A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Finishing Numbers (Numbers 35, Part 2)

Numbers 35:16-25—“16 ‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, 21 or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. 22 However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, 23 or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.’” 

So if a man who killed his neighbor fled to a City of Refuge, that meant he was innocent, right? Wrong. Though a man may flee to the city, it was no guarantee that he was not guilty. Verses 16-21 are clear on that. If he hits his neighbor with an iron or a wooden implement; if he throws a stone directly at him; if he pushes him down or lies in wait to ambush him and kill him, He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. It would have been better for the murderer to flee into the wilderness, or to the surrounding nations, than to go to a City of Refuge where he could be found guilty and be put to death. “But what if he strangled the victim? What if…” This was not an exhaustive list of the ways one could be murdered, but was put in place to deal with someone who was thinking there was some loophole they could escape through. With God, there are no loopholes. If you killed someone intentionally, no matter how you accomplished it, you were guilty of that murder and you were put to death. As I said before, in those days murder was a very serious thing, and, as always, was taken very seriously by God. 

“But what if he pushed the person out of the way of a charging bull, or a hissing snake and the person died? What about the person who was walking down the road, chucking rocks here and there, and struck someone on the head, unknowingly, and killed them?” This was taken into account, as we read in verses 22-23. These would be what we would call today involuntary manslaughter, and the case would be heard by a jury who would decide whether or not the offender should be punished or be set free. In a case such as this, the evidence pro and con would have to be weighed by the Levites, who would render their decision. This is one more reason why these cities were to belong to the Levites—so that they could steep themselves in the Law, so that when such a case arose, they would know rightly what to do. Also, they would be impartial hearers, having no allegiances to any of the other tribes. They could always be before their God, and could impartially determine guilt and innocence. 

Numbers 35:24-25—24 “Then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.” Joshua elaborates more on this, in Joshua 20:6—“And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.” The accused was to remain in the City of Refuge to which he fled until the death of the High Priest. After that, he could return to his own house, with no threat of death over his head. Just as today, when the accused is acquitted by a jury, they do not fear being arrested and charged again with the same crime, as our Constitution says “…nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…” As with our Constitution now, so it was under the Law of Moses at the time: Once the person was found not guilty, they were freed from the charges of the incident for life. “But what if the person really did kill the person intentionally and with malice aforethought? Does this mean the person gets away with it?” Well, yes. The congregation could only deal with the evidence before them. They could not go any further than what they had before them. But as now, so then, if that person was found not guilty of a crime they actually did commit, that person would have to answer to a higher level of justice than could be meted out by humans. Matthew Henry: “Murder in all its forms, and under all disguises, pollutes a land. Alas! that so many murders, under the name of duels, prize-fights, etc. should pass unpunished.” True indeed, that when men are engaged in activities that involve brutality and, in the case of duels, death, that these deaths should go unpunished. 

Numbers 35:26-32—“‘26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.’” 

As much protection as the accused had while within the City of Refuge, that protection disappeared once the left its walls. Much like with the various extradition treaties we have today. A person guilty of a crime may flee to a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, and live there safely with no threat of being returned to this country to face trial for their crimes. And as long as they remain in those countries, they are free to come and go as they please within those borders. But if they leave and fly to another country which does have an extradition treaty with the United States, they can be brought back here and face trial for their crimes, found guilty and punished. And even still, some of the countries with which we do have such treaties can, at their discretion, refuse to extradite criminals. 

In our text, we find that if the accused steps outside the walls of the City of Refuge to which they have fled, and the Avenger of Blood finds them and slays them, the Avenger would not be found guilty. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. We find an example of a man who had not committed murder, but had assaulted King David, being confined to Jerusalem and slain when he left the city. 2nd Samuel 16:5-8, 13—5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!"…13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. Shimei was under the impression that David had killed Shimei’s kinsman King Saul. So when Absalom had usurped the throne from David, Shimei took the opportunity to curse and to attack David, albeit from a safe distance. 

Fast forward to 1^st Kings 2, and we read that David is in his old age and near to death, and he gives his son Solomon this charge. 1st Kings 2:8-9—8 "And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.' [see 2nd Samuel 19:23] 9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood." David prescribed that Shimei should be punished for his insolence. But the punishment for Shimei cursing and assaulting the king was not death, but basically “house arrest”—he was not to leave the city of Jerusalem. 1st Kings 2:36-38—36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head." 38 And Shimei said to the king, "The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do." So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. Shimei agreed to be bound by the words of the king, to remain in Jerusalem all the remaining days of his life. And Solomon made sure to let him know that if he did leave the confines of the city, Solomon would not be responsible for his life. And after a few years, Shimei felt comfortable in Jerusalem, and thought nothing would happen if he happened to slip out of the city to wrangle up a couple of his escaped slaves. But… 1st Kings 2:39-44, 46—39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish…40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves…41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. 42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and warn you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die'? And you said to me, 'The word I have heard is good.' 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I gave you?" 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, "You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the LORD will return your wickedness on your own head…46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Just as the Avenger of Blood would slay the manslayer if he found him outside the City of Refuge, so Solomon had Shimei struck down for leaving the walls of Jerusalem after he had pledged not to leave. (This episode could also be applied to Numbers 30 and the swearing of oaths). 

Shimei had polluted the land by cursing the king, especially the king that God Himself had established a covenant with. Just as murder polluted the land. Numbers 35:33-34—“‘3 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’” Let’s go all the way back to Genesis 4. The very first murder. God was accepting of Abel’s offering, but He did not accept Cain’s. This upset Cain, and he knew of no other recourse than to slay the one that God accepted. We don’t know how he killed his brother, and it really doesn't matter. He had already shown symptoms of being cursed by the sin of Adam. And he slew his brother. What was God’s reply? Genesis 4:10-11—10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.” When innocent blood is spilled upon the ground, that ground is polluted. Because the life of every creature is its blood (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:11; Deuteronomy 12:23). And in order to cleanse the land from the innocent blood that had been spilled, the one who shed that blood was to be eliminated. For blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. There were commandments in the Law concerning bodily discharges such as urine and stool. God said these must be covered over by dirt, as He dwelt in the camp (see Deuteronomy 23:12-14). These are things that are naturally excreted from the body, and do not cause loss of life. How much more impure would the ground become if blood, which is supposed to stay within the body, is spilled on the ground? 

This principle had not been abrogated. In fact, Jesus said that the innocent blood of the prophets was to be paid for. Luke 11:49-51—“49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.” (See also Matthew 23:34-36, where Jesus says “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets &c.”, showing that Christ Himself is the Wisdom of God.) Was the blood of the prophets who were slain ever avenged? Was the land cleansed of their innocent blood by the slaying of those who spilled it? No it has never been avenged, and the land is still polluted because of it. The blood of the martyrs slain for their witness has never been avenged. And no, the blood of Christ, the innocent Lamb of God, has never been avenged. But all this blood will be avenged one day, by the One who is closer to all of them than anyone. Ger de Koning says in his commentary (King Comments):

 

Those who build the tombs of the martyrs do not seem to be involved in the persecution and violence practiced by the fathers, but that is only apparent. The opposite will soon be the case. God will soon put them to the test by sending apostles and prophets, some of whom they will kill and others persecute to get rid of them somehow. Instead of being held back by the example of their fathers, they follow in their guilty footsteps. They are more to blame because they ignore such a serious warning. In the wisdom of God, the conduct of the people to whom the Lord speaks here, the measure of iniquity of “this generation”, which is this kind of hypocritical people, will be made full. God will then demand from them the blood of all prophets that through the ages has been shed by them from the very beginning. Abel is the first person whose blood was shed. We do not read from him a word he has spoken. Yet the Lord calls him here a prophet. By his way of life, which showed fellowship with God, he was a condemnation for Cain. What Abel did, casted light on Cain who rejected the light by killing Abel. Cain is the pious, legalistic Pharisee, who expresses his anger against someone who truly honors God. This generation will soon do the same with the Lord Jesus. 

If Jesus said it, then it is true and will be accomplished! 

To finish up this chapter—and this book—let us consider the words of the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 6:17-18—17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. We are all guilty sinners. We have all, in one way or another, polluted the land with our sins. Have we all murdered? No. And yes (see Matthew 5:21-22). Have we all committed adultery? No. and yes (see Matthew 5:27-28). Have we all stolen something? Probably. But even though we not have committed these sins that are the worst of all, we have grieved God’s heart by following our own ways and doing things that He has commanded us to not do. All of us. Every single one. And what do we deserve for committing these offenses? Death. Eternal death. Being forever separated from the one true and living God, consigned to the fires of Hell. “That sounds bleak. What can we do to avoid such a fate?” There is only one thing we can do. Run. Run to Jesus. He is our City of Refuge. Run to Him, as quickly as you can, that you may not fall into the hands of our Adversary, who seeks to separate us from Him. Let us say with David, The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence (2^nd Samuel 22:3); and Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me (Psalm 31:2); and God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1); Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge (Psalm 57:1); and In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:7-8); He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4). Let us say with the apostle Paul But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). Let us speak the words of the publican in Luke 18:13. And let us speak as did the penitent thief, who begged our Lord to remember him in His kingdom (Luke 23:42). Of this sinner Charles Spurgeon wrote in his work “The Seven Wonders of Grace”:

 

The lesson of our text is not merely that Christ can save in our last extremity, though that is true, but that now at this moment Jesus is able to save us, and that if saved at all, salvation must be an immediate and complete act, so that, come life or come death, we are perfectly saved. It will not take the Lord long to raise the dead—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall be raised incorruptible; and the Lord takes no time in regenerating a soul. Dead souls live in an instant when the breath of the Spirit quickens them. Faith brings instantaneous pardon. There is no course of probation to go through, there are no attainments to be sought after, and no protracted efforts to be made in order to be saved. Thou art saved if thou believest in Jesus. The finished work of Christ is thine. Thou art God's beloved, accepted, forgiven, adopted child. Saved thou art, and saved thou shalt be for ever and ever if thou believest.

 

Instantaneous salvation! Immediate salvation! This the Spirit of God gives to those who trust in Jesus. Thou needest not wait till to-morrow's sun has dawned. Talk not of a more convenient season. Sitting where thou art, the almighty grace of God can come upon thee and save thee, and this shall be a sign unto thee that Christ is born in thy heart the hope of glory,—when thou believest in him as thy pardon, righteousness, and all in all, thou shalt have peace. If thou dost but trust thyself in Jesus' hands thou art a saved soul, and the angels in heaven are singing high praises to God and the Lamb on thine account. 

We who have been welcomed into the City of Refuge that is our Lord Jesus Christ, let us always remember that He has welcomed us within His gates, we are His, and we shall never be cast out! 

Dear Lord, thank You—thank You, thank You, THANK YOU!!!—that you did not forsake us in our sins, but that you prepared for us a Refuge that we could run to when we polluted the land with our sins. That You did not simply strike us down in Your anger, but You were patient with us, and gave us a City of Refuge that we could run to, lest our Adversary come upon us and eternally destroy us. For those who do not know Him, I pray that You would open their eyes to see their need for a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, that they may see their need to run to Your Refuge, that they may be saved.

 We will begin the book of Deuteronomy next week.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 35 (Part 1)

Numbers 33 recounts the journey the people took through the wilderness to arrive where they are. In Numbers 34 God tells Moses how the land will be split up once they arrive in Canaan. So that leaves us with Numbers 35, and we will finish the book. In Numbers 35 we see the rules for the Levitical Cities and the Cities of Refuge. 

Numbers 35:1-8—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying: 2 “Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities. 3 They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. 4 The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities. 6 Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities. So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.” 

Remember, the Levites were not to receive any type of land inheritance, since their portion was God (Numbers 18:20-23). But the people of the twelve tribes needed priests so they could know and learn the Law and make the proper sacrifices when they breached the Law. So each of the other 11 tribes other than the Levites had to portion off a piece of land outside the cities for the Levites to dwell in, as well as common-land for the Levites to graze their flocks and herds. And again we see a perplexity, as commentators are divided on how this land was measured. Some say that for whichever city the tribe of Issachar (for example) dwelt, they were to measure from outside of the walls 1000 cubits and there would establish the villages where the Levites would dwell. Then the next 1000 cubits out from there would be the pasture land for the flocks and herds of the Levites. This would make up the two thousand cubits spoken of in verse 5. Others say that they were to measure out 1000 cubits for the Levitical cities, then measure two thousand cubits for the Levites’ pastures (the common-lands). I tend to agree with John Gill on the interpretation:

 

And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits...Before only 1000 cubits were ordered to be measured, and now 2000, even 2000 more, which were to be added to the other, and to begin where they ended. The first 1000 were for their cattle and goods, these 2000 for their gardens, orchards, fields, and vineyards; and so the Jewish writers understand it. Jarchi observes, that 1000 cubits are ordered, and after that 2000; and asks, “how is this? or how is it to be reconciled?” to which he answers, “2000 are put to them round about, and of them the 1000 innermost are for suburbs, and the outermost (i.e. the 2000) are for fields and vineyards”; and with this agrees the Mishnah, from whence he seems to have taken it; and the same was to be on every other side of the city, south, west, and north, as follows:

 

and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; which, added to the other 1000 all around, must make a large circumference of land. 

The Mishnah sates:

 

Eliezer the son of R. Yose the Galilean says, “A thousand amahs [an amah is a measurement roughly equivalent to a cubit] form the outskirts, and two thousand amahs cover the surrounding fields and vineyards.” 

Whichever is the case, land was to be allotted to the priestly tribe. They were to be allotted 48 cities, 6 “cities of refuge” (which we shall talk about shortly) and forty-two regular cities. “But forty-two cities divided by eleven tribes doesn’t make an even number”. True. That is why the command was “from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few.” The larger tribes were to give the Levites more cities, the smaller tribes less. And you can read a detailed list of which cities in which tribes’ lands were given to the different families of the tribe of Levi in Joshua 21:1-45. I will allow Keil and Delitzsch to summarize:

 

According to Joshua 21, the Levites received nine cities in the territory of Judah and Simeon, four in the territory of each of the other tribes, with the exception of Naphtali, in which there were only three, that is to say, ten in the land to the east of the Jordan, and thirty-eight in Canaan proper, of which the thirteen given up by Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin were assigned to the families of the priests, and the other thirty-five to the three Levitical families [the families of Kohath, Merari and Gershon]. 

The larger tribes gave more land, the smaller tribes less. Even the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were commanded to give land to the Levites east of the Jordan River in Gilead. 

Numbers 35:9-15—9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. 12 They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. 13 And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. 14 You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.” 

The rest of the chapter deals with differentiating between murder/voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter and how these cases were dealt with. If someone killed their neighbor, it had to be reckoned whether it was done intentionally or not. For us today, what is the difference between these concepts? Well, murder charges are either 1^st- 2^nd- or 3^rd-degree, while manslaughter is classed as either voluntary of involuntary. 1^st-degree murder is always premeditated. An example of 2^nd-degree murder is when two people get into a fight and the one person does not stop striking the second person until they are dead. They did not previously intend to kill the person, but once the fight was engaged, not intending to kill the person, they nonetheless did cause the person to die. Only three states—Florida, Minnesota and Pennsylvania—classify 3^rd-degree murder. This is the charge when a murder is committed, and is not premeditated, but occurs in the commission of another dangerous and potentially life-threatening action, e.g. when a bank robber kills a bank teller for pressing the silent alarm. Voluntary manslaughter is usually what is now classified as a “crime of passion”, such as when a husband comes home and finds his wife in bed with another man and kills one or both of them. Involuntary manslaughter is when a person causes a death but did not intend to. Killing a pedestrian when running a red light or stop sign; handling a gun you did not know was loaded and shooting someone—these are cases where there was a reckless action but the intent to kill was absent. 

As today—and maybe even more so—murder was a very serious offence in the days of Moses. Today, thanks to TV and the movies, murder has been losing its sense of seriousness, and is often portrayed as simply a means to an end. People watch these TV shows and movies where people are murdered almost mindlessly, not considering that the victim’s life has just ended. And in the real world, that person would, in the next instant, be standing before God to be judged. But in the days of Moses it was treated more seriously. Exodus 21:12—“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.” And when someone was killed by another in the cities of the people of Israel, a blood relative, more specifically, “that particular relative whose special duty it was to restore the violated family integrity, who had to redeem not only landed property that had been alienated from the family, or a member of the family that had fallen into slavery, but also the blood that had been taken away from the family by murder” (Gustav Oehler), would avenge that murder upon the perpetrator. But if someone killed another, not meaning to, and they were not worthy of having their own life taken, they could flee to the nearest of these six “cities of refuge”, and have their case heard, and could be judged to be declared not guilty of shedding innocent blood. If the victim’s blood was shed accidentally, God gave them a way to escape until he could plead his cause. Exodus 21:13—“However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.” And there were six cities—three on the west side of the Jordan River and three on the east side of the Jordan—where the accused could flee until his case was heard. Joshua 20:7-8—7 So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains of Judah. [These would be the cities on the west side of the Jordan] 8 And on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. [These would be on the east side of the Jordan].

  

(https://theisraelbible.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/cities-of-refuge.jpg) 

And when the manslayer (accidental perpetrator) reached one of these cities, the people were to allow the person in until their case could be heard. Joshua 20:3-6—“3 That the slayer who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 And when he flees to one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declares his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city as one of them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 5 Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand. 6 And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own house, to the city from which he fled.” When the manslayer arrived at the gates of the City of Refuge, he was not to be treated as being guilty, but rather as simply being accused, with no guilt or innocence assigned to him by the residents of the city until he could make his case (innocent until proven guilty). He was to be allowed in, put up in a house, and was to be treated as a member of the tribe wherein this city lay. And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment. And they were to protect him from the avenger. 

Remember, at the time they did not have the level of surveillance we have today. There were no cameras—no closed circuit, no cell phone cameras, no trail cams, nothing of the sort. So they could not see what had happened. They had to rely on the testimony of the manslayer and any potential witnesses. And even today, in the United States, according to our Constitution, a man or woman is (supposed to be) considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. And there are all kinds of safeguards in place to make sure the accused is given a fair trial. Search warrants must be obtained, a jury of the accused’s peers must be installed, both sides must be given time to examine the evidence from the other side. In short, all things must be done properly to ensure the accused is not wrongly convicted (or acquitted). Today, in a court trial, all kinds of evidence can be included—and excluded—from a case by both the prosecution and by the defense. The same principles were applied in the case of the man who had killed his neighbor accidentally, and even more so, as the testimony of one witness was not enough to convict a man. In order to carry out a death sentence against a man accused of murder, there had to be two or three witnesses, and they had to testify truthfully about the matter. Deuteronomy 19:15—“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” One person holding a grudge against a man could testify, “Yeah, I saw it happen. He just up and struck the victim without warning. And, oh yeah, he hated the guy for a long time.” But this testimony alone could not convict. There had to be one or two more witnesses to corroborate this testimony. 

We see a couple cases in the New Testament that carry on this principle. In the Gospel of John, we read the account of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Was the woman guilty of adultery? Well, yes. Was she indeed to be stoned? Well, yes. Leviticus 20:10—“The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” The fact that the woman was brought to Jesus was not the problem here. The problem was the Pharisees did not bring the man who was involved. See, the Pharisees had set up the whole situation in order to trick Jesus into betraying Himself and His God by putting Him in (what they thought was) a no-win situation. But, as always, Jesus knew what they had devised in their hearts. So what was the first thing He did? John 8:6—Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. And when they continued to press Him, He gave His answer in John 8:7—So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And because they knew that they themselves were guilty of sharing in the adultery, they dropped their stones and walked away. So because the Pharisees were acting under false pretenses, and because they did not bring the man involved, meaning their case would be tossed out, Jesus refused to hear their case, and sent them away empty-handed. 

The second case of false witnesses is, of course, when they put Jesus on trial under cover of night. Matthew 26:59-61—59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60 but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" There they had their two witnesses, by whose testimony they could put Jesus to death. But they had to give the accused the chance to defend themselves, so they turned the questioning on Jesus, and said in Matthew 26:61-62—62 "Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?" 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" They were asking Him to swear by God (in other words, by Himself) whether the things these false witnesses said were true. Jesus—God in the flesh—could not lie and, really, didn’t want to lie. For all this was done according to the eternal will of the father (Acts 2:21-23) that He should die for the sins of His people. And He did—He fulfilled what God had planned from eternity past; He gave up His life on that cross, bearing all our sin and shame, being put to death by the world, contrary to the Law of Moses that these Pharisees so staunchly claimed they were upholding. So yes, even though two or three witnesses may be found to accuse the manslayer, they could turn out to be false witnesses and lead to an innocent man being put to death. John Calvin: “[The Pharisees] had previously resolved to put Christ to death, and now they only seek a pretense for oppressing him. Now it is impossible that equity can have any place where an examination of the cause is not the first step. In seeking false witnesses, their treacherous cruelty is manifested; and when, after being disappointed of their expectation, they still do not desist, this affords a still more striking display of their blinded obstinacy. Thus, amidst the darkness of their rage, the innocence of the Son of God shone so brightly, that the devils themselves might know that he died innocent.”

Part 2 (and the end of Numbers) next week. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 32 (Part 2)

Numbers 32:16-24—16 Then they came near to him and said: "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan." 20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, 21 and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth." 

It was simple: if the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh wanted to remain in Gilead, they had to cross the Jordan River and fight alongside their brethren. It was only fair. Why should they live in ease while Dan and Issachar and Judah and the rest are fighting for the land that was promised them? But such is the thought of many today: “I will believe in Christ, and take my rest in leisure. I will argue with no one, I will debate no one lest they ask a question I do not know the answer to. That is too hard for me! I will rather stay in my home and never bring up the name of Christ.” Such is the design of the monks, who squirrel themselves away in the cloisters, some even taking a vow of silence. But that is not the pattern for the Christian to follow. We are to stand up for the gospel, and proclaim it to all, whether they will hear us or not, even if they kill us. Matthew 11:12—“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” [literally, “the kingdom of the heavens is being forced and forceful ones are snatching her”]. There is a sister verse to this, Luke 16:16 (Revised Version)—“The law and the prophets were until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it.” The Kingdom of God is not a place we enter into in a laissez-faire manner. The Christian life is not easy. We are beset daily by sin, and must fight against it daily. Will we stumble and fall? Yes, of course we will. We are human and as such we were born with a nature that wants what it wants, and sometimes that flesh will win some battles. So when it comes to facing those sins that seek to ensnare us, we must become violent against them and enter the Kingdom of God with a red hot hatred of sin, and be the violent men and women we should be. Jude said as much, Jude 1:3 (God’s Word Version)—Dear friends, I had intended to write to you about the salvation we share. But something has come up. It demands that I write to you and encourage you to continue your fight for the Christian faith that was entrusted to God's holy people once for all time. Other translations say “contend earnestly for the faith”. Peter tells us to always be ready to give a defense for the hope we have (1st Peter 3:15). Fight for the faith! Don’t be content to live your days in ease in Gilead. Your Father has promised you a better home, and you do not want to fall short of entering it! The old hymn does not say “Onward Christian Daffodils”. Another old hymn is not entitled “A Mighty Beach Chair Is Our God”. No! We are soldiers, and our God is a fortress! And if our adversary, who prowls about like a roaring lion, wants to ensnare us, we must fight against him, and take our position in the Kingdom of God by force if necessary, always fighting for the faith and letting our enemy know that it is by the Word of God that we have our faith, for it tells us of the mighty love and assurance we have in our risen Savior of our eternal life with God! We have been given the victory in Jesus. If we have a victory, there must have been a battle.

 

Am I a soldier of the cross/a foll'wer of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own His cause/or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies/on flow'ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize/and sailed thro' bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?/Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace/to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign/increase my courage, Lord!

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain/supported by Thy word.

The saints in all this glorious war/shall conquer, though they die;

They see the triumph from afar/by faith's discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise/and all Thine armies shine

In robes of vict'ry thro' the skies/the glory shall be Thine.

(“Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” by Isaac Watts)    

Numbers 32:25-33—25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says." 28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them: "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." 31 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: "As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan." 33 So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. 

The attitude of these two-and-a-half tribes could also be described as worry. They worried that there would not be in the land of Canaan any land to graze their flocks and herds. They were worried that God’s promises would not be enough to fulfill their perceived needs. They worried and, in a way, complained against God once again. But do we ever need to worry when it comes to God? If your answer is anything other than “no”, then you do not know God. He provides for all His children. He even cares for the birds and the flowers (Matthew 6:25-30; Luke 12:22-28). David knew this as well. Psalm 37:22-26—22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed. When he was in the city of Nob, and he and his men were hungry, did they not receive the Showbread from the hand of Ahimelech the High Priest? In the Magnificat, how does Mary describe God? Luke 1:50-55—50 “And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, 55 as He spoke to our fathers, ‘To Abraham and to his seed forever.’” There is no need to fear when it comes to the things God has promised. His promises are “Yes” and “Amen” (2nd Corinthians 1:20). He may not give us the biggest and shiniest of everything. But He will provide what we need. May not be what we want, but it will be what we need. 

Now, if these tribes wanted to live in the lush land of Gilead, they had to fight for it. And if they didn’t fight? “But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” Again, the choice is simple: Fight alongside your brethren and return to Gilead. Or don’t fight and you will be removed from Gilead and join your brethren in Canaan. If they wanted their life of leisure, they had to earn it. If they did not put forth the effort to earn it, they would go to Canaan. But, to their credit, they did go forth with their brethren. They crossed the Jordan River, they fought to capture the land of Canaan, and upholding the word that Moses spoke to them, Joshua released the Reubenite and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to go to the land of Gilead in Joshua 22:1-6—1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them: "You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. God gave them what they wanted, even though it was not what God intended them to have. 

But He will often do that: when we want something so bad, and we don’t want to trust in the goodness of God, He will sometimes let us have our wants, just to show us that what He had in store for us was much better. This principle is summed up in the Ten Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” What can statues do for you? “You shall not steal…you shall no covet”. What God has given is sufficient; you do not need to swindle from your neighbor his possessions. “You shall not commit adultery.” Is not the wife God has given you good enough? “You shall not murder.” The life of someone who was made in the similitude of God should not be ended by someone for any mundane reason. And how do we sum up the Ten Commandments? Matthew 22:37-40—37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The Ten Commandments—even all the Law and all the Prophets—are summed up in the phrases “You shall love the Lord your God” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Did the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind and strength? That is questionable. At the very least, they seem to have not trusted Him as well as they should have. They wanted to do things their own way; they wanted to have what was right in front of them instead of waiting on Him to fulfill His promise. But let us never do as they did. May we always remember that what God has promised, He will bring to pass. May we cry out “Onward Christian Soldiers”, and shout “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”! May we not be content to rest in Gilead, but fight in Canaan, for we have been given the victory already by our glorious Lord! I leave you with these words of the inimitable Mr. Spurgeon:

 

An idler is a great waster and makes others, wasters, too—his example is likely to make all around him as indolent as himself. I notice in our Churches that a few earnest men and women lead the way and others are sweetly drawn to follow them. How precious are the earnest few in a Christian community! David knew the value of the first three in his band. But if the leading spirits are dead, cold, indifferent—what happens? Why, lethargy spreads over the whole! I am sorry to say that I hear of instances in which a minister laments, "I labor with all my might, but I am persuaded that nothing will ever be done while Mr. So-and-So is here." He is often a cold-blooded deacon, or a purse-proud member. When you come to know him, you feel, "While there is such a great big iceberg floating close to the shore, the garden by the sea must be frostbitten—nothing can grow." 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.