Refuge

By Jerry D. Ousley

            Ben stopped, hiding in the brush, panting like a dog out of breath.  It had all been a terrible mistake.  He had been with his friend, Jeremiah, helping him herd up the sheep.  They had been friends since they were small children playing in the fields. They had always shared chores and jobs, as well as the fun things.  So, when the sheep had begun to graze too close to the cliff, Jeremiah had tried to get between them and the steep fall, but the sheep continued to crowd and caused his friend to stumble, falling from the steep precipice.  Ben rushed to the edge, peering over to see his best friend and, yes, there he was, hanging by one hand from a sharp rock that jutted out from the wall.  He must have grazed his head against the rock before catching it because he was bleeding from his forehead.  Ben quickly fell to his stomach reaching, grasping to try to help his friend.  He was only an arm’s length away from his reach and so Ben quickly ran to get a branch to bridge the gap between his hand and that of his friend.  But just as he returned to the cliff, his friend cried out, “I can’t hold on!” and his hand slipped from the rock, letting him fall to his death.  Ben could see his broken, mangled body as it landed on the rocky, jagged landing at the bottom.

            Jeremiah’s father had passed this life several years ago, and his uncles, whom had never had a liking for Ben and his family, had accused him of pushing Jeremiah off the edge of the cliff.  And so, by Jewish law, they sought Ben’s life.  These thoughts haunted his mind as he stopped long enough to pant out a rest.  He was trying to get to Hebron, the closest city of refuge.  There he would be protected until a trial could be held deciding whether he was innocent or guilty.  If found innocent he would live there until the death of the current High Priest, then he would be free to return home.  Of course, if he were found to be guilty, he would be turned over to Jeremiah’s uncles.  But he had to trust in God that the truth would come out.

            God had instructed Moses to assign six cities of refuge throughout Israel, each strategically located so that when one had accidentally killed another, they would be close enough to reach and be safe from those who sought his life, until they could determine guilt or innocence.  Those cities were Kedesh, in the territory of Naphtali in the North, Golan, located in the half tribe of Manasseh East of the Jordan, Ramoth, again across the Jordan on the border of Manasseh and Gad, Shechem, in the other half tribe of Manasseh, west of the Jordan and right in the middle of the nation of Israel, Bezer, on the East side of the Jordan in the Northern part of the tribe of Reuben, and Hebron in the South, in Judah.  You can find all the details about the appointment of these cities in Numbers 35.  Verse 15 specifically says, “These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.”

            These cities of refuge are yet another symbol of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We all are guilty of sin.  We all have committed some trespass against God.  We all have missed the mark.  The cities of refuge are a picture of a spiritual place we can go when we realize our guilt.  We can flee to this place where we seek a way to be free from absolute death.  There we go on trial.  And, unlike the literal city of refuge, we will be found guilty, because we are.  We are guilty of sin.

            That’s where our Lord steps in.  He takes our guilt.  He, just like the high priest in the scenario of these cities, died.  His death paid the penalty for our sin.  So instead of being turned over to the slayer, we are freed.  We are allowed to leave the refuge and travel to our true home – Heaven.

            Oh, we don’t go there immediately.  We have some work to do here.  We have to point the way for others to that City of Refuge.  It becomes our job to show them how they too can be freed from their impending guilty sentence.  Our life now lived for our Savior becomes a witness to those who need salvation. 

            We must not make others feel that we are better than they are because we have been freed.  No, we must show them that we are just like they are, guilty but only, not now because of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.  And that provision can be readily applied to them also.  All they must do is flee to the City – the place of repentance.  The place where they too can be freed.

            We will one day go home.  Death comes to all of us, but for the Christian it is not the horrible thing that it once was.  It isn’t the doom of eternal destruction but now has become the transport to Heaven – where our Lord is.  It is the means to eternal life.  Paul wrote, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’  O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?”  (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). 

            The place, the city, of refuge makes all the difference.

(By the way, the story started in this article will become a book.  Watch for it.)

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.