Pastor's Corner: God Provides a Refuge

A moral society produces a just and impartial Justice system. The only problem is what we think we know about Justice is not always what the Lord declares to be Justice. The Book of Joshua chapter 20 provided six cities of refuge in Israel for people accused of committing intentional and unintentional crimes. This was designed to allow people to cool down, for the facts to be made known and for justice to be served.

In Joshua 20:-1-4 we note the phrase “kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.” The six cities of refuge were not set up to hide murderers but rather to have a trial and determine punishment according to God’s standards of justice.

The Bible teaches that murder is the most serious criminal act (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17 “You shall not murder”).

It was punishable by death (Genesis 9:4-6), for the only way a life taken could be paid for in God’s eyes was for the murderer’s life to be taken by the blood avenger of the family (2 Sam 2:18-23, 3:27).

If the elders of the city found him guilty of murder then he was put to death.

If innocent then he could remain in the city until the high priest died ( Numbers 35:24-28) but probably lost his land and inheritance (Joshua 20:4-9).

In the case of an accidental or unintentional killing, the cities of refuge provided a place for a trial and verdict. The six cities were a merciful provision to protect those who had committed certain wrongs unintentionally or by mistake. Thus we have here the Divine recognition of the difference between intentional sins or crimes and unintentional acts (foolish mistakes).

The greatest believers are fallible and can make mistakes but mistakes are not sins, and they therefore do not disqualify us from spirituality nor deprive us of our inheritance in Christ.

A man may have good intentions without thinking through it first and thus cause harm which still makes him culpable for damages.

(i.e.

Man burning weeds accidentally sets his neighbors barn on fire, kills livestock).

This would be considered a sin of ignorance, an unintentional wrong, but the person doing it is still culpable for damages.

No one could escape responsibility by saying, “I didn’t mean to do that…”.

They might not have to go to jail, but they were still held accountable for their actions.

In the Christian life we often commit unknown sins. The unknown sin takes us out of fellowship and makes us accountable for the act. Yes, there will be divine discipline to warn us of the problem (Hebrews 12:6) and to encourage us to confess a known sin attached to the unknown sin (1 John 1:9). In other words, an unknown sin such as worry might get us out of fellowship with God but we are not aware something is wrong until we commit a sin we recognize such as anger, jealousy, bitterness, etc. When we confess the known sin the unknown sin is also forgiven.

There is provision made for this in the work of Christ on the cross.

He paid for all our known and unknown sins.

Unknown sins of ignorance and known sins are paid for at the cross.

Christ Himself is our “City of Refuge”, so our eternal security protects us (Positional Truth).

If we sin we are expected to learn about it and confess it.

We never lose our salvation because Christ is our Refuge but we can lose fellowship with Him so He knocks and knocks until we confess our sin (Revelation 3:20 “…I will come in and eat with him…” indicates fellowship restored).

The lesson for us is Christ will never leave us nor forsake us in salvation and His work on the cross provides security for us even when we sin or commit crimes.

However, He will deny us rewards and will put us under divine discipline for sinning against Him.

He is always our Refuge.

Chaplain Ron McMurray,

Whitman County Sheriff's Chaplain,

Grace Bible Church of Pullman