Deuteronomy 19

The Law of God for Israel had a very unusual provision that only made sense for this present world where people face unintended negative consequences. Consider a man swinging his ax only to have the unintended result that the axehead flew off and his friend was hit in the head and died. That man who was swinging the ax was not to be treated as a murderer. He was guilty of manslaughter.

In the Law of Israel, the man with the ax could run to a city of refuge and find safety from the grieving relatives. The next of kin to the dead man was a “kinsman-redeemer” who would see to the requirements of justice and who would also care for the land, family, and name of his relative. He was to make things right in this matter in the name of the deceased, and in this case was called an avenger.

But what if the avenger killed the man who had killed his relative? How would that make things right when the death was an accident? What about the man who would now die for the unintended manslaughter? Who would avenge his death? Where would it end?

The Lord provided a city of refuge. In that city, the elders would have to decide the case. They could not harbor a murderer within their gates, but they could protect a manslayer who had no intention of taking the life of his neighbor. As the conquest of the land progressed, the Lord would provide additional cities of refuge, so that the nearest city would be close enough to be an effective safety net.

How do you receive this unusual decree from Israel's God? Just for a moment, don't evaluate it as a judge or catalog it as a researcher of legal customs. Receive it like a young child who heard these words for the first time from a father who could explain the law based on the example, the story, that God had given. A child would be able to understand the story about the man with the ax, the other man who got hurt, the avenger who ran after the man with the ax, and the city of refuge.

In years to come, the story might come back to the mind of that child when someone told him that God had provided a place of safety for him where his sins would be forgiven. He could run for safety to the person who would be a safe place for him. It was a powerful idea, the city of refuge, but it only went so far. Israel needed a much more comprehensive solution to the sadness of life all around them. Their misery was not merely a result of unintended negative consequences.

Even among God's people there might be those who had stolen something of value on purpose. For instance, a neighbor might try to move the stone that marked his property line, and end up taking some land that was not his. He also might lie about another neighbor and bring horrible trouble upon many lives. Evil could not be tolerated, but how would anyone survive if all the evil in Israel received the punishment it actually deserved? Two or three witnesses could rightly bring a man to his death. What could be done for people who had sinned?

Consider our own situation today. We are guilty. How could we ever meet our Maker and live? Could there be any city of refuge for the guilty? Could the guilty man ever find forgiveness? Could people covered with shame ever find cleansing?

We do have a Kinsman-Redeemer in the Messiah. He is our closest brother. He died not just for our careless mistakes. He gave His righteous blood for our worst sins. Saul of Tarsus, who characterized himself as “the chief of sinners” once hated those who believed that Jesus was the Son of God and Messiah. Paul eventually found forgiveness through the blood of his Kinsman-Redeemer that He had hated without a cause.

There is a new story that we need to take into our hearts in the gospel. It is very powerful good news. Receive it like a child. You are guilty, and not innocent. Where can you go? The man running after you is the Son of God, and He runs faster than you do. He has every right to punish you forever. He comes in the Name of His Father, and you have stolen and lied in ways that have offended the Most High God. But what does that closest relation of God do when He catches you? He does not destroy you, He grants you life in His blood. He has taken the penalty for you. The Kinsman-Redeemer of God that could have demanded justice from you forever has become your Brother and Friend. He has paid Justice for you. He is your City of Refuge.