Christ, Our Refuge- March 10 speak to the Children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses (Josh. 20:2). The cities of refuge were six in number; three westward of Jordan, and three eastward. Hebrews 6:18 sets forth Christ as the City of Refuge for sinners guilty of His Blood; and the six cities appointed by Joshua display, by the meaning of their names, something of the sufficiency of that Saviour. For in Him is found: “Holiness” (Kadesh), “Strength” (Shechem), “Fellowship” (Hebron), “Safety” (Bezer), “Uplifting” (Ramoth), and “Happiness” (Golan). God puts Holiness first and Happiness last. Man reverses this. The individual who accidentally kills someone could flee to one of these Cities of Refuge. He was to remain there until the death of the High Priest, when he could then go free. The Avenger of Blood, one of the relatives of the individual killed, symbolized the Law. It demanded the death of the man-slayer. The death of the High Priest satisfied this claim and liberated the man-slayer. Christ’s Death, not His Life, rent the Veil, and frees the sinner from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13–14). The man-slayer was then at liberty to return to his possession as a free man. When Israel shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced, it will then be revealed to them that His Death restores them to the Land and the Family of God. Thus, a City of Refuge stood almost at every man’s door, because these cities were scattered over Israel; but to enjoy its safety, the man-slayer had to flee thither. There were individuals who found neither refuge in the city nor liberty in the death of the High Priest. It was the murderer by intention. Sinners who flee to Jesus prove, by doing so, that they are not willingly guilty of His Blood; and they, therefore, find in Him both safety and liberty. But sinners who refuse thus to seek mercy in Him demonstrate, by their refusal, that they are verily guilty of His Death; and for these individuals there is no Salvation (Williams). ~J. Swaggart
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:53:32 +0000
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