When the children of Israel settled in the land of Canaan, they set apart, according to the command of the Lord, six cities of refuge, to which any man who had unintentionally killed another might flee, and be safe from the pursuit of any who sought to kill him in return. Read the whole account in Numbers 35 and Joshua 20.
These cities were well known, and were so situated that they could be easily reached. Once within one of the cities, the slayer was absolutely safe; the rulers of the city were answerable for him as long as he remained there. But if he went outside the city walls during the life of the high priest, he was at the mercy of his enemy.
The story of the cities of refuge is one of the things written aforetime "for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
We find ourselves continually beset by enemies. This is no figure of speech, but an actual fact. Everybody knows that he possesses evil habits and traits of character that are positive enemies to him, often destroying not only his happiness here, but his hope of the world to come. And what is worse, they are stronger than we, so that we cannot successfully fight against them.
From all these enemies, more dangerous than any earthly foes, we have a sure refuge. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)
David wrote: "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2)
And every soul may say this as truly as David could.
The 7th Psalm is a vivid picture of fleeing for refuge from a fellow who is seeking to destroy. Instead of "put my trust," in the first verse, read "take refuge," as in the more literal rendering in the margin of the Revised Version: "O Lord my God, in You do I take refuge: save me from all them that pursue me, and deliver me, Lest they tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver." (Psalm 7:1-2,RV)
Of the safety of those who take refuge in God, we read: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it, and is safe." (Proverbs 18:10) "The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. And the Lord helps them, and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they have taken refuge in Him." (Psalm 37:39-40,RV)
This refuge is real. The walls of Shechem and Hebron did not protect a refugee from his enemy so securely as God keeps those who flee to Him from the sins that beset them. True we cannot see Him with our natural eyes; but we have His Word, which He has exalted above all His name; (Psalm 138:2; I will worship toward your holy temple, and give thanks unto your name for your lovingkindness and for your truth: for You have magnified your word above all your name.) and His Word is backed by His oath. "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." (Hebrews 6:17-18)
Try it. When the enemy presses upon you, lay hold upon the promises of God, and they will be to you a wall which no temptation can pierce. Satan himself in person cannot get through them to lay violent hands on one who is behind them. The God of heaven is infinitely more real, although invisible, than all the gods that can be seen; so His Word is a rock infinitely more real and more enduring than Gibraltar.
And this refuge will never fail. The men who fled to one of the cities of refuge found a welcome and would stay there till the death of the high priest. So we may be sure of a welcome, even though fully guilty, for the Lord says, "Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)
More than this, our High Priest will never die; "[He is] alive for evermore." (Revelation 1:18)
So the soul that flees to Him for refuge, is for ever safe. "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27)
Unshaken as the sacred hills,
And fixed as mountains stand.
Firm as a rock the soul shall rest
That trusts th' Almighty hand.
Not rock nor hills could guard so well
Fair Salem's happy ground
As those eternal arms of love
That every saint surround.
--Isaac Watts, Psalm 125, First Part.
--Present Truth, October 10, 1895--Joshua 20; Numbers 35
E.J. Waggoner