Joshua Chapter 20
The direction to set up refuge cities in the promised land had been previously established by God. These cities were a safe place where a man could go and stay if they had accidentally or unintentionally killed someone. These cities would be safe places for them to live where the avenger of blood could not exact his revenge and take the man’s life. This principle was established in Exodus 21:12-14 and also in Deuteronomy 19:1-13.
We need to understand too; the avenger of blood was not just anyone who felt wronged by the death of a loved one. The Hebrew word used for one who would play the part of the avenger was “goel”. The goel was the representative for a clan (family) and as such if a murder of a family member had occurred and there were two or three witnesses that could corroborate the incident, the family representative or the goel would avenge the blood of the family member.
God had made it clear from the beginning, that to murder someone was cause for their life to be taken. This was true of Cain and Abel and true in the directive given to Noah after the flood.
Genesis 9:5-6 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.
Let's Reflect
1. Who had God already given the directive to establish refuge cities before they ever entered the promised land?
2. Who determined if a person seeking asylum should be allowed to stay in the refuge city?
3. According to verse 5 we know that the avenger of blood might pursue after this person, but what reasons would be given that he could not seek to kill the person who was safely staying in the refuge city?
4. What two instances would occur that would allow the person to safely leave the refuge city and be protected from the avenger of blood?
5. These cities of refuge were set up on both sides of what landmark?
6. Besides the Israelites, who else might need to take advantage of the refuge cities?
7. We can clearly see in this principle of the refuge cities that God is interested in redeeming people. But He is also a just God and demands a life for a life when the intent was clearly to take a life when done in anger or intent. Do you think that God still has the same requirement today?
