Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105

(262) 763-3021

God’s Great Society Joshua 20:1-6 Promised Land Living in Problematic World Sermon #19 This morning, if you were given the choice of living in a Harlem neighborhood in New York City, or in poverty racked Bangladesh...Which would you choose? One study concluded that if you want to live longer, you’d better choose Bangladesh. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine shows men over 40 can expect to live longer in Bangladesh than in Harlem. Alcohol and murder are cited as the main reasons.   Eight out of every 10 Americans can expect to be the victim of violent crime at least once in their lives. In the 1950's, there were 3.2 police officers in urban America for every violent felony committed. Today there are 3.2 crimes for every officer. And in most big cities the problem is worse, in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Newark, there are 10. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms estimates that the average armed career criminal commits three crimes in any given week.   Large cities are notorious for high crime. While Milwaukee is not considered a high crime area compared to other larger cities, the city reeled in shock at the recent brutal murder of Charlie Young Jr. It was something out of a horror movie, when a mob of boys, some as young as ten, bludgeoned that thirty-six year old man to death with broomsticks, folding chairs and even a stroller on a porch where he attempted to take shelter. Our nation has been horrified during past weeks as the tragic saga of the serial sniper in Washington D.C. continues to unfold and innocent lives still are being taken.   President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1960's vision of a “Great Society,” today is little more than a nightmare. But since their inception, cities have been places of violence and crime. The first city was founded by the first murderer, Cain, who had been cursed by God (Ge. 4:17). It was a place of violence and godlessness.   Humanity is by nature sinfully depraved; masses of humanity living in close proximity only multiply the depravity. Historically, cities have been places of violence, crime and brutality, that is, until we come to Joshua 20. Here we find a wonderful contrast, God’s Great Society. Joshua 20 is about God’s plan for cities of refuge.   Much of the world in which we live is anti‑God. And most of what we see and experience daily has the effect of drawing us away from God, not toward Him. This world doesn't give us daily reminders of Who God is, what He thinks or how He operates. That was not the case in ancient Israel. Life in the land for them was permeated with constant reminders of God's presence and His sovereign activity among them–things like memorial stones, altars, heaps of rocks, a tabernacle, and later, a temple. All of these visual aids reminded the nation of Israel of the wonder and grace of God.   This concept of images and metaphors is a recurring theme throughout the book of Joshua. Today we’ve reached chapter 20 in our study. This section of the book of Joshua is obscure material to most of us. To some it looks like a 100% yawner, yet, there are some thrilling spiritual insights here. This chapter details out a special category of unique cities in the Promised Land, cities of God...cities of refuge, urban communities which enabled Israel to learn more about God. These unusual cities are part of God’s Great Society. They also communicate some exciting details about the very nature of God and His plan for planet earth. Let me share three lessons from these cities of refuge. 1. God’s provides a place of safety for the innocent, 20:1-6. While today, civilized people attempt to live within the constraints of law and order, the ancient world lived under the law of the jungle. That’s why God instituted cities of refuge.   If you are familiar with this concept at all, your notion of political or judicial "sanctuary," probably comes from a literary source, such as Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. If you know the story then you know that the concept of sanctuary is central to Hugo’s imagery and essential to his plot.   The concept of sanctuary finds its roots in the Mosaic Law. It was so important under the Old Covenant that it has already been referred to and planned for three times in the Pentateuch (Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:6-14; Deut. 19:1-13). Joshua 20 is fulfillment of this ordinance.   Can you imagine living in a society without courts, a judicial system or police officers? People would take matters into their own hands, often unjustly. That was the ancient world.   At the time of Joshua if a man was killed, his relatives had the right to take revenge. The loss of life was very serious. This relative who sought retaliation was called “the avenger of blood.” In a time when there were no police forces this arrangement saw to it that no one took murder lightly. But because of the emotions involved with the loss of a family member, this system could easily result in injustice. The avenger of blood, in his anger and pain at the death of a loved one, might not care whether the killing was intentional or not. All he was concerned about was retribution, not justice. To deal with this situation God establishes six cities of refuge. They were appointed to maintain justice, yet at the same time to exercise mercy and to protect the innocent.   Our laws regarding murder and manslaughter are founded upon the Old Testament ethic. While both the Old and New Testament teach capital punishment for intentional homicide, an accidental death or manslaughter is not the same thing. It is not first-degree murder.    Let’s say a couple of men were out chopping down trees and one man’s ax flies off his handle, strikes his partner and kills him. It would be an accidental death. Many years ago my sister and her husband were driving down the Interstate and a man walked right out in front of them. They struck and killed him. It was an accidental killing. I once worked for a company where a motorcyclist pulled out in front of one of the company’s trucks and was killed. That is not intentional homicide. It’s an accidental death. If there is negligence, it might be manslaughter. The point is, though, it is not murder. And the person responsible for the accidental death should not be executed or have to also give their life. God’s law takes into account motive and intent in such cases. The Hebrew word for “unintentionally” means literally “he did not know.” Someone without a murderer’s heart should not be condemned to a murderer’s punishment.   But in ancient times blood revenge was widely practiced. The vendetta was often handed down from one generation to another, so that larger and larger numbers of innocent people died violently. One section of Italy, over a period of four centuries, had more than 600,000 people wounded or murdered out of revenge. It’s understandable why there was a need for these cities of refuge.     The loss of a loved one is very serious and emotionally charged. We instinctively feel that there is something wrong about the sudden death of anyone. If a premature illness is the cause, we may be angry at fate or even question God. But if a human agent is involved in the death of someone close to us, however much or little to blame, our anger finds a target, a person to focus on. In the heat of the moment another family member might kill an innocent person who was really innocent of a capital crime.   Under God’s program, if an accidental death took place, the person responsible could flee to one of these cities of refuge, find sanctuary and be protected from the avenger of blood. The elders of the city would then have a trial. If he was guilty of murder, he would be executed. But if it was an accidental death, then the man was to live in that city for protection from the avenger of blood until the high priest at that time died.   These cities were spread evenly around the country so that at least one of them was easily accessible. Since Israel is roughly about the size of the state of Maryland, nobody was ever very far from one of these cities of refuge.   Roads were also built to help the person fleeing. Jewish law tells us that these roads were to be well maintained and signposted. One day a year these signposts were checked to make certain that the Hebrew word for “refuge,” Miklac, was clear and legible. Everything was done to help the innocent fleeing man. God knew that a society of mob rule or where vendettas were allowed to run free would result in terror and chaos. 2. The Cities of Refuge remind us that life is extremely valuable and is to be protected. God places a high premium on human life. Human beings are created in God’s own image. The shedding of blood is very serious.   In ancient Israel, capital punishment was practiced. Murderers could not avoid justice. And this responsibility for implementing justice was shared by all of the people because murder was so serious in the eyes of God. Capital punishment then, correctly understood, guards the sanctity of human life. Murder, in contrast, has the effect of cheapening human life. It is an outrage. Any time we devalue or dishonor another human being, we dishonor God.   As I studied this text, I thought about the violence of abortion. Can there be any doubt that one day God will pour out His wrath on our society over this shedding of innocent blood? Or, how about the killings in D.C.? The shedding of innocent blood cries out to God. The value of human life should affect the way we interact with society: how we relate to others, how we conduct business, how we treat our neighbor, even how we drive our cars. Human life is a very precious commodity. Do we value human life as God does? Too often we value lifeless material things more than living image bearers.   The chapter breathes with the sanctity of human life – both the dead man’s and the manslayer. While the provision of the cities of refuge assumes the preciousness of the unintentional manslayer’s life, the slain man’s life is presumed precious as well. Please don’t miss this! The city of refuge is a place of safety but it is also a place of exile. The manslayer enjoys protection but also suffers penalty. He cannot, assuming the case is decided in his favor, return to his hometown and resume normal life. He must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest. Nor can he leave the bounds of the city for, if he does, he is fair game for the slain man’s relatives (Numbers 35:26-28). This city then becomes at the same time a refuge and a prison. Human life is precious. It is costly to destroy it, even accidentally. 3. Jesus Christ is our city of refuge. There is a wonderful New Testament picture for us here as well. Beyond the legal and ethical ramifications for a society, there are some fantastic spiritual implications. There are striking similarities in the safety provided in these cities of refuge and the eternal, spiritual safety that we have when we take refuge in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.   Some of our hymns pick up on this theme of the Old Testament city of refuge and apply it to our relationship with Christ. Remember that wonderful hymn, “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?”   Many students of Scripture see in these cities of refuge a picture of our salvation in Jesus Christ, to whom we “have fled for refuge” (Heb. 6:18, KJV). The lost sinner, of course, is in danger of judgment because “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). The avenger of blood is after him or her! God’s justice is chasing him or her down. God’s appointed Savior though is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), but the sinner must come to Him by faith in order to be saved (Matt. 11:28‑30; John 6:37). The way to each city was kept open with roads that were cared for and well marked (Deut. 19:3). God wanted it to be easy for fugitives to find their way to safety. Wonderfully, the cities of refuge were for both Jews and aliens. Look at vs. 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.” Salvation is for all! God wants everyone to be saved! He does not want anyone to face judgment!!   But beyond this, the picture is one of contrast. When we come to Christ for salvation, there’s no need for an investigation or a trial. We know we’re guilty. We have all sinned and we admit it! And the only people Jesus can save are those who confess their guilt and throw themselves on His mercy. We are not like a man who runs to a city of refuge and is acquitted after a trial because he is innocent. None of us are innocent. We are all sinners.   But if the fugitive prematurely left the city of refuge, he could be killed; but our salvation in Christ is unconditional. And our High Priest will never die, thus, we are forever secure. “Because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Heb. 7:24‑25).   Look at vss. 7-8. Even the names of these cities of refuge are interesting. Taking them in the order listed in Joshua 20:7‑8, you have: Kedesh–righteousness; Shechem–shoulder; Hebron–fellowship; Bezer– fortress or strong; and Ramoth–heights. Hebraists do not agree on what Golan means but the Gesenius Lexicon says it means exile. These names then can be used to describe what sinners experience when they flee by faith to Jesus.       First, He gives them His righteousness, and they can never be accused of guilt again. There is no condemnation! (Rom. 8:1) Like a shepherd, He carries them on His shoulders, and they enter into fellowship with Him. He is their fortress, and they are safe. They dwell in the heights of His love even though they are exiles, pilgrims, and strangers in this world.   But while there were six cities of refuge, there is only one Savior. Jesus is unique and God offers no alternative to Him. If a sinner wants salvation there is only one Saviour to go to. There are not multiple roads to heaven.   The Old Testament killer fleeing for his life did not have options. He could not choose between going to Jerusalem or Bethlehem for refuge. The choice was not his. God had ordained where refuge was to be found. It was in one of these six cities or nowhere. In the same way God has ordained that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven! Conclusion: These cities of refuge were a constant reminder of God’s protection for ancient Israel for the innocent. They are a signpost to us too though, pointing us, as the guilty, to Jesus Christ our “city of refuge.”   The bottom line for you and me is that unless we have fled by faith to Jesus Christ, we have no salvation. It's my sins and your sins that put Jesus on the Cross. All of us are guilty of his death. And he is the only Savior. Friend, have you fled to him? Have you responded to His desire to enter your life and forgive your sin?   One of the things that gravely concerns me is the way people will too often settle for hanging around the church. In ancient Israel it wouldn't have done much good to move up close to the city of refuge and set up camp outside the wall. In the same way just hanging with God's people doesn't make you a Christian. Unless you have personally acknowledged your guilt and your fugitive status and have run to Jesus for refuge, you're not saved.   It is so frightening to me to think of someone hearing this and walking away‑in the words of Hebrews, trampling under their feet what God did for them in Jesus Christ.   In a terrifying world with less and less certainty of physical safety, in a condemning world with all the reminders of your sinful failure and premeditated rebellion against God, are you tired of running and hiding? The consequences of sin can be dealt with once and for all. You can experience safety, refuge, security, and protection in the arms of Jesus Christ. You don't have to fear the avenger of blood anymore. You don't have to live with the gnawing uncertainty about death itself and what will happen when it confronts you.   In the early 1980's while the threat of nuclear war still hung over most of the world there was a couple who, so fearful of that threat, sought to find a place somewhere on this planet where they would be free from the danger of war. After much time and attention to geography, trying to find the securest place possible, they settled on a group of islands, seemingly isolated from the world, called the Falklands. We know them as the Falkland Islands.    If you are familiar though with recent history, you will recall that in 1982, not very long after this couple had settled there, a brief, undeclared war was fought between Argentina and Great Britain in 1982 over the control of the Falkland Islands. Overnight their paradise was turned into a war zone.   A lot of people are looking for safety, spiritual safety. They want to somehow hide out from God’s justice and holiness. They try to hide behind their good works or the fact that they live morally. Some give lots of money to the church or are faithful church members. Some obey the Ten Commandments or have been baptized or catechized. But my friend, all of those things will still leave you outside Heaven’s gates to face God’s justice alone.   There is only one place of safety. Jesus Christ is our city of refuge. But we must come to Him and we must come His way.   John 3:16-18 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”   Dear friend, have you come to Christ? Is He your city of eternal refuge? Have you committed your life to Him? Have you accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior? Are you living eternally in Him as your city of refuge or you still living outside the walls, facing judgment and eternal condemnation?