“Appoint out for you cities of refuge,” by Louis A. Dole

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“Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
“That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.” – Joshua 20:2, 3

Readings

Joshua 20 · Luke 6:27-49 · Psalm 144

Sermon

It was a practice among the Jews that when one had been killed, his relatives should avenge the wrong by pursuing and killing the one who had committed the deed. The pursuer was called the “avenger of blood.”

In the division of the land among the twelve tribes no district was given to the tribe of Levi. Instead, this tribe was given cities, forty-eight in all, scattered throughout the whole land. Six of these Levite cities were appointed for a special purpose and called cities of refuge. These were provided so that if anyone had killed another by accident, without meaning to do it, he might flee to one of the cities of refuge and be safe.