Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Joshua 20 and Psalm 20

While God had given ancient Israel’s justice system a profound set of principles to guide it, there was no “police force” set up to administer the system. The people themselves administered the system. God recognised that when someone dies, emotions are running so high that an injustice might end up being done. So He provided a network of “cities of refuge”, to which a person who had accidentally caused someone else’s death could flee for protection. The elders of these cities bore the responsibility to listen to witnesses and then, if they decided that the person qualified for refuge because the death really had been accidental and not a murder, they were responsible to provide for the accused to live under a sort of city-wide house arrest for a prescribed period of time. The house arrest was also a form of protection from those seeking to avenge the killing. What a responsibility!

Lord Jesus, again we see You being foreshadowed in the book of Joshua. You are our “City of Refuge”. We have sinned and fallen short. We are guilty before God, and yet You have provided us with a Refuge from wrath and punishment. You are the safe place to which we can flee for mercy and forgiveness – not because Abba Father may be unjustly vengeful like an Israelite family, but because we are profoundly guilty of sin and yet our Father has provided You out of His love for us. You are just, and yet You have chosen to be the One who justifies us freely and undeservedly at the same time. All praise and thanks to You. Amen.