Deuteronomy 19:1-13 Cities of Refuge
1-3 When God, your God, throws the nations out of the country that God, your God, is giving you and you settle down in their cities and houses, you are to set aside three easily accessible cities in the land that God, your God, is giving you as your very own. Divide your land into thirds, this land that God, your God, is giving you to possess, and build roads to the towns so that anyone who accidentally kills another can flee there.
4-7 This is the guideline for the murderer who flees there to take refuge: He has to have killed his neighbor without premeditation and with no history of bad blood between them. For instance, a man goes with his neighbor into the woods to cut a tree; he swings the ax, the head slips off the handle and hits his neighbor, killing him. He may then flee to one of these cities and save his life. If the city is too far away, the avenger of blood racing in hot-blooded pursuit might catch him since it’s such a long distance, and kill him even though he didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t his fault. There was no history of hatred between them. Therefore I command you: Set aside the three cities for yourselves.
8-10 When God, your God, enlarges your land, extending its borders as he solemnly promised your ancestors, by giving you the whole land he promised them because you are diligently living the way I’m commanding you today, namely, to love God, your God, and do what he tells you all your life; and when that happens, then add three more to these three cities so that there is no chance of innocent blood being spilled in your land. God, your God, is giving you this land as an inheritance—you don’t want to pollute it with innocent blood and bring guilt upon yourselves.
11-13 On the other hand, if a man with a history of hatred toward his neighbor waits in ambush, then jumps him, mauls and kills him, and then runs to one of these cities, that’s a different story. The elders of his own city are to send for him and have him brought back. They are to hand him over to the avenger of blood for execution. Don’t feel sorry for him. Clean out the pollution of wrongful murder from Israel so that you’ll be able to live well and breathe clean air.
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Why are cities of refuge so important? In Moses’ day, when someone dies, relatives and friends are obligated to avenge the death. Vengeance must be taken to cleanse the land from the stain of murder. Most of us fail to recognize that our actions leave spiritual impressions on the land we occupy, polluting it. Land that is loved behaves differently from land inhabited by murderers. Remember the story of Cane and Abel? God tells Cane that Abel’s blood is crying out from the ground
Here God draws a distinction between accidental deaths and premeditated murder, a distinction that has remained ever since. The American legal system recognizes three grades of murder: first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree murder is the worst and implies malice aforethought and premeditation. Second degree murder occurs when the murderer intends to cause bodily harm but has not been plotting the murder. Third degree murder is similar to second degree and is only recognized in a few states. Third degree murder also involves an intent to harm but lacks premeditation. AN example of third-degree murder is a drug dealer who sells someone sufficient drugs for them to overdose. (https://loio.com/guides/personal/criminal-law/the-difference-between-1st-2nd-3rd-degree-murders/ )
God orders the Israelites to establish three cities of refuge and to build roads to these cities so that innocent people pursued by avengers might reach the cities safely. Eventually, God will also designate three cities on the east side of the Jordan for those living in that area. But not just anybody can gain refuge in these cities. If someone truly commits murder, the elders of his own city are to contact the elders of the city of refuge and demand the individual be sent back to them for justice to take place.
14 Don’t move your neighbor’s boundary markers, the longstanding landmarks set up by your pioneer ancestors defining their property.
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Remember that God eventually draws the boundaries for the various tribes and inheritances are sacred. Centuries later, Naboth defies King Ahab because Ahab demands Naboth give him the vineyard Naboth has inherited so Ahab can tear it up for a vegetable garden.
15 You cannot convict anyone of a crime or sin on the word of one witness. You need two or three witnesses to make a case.
16-21 If a hostile witness stands to accuse someone of a wrong, then both parties involved in the quarrel must stand in the Presence of God before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. The judges must conduct a careful investigation; if the witness turns out to be a false witness and has lied against his fellow Israelite, give him the same medicine he intended for the other party. Clean the polluting evil from your company. People will hear of what you’ve done and be impressed; that will put a stop to this kind of evil among you. Don’t feel sorry for the person: It’s life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Although the idea of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” seems too harsh to some of us, in many cultures, limiting vengeance in this fashion is quite moderate and a revelation. In Bible times, avengers might destroy as many people as possible or murder while the original damage was limited to a missing tooth. Even today, some cultures believe in wiping out entire families, not merely punishing individuals.
What of the injunction against false witness? God has already forbidden that in the Ten Commandments. God hates liars, and He particularly hates false witnesses who lie so an innocent person will suffer. Today, DNA evidence has helped free many wrongly convicted of crimes, but what will happen to those who have knowingly given false testimony? God will judge these people.
While God ordained cities of refuge for the Israelites, we all need places of refuge. Face it, folks, we mess up a lot. We say things we shouldn’t, do things we shouldn’t, and hurt people even when we have the best intentions. Psalm 130:3-4 tells us, “If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings, who would stand a chance? As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit, and that’s why you’re worshiped.”
1 John 1:8-10 tells us, “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.”
Today, ask God to reveal your sins and then beg Him to forgive you and help you to change. Nothing is more freeing.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, open our eyes to our sins and help us to make full confession to You so that You can forgive us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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