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The Israelites now all assembled
at Shiloh, and there they set up the tabernacle; for this was the place
God had appointed; and here the sacrifices were to be offered. There
were six cities, among the forty-eight belonging to the Levites, called
cities of refuge. They were in different parts of Canaan, and their
names were Kedesh, Shechem, Bezer, Hebron, Ramoth, and Golan. These
cities were appointed by command of God. Why? We read in the
Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt do no murder;" and God told Moses
that murderers must be punished with death. But sometimes a man
might kill another without wishing to do it; without being angry, or
hating the person he killed; he might kill him by accident; he might throw
a stone when he did not see any one, and the stone might fall on the head
of a man, and kill him. Was the man who threw the stone a
murderer? Must he be put to death? No, God did not wish this;
that man was not like a cruel murderer who hates his neighbors, and waits slyly
for him, and at last kills him. God made a way of escape for the
manslayer. The manslayer was to run directly to one of the cities of
refuge; he was not to wait; if he were found on the road he might be
killed; he was to run to the city, and the Levites there would take care
of him: but he was not to go out of the city till the High Priest
died, and then he might return home. The roads to the cities of
refuge were broad and smooth: the manslayer could run very quickly
along them; there were bridges over the rivers and streams; and at the
cross roads, large stones, and the words, "Refuge, Refuge,"
written upon them. So the manslayer had no need to stay to ask his
way, and he could always escape to a city of refuge, and be there safely
before night. But if he lingered on the road, or staid to rest, the
friends of the dead man might overtake him and kill him; and nothing could
save the manslayer then. He was safe in the city of refuge, and
there alone. Jesus Christ
is our refuge. If we run to Him, believe in Him, pray to Him, ask
Him to save us, we are safe, as safe as the manslayer was in the refuge
city. But if we do not fly to Christ, we can have none to save us;
and then we must perish. Let us go to Him directly, without waiting
or lingering. He is always ready to receive us: He says, He
will not cast out those who come to Him, but, if we linger, we may perish
before we reach the place of safety, and where shall we be then?
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