There is an idea prevalent, that in the ancient days of Israel everyone was allowed to avenge his own wrongs. People read the words of Christ: "You have heard that it has been said by them of old time, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also," (Matthew 5:38-39) and think that in the days of Moses everyone took the law into his own hands, and if one were injured, he gave the other "as good as he sent." Thus they think that it was a crude, barbarous age, and that justice rose no higher than private revenge.
That this is a mistaken idea may be learned from a reading of the entire chapter in which the directions referred to occur. There it is seen that they are given in instruction to the judges; and that the conditions were the same then as now, when there are statutes, with penalties annexed. It is simply the principle of the civil law, that whoever commits an offense must be made to suffer or to pay an equivalent, as nearly as that can be determined. In saying: "Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue you at the law, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also," (Matthew 5:39-40) Christ was not bringing in any new principle, but merely stating the eternal truth, "Vengeance is my; I will repay, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
The Christian law is, and always was, "the perfect law of liberty." (James 1:25)
Just as we must not do a thing because the law counsels us, but must in Christ exercise our glorious privilege of going far beyond what the words of the law can express, so we must refrain from demanding our legal "rights." God is always on the side of the oppressed; and whoever commits His case wholly into God's hands, has infinitely better defense, and greater redress, than if he sought the defense of human law.
The appointment of the cities of refuge, according to the command of the Lord, was in keeping with this. We read that the Lord spoke to Joshua saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for yourself cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses: That the slayer that kills any person unawares and unwittingly, may flee there: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that does flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled." (Joshua 20:2-6)
We must not suppose that any friend of an accidentally slain man was privileged to kill the slayer wherever he found him outside of one of the cities of refuge. Far from it. The Lord never planned in any such way as that for the land to be filled with violence. God said that: "Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed," (Genesis 9:6) and, "The land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it." (Numbers 35:33)
But He never designed that this should be done except by the executioners appointed by law; and the cities of refuge were provided as a check on the law, guarding even a manslayer against hasty execution of it.
A beautiful and most comforting phase of the character of God is illustrated by the cities of refuge. They show us that: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe." (Proverbs 17:10)
It teaches that: "The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know your name will take refuge in You." (Psalm 9:9-10) "[He is our] strong habitation, whereunto [we] may continually flee, for He has given commandment to save [us]." (Psalm 71:3)
Who may take refuge in God? "The children of men," without respect of persons; for "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28) "How excellent is your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust [literally, "take refuge"] under the shadow of your wings." (Psalm 36:7)
God made a promise to Abraham, including all who believe, and confirmed it by an oath, "That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec." (Hebrews 6:18-20)
That is where the consolation lies. Christ is "high priest for ever": "Made...after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:16)
The slayer was to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but our high priest is "alive for evermore." (Revelation 1:18) "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)
Thus God is "our dwelling place in all generations." (Psalm 90:1)
Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone.
And our defense is sure.
--Isaac Watts, Psalm 90, "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," 1719.
--Present Truth, October 23, 1902--Joshua 20:1-9
E.J. Waggoner