Claiming Your Canaan Series # 11
Joshua 20:1-9
THE CITIES OF REFUGE
Intro: The land of Canaan has been possessed and
subdued. The various tribes have received their
inheritance and things are starting to wind down as far
as the conquest of the land is concerned. However,
there is still much work to be done by Joshua and the
people of Israel. In this chapter, we find them carrying
out a command that was first given to Moses in
Numbers 35:1-34. They were to appoint 6 cities that
were to be known as "cities of refuge". These cities
were to be made available to someone who has killed
another person by accident. They could flee to any of
these 6 cities and find safety and help.
It is these cities of refuge that I want to consider for
a awhile this morning. They paint for us a clear picture
of the salvation that is to be found only in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Allow me to share several truths with you
this morning concerning the cities of refuge.
I. V. 1-3 THE PURPOSE OF THESE CITIES
A. They Were To Serve As A Refuge - It is clear
from these verses that these cities were to be set
up to protect the person who had accidently
taken the life of another person. When the Lord
gave Israel His Law, He made no provision for a
police force. Every crime against society was to
be dealt with swiftly and in accordance with the
nature of the offense. For instance, if a person
stole something, they were to make restitution,
Ex. 22:1-5. The punishments were always
designed to fit the crime, "Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning
for burning, wound for wound, stripe for
stripe." Ex 21:24-25. If the crime in question
happened to take the life of another human
being, the nearest kinsman of the slain man had
the right to avenge the death of his fallen
relative, Num. 35:19-21. However, it is clear
from reading passages like Numbers 35, that the
Lord sees a difference between murder and
manslaughter.
Therefore, when a man had accidentally taken
the life of another, he could flee to one of these
6 cities of refuge and there, if it was determined
that the death had indeed been an accident, he
could find safety from the "avenger of blood."
So, these cities were established as a refuge.
B. They Were To Serve As A Reminder - For our
sakes, these cities serve to point out certain
facts about the salvation we enjoy in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just as these were place were a
man could flee in a time of desperate need, so
Jesus is a place of safety this morning.
You see, here is our problem. We are born
sinners, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 5:12, Psa. 58:3. It
isn't our fault, we are just born with an old sinful
nature that we inherited from our father Adam.
But, even though it isn't our fault that we are
born this way, it is our fault that we stay this way!
As we grow older and reach an age where we
can make a choice regarding sin, we all choose
to sin. That makes sin a double edged sword!
We are guilty by birth and by practice.
Now, since this is true, we are in deep
trouble! Just like there was a death sentence on
all those who took the life of another, there is
also a death sentence on every person born into
the human race. We are all being pursued by an
Avenger of Blood. The end of our flight is death,
Rom. 6:23! After death, there is nothing to look
forward to but Hell and all its misery, Psa. 9:17.
We need a refuge! We need a place where we
can run to and find safety for our souls! I praise
God that there is a place where the sinner can
flee and find help and hope. A place where we
can find a new life and a new start. A place
where the avenger of blood cannot touch us,
ever! That place is a man. That man's name is
Jesus Christ. Notice what these cities of refuge
teach us about Him.
I. The Purpose Of These Cities
II. V. 1
THE PROVISION OF THESE CITIES
A. They Were Provided By God - Man did not
come up with the idea for these cities. This was
a notion that was birthed in the heart and mind of
God. He wanted to teach His people that
murderers had to pay for their crimes, hence, the
avenger of blood. Yet, He also wanted to teach
His people that there was a place of mercy for
those who were only guilty of an accident.
Therefore, God gave them the cities of refuge.
(Ill. May I remind you that Jesus Christ is also
the gift of God! Remember what the Bible says
about Him, John 3:16? Christianity and salvation
through the shed blood of Jesus did not originate
in the heart of man. This thing is all God's idea!
From start to finish this thing we are involved in
this morning is the work of God!)
(Ill. When man creates a religion, he fixes it is
such a way that he is in control of it. He sets it
up as a system of works and makes himself
responsible for getting himself to whatever
Heaven he is striving for. God, on the other
hand, does it in such a way that man is left out of
the picture. All man does is trust Jesus as his
Savior by faith. And, even that faith is given to
him by the Lord, Eph. 2:8-9. You use, salvation
is all God or it isn't real at all!)
B. They Were Provided By Grace - God could have
allowed the manslayer to die like any other person
who had taken a life. However, in His grace He
made a way that those folks who had accidentally taken the life of another might find refuge and
help.
(Ill. By the same token, God could have allowed
sinners to all go to Hell. After all, we are guilty in
His sight and we deserve nothing but damnation in
the fires of Hell! But, I praise the precious name of
the Lord this morning that God sent His Son to
take our sins upon Himself on the cross, Isa. 53:6.
I thank God that Jesus paid the price that sinners
like you and me might live through Him!)
(Ill. Whatever anyone may tell you about getting to
Heaven, the Word of God tells us that it will never
happen unless it happens through grace. Folk, it
is all God from start to finish!
1. He initiates the process - John 6:44; Eph. 2:1.
2. He provides the means - Rom. 3:25; Acts 4:12
3. He saves those who believe - Acts 16:31
4. He keeps those He saves - 1 Pet. 1:5
You and I are capable of doing none of these
things ourselves. If we were left alone to get
ourselves to Heaven, we would all wind up in Hell!
It's all God!)
I. The Purpose Of These Cities
II. The Provision Of These Cities
III. V. 4-6, 9 THE POWER OF THESE CITIES
A. They Had Power To Save - When the manslayer
arrived in the city, his case was heard by the
elders and if it was determined that the death had
indeed been an accident, he was given a place
within the city and was protected from the avenger
of blood. The city of refuge allowed a man to live
who would have otherwise surely died.
(Ill. So it is with Jesus! He is the only One Who
can guarantee salvation to the soul of man! When
a sinner comes to Jesus Christ by faith and
accepts Him as Savior, that person is immediately
adopted into the family of God. He has his sins
washed away forever and his name written in the
Lamb's book of Life in Heaven. He is forever
saved by the grace of God! No other system of
believe can make that claim! You can try anything
you will to be saved, and you can guarantee
yourself that you will surely fail! However, if you
will trust Jesus Christ and His death at Calvary,
His resurrection and His shed blood, you will be
saved! Guaranteed! Ill. Rom. 10:9-10; Rom.
10:13; John 5:24!)
B. They Had Power To Secure - Notice that as long
as the person stayed within the city he was safe.
He could live there until the day of judgment and
for as long as the high priest lived and when the
high priest died, the manslayer was free to return
home without fear.
(Ill. When we commit our souls to the Lord Jesus
for salvation, we too are secured! Unlike the
person in the city of refuge, we cannot leave! It is
impossible for us to get out of our relationship with
Almighty God! Note John 10:28-29! But, what
about the day of judgment? If it was determined
that the manslayer was guilty, then he was cast
out. I know I am guilty, what does that say about
my situation? It just adds another glory! You see,
when Jesus died on the cross, that was our
judgment day! Now, that day has past forever and
we are safe in the city of refuge! I am safe in
Jesus, my High Priest, for as long as He lives,
Heb. 7:25! What a glorious privilege we have
been afforded just to know that we are eternally
saved!)
C. Their Power Was Sufficient - The cities of
refuge would work for all those who fled to
them. They were sufficient for the need!
(Ill. Again, I am glad that I can remind you today
that Jesus Christ is sufficient for the need of the
soul! Regardless of the past you carry around.
Regardless of the depths of your sin.
Regardless of the hardness of your heart.
Regardless of anything you wish to name that
you feel might keep you from coming to Him, let
me tell you that He is bigger than all of it! He is
God and He is able to save you soul! He
cannot and need not turn any away, John 6:37!
His power is sufficient to the task. None need
fear that it won't work for them! God's promise
of salvation through Jesus is given to all who
will come, Rev. 22:17.)
I. The Purpose Of These Cities
II. The Provision Of These Cities
III. The Power Of These Cities
IV. V. 7-9 THE POSITION OF THESE CITIES
A. They Were Available To All - God provided 6
cities of refuge. There were three east of the
Jordan and three west of the Jordan. They
were placed so that there was not tribe that was
too far from a city of refuge. They were
available to everyone no matter where they
were or who they were! Whether the manslayer
was a son or a stranger, there was a city of
refuge open for him.
(Ill. What a picture this is! Just as those ancient
cities were available to all, so Jesus Christ is
available to all as well. The plan of salvation
makes only one requirement upon a man and
that is that he is required to be a sinner! If you
are a sinner and know it; if you are willing to
admit that to God; if you can know and believe
that Jesus died on the cross, shedding His
blood to pay for your sins and that He rose
again from the dead, then my friend, you can be
saved! You can be saved today! You do not
have to run from the avenger of blood for even
another minute, but you can run to Jesus and
be saved by the grace of God. Jesus is
available to you today - Isa. 55:6; 2 Cor. 6:2;
Matt. 11:28; Rev. 3:20.)
B. They Were Accessible To All - Just as these
cities were spaced all over the country and were
available to every Israelite, they were also
accessible to every person. There are several
reasons why I say that.
1. They Were Prominent - Most of these cities
were built on top of mountains. Most of the
cities of ancient Israel were built of white
limestone. When the sun hit these cities they
gleamed. Even in the night, under the light of
the moon, they would be visible. They were
easily seen, even from many miles away.
2. They Were Prepared - There were certain
preparations that were made in and around
these cities that guaranteed the manslayer
that he would find safety when he arrived at
the city of refuge.
A. The Roads Were Never Clogged - The
priests would made sure that the roads
leading to these cities were clear from
obstructions and always open to the
traveler.
B. The Gates Were Never Closed - No
matter what the time of day or night, the
gates on the city of refuge were never
closed.
C. The Direction Was Never Confused -
There were sign posts with the Hebrew
word "Miklat" written on them that had
been set up to point the way to the city of
refuge. That word means "Refuge" There
was no need for anyone to
misunderstand the way to get there.
(Ill. What a picture these things paint for us of
the salvation that can be found in Jesus
Christ. Just like the cities of refuge, He is
accessible to all.
1. Like a city set on top of a hill, He can be
seen by the weary traveler.
2. The road leading to Him is always clear.
On His side, there are no obstructions.
When He died on the cross, He died for
all sin, so sin is not a problem that can
keep you from coming. He had cleared
the way! The only things that can keep
you from getting to Him are those things
you lay in your own path. Things like
unbelief and pride.
3. He is always available! Jesus Christ is
never closed. He will receive anyone who
will come to Him at any time! He is
waiting for you to show up!
4. The way to Him is clearly marked.
Thankfully, God has gone before and
placed the signpost we call the Bible. It is
clear in what it teaches us about Jesus
Christ. It tells us that He is the only way
to God - John 14:6. And that if we will
come to Him, then we must come by
faith. The only question that we must
answer is, are we trusting Jesus and Him
alone?)
(Ill. There is a word here for the children of the
Lord. You see, those of us who know about the
refuge are to go out into the highways and the
hedges and we are to set up the signs pointing
the way to Him. You see, there should be no
doubt about where we stand! We need to be
pointing the way to Jesus at all times. That is
why we always need to have a clear word and a
clear message. Everything we do should point
men to our blessed Savior!)
I. The Purpose Of These Cities
II. The Provision Of These Cities
III. The Power Of These Cities
IV. The Position Of These Cities
V. V. 7-8 THE PICTURE IN THESE CITIES
A. There Is A Picture In Their Names - These six
cities paint a wonderful picture of the provisions
of God which are our's through the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1. Kadesh - Righteousness - Isa. 64:4; 2 Cor.
5:21 (Ill. A refuge for the unclean!)
2. Shechem - Shoulder - Luke 15:3-7 (Ill. A
refuge for that one lost in the wilderness of
sin.)
3. Hebron - Fellowship - 1 John 1:7 (Il. A
refuge for the lonely sinner!)
4. Bezer - Fortress - Heb. 18:2 (Ill. A refuge for
the helpless sinner.)
5. Ramoth - Heights - Eph. 2:6 (Ill. A refuge for
the wretched sinner!)
6. Golan - Joy - 1 Peter 1:8 (Ill. A refuge for the
downcast.)
B. There Is A Picture In Their Necessity - Without
these cities, many innocent people would have
died. But, their existence guaranteed that they
would continue to enjoy life.
(Ill. My lost friend, you might not see it this
morning, but you need Jesus in your life! Without
Him, you have no refuge from the wrath of God
and will one day wind up in Hell, lost forever in
torment! You may not like that today, but it is still
the truth! The simple fact is that you need to be
saved today! Will you do it? Will you come to
Jesus while He can give you life? You can live
without a lot of things in this world, but you cannot
make it to Heaven without Jesus!)
C. There Is A Picture In Their Nature - These
cities by their very natures spoke of the grace of
God and of His love for the needy. They were
there because God cares!
(Ill. The same is true about Jesus! He is there for
your salvation simply because God cares about
you! He does not want you to doe and go to Hell,
2 Pet. 3:9. He wants you to be saved! Because
He wants that so much, He proved His love for
you when He allowed His Son, Jesus, to suffer on
the cross in your place, Rom. 5:8. Hey friend,
Jesus has a place for you! You can enter into the
refuge and find a dwelling place.
Conc: There is an interesting story in the book of 2
Samuel. In chapter 2, we see a man named Abner,
who had been Saul's Commander-in-chief, being
pursued by a man named Asahel, 2 Sam. 2:18-24.
Abner tries to reason with Asahel, but Asahel continues
to pursue Abner. Abner is carrying a spear and
apparently, Asahel runs into the spear and dies. Later,
we find Abner at the gates of the city of Hebron.
Remember, Hebron was one of the 6 cities of refuge.
There, he is met by Joab, David's Commander-in-chief.
Joab is also the older brother of Asahel. Joab catches
Abner at the gate of the city of refuge and kills him, to
avenge the death of Asahel, 2 Sam. 3:27. What is most
striking are the comments made by king David as he
mourned the death of Abner, 2 Sam. 3:32-34. It is as if
David were saying, "Abner, you died like a fool! You
were right there at the gates of the refuge. All you
had to do was walk right in. Nobody had you tied
up! You could have been saved, but you died like
a fool!" Friend, don't let that same thing happen to you!
Nobody has you tied down this morning. All you have
to do is walk into the refuge and be saved. Our Refuge,
Jesus, is waiting for you!
If you are tired of running from your sins and of
feeling trapped in a hopeless situation, I would like to
invite you to leave your seat and to come to Jesus this
morning. If you will come to Him and ask Him by faith,
He will save your soul and take you to Heaven when
you leave this world. Isn't that what you really want?
Aren't you tired of empty promises and dead end days?
Aren't you sick of knowing that Hell is ever expanding
and is waiting on you? Wouldn't you like to be sure that
you will go to Heaven when you die? If you need Jesus
in your heart and life I invite you to come to Him right
now. He will give you life!
