Cities of Refuge | Part 1

Do you like mysteries? I do, especially when I find them in the Bible. I hope that together we can go deeper into the Word in a way that fills us with joy, life, love, and a closer relationship with our heavenly Father.

What I want to share today comes from the Old Testament, a piece that feels a bit like a hidden treasure. Blessings like these aren’t always highlighted strongly within the broader Christian community—whether in local churches, from guest speakers, or TV evangelists. I hope what we are discussing feels like little nuggets of insight. I don't claim to have the whole picture. there are many layers to explore. Since it's deep, we'll probably go through several parts. I encourage you to open your Bibles and join me on this journey.

In the Old Testament, we're going to go to the book of Numbers, chapter 35:6-9 NIV. Moses received direct guidance from God, who gave him specific instructions for the children of Israel. These directions may seem like a hidden secret, but they are highly relevant to us today as members of the body of Christ. Although these teachings are found in the Old Testament, they offer deep insights and blessings that are often overlooked in modern Christian communities. By exploring these instructions, we uncover layers of meaning that encourage a closer relationship with our heavenly Father and reveal spiritual principles that continue to resonate with believers.

In Numbers, Chapter 35: 6-9 NIV, “The Lord told Moses, six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns.  In all, you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”

The six cities of refuge were for anyone who had unintentionally killed another person, whether they were a son of Israel, an alien, or a sojourner. These cities were to be located, with three in the land of Canaan and three on the other side of Jordan. They were a safe place for anyone awaiting trial. These cities were overseen by the Levites – the priests of the Lord.

In Chapter 20 of the book of Joshua, we find the Lord speaking to Joshua the same thing He spoke to Moses in Exodus and Deuteronomy about these cities of refuge. "Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel," saying, "Designate the six cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moses, that the manslayer who kills any person unintentionally without premeditation may flee there and they shall become your refuge from the avenger of blood" (Joshua 20:1-3 NIV).

"He shall flee there from one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and state his case in the hearing of the elders of that city, and they shall take him into the city to them and give him a place so that he may dwell among them. Now, if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the man slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand. And he shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment until the death of the one who is high priest in those days. Then the manslayer shall return to his own city and to his own house, to the city from which he fled" (Joshua 20:4-6 NIV).

Kadesh in Galilee, located in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Hebron in the hill country of Judah were designated on the west side of the Jordan River. On the east side of Jericho, beyond the Jordan, Bezer was appointed in the wilderness on the Plains from the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh. These cities served as designated places of refuge for all the people of Israel, as well as any foreigners residing among them, allowing anyone who unintentionally caused the death of another to seek asylum there until they could stand before the congregation, thereby being protected from retribution by an avenger (Joshua 20:7-9 NIV).

So, what does this imply for us? The answer lies in Joshua chapter 20, verse 6. Here, it states that a manslayer must stay in one of the cities of refuge until he appears before the congregation for judgment, which occurs until the death of the high priest at that time. Once the high priest dies, the manslayer is fully forgiven and can return to his city and house, the city he fled from. When the high priest passes away, they are released. Who serves as our high priest today?

Let's go to the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. I'm sure y'all are kind of familiar with this, but let's take another look at this in reference to these cities in Hebrews chapter nine, in verses 11 and 12. "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, he entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not on this creation, and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, he entered the holy place, once for all having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:11-12 NIV).

Jesus Christ died as our high priest, once and for all. Let's reconsider the keyword "manslayer." The intent of the heart begins with our thoughts and words. So, manslaying in the Old Testament may have been taken literally. You're literally killing somebody. I mean, we could even use it to address many of the issues going on in the media and elsewhere, but I want to zoom in a little more, because Proverbs says that life and death are in the power of our tongue.

How often do our words slice and dice the creation of God, whether intentionally or unintentionally, because of our own insecurities and limitations in how we understand things? How can we go to these cities? How can we go to these places and take back the land? This is a land situation. See, oftentimes we're given a relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by hanging on this side until we get to the other side to go to heaven. But in Old Testament times, when they came out of Egypt and were on the journey to the promised land, the promised land was literal land ownership. They had to go through certain areas on the east side of the Jordan before they could cross over to the west side and begin conquering. Much of what they were conquering was the land's spiritual dominance, which was in that land.

Turn to Deuteronomy 4:41-49, because it gives us a key factor in these verses: what we are fighting. Why do we even need refuge from our words? Go to Deuteronomy 4: 43 NIV, "Bezer in the wilderness, on the plateau for the Reubenites and Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. The cities Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan were the refuge cities on the east side of the Jordan River.

 “Listed below are the laws Moses issued to the people of Israel when they left Egypt, and as they were camped east of the Jordan River near the city of Beth-peor. (This was the land formerly occupied by the Amorites under King Sihon, whose capital was Heshbon; Moses and the Israelis destroyed him and his people.  Israel conquered his land and that of King Og of Bashan—they were two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.  Israel also conquered all the area from Aroer at the edge of the Arnon River Valley to Mount Sirion, or Mount Hermon, as it is sometimes called; and all the Arabah east of the Jordan River over to the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Mount Pisgah” (Deuteronomy 4: 46-49 TLB).

The key point I want you to understand here is that these lands on the east side had two major kings who were strongholds. Yes, they were literal kings, but the stronghold of these kings was Sihon, the king who meant power, and Og, the king of the giants. There were giants in the land, and the strongholds, Heshbon, meant a stronghold, eyes of understanding at the highest level of carnality. The eyes of a loved one are likened to the pools of Sihon. It's like pools of how deep and how dark can you really go in your carnal thinking? That's what they needed to conquer.

This is a conquest we must make every day. These lands of refuge were in the east. Let's look at the names. Twelve tribes emerged from Jacob. Why are these six tribes chosen? Why not all the tribes? And why these three tribes that were on the east side of the Jordan, particularly Reuben, Gad, and the east of Manasseh, with their cities, as a refuge? That each of their lands had a refuge city in it. I believe that the name and nature of the land help us identify the personal stronghold issues we need to overcome. The land of the Amorites is your pride. It's your ego at its highest level. So, what does that look like? Well, if you think of pride, fame seekers, your education, your humanism, or looking out for yourselves as the number one concern in your life, these are strong carnal mindsets.

We have Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. The name Reuben means all-knowing wisdom. He was the firstborn of Jacob. What's the counter of that? It's the omniscient father, God, who knows everything. 

Then we look at the name Gad, which means all-powerful. He was the seventh son of Jacob. What's the counter of the strength of your own pride? It would be the Holy Spirit. It's the omnipotent. It's the all-powerfulness of God. 

Third, we look at the name Manasseh. Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn. However, remember that Jacob crossed his hands during the blessings: he gave Ephraim the blessings of the firstborn and Manasseh the blessings of the last. Remember, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. (Matthew 20:16 KJV)? 

All of that has significance as a pathway of unveiling revelation in our lives today. Manasseh was given a double portion of blessings that were being unveiled at the end of what God was doing through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Manasseh has land on both sides of the Jordan River. This tribe has a double portion of blessings in both heaven and earth as one in Christ Jesus. They know and experience God's omnipresence while in their natural body. 

We do not have any problems with faith; we believe that God is out there around us. But we really struggle when we consider that God is in us, that He is tabernacling within us, spirit, soul, and body. We war within ourselves over His omnipresence. He is omnipotent and omniscient of all in all. They needed to cross the Jordan River, but they had to settle in their hearts the truth of who God is to them. They had to be circumcised in the desert storms of their situation with a new heart for Joshua to take them into the promised land. It became a personal situation. It was no longer the corporate body of the children of Israel who crossed the Red Sea together, but now it's a personal crossing of their self-overcoming particular issues.

Jordan means "descender" or "flowing down," like rivers of life from heaven. Symbolically, it represents transition, new beginnings, deliverance, and spiritual cleansing. We all must go through that while in our natural body, not waiting till we die, but preparing our hearts for what God has planned for our future. When we get on the other side, crossing the river to our promised land, we have three cities of refuge on the west. Why do we need them if we are in the promised land?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). 

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NIV).

We must deal with the strongholds in our lives and thoughts that are renting space in our heads, giving them power as giants in our hearts, and controlling our future. Name them one by one to the Lord and hear Him laugh at the face of your enemies. Begin to allow the Holy Spirit to sing to your spirit and feel the presence of the joy of the Lord as your strength to cross over into the plans Father God has already prepared for your future.