Joshua 20

The Explanation

After Joshua and the people had entered the land God promised them, God spoke again. He told Joshua to set apart special cities, cities of refuge. These were places where someone could run if he had killed another person by accident.

Think about that word carefully: accidentally. Not on purpose. Maybe an axe head flew off its handle. Maybe a stone slipped from a hand. The person did not hate his neighbor, he did not plan anything, but someone died anyway. In Israel, a relative of the dead person, called "the avenger of blood," had the right to hunt down the killer and take revenge. That could happen even if it was truly an accident.

So God made a way of safety. Six cities were chosen, three on each side of the Jordan River: Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. If a man ran to one of these cities, he had to stop at the gate and explain his case to the elders, the leaders of the city. If his story held up, they let him in and gave him a place to live. Even if the avenger of blood came looking for him, the city had to protect him.

But this was not a free pass forever. The man still had to stand trial before the whole community to determine the truth. And if he was found innocent of murder, he still had to stay in that city, away from his home and family, until the high priest of that time died. Only then could he go back home.

What Does This Mean?

This law shows that God cares about justice, but also about mercy. He did not want innocent people killed in revenge, but He also did not pretend that a death did not matter. Someone still lost their life. The man had to leave everything behind and wait, sometimes for years, before he could go home. Justice and grace are held together here, neither one canceling out the other.

It is worth noticing that these cities were not only for Israelites. Verse 9 says they were also for "the alien who lives among them." God's justice does not stop at borders or bloodlines. It applies to everyone equally.

The Common Thread

This is one of those places in the Bible where you can see something further ahead if you look closely. The man who fled was safe only inside the city, and only until the high priest died. It is strange, isn't it, that the death of the high priest set him free?

Later in the Bible, we meet another high priest, Jesus, who did not just wait to die of old age but gave His own life on purpose, for people who deserved judgment. Because of His death, those who run to Him for safety are not just kept safe for a while. They are set free completely.

The Bible itself does not explain the cities of refuge as a picture of Jesus, so we should be careful not to force it. But it is fair to wonder about it, and to notice the shape it leaves behind: a guilty world, a place of refuge, and freedom that comes only through a death.

For You

Have you ever done something wrong without meaning to? Not a real accident like this story, but maybe you said something hurtful without thinking, or broke something by mistake. What did you do afterward? Did you run and hide, or did you go and explain what happened, and hope to be believed?

The man in this story had to walk to the gate of the city and speak the truth out loud to the elders, even though he was frightened. That took courage. Sometimes honesty is scary, but it is also the only road to real safety. Running from the truth never protects you the way running toward it does.

Talk About It

Why do you think God gave cities of refuge instead of just telling people not to take revenge?

Do you find it fair that the man had to stay in the city for so long, even though it was an accident? Why or why not?

Praying Together

Lord, thank You that You care about justice and about mercy at the same time. Thank You that You are a place of safety for anyone who comes to You honestly. Help us to tell the truth even when we are afraid, and to trust that You are a safe place to run to. Amen.