Deuteronomy 19:2-3 "Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. (3) Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither."
God's mercy is incredible and His forethought into situations and circumstances
is complete. When the people inherited the land promised to them, they
were to separate three cities for a specific purpose. These cities would be
known as "cities of refuge". Does that sound familiar? We
hear that term spoken quite often in our time. There were specific situations
in which a person was to be able to take refuge. If a man accidentally
killed another, he could flee into the city in order to escape the wrath of
someone trying to obtain vengeance. But these cities were not to be used
to escape an intentional murder. If someone had fled to the city after
intentionally killing someone, they would be delivered into the hands of the
avenger. The city of refuge was not a haven for criminals.
There were to be three cities and then if the Lord allowed Israel to enlarge
their borders, they were to set aside three more cities for this same purpose.
They were to maintain the roads and paths to the city so the individual could
quickly make his way into the closest city.
As I think of these cities of refuge, my heart and mind go to our precious Lord
Jesus Christ. We read in the 143rd Psalm concerning situations that many, if
not all of us, have experienced in life. We often feel ourselves to be
surrounded by the enemy. We do not know which way to turn, which way to go,
what are we going to do? The Psalmist gives us the spiritual
understanding concerning the "cities of refuge" that was provided by
our Heavenly Father. "I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul
thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah." (Psalm 143:6)
I can picture the individual who due to unforeseen circumstances is in
need of refuge. He knows where to go, but it seems such a long way and
long time to get there. He/she is stretching toward that place where rest
and protection can be found. While making the journey, the need builds
inside. The longing for a loving face and protective hands increases. Is
that not how we feel sometimes when we are urgently seeking the enfolding arms
of our Lord? "Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto
thee to hide me." (Psalm 143:9)
We sing the beautiful old hymn, "Where Could I Go, But to the Lord?"
There is no better place of refuge than in the presence of our Lord. I
can only imagine how the disciples felt the night Jesus told them He was going
away. For three and a half years, He had been the very center of their
lives. They looked to Him for everything and He graciously provided. Now He
said He was going away. Sometimes, we might feel He has gone away from
us; but, the precious truth is that He has promised never to leave us and never
to turn His back upon us. He has given us the Holy Spirit Who lives
within us to assure us of His constant presence in our lives. The path we
take to enter that refuge is by humbling ourselves and crying out for His
divine will to be done in our lives.