Refuge

Deuteronomy 4:41 (NLT) ⁴¹ Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River.

From 1998 to 2005 I pastored Elim Chapel in Winnipeg Canada. Elim means “an oasis,” or “a place of refuge.”

A refuge is “a safe haven, sanctuary… a place of safety or protection.”

When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they had no police. When someone was accused of a capital offense, they would be pursued by a posse of the victims family and friends. In order to give the accused a chance of a fair trial, God had Moses set up cities of refuge. “Joshua chapters 20–21 give the complete account of all six cities, including the three on the west side of the Jordan.”

The cities were built up high on hills to be seen from far away. The roads to the cities were kept wide, flat and smooth with signs and arrows so that the accused could get there quickly and without getting lost. If found guilty of manslaughter, but not murder, you could live in the city in safety.

So who cares? God cared. He cared about justice and mercy, about both the victim and the accused. Even the OT roads are a picture of His grace.

Psalm 46:1 (NLT) ¹ God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Hebrews 6:18–20 (NLT) ¹⁸ So God has given both his promise and his oath… Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. ¹⁹ This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. ²⁰ Jesus has already gone in there for us.

The road to our Refuge is always kept wide, flat, and smooth. All signs point to Jesus. He is our safe haven, our true Elim.

Be encouraged!

Dan

Chapter three of Bizarre Bible Stories (vol 1) contains a child’s devotional on the Cities of Refuge.

Photo by MAKM PHOTOGRAPHY on Unsplash

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