Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

The cities of refuge needed to be established. These were the cities were people guilty of accidental killings could flee to for protection from avenging relatives until their case could be heard. If truly innocent of premeditated killing, they could live there in peace until the death of the current high priest, when they had to go back home – presumably having served their ‘community service’ for a death, albeit one of accident. They would no longer be held responsible for the death and no one could avenge the dead on them.

Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali. Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim. Hebron in the hill country of Judah. Those were the cities on this side of the Jordan. On the other side of the Jordan were Bezer in the wilderness plain of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead (tribe of Gad), and Golan in Bashan (tribe of Manasseh). Those were the six cities of refuge spread throughout all the territory of Israel.

“The Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pastureland by lot, just as Yahweh commanded through the hand of Moses.” (Joshua 21:8).

The Levites needed somewhere to live, but they weren’t given territories. They were given cities and grazing land for livestock around those cities as Moses had commanded (Numbers 35:2-8). They were also divided by lots. They were placed in all the land of promise, spread out throughout the tribes so that everyone had access to priests – the teachers of the Law – and their moral guidance.

The descendants of Aaron got thirteen cities and grazing land. The descendants of Kohath got ten cities and grazing land. The Gershonites got thirteen cities and grazing land. All together they got forty-eight cities and their grazing land, all within the possession of the tribes of Israel.

“And Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled in it. Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their ancestors, and nobody from all their enemies withstood them, for Yahweh had given all their enemies into their hand. And nothing failed from all the good things that Yahweh promised to the house of Israel; everything came to pass” (Joshua 43-45). While true, they did not maintain faithfulness to the Lord and fell away in the future. Therefore they did not receive all that ABRAHAM had been promised and to this day Israel awaits the COMPLETE fulfillment of the promise of the Lord. I have said it before and I stand on this: they WILL receive it all. The Lord’s promises NEVER pass away.

Summary

Key Players: God, Levites

Key Themes: Cities of Refuge, Levite Cities, Possession

Key Verse(s): Joshua 20:1-3; 21:1-3, 8, 41-45