Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. — Joshua 20:2-3

It is important to view with compassion those who unintentionally harm or kill others. Accidents happen even to good people who would never purposely hurt another individual. One woman who experienced this type of devastating event was Maryann Gray. When Maryann was a twenty-two-year-old graduate student, a young boy darted out in front of her car as she was driving on a winding backroad in Southern Ohio. She was unable to stop in time, and Brian, the child she hit, died as a result.

The justice system absolved Maryann of any legal responsibility, but she still suffered. “For twenty-five years, I’ve thought of Brian every day,” Gray told National Public Radio in a letter she also read on the air.¹ For more than twenty years, Maryann spoke publicly and wrote frequently about the challenges that face those who accidently hurt or kill others, and eventually she founded a website for individuals who have been involved in this type of tragedy. Today the site and its umbrella organization, known as The Hyacinth Fellowship, minister to individuals who live with suffering brought on by the unintentional harm they caused.

The compassion that led Maryann to establish such an organization reflects the divine compassion that ordained the establishment of cities of refuge in Israel. Since these cities were designed to provide a place of protection, they can also be seen as an illustration of Jesus Christ and the refuge He provides for those who turn to Him in a time of need.

Several similarities can be noted.

• Like the cities of refuge, Jesus is easily accessible; He is always near to hear the cry of one who needs him.
• Just as the cities of refuge were open to both Israelites and “strangers,” Jesus offers spiritual deliverance to “whosoever will.” 
• The cities of refuge were a place where the individual in need could dwell; those who come to Jesus in a time of need are invited to dwell “in the secret place of the most high” (Psalm 91:1).
• The cities of refuge were the only refuge for a person fleeing vengeance; without this specific protection, death would result. Jesus offers the only deliverance and protection from spiritual death.
• Finally, the one who fled to a city of refuge had to stay within its boundaries to remain safe. The one who has found protection under the Blood of Jesus must stay there to remain spiritually safe.

There is one key distinction between these ancient cities of Israel and the refuge found in Jesus Christ: the cities of refuge only offered protection to the innocent. How grateful we are that the guilty can come to Jesus! Because of His great compassion toward mankind, we can escape death and find a place of deliverance, refuge, and safety in Him.

BACKGROUND

Years before today’s text, God had instructed Moses that the Children of Israel were to establish cities of refuge when they came into the land of Canaan (see Exodus 21:12-14; Numbers 35; Deuteronomy 4:41-43, 19:1-13). The purpose of these cities was to prevent injustice, specifically to protect individuals who killed another person accidentally, without any ill-will or malice. Six such cities were established — three on each side of the Jordan River.

The Mosaic Law emphasized the sacredness of life. The principle for capital punishment is based on Genesis 9:6 and the fact that when an act of murder goes unpunished, it defiles a land (see Numbers 35:31, 35:33-34). In a tribal society where no strong central governmental authority existed, the practice of requiring blood for blood safeguarded life. 

 In Israel, the responsibility of researching and punishing crime fell to the families of the victims. The words “avenger of blood” in verse 3 are a translation of the Hebrew word goel, which in this context means the designated representative from the victim’s family who was charged with making sure justice was carried out. 

The cities of refuge were established to prevent an emotional and perhaps incorrect reprisal. A person who shed blood “unawares and unwittingly” could flee to one of these cities and come under God-ordained protection until the circumstances surrounding the death of the victim were fully investigated, and his innocence established. 

Verse 4 explains how refuge was granted; it was customary for the elders and judicial appointees of a city to sit near its gates; this was where business was conducted and legal issues resolved. When someone fleeing from an avenger of blood came to a city of refuge, he stated his case to the elders. Verse 6 indicates that the fleeing person could expect to be protected as long as he remained within the walls of the city until his case was fully heard, and until the death of the high priest. That event seemingly established something like a “statute of limitations” for the time in which retribution could be exacted. After the decease of the high priest, the slayer was free to go back to his home and be legally protected against the wrath of the avenger of blood.

The distribution of the cities of refuge across Israel described in verses 7-8 shows they were well spaced throughout the country. No matter where a person resided in Israel, he or she was likely within a day’s journey of one of designated cities.

The chapter concludes in verse 9 with a restatement of the purpose for these cities of refuge. They were not only for the benefit of the Israelites but also for “the stranger that sojourneth among them” (verse 9). God’s justice applied to all, without partiality.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)

II.   The land divided
     D.   The assignment of the cities of refuge (20:1-9)
           1.   The purpose for the cities (20:1-6)
           2.   The location of the cities (20:7-9)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. Who commanded the establishment of cities of refuge throughout Israel?
   
   
2. What two words in verse 3 do you think are especially significant, and why? 
   
   
3. In what ways has Jesus been a “city of refuge” for you? What are some steps you can take to make sure you stay within the boundaries of His protection?

CONCLUSION

Christ Jesus is the place of refuge for sinners, and in His great compassion for mankind, He invites all to come to Him.

¹ Jonaki Mehta, “Maryann Gray Spent Her Life Advocating for People Who Accidntally Killed Others,” National Public Radio, April 12, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/04/12/1169257508/maryann-gray-hyacinth-fellowship-accidental-death.