February 6, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Deuteronomy and Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
Deuteronomy 19 (NIV)
Cities of Refuge
1 When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.……Continue Reading
God establishes so many ways for people to be protected and treated fairly. There is an expectation that these ways will be upheld. That not only are we responsible to not break laws but also that the people put in place will uphold them as well. We are all hurt by sin in the form of crime and abuse but we are also hurt when our justice system protects sinners.
On the flip side is the city of refuge when someone is being wrongly accused or the sin was accidental. God provides protection for them as well. God is our city of refuge, our protection often times from ourselves and the sins we partake in that bring hurt and pain into our own lives. He is our help in troubled times and this is a real world application of that.
Deuteronomy 19
“because you carefully follow all these laws I command you today—to love the Lord your God and to walk always in obedience to him—then you are to set aside three more cities.”
Deuteronomy 19:9 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/deu.19.9.NIV
God provided for every circumstance that might occur. He truly cares for His children.
”And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.“
Deuteronomy 19:18-21 NKJV
Deuteronomy 19
Deuteronomy 19
Deuteronomy 19
16-21, I find this passage fascinating. For one who perjures himself as a false witness against another, when found out, shall pay the same penalty as the accused would warrant.
Why so harsh? Because evil against God is so deadly serious.
The people of Israel were given three refuge cities at first and latter another three. This was in the case of someone killing someone by accident. He could flee to one of these refuge cities and be safe. But if he killed someone on purpose and fled to one of these refuge cities; he would be handed over to the avenger of blood. That way no innocent blood would be shed. Not given here but mentioned in Numbers 35:25c. The person that shed blood by accident had to stay in the refuge city until the death of the high priest. Num. 35:25c {and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.} And as far as false witnesses; judgement would be placed upon them as they tried to do to someone else. Deut. 19:19 {Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother; so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.} But Jesus changed this part by saying we should forgive each other and show kindness, in stead of hatred. Matthew 5:38-48. {Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil; but whoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.} I don`t believe the word evil is used in the way that we think of evil, for other scriptures we are clearly told to resist evil and Satan. James 4:7 {Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.} Matthew 4:1-11 When Jesus was in the wilderness, He resisted Satan. God bless you all.
Justice is important to God and He recognized its importance by establishing rules for the Jews. Innocent people should have the means to avoid being punished, while guilty people should be brought to the place to be punished. And honesty is required when cases are being judged, and so a false witness has to be addressed harshly. What wisdom our God has and how it shows in the things He established for the people of Israel.
Deuteronomy 19
Deuteronomy 19