Joshua 20

God spoke to Moses about cities of refuge. In Joshua 20 the cities were chosen by the people in the midst of this section about the inheritance of the tribes of Israel. The people were to embrace the Lord's system of mercy. They were to choose the cities of refuge, appointing them and setting them apart for the Lord's good purposes.

The idea of mercy for the guilty is proclaimed throughout the Bible. God knows how to rescue people from destruction and to lead them to a place of safety. But now He calls them to be a people of mercy, and to set up cities of refuge for the manslayer within the land.

We have fled for refuge to Jesus. He and His glorious kingdom in heaven are the perfect city of refuge, not only for the one who has sinned unintentionally, but for all who are willing to repent from sin and to run to Him.

The Lord calls us now to set up the kingdom of heaven all over the earth. We do this in accord with His Word, not only making disciples of Jesus Christ through proclaiming mercy in His Name, but also organizing churches all over the world. These are merciful outposts of the Lord's kingdom upon the earth. People should be able to come to the church that Jesus has established and find Him inside; in the worship, in the Word and sacrament, and in the lives of the people. They should be able to experience a sure refuge there from the just wrath of God.

God appointed His Son to be our City of Refuge, and Jesus appointed His people to be His body, an expression of divine mercy to the world. No longer are these new cities of refuge, the churches, to be according to Old Testament Law, where only the manslayer could flee for sanctuary. The churches are the fruit of the death of Christ for us. Every sinner can flee to Him and find healing in the One who came from heaven to obey the Law for us and then to die for our sins. There is no better refuge for the guilty than Jesus Christ. In His church, people should sense the aroma of life.

When people come into the membership of the church of Jesus Christ, they come to the gate of the city of God, and explain their case to the elders of this good city. They admit the truth of their guilt, and they profess their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. Then they give themselves to Him as the good Lord over the city. They also pledge to be people of worship and service, seeking the peace and purity of the church, and even the Lord's blessing upon the whole earth.

This new city of God as expressed in the New Testament church came into existence through the death of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. But the establishment of the church required more than death. For Jesus to reign, He needed to live again and to send forth His blessing into us, so that His blessing might be known through us. It was on the day of Pentecost, when Christ poured out His Holy Spirit upon the church, that the a new era began.

On that day the old cities of refuge designated by the people according to the Law had to give way to a new great stream of mercy coming out of heaven. We look for the fullness of this great city to come down upon the whole earth in glorious perfection when our Lord returns. Until that day we proclaim a message of mercy and hope for all who call upon the Name of the Lord, and we experience something of the joy of the life to come in the midst of our present distress.