SCRIPTURE: JOSHUA 20
CITIES OF REFUGE (vs. 1-9)
The Lord instructed Joshua to designate the cities of refuge for anyone who unintentionally and accidentally kills a person may flee and find protection from the avenger of blood. When he flees to the city he is to stand at the entrance of the city gate and states his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into the city and give him a place to live. He must not be surrendered to the avenger of the blood and to stay and stand trial before the assembly until the death of the high priest. Then he may go back to his home in the town from which he fled.
Territories designated to be cities of refuge are:
- Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali.
- Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim.
- Kiriath Arab (Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.
- Bezel in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben.
- Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad.
- Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh
THOUGHTS:
The purpose of setting city of refuge was to prevent injustice especially in case of revenge. This was to ensure that God’s precepts of justice and fairness were kept.