Are you a Refuge?

February 25, 2023- Cities of Refuge and Valuing Life

Read and reflect on Joshua chapter 20

Joshua 2:20 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge…anyone who kills a person accidently or unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.” (NIV) This was Old Testament Bible times and yes, avenging a death was part of the culture. Life was considered sacred because the people recognized that they were created in God’s image and that was unique and special (Genesis 1:27) and because man had the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). God did not want people running around killing each other and gave the 6th commandment as ‘you shall not commit murder’. Safety was put into place to reduce any chaotic killing with cities of refuge. The hard part of this concept was that the person who fled to a city of refuge had to remain there until the high Priest of the day died. That could mean an entire lifetime in a safe prison of sorts. Yes, they would not be avenged, but they could never return to their family or previous life unless the high Priest died, and they were freed. Bummer. It truly shows the suffering component of death, even when one did not intentionally kill the other. The families of both parties would suffer and grieve. God values every life he creates. How are you doing valuing the lives of others around you? Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Blessings,

Ellen