Jos. 20: Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:6 "He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

I've read about the cities of refuge before. God commanded Moses to have these towns distributed in the promised land back in Numbers 35. Six towns were to be given. In fulfillment of that command, the following towns were designated refuge cities:

In Naphtali - Kedesh
In Ephraim - Shechem
In Judah - Kiriath Arba
In Reuben - Bezer
In Gad - Ramoth
In Manasseh - Golan

In review, these cities are places where a person who accidentally kills another could flee to in order to escape the avenger of blood. Blood had to be shed for murder. Its a horrifying thing to have a family member killed, and maybe the first thought is vengeance. That's the way it is. So if it is done unintentionally and without malice aforethought, that's something the family of the departed will have to live with...it was an accident.

So this person needed to flee and go somewhere else. Find another place to live to escape their own death. To refuge. And there is a new caveat here in Joshua 20. They must stay there in the city of refuge, not only until they have stood trial before the assembly, but until the high priest dies. Once the high priest dies, they are set free to return to the way things were meant to be.

Justice would be done, and the avenger of blood had to accept it.

Dt. 19: Justice: Promised Land-Style

Deuteronomy 19:8-9 "If the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as he promised on oath to your forefathers, and gives you the whole land he promised them, because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the LORD your God and to walk always in his ways—then you are to set aside three more cities."

I love this contingent promise...."If the LORD your God enlarges your territory...then you are to set aside three more cities." Of course this refers to cities of refuge. God will enlarge the territory of the Israelites, if they follow His commands. Without question, this would take place, as God promised He would do.

The greater the territory, it would seem that the potential for killing taking place would increase. This facilitated the need for more cities of refuge, to protect those who accidentally kill someone. They were to be centrally located. Why this emphasis on protecting killers? Murder is a different thing, of course. It just seems odd that this particular..."offense...?" would receive so much press and forethought.

The guilt of murder and false testimony must be purged from Israel with great prejudice, and without pity. Justice must be done.

Nu. 35: Levite Towns, Murder Defined

Numbers 35:33 "Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it."

I know what you're thinking. What about the Levites? Where do they live? Well, each Israelite tribe was commanded to give the Levites towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle. In all, the Levites were given 48 towns to live in. I don't know how many towns the other tribes took...or were given. But each tribe gave proportionally to the Levites. 6 were given to the Levites as something called "Refuge Cities."

A refuge city was a place that someone who killed another person could flee to and be safe from an avenger until due process was served. If the person was determined to be a murderer, they were given over to the avenger. If it was an accident, he was judged accordingly.

So what constitutes murder? Striking someone with an object of wood, stone or iron that was meant to commit great bodily harm. "Malice aforethought" is what determines murder. No one could be brought up on murder charges if only one person saw him. If a person sets foot outside the city of refuge, he was fair game to the avenger.

I wouldn't want to be an avenger of blood. I'd find someone else if a loved one were killed. I can't imagine being in that situation, but to kill someone, regardless of who they killed...that's not in me.

Money could not protect murderers. Ransom was not allowed. Awesome. Money queers deals.

Bloodshed was something that defiled land. Another example of how humans have this sort of living give-and-take with land. If blood was shed on some land, it could only be atoned for by the blood of the one who shed it to begin with. Shed blood is an atonement here, not just to absolve sin, but to atone for the land, since the LORD Himself dwells in it. That's quite the concept.