So it was with the leaders of Israel who, with wicked hands, crucified and killed the Son of God. Jesus convicted them of their hatred of Him before they actually killed Him... God can and does look into the heart, and judges the motives and feelings of the heart; and where there is the hatred of the one who shows the divine life, God calls it murder.

The involuntary killer pictures Israel, murderers of Christ "through ignorance." It was of them that the Lord Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."... So with Paul: "I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief." (1 Timothy 1:13) But in another sense both the leaders of the Jews and the people were murderers wilfully — deliberately and knowingly rejecting God and His Christ. "This is the heir," they said, "Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance." (Matthew 21:38)... Moreover, it is said that the deliberate murderer must be put to death.

He who kills his neighbour without hating him is distinguished from the murderer: an important principle as to the fate of the Jewish nation, which makes a distinction between those who took a voluntary part in the death of the Lord, or who afterwards heartily approve the deed, and those who did it ignorantly.

The design of the city of refuge was in no way to turn away judgment from one who was in His sight a murderer. Where there was proof of intent to kill, the image of God in which He had made man pleaded against pity. God had already spoken on this long before (Genesis 9). That word has never been taken back, and it never can be: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

The main thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. So verse 30 pronounces the death penalty on anyone convicted of murder on the word of two or more witnesses. This repeats what God first laid down in Genesis 9:6. Properly appointed authority must carry out the death sentence on the murderer. The deliberate shedding of man's blood pollutes and defiles the land, and nothing cleanses it but the shedding of the murderer's blood.

After the flood God gave Noah the law that "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed" (Genesis 9:6). To this day in the East, people hold it the solemn duty of a slain man's relatives to see that his blood is avenged. … God has given man governmental authority to carry out this universal command. It came long before the law of Moses, and God has never repealed or relaxed it. In the New Testament the magistrate does not bear the sword in vain, for he is God's servant for the punishment of evildoers. Romans 13.

This appears in Leviticus 25 and Numbers 35, where (as the Englishman's Hebrew Concordance shows us) the word for "kinsman," "redeemer," and "avenger" is the same.

Six of their cities were to be refuges for those who had killed without meaning to. This is a precious picture of God's dealings with Israel, who in their ignorance killed the Christ. In this sense God judges them to be innocent. They are guilty of blood which they could not bear, but guilty in their ignorance. Saul himself is a striking figure of this same position, as one untimely born (1 Corinthians 15:8). Such a killer, however, stays out of his own land until the death of the priest living at that time.

The involuntary killer pictures Israel, murderers of Christ "in ignorance." It was of them that the Lord Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." … But in another sense both the leaders of the Jews and the people were murderers on purpose — yes, deliberate and knowing rejecters of God and of His Christ. "This is the heir," they said. "Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance." … The law also says that the deliberate murderer must be put to death, and the fall of Jerusalem partly fulfilled that judgment.

The man who kills his neighbour without hating him stands apart from the murderer. This is an important principle for the fate of the Jewish nation. It marks the difference between two groups: those who took a willing part in the death of the Lord, or who later approve of the deed with all their heart, and those who did it without knowing.

The city of refuge was never designed to turn judgment away from a man who in His sight was a "manslayer." Where someone could show that the man meant to kill, the image of God, in which He had made man, pleaded against pity. God had spoken on this long before, in Genesis 9, and that word has never been taken back and never can be: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image."

The main thought behind the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. … Blood shed on purpose pollutes and defiles the land. The land is only cleansed when the murderer's blood is shed. So we are living in an earth that is deeply defiled, above all by the death of the Son of God.

"Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer." Here he comes down with greater severity. It is not just someone who fails to love; it is the active work of hating… The apostle here goes down to the root of things. When he is tested, hatred marks his spirit, and so he is a murderer in principle… God deals with the heart and not the externals only in Christianity. It is the inward working, as well as what comes out, which marks the man who claims to be a Christian, even though a court of law could never admit or prove it.

The accidental killer is a picture of Israel, who murdered Christ "through ignorance." It was of them that the Lord Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."… But in another sense both the Jewish leaders and the people murdered Him on purpose. They knew what they were doing, and they deliberately rejected God and His Christ. "This is the heir," they said, "come, let us kill him, and have his inheritance."

All mankind has been guilty of the death of the Lord Jesus. Yet He could say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." If our guilt is through ignorance, there is a refuge for us. There is forgiveness if we now receive Christ as Saviour. But if we have rejected Him through malicious hatred, "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment."

Like the church, the city of refuge was for the Israelite, and for the stranger and temporary resident among them. This law covers two kinds of guilt: that of the premeditated murderer, and that of the man who killed another suddenly, without any earlier enmity. It treats the two in different ways. The murderer was to be handed over — his sin would find him out, even in the city of refuge. The man who killed without planning it was safe. He was to flee there and stay there until the death of the high priest who had been anointed with the holy oil. Then he might return to the land of his inheritance.

The city of refuge was never meant to turn judgment away from someone God saw as a "manslayer." Where the evidence showed intent to kill, the image of God, in which He had made man, pleaded against pity and won. God had already ruled on this case long before (Genesis 9). No one has cancelled that ruling, and no one can: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image." That ground still stands. This chapter also states the guilt that rests on a land which fails to avenge blood. Those who today would abolish the death penalty may well weigh it: "no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it."

Wilful murder had no release from the penalty. Even fleeing to God's altar for protection could not save the murderer (see 1 Kings 2:28-32). He must die.

These things are seen in Leviticus 25 and Numbers 35, where the word for "kinsman," "redeemer," and "avenger" is the same.

God's holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. When competent judges and witnesses examined the case, the guilty man had to be handed over. God's grace shines brightly too: He kept the unintentional slayer inside the refuge, so the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him. Here we see, as a picture, the gracious dealings of the Lord with Israel — the loved but blinded nation. Israel is answerable before Him for shedding the blood of Christ. He graciously treats Israel as a "slayer" rather than a "murderer," to be restored in due time to the good land.

The involuntary killer pictures Israel, who murdered Christ "through ignorance." On the cross the Lord Jesus said of them: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." … But in another sense both the leaders of the Jews and the people were wilful murderers — deliberate, knowing rejecters of God and of His Christ. "This is the heir," they said, "come, let us kill him and have his inheritance." … The wilful murderer had to die, and the fall of Jerusalem partly fulfilled that judgment. But the judgment on him, wrongly hiding in the city of refuge (Deuteronomy 19:11-12), is in reality still to come. In the end the wilful murderers will be brought out, to fall into the hands of the avenger.

If our guilt is through ignorance, there is a refuge for us and forgiveness in receiving Christ as Saviour now. But if we have rejected Him through malicious hatred, "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment" (Hebrews 10:26-27).

Here we have a most detailed description of the man for whom the city of refuge was provided. If he did not match this description, the city was not for him. But if he did, he could feel the most perfect assurance. A gracious God had thought of him, and had found a refuge for him where he might be as safe as the hand of God could make him.

Sometimes it was not clear whether the man meant to cause harm. When such a manslayer came to the city of refuge, "then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments" (v.24). "These judgments" concern whether the case was murder, as seen in verses 16-21, or unintentional manslaughter, as in verses 22-23.

The holiness of God shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. When competent judges and witnesses had examined the case, the guilty man was to be handed over. The grace of God shines brightly in preserving the unintentional slayer within the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

He ordered that the cities meant as a merciful provision for the slayer should be placed so that wherever a shelter was needed, that shelter was near at hand... If any slayer fell into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge stood near, but because he had failed to use it. Everything necessary was provided: the cities were named, clearly marked, and publicly known.

God was prepared to treat their dreadful crime as a sin of ignorance — as manslaughter, for which a city of refuge is provided, and not as murder. This was a direct answer to the prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

They were ignorant of what they were doing, and that is why He prayed for them. Yet their ignorance was no valid plea for acquittal in God's sight, so the Lord's intercession was needed. God does show mercy to those who sin seriously in ignorance of what pleases Him. Take Paul, who thought he ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. "I received mercy," he writes, "because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief." God could be gracious, but He could not gloss over his wrongdoing.

Where there was no intent to kill, the mercy of God stepped in to save the man out of the hand of the avenger of blood. Yet it did so with a seriousness that shows what human life is to Him. Even after being judged innocent in this way, he could not simply go free. He had to stay in the city of refuge until the high priest died. Only then could he return to his inheritance in the land.

Suppose we view it as applying to the case of a sinner taking refuge in Christ. It could only fit in a very limited way, since we would find ourselves surrounded on all sides by contrasts rather than likenesses. For in the first place, the manslayer in the city of refuge was not exempt from judgement... But for the believer in Jesus there is and can be no judgement. The reason is the simplest of all: Christ has borne the judgement instead.

Two kinds of guilt are mentioned and dealt with here. One is the murderer who planned the killing. The other is the man who killed another suddenly, with no earlier hatred. The two were treated differently. The murderer was to be given up — his sin would find him out, even in the city of refuge. The unpremeditated slayer of blood was safe.

In Numbers 35 we have a striking picture of the holiness and grace of God in His dealings with the slayer. Here, and in Deuteronomy 19, He told His people to set aside certain cities of the Levites on both sides of the Jordan. Anyone who killed a person without meaning to could flee there. God's holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. When proper judges and witnesses looked into the case, the guilty man had to be handed over. And God's grace shines in keeping the unintentional slayer safe inside the refuge, where the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

It was a provision for a manslayer, not for a murderer. He might kill another without meaning to. A man might swing his axe to cut down a tree, and the axe head could slip off the handle and kill someone. In such a case he could flee to the city of refuge. There he would be safe from "the avenger of blood." This person would be a close relative or friend of the victim, and might feel he had a right to take vengeance on the manslayer.

Where there was no intent to kill, God's mercy came in and saved the man from the hand of the avenger of blood. Yet even then God acted with a seriousness that shows what a man's life means to Him. Even when judged innocent, he could not simply go free. He had to stay in the city of refuge until the high priest died. Only then could he return to his inheritance in the land.

He set those cities apart as a merciful provision for the slayer. He placed them so that wherever a shelter was needed, that shelter was near at hand. If a slayer did fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near. It was because he had failed to use it. God made every needed provision: the cities were named, well marked, and known to all. There was only one thing for the slayer to do: escape for his life and reach safety inside the gates of the city of refuge. Once there, he could breathe freely. Inside the gate he was perfectly safe; outside it, he was fully exposed.

Six of the Levites' cities were to be refuges for those who had committed murder without meaning to. This is a precious picture of God's dealings with Israel, who killed the Christ in their ignorance. In this sense, God judges them to be innocent. They are guilty of blood which they could not bear, but guilty in their ignorance.

So the cross is the guilt of the whole world. But it is a world that "did not know Him" when He was in it. For that reason, the very thing their hands did to Him may still serve them as their atonement. The faith of the non-Jew can be accepted on this principle alone. In the cities of the Levites — in what the preaching of the gospel provides — he finds his city of refuge.

If a case was not fully clear as to whether there was intent to cause harm or not, then when the manslayer came to the city of refuge, the congregation had to judge between him and the avenger of blood (v.24). "These judgments" raise one question. Was the case murder, as seen in verses 16-21, or unintentional manslaughter, as in verses 22-23?

In the gate of the city — the place of judgment — he could state his case before the elders. If it was clear that he was not guilty of murder, the city welcomed him in, and the avenger of blood was not permitted to touch him.

The slayer was safe inside the city until this judgment took place. Then, if the judgment found the person guilty of murder, he was to be handed over to the avenger of blood, who was to put him to death. If it did not find him guilty, he could stay in the city of refuge without fear of death.

The city of refuge was never designed to turn judgment away from a man who was a "manslayer" in God's sight. (Compare verses 16-18.) Where the evidence showed that he meant to kill, the image of God in which He had made man spoke decisively against pity. God had already ruled on this case long before (Genesis 9), and that ruling has never been revoked and never can be: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image." That ground remains.

God's holiness shows in this: He would not shield the guilty. Once the case was examined before competent judges and witnesses, the guilty man was to be handed over. And God's grace shines in keeping the unintentional slayer safe inside the refuge, where the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

So, whether it was grace for the slayer or judgment for the murderer, the glory of God and the claims of His government had to be properly maintained. The unwitting manslayer was met by the provision of mercy; the guilty murderer fell under the stern sentence of inflexible justice.

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words went up to the ear and to the heart of the God of Israel... The manslayer must stay out of his property until the appointed time. But he is not to be treated as a murderer, because he did it unknowingly.

So God gave Israel the benefit of whatever doubt there might be. He did not count the nation guilty of murder, but of unintentional manslaughter. Some did prove to be murderers, as Stephen witnesses in Acts 7:52. But for centuries now Israel has remained in a refuge, and will not be free until the time pictured by the death of the high priest.

The holiness of God is seen in that He would not shield the guilty. When competent judges and witnesses examined the case, the guilty man was to be handed over. And the grace of God shines brightly in preserving the unintentional slayer within the refuge, so that the avenger of blood could not lay hands on him.

The moment he crossed the threshold of the gate, he was as safe as God's provision could make him... True, he had to keep close. He dared not venture outside the gate. Inside, he was perfectly safe. Outside, he was completely exposed. He could not even visit his friends. He was an exile from his father's house. He was a prisoner of hope. Away from the home his heart loved, he waited for the death of the high priest. That death would set him perfectly free and restore him once more to his inheritance and to his people.

This kept the manslayer's life safe, but he forfeited his inheritance as long as he lived in the city of refuge. He was only a refugee under protection. The death of the high priest changed his position completely. When another high priest took his place, the slayer received full forgiveness for his deed of blood, complete freedom, and his inheritance back.

Keil argues that the death of the high priest was regarded as expiatory. This, he says, "is evident from the clause, 'who has been anointed with the holy oil,' which would appear meaningless and unnecessary on any other view. The anointing with the holy oil was a symbol of the communication of the Holy Spirit, by which the high priest was empowered to act as mediator and representative of the nation before God." This, however, gives no particular meaning to the often long detention of the manslayer in the city of refuge. Nor does it take in the thought that the blood which defiled Israel's land was above all the blood of Christ shed by them. Because of that blood they have been kept from their inheritance for so many centuries.

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words went up to the ear and to the heart of the God of Israel... That people are now under God's keeping. They are exiles from the land and the home of their fathers. But the time is coming when they will be restored to their own land. That will not happen by the death of the high priest, for blessed be His deathless name — He can never die. He will leave His present position and come forth in a new character, as the Royal Priest, to sit on His throne.

So, while Christ is exalted in heaven and before He comes in glory to crush His foes on earth, a city of refuge stands open... The hope set before the manslayer, shut up in a city of refuge, was the death of the high priest. Our High Priest can never die. But the way He exercises His priesthood will change when He comes again in glory, and that is the hope set before the believer today.

True, he had to keep close. He dared not venture outside the gate. Within, he was perfectly safe. Without, he was thoroughly exposed. He could not even visit his friends. He was an exile from his father's house. He was a prisoner of hope. Far from the home his heart loved, he waited for the death of the high priest. That death would set him completely free and restore him, once more, to his inheritance and to his people.

Even if he reached the city of refuge, his safety and his restoration depended on all sorts of circumstances. They made his position extremely uncertain. First, it depended on the avenger of blood. If the manslayer left the border of the town for one moment, the avenger of blood on watch had a right to kill him (Num. 35:26-28). Second, it depended on the elders of the city (Joshua 20:4). Third, it depended on the judgment of the congregation (Joshua 20:6).

Where, on the other hand, there was no intent to kill, the mercy of God came in to save him out of the hand of the avenger of blood. Yet it came with a seriousness that shows what man's life is to Him. Even after being judged innocent in this way, he could not simply go free. He had to stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only then could he return to his inheritance in the land.

We believe that this ordinance had special reference to Israel. They have killed the Prince of life; but the question is, how does God view them — as the murderer or as the manslayer? If the former, there is no refuge, no hope. No murderer could be sheltered within the city of refuge. […] That people are now under God's keeping. They are exiles from the land and the home of their fathers. But the time is coming when God will restore them to their own land. That will not come by the death of the high priest — blessed be His deathless name! He can never die. He will leave His present position and come forth, in a new character, as the Royal Priest, to sit upon His throne. Then the exile will return to his long-lost home and his forfeited inheritance. But not until then. An earlier return would ignore that they killed the Prince of life, and that could never be. The manslayer must stay out of his possession until the appointed time. But he is not to be treated as a murderer, because he did it without knowing.

Yet as a nation they have been spared — the Lord Himself put in for them the plea that prevails: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Again, the slayer could fall into the hands of the avenger if he ventured outside the gates of the city. The believer in Jesus can never perish; he is as safe as the Saviour Himself.

The Lord Jesus is now both City of Refuge and Priest, and not for Jews only but also for Gentiles; our security and our inheritance are both bound up with Him. […] The guilt of shedding the blood of Christ rests on the world. That solemn thought should always weigh on the Christian's mind. Meanwhile the sinner who repents of his sins finds the City of Refuge ready to receive him day and night.

The moment he crossed the threshold of the gate, he was as safe as God's provision could make him. If anyone could touch a hair of his head inside the city, it could only be a dishonour and a reproach on the ordinance of God. True, he had to keep close. He dared not venture outside the gate. Inside, he was safe. Outside, he had no protection at all. He was an exile from his father's house. He was a prisoner of hope.

There was always a city within reach of anyone who might be exposed to the sword of the avenger. This was worthy of our God. If any slayer happened to fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not for want of a refuge near at hand, but because he had failed to avail himself of it. God made every provision needed. He named the cities, marked them clearly, and made them known to all. Everything was as plain, as simple, and as easy as possible.

That people is the slayer of blood now in the city of refuge. Right now Christ is exercising His priesthood according to the type spoken of here. He is the anointed Priest who "always lives to make intercession" in the presence of God. As long as that goes on, the slayer must remain out of the land of his possession. So the Jewish people will never return with God's approval while Christ carries on this priesthood, beyond the torn veil in heaven.

Had Israel's national sin, in crucifying their Messiah, been reckoned as murder by God, there would have been absolutely no hope. All must have fallen before the avenger of blood. But on the cross Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." That was just as if He had said, "Father, count this sin of theirs as manslaughter and not murder." God heard that prayer, so there was hope even for those who brought about His death.

Even if he reached the city of refuge, his safety and his restoration depended on all sorts of things. His position was shaky in the extreme. First, on the avenger of blood. If the manslayer left the edge of the town for even one moment, the avenger of blood keeping watch had a right to kill him. Second, on the elders of the city. Third, on the judgment of the congregation.

The slayer could fall into the hands of the avenger if he ventured outside the gates of the city. The believer in Jesus can never perish; he is as safe as the Saviour Himself.

One great point is common to both, and that is exposure to immediate danger and the urgent need of fleeing for refuge. It would have been wild folly for the slayer to linger or hesitate for a moment before he reached the city of refuge. It is still wilder folly, indeed the very height of madness, for the sinner to linger or hesitate in coming to Christ. The avenger might fail to catch the slayer even when he was outside the city. But judgment must overtake the sinner outside of Christ.

Once there, he could breathe freely. No evil could overtake him there. The moment he crossed the threshold of the gate, he was as safe as God's provision could make him... True, he had to keep close. He dared not venture outside the gate. Within, he was perfectly safe. Without, he was thoroughly exposed. He could not even visit his friends. He was an exile from his father's house. He was a prisoner of hope.

The manslayer's life was safe, but he lost his inheritance as long as he lived inside the city of refuge. He was only a refugee under protection. At the death of the high priest of that day his position changed completely. When another high priest took his place, the slayer received full forgiveness for his deed of blood, absolute freedom, and restoration to his inheritance.

Keil argues that the death of the high priest made atonement. He says this "is evident from the clause, 'who was anointed with the holy oil,' which would appear meaningless and unnecessary on any other view. The anointing with the holy oil was a symbol of the giving of the Holy Spirit. By it the high priest could act as mediator and representative of the nation before God." This, however, gives no particular meaning to the often long detention of the manslayer in the city of refuge. It also leaves out a deeper point. The blood that defiled Israel's land was above all the blood of Christ, shed by them. That is why they have been kept from their inheritance for so many centuries.

Where there was no intent to kill, the mercy of God came in to save him out of the hand of the avenger of blood. Yet it came with a seriousness that shows what man's life is to Him. Even after he was judged innocent, he could not simply be set free...

Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." These powerful words went up to the ear and to the heart of the God of Israel. They were heard and answered... The manslayer must remain out of his possession until the appointed time; but he is not to be treated as a murderer, because he did it unknowingly.

Christ is now exercising His priesthood according to the type spoken of here. He is the anointed Priest who "always lives to make intercession" in the presence of God. As long as that continues, the slayer must remain out of the land of his possession... We know therefore that He is going to end the form in which He now exercises His priesthood. The death of the high priest who was anointed with oil is the picture of that ending.

The hope set before the manslayer, shut up in a city of refuge, was the death of the high priest. Our High Priest can never die. But there will be a change in the exercise of His priesthood when He comes again in glory. This is the hope set before the believer today.

If it was done with deliberate malice, there could be no shelter for the offender in such a place of refuge. The cities could serve only as a prison from which he must be taken and judged in due time. But there were many cases in which death might follow where there was no malice. On the one hand God would not make light of the bloodshed; on the other He would not merge the guiltless in the class of murderers.

If a case was not fully clear as to whether there was intent to cause harm or not, when the manslayer came to the city of refuge, "then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules." These rules involve the question of whether the case was one of murder, as seen in verses 16-21, or whether it was unintentional manslaughter, as in verses 22-23.

God had spoken on this long before, in Genesis 9, and that word has never been taken back and never can be: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." That ground still stands. Here God also affirms the guilt that rests on a land which does not avenge such blood. Those who today would abolish the death penalty may well consider it.

The prime thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away.

There was always a city within reach of any who might be exposed to the sword of the avenger. If a slayer did fall into the hands of the avenger of blood, it was not because no refuge was near. It was because he had failed to make use of it. Every needed provision was there: the cities were named, clearly marked, and known to all. Everything was made as plain, as simple, and as easy as possible.

Israel have stained themselves with blood. They stand charged before God with the killing of their own Messiah. The grace of God acts, and the judgment of God also. Both are true, and both true of Israel. Some killed Him deliberately, and they have borne their judgment and will bear more. But there were others for whom grace pleaded, and that pleading was surely answered. The very One whose blood was shed cried to God from the cross and prayed for them: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

The Lord Jesus is now both City of Refuge and Priest. He is this not for Jews only but for Gentiles too. Our security and our inheritance are both bound up with Him. The guilt of shedding the blood of Christ rests on the world. That solemn fact should always weigh on the Christian's mind. Meanwhile the sinner who repents of his sins finds the City of Refuge ready day and night to receive him.

If we took it as a picture of a sinner taking refuge in Christ, it could fit only in a very unusual way. We would find ourselves surrounded on all sides by contrasts rather than likenesses. For in the first place, the manslayer in the city of refuge was not exempt from judgment. But for the believer in Jesus there is and can be no judgment. The reason is the simplest of all: Christ has borne the judgment instead.

The prime thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. So verse 30 clearly pronounces the death penalty on anyone convicted of murder on the testimony of two or more witnesses. This repeats the original enactment of Genesis 9:6. A properly appointed authority must carry out the death sentence on the murderer.

The city of refuge was in no way meant to turn judgment away from someone who was a "manslayer" in God's sight. If it could be shown that the man intended to kill, the image of God in which He had made man argued decisively against pity. God had already ruled on this case long before (Genesis 9), and no one has reversed that ruling or can reverse it: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." That ground still stands. This passage also affirms the guilt that rests on a land which does not avenge such blood. Those who in our day would abolish the death penalty may well weigh it.

One witness may be mistaken or prejudiced, or even dishonest.

However trustworthy and morally reliable any one witness may be, his word alone is not enough to base a conclusion on. We may feel sure in our own minds that the thing is true because someone we trust has said it. But God is wiser than we are.

The witness also had to be the first to put the offender to death. That would make people slow to testify unless they were fully sure the accused was guilty.

"A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15). "Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses" (2 Corinthians 13:1; Matthew 18:16). This is an important principle in God's Word, and Scripture states it many times. To establish any charge of wrongdoing, there must be two or three witnesses, or a confession of guilt by the one charged. One witness will not do. It is not said that the witnesses must be Christians, as some insist. We should accept the testimony of any reliable and upright person.

They found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward. Two were required, because under Jewish law they had to have the testimony of two men to put anyone to death. God laid that down, and we see the wisdom of it too.

"Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has outraged the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:28-29).

It is translated "ransom, satisfaction," and in 1 Samuel 12:3 a "bribe." So in Exodus 21:30 a man pays a kopher (translated "sum of money") to save his life where his ox had killed his neighbour. But in Numbers 35:31 they were to take no kopher for the life of a murderer. For (verse 33) nothing but the blood of the man who shed blood as a murderer can cleanse the land, kaphar. This shows what kopher and kaphar mean. The satisfaction offered suits the eye and mind of Him who is displeased and who judges.

The prime thought underlying the whole matter is that life belongs to the God who gave it. No man has any right to take it away. So verse 30 pronounces the death penalty on anyone convicted of murder, on the testimony of two or more witnesses... The wilful shedding of man's blood pollutes and defiles the land, and only the shedding of the murderer's blood cleanses it. The end of our chapter says so. In the light of this, we live on an earth that is terribly defiled, above all by the death of the Son of God.

Where it could be shown that there was intent to slay, the image of God in which He had made man overruled pity. God had already pronounced long before in this case (Genesis 9). There has been, and can be, no revocation of it: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." That ground remains. Those who today would abolish the death penalty may well consider it, along with the guilt this chapter lays on a land that does not avenge blood.

"I have sinned against the Lord." A short, real, but solemn confession — an acknowledgment that he was in God's hands and deserved only death for his offences... The mercy of God could be extended to one convicted of blood-guiltiness. The law could not meet the case. It demanded David's death on the two counts, namely adultery and murder (Leviticus 20:10; Numbers 35:31). No sacrifice could be offered, for he had sinned deliberately... There was nothing for him but the sovereign mercy of God.

They have killed the Prince of life; but the question is, how does God view them — as the murderer or as the slayer? If the former, there is no refuge, no hope. No murderer could be sheltered within the city of refuge... Israel, then, through the marvellous grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer.

All mankind has been guilty of the death of the Lord Jesus. Yet He could say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." If our guilt is through ignorance, there is a refuge for us and forgiveness in now receiving Christ as Saviour. But if we have rejected Him through malicious hatred, "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment." So the murderer was not to be spared or pitied. Only by his death could Israel put away the guilt of innocent blood.

The manslayer's life was safe, but he lost his inheritance as long as he lived inside the city of refuge. He was only a refugee under protection. At the death of the high priest his position changed completely. When another high priest took his place, the slayer received full forgiveness for his deed of blood, complete freedom, and his inheritance back.

Where there was no intent to kill, the mercy of God stepped in to save the man from the avenger of blood. Yet even this mercy carried a seriousness that shows what human life is to Him. Even after this verdict of innocence, the man could not simply go free. He had to stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only then could he return to his inheritance in the land. Keil argues that the death of the high priest was regarded as expiatory... But this gives no real meaning to the manslayer's often long stay in the city of refuge. It also misses a further thought: the blood that defiled Israel's land was above all the blood of Christ, shed by them. That is why they have been kept from their inheritance for so many centuries.

True, he had to keep close. He dared not venture outside the gate. Within, he was perfectly safe. Without, he was thoroughly exposed. He could not even visit his friends. He was an exile from his Father's house. He was a prisoner of hope. Away from the home his heart loved, he waited for the death of the high priest. That death would set him perfectly free and restore him, once more, to his inheritance.

This remains for Israel. That people is the slayer of blood now in the city of refuge. Christ is still exercising His priesthood according to the type spoken of here. He is still the anointed Priest who "always lives to make intercession" in the presence of God. As long as that continues, the slayer must remain out of the land of his possession... The death of the actual high priest of that day pictures the close of that character of priesthood in which our Lord now acts.

Israel, through the wonderful grace of God, will be treated as a slayer and not as a murderer... But the time is coming when they will be restored to their own land, not by the death of the high priest — blessed be His deathless name! He can never die — but He will leave His present position, and come out, in a new character, as the Royal Priest, to sit on His throne. Then the exile will return to his long-lost home, and to the inheritance he had forfeited.

Gentiles joined with Jews in that terrible deed... So the cross is the guilt of the whole world. But it was a world which, when He was in it, "did not know Him." For that reason what their hands inflicted can still serve them as their atonement. The faith of the Gentile too can be accepted on this principle alone. And in the cities of the Levites, in the provision furnished by gospel ministry, he finds his city of refuge. Yet he too, sheltered and safe as he is, is away from his inheritance. He too — all of us — will receive it only at the coming of the Lord.