Take Refuge!

In my study of the Old Testament, I started noticing God's instructions to Moses that once the Israleites reached the promised land, that they were to setup a number of "cities of refuge".  When they finally entered with Joshua, God detailed His plan for these cities.

Joshua 20:1-9

¹ Then the LORD said to Joshua: ² "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.

 ⁴ "When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. ⁵ If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶ He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

 ⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

I was able to pull a map of ancient Israel off the internet and I have highlighted these 6 cities.  First, note that the cities are easily accessible to anyone living in Israel and was open to not only Israelites, but to any "alien living among them".  Second, notice the number of cities, 6.  Remember 6, is the number of man.  Third, in looking at the Hebrew meaning of the names of these cities, it starts to draw a picture of Jesus:

Kedesh - Sanctuary

Golan - Passage/Revolation

Ramoth - Exalted or high place

Bezer - Strong

Hebron - Society/friendship/fellowship

Shechem - Strong Shoulders

The Bible is full of references of God being our "Refuge"

2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.

Psalms 46:1God is our refuge and strength,A very present help in trouble.

There are a LOT more, I'll let you find them.

The picture God started painting for us in these cities and their purpose point directly to Jesus in that:

1.  The refuge was easily accessible, very quickly to anyone, not just the Israelites.

2.  The refuge was a security to those who entered and those who entered would NOT be given up to those who pursued them (the "avenger of blood")

3.  God, from the beginning, had a very detailed and clearly understood plan for refuge to all.

4.  The number of cities I mentioned earlier was 6, the number of man.  God became man thru Jesus Christ and open the refuge to anyone, anytime, anywhere!

I praise God for really convicting me to spend more and more time in the Bible, He especially has pointed me to the Old Testament.  I really did NOT want to read the Old Testament, because I just did not want to go thru the begats and begots and then the laws and commandments (it is HARD reading).  But thru spending time there, a whole lot of things about Jesus are becoming so much clearer.  I knew there was prophecies in the OT about Jesus, but I am really seeing that the WHOLE Bible is really about Jesus and the plan of salvation for all of us.  I really now am starting to understand a lot of things in the New Testament from knowing what the Old Testament says.  

ALSO .. God has laid a co worker on my heart for some time now, he is muslim. I really did not know where to even start with him, but the other day (the day after I finally made it thru Deutoronomy by the way, which is the last book of the "Torah" in the Jewish faith)  God presented the opportunity to begin witnessing to this muslim friend.  Guess what I found out that I never knew?  THE MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE TORAH!!  This gives me at least a starting point of common knowledge.  I would not have had this common ground without God pushing me to read and understand (the best I can anyway) the Torah.  God is so good and leads us in ways that just amazes me.  Praise God!  This may be a hard and long process in witness, so please pray that God continues to present opportunites to talk and that I present the gospel the way God intends.

Carl