Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place
Pulpit Series Volume 16 Issue 44 12/03/2006
Pulpit Series Volume 16 Issue 44 12/03/2006
Joshua 20:1-9 “The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke to you through Moses: That the slayer that kills any person unawares and unwittingly may flee there: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that flees to one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the city, and shall declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not turn the slayer into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and didn’t hated him. And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come to his own city, and to his own house, to the city from where he fled. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee and Shechem in mount Ephraim and Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness and Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger that travels among them, that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.”
I’d like you to consider that these cities of refuge form the perfect type of the One who is our refuge.... Jesus!
Hebrews 6:18-19 “We have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.”
Keep in mind that this was ordered of the Lord and that makes the very nature of this appointment “divine”.
These cities were to be sanctified or set apart for their sakes.
Jesus was set apart according to God’s will for our sakes.
Being in God’s appointed shelter brings great confidence.
Secondly, we see according to Chapter 20 that the nature of these cities was to be “merciful”.
Present mercy / righteous protection was offered by each city. Sinners surely need that. Consider also, that these are found in our precious Jesus. Mercy to pardon, grace to help and the power of justice to protect and keep.
But friends, Jesus is more than a mere shelter...Jesus is the justifier of all who believe. He in reality becomes our Safe place - our refuge!
Look at the significance of the names of the cities of refuge.
1) KEDESH (holy place) A refuge for the unclean. The holiness of Jesus and the sinfulness of man are shown here. The holiness of Jesus becomes the hope of the unclean.
ONLY THAT WHICH IS CLEAN CAN CLEANSE!
According to Leviticus 10:10, we are to “show the difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean.”
We read this in Ezekiel 44:23 “They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.”
WHY? Because as I said a moment ago, ONLY THAT WHICH IS CLEAN CAN CLEANSE!
Keep in mind, that as much as we can
teach and lead, it is only the finished work of Christ thay provides a true holy hiding place. Only He can cleanse us from our unrighteousness.
Jesus is the cleansing fountain!
Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.”
We dare not neglect so great a salvation and we dare not trust in a substitute!
Jeremiah 2:13 “My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and made themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water”
Jeremiah 17:13 “O LORD, all that forsake you shall be ashamed... for they have forsaken the LORD the fountain of living waters.” Jesus is a cleansing fountain!
2) SHECHEM (shoulder) A refuge for the weary. The lost sheep found safety and rest on the shoulders of the shepherd.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Luke 15:5 “And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Jesus is a strong Saviour. The government is upon His shoulders. There is no rest in ruling ourselves. When we trust Jesus, we lean not only on His mercy, but on His almightyness. What a safe and secure place the weary child finds on the shoulders of its loving father.
Christ Himself has carried our burdens upon His shoulders.
3) HEBRON (fellowship) A refuge for the homeless. Man is spiritually a homeless wanderer. As the homeless prodigal finds a refuge in the father’s house, so we find in Christ.
Jesus is the Hebron for the soul. There is no fellowship with the Father outside of Christ.
I John 1:3 “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus.”
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous run into it and are safe.”
Jesus is a shelter to the soul, a refuge of love and communion.
4) BEZER (stronghold) A refuge for the helpless. Man is not only a sinner, he is also helplessly sinful, without strength.
For sure, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe. No matter how helpless you are, there is in Jesus eternal safety!
All other hiding places will fail, but the name of the Lord will never ever fail!
Matthew 7:25-27 “The rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell: and great was the fall of it, and it fell not: it was founded upon a rock.”
That Rock is Jesus - the same yesterday, today and forever.
5) RAMOTH (exalted) A refuge for the hopeless. Our base nature is not only that of helplessness but without hope.
Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”
Those who hope in the world have no hope! We must hope out of this world. Jesus is our hope. He is exalted at the Father’s right hand, with a name that is above all names. He is high and lifted up! If you feel hopeless in this world, look up over the crowd. Look to Jesus for He is a refuge. John 12:32 “if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me.”
Flee to Him. No mountain could save from the great flood. Those saved were lifted up in the ark. Jesus is our ark of hope!
6) GOLAN (separated) A refuge for the tempted. Many of our brothers and sisters are tempted often in this world because they flirt much with the world.
II Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, says the Lord and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and be a Father to you.”
Even though people hear Him say, “Come out from among them and be separate, and I will receive you”, they still don’t run to Him.
The tempter often overtakes these poor unseparated souls. Our Lord Jesus separated Himself for our sakes, so that He could keep and establish the tempted.
Golan is the last city mentioned. Separation from the world unto God is about the last refuge that is sought after. Jesus must be our ALL AND ALL, if we are to be perfectly sheltered from the curse, the world, the flesh and the devil.
Being held in the strong arms of the Lord’s almighty power, resting in His infinite love, we can truly say with restful hearts, “God is our Refuge and our Strength”.
We have learned about six cities this morning. Each one a type of refuge:
· A refuge for the unclean
· A refuge for the weary
· A refuge for the homeless
· A refuge for the helpless
· A refuge for the hopeless
· A refuge for the tempted
I pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you to see Christ as your total refuge!
We dare not neglect so great a salvation and we dare not trust in a substitute!
Jeremiah 2:13 “My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and made themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water”
Jeremiah 17:13 “O LORD, all that forsake you shall be ashamed... for they have forsaken the LORD the fountain of living waters.” Jesus is a cleansing fountain!
2) SHECHEM (shoulder) A refuge for the weary. The lost sheep found safety and rest on the shoulders of the shepherd.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Luke 15:5 “And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
Jesus is a strong Saviour. The government is upon His shoulders. There is no rest in ruling ourselves. When we trust Jesus, we lean not only on His mercy, but on His almightyness. What a safe and secure place the weary child finds on the shoulders of its loving father.
Christ Himself has carried our burdens upon His shoulders.
3) HEBRON (fellowship) A refuge for the homeless. Man is spiritually a homeless wanderer. As the homeless prodigal finds a refuge in the father’s house, so we find in Christ.
Jesus is the Hebron for the soul. There is no fellowship with the Father outside of Christ.
I John 1:3 “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus.”
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous run into it and are safe.”
Jesus is a shelter to the soul, a refuge of love and communion.
4) BEZER (stronghold) A refuge for the helpless. Man is not only a sinner, he is also helplessly sinful, without strength.
For sure, the name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe. No matter how helpless you are, there is in Jesus eternal safety!
All other hiding places will fail, but the name of the Lord will never ever fail!
Matthew 7:25-27 “The rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell: and great was the fall of it, and it fell not: it was founded upon a rock.”
That Rock is Jesus - the same yesterday, today and forever.
5) RAMOTH (exalted) A refuge for the hopeless. Our base nature is not only that of helplessness but without hope.
Ephesians 2:12 “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”
Those who hope in the world have no hope! We must hope out of this world. Jesus is our hope. He is exalted at the Father’s right hand, with a name that is above all names. He is high and lifted up! If you feel hopeless in this world, look up over the crowd. Look to Jesus for He is a refuge. John 12:32 “if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me.”
Flee to Him. No mountain could save from the great flood. Those saved were lifted up in the ark. Jesus is our ark of hope!
6) GOLAN (separated) A refuge for the tempted. Many of our brothers and sisters are tempted often in this world because they flirt much with the world.
II Corinthians 6:17-18 “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, says the Lord and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and be a Father to you.”
Even though people hear Him say, “Come out from among them and be separate, and I will receive you”, they still don’t run to Him.
The tempter often overtakes these poor unseparated souls. Our Lord Jesus separated Himself for our sakes, so that He could keep and establish the tempted.
Golan is the last city mentioned. Separation from the world unto God is about the last refuge that is sought after. Jesus must be our ALL AND ALL, if we are to be perfectly sheltered from the curse, the world, the flesh and the devil.
Being held in the strong arms of the Lord’s almighty power, resting in His infinite love, we can truly say with restful hearts, “God is our Refuge and our Strength”.
We have learned about six cities this morning. Each one a type of refuge:
· A refuge for the unclean
· A refuge for the weary
· A refuge for the homeless
· A refuge for the helpless
· A refuge for the hopeless
· A refuge for the tempted
I pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you to see Christ as your total refuge!
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