Our Daily Scripture – 3/11/23

SCRIPTURE:  NUMBERS 35

BIBLE VERSES:

“Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. 3 Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.” (Numbers 35:2)

“‘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. 34 Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’” (Numbers 35:33-34)

TOWNS FOR THE LEVITES (vs. 1-5)

The Lord commanded Moses to give the Levites towns to live and pasture lands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock.  The pasture land to be given to the Levites must extend out 15,000 feet from the town walls.  The area of the pasture must be on the center with a distance of 3,000 feet from east, west, north and south.

CITIES OF REFUGE (vs. 6-33)

The six cities given to Levites will be the cities of refuge.  In addition, they must give the Levites 42 other towns in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe.  A City of refuge is a place where a person m, an alien or any other person living among them who has killed another accidentally may flee.  Three sides will be on the Jordan side and three in Canaan.

WHO ARE CONSIDERED AS MURDERERS?

  1.  A man who stikes someone with an iron bar to death.
  2. A man who stones someone to death.
  3. A man who hits someone with a wooden object in his hand and he dies.
  4. A man with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies.
  5. A man with hostility who hits someone with his fist so that he dies.
  6. The avenger can put the murderer to death.  However, if without hostility, someone caused another to death unintentionally , the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of the blood.  The one accused of murder shall be sent tot he city of refuge and stay there until the death of the high priest.  If the accused went outside the limits of the city of refuge, the avenger of blood may kill the accused which  is being guilty of murder.

LEGAL ORDINANCE TO BE OBSERVED.

  1.  No one is to be put to death if there is only one witness.
  2. No ransom for the life of a murderer can be accepted.
  3. No ransom for anyone who has fled to the city of refuge and returned to his own town before the death of the high priest,
  4. Do not pollute the land with bloodshed.  The land could not be atoned for except by the blood of the one who shed it.

THOUGHTS:

God provided the Levites with 48 cities.  God’s people should care for God’s minister and missionaries and provide their needs so that they can be free to do their God ordained work.

In ancient times, city of refuge was provided to distinguish intentional and unintentional murderers.  The innocent has to be protected from angry families who might want to take justice into their own hands.  The fugitive was safe in the city of refuge until he was judged.  Today, Jesus Christ is our “City of Refuge”.  When we come to him in repentance, all our sins will be forgiven and judgment is past.  In Jesus Christ, we are saved eternally.