NUMBERS 35

There is a beautiful analogy about God in this chapter of Numbers. If a person had unintentionally killed another person, the cities of refuge provided a place for them to flee when they were being pursued by the "avenger." If the "avenger" found them outside the city, they could be killed, thus "avenging" the death. But if the person made it to the city of refuge, they could request a trial. If found innocent, they would be allowed to stay in the city. If they were found guilty, however, they would be turned away from the city.

I think there is an analogy here about sin, rebellion, and God. First of all, whether a person could flee to a city of refuge (or remain there) depended on the circumstances of the death. If it was premeditated, intentional murder, they could not take advantage of a city of refuge. Once again, I think this points to the seriousness of willful rebellion. God can heal a willing heart, but in the end, there’s not much He can do with a rebellious heart. If we are unwilling to listen to Him, there will be no refuge for us against the "avenger."

In this analogy, I think the "avenger" represents our sin, guilt, and fear. I could say it represents Satan, as we know from Scripture that he prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking people to devour. However, I think we participate in plenty of rebellion without his help, so we can leave him out of it for now. In this world of sin, what we need refuge from is our guilt, our sin, and our fears about God. We all harbor these things, even if they reside in our subconscious most of the time. But that fear of God, if not corrected, will eventually sever our relationship with Him. If we don’t find a refuge, we will ultimately be overcome by our own sin.

And that brings us to the cities of refuge. God is the refuge! Specifically Jesus, the Son of God, is our city of refuge. He is the one who came to reveal the truth about God. In the testimony of His life and death, we see unmistakable evidence that we can indeed trust the God of heaven completely. It is this light that helps to tear down our defenses and make us willing to listen. The less we are afraid of God, the more we will trust, and the more we will listen.

Throughout life, we are pursued by the consequences of our own sinful rebellion. But there is a refuge for us! May we fly to the arms of Jesus. May we believe what He has shown us about the Father so that we will leave behind our fears, the "avenger" of our soul. God wants us to stay with Him in that safe city. He is our refuge!