Refuge For Which One?

“...lest the avenger of blood, while his anger is hot, pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and kill him, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated the victim in time past. (Deut. 19:6)

In this day, city of refuge has a more contentious meaning, but in the mercy God wrote into the Law, a city of refuge was where a person fled who had killed in the heat of the moment. Should a complaint give rise to bitterness, and bitterness to anger, and anger in turn to hatred to the point where a man was killed, then, no, the city of refuge was not for that murderer. However, if in a moment of heated argument a blow was struck, and struck so that the other man died, then the killer could flee to a city of refuge and have his case heard by the elders. But, just who was this city of refuge for?

We tend to think that it was for the benefit of the killer, but it may well be that God set up the cities of refuge to benefit the intended avenger(s) even more. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and it is a sin to steal anything from the Lord. With a chance to 'cool off', an expression we can see comes from the verse today, the avengers might avoid falling into further sin by taking the law into their own hands and killing for vengeance.

God loves all of His children. Forgiveness is for both the victim and the sinner. Mercy may do more for the one who stays his hand than for his intended victim. Forbearance is a word we don't hear much anymore, but it would be well for us if its day could come again. Perhaps both parties in a fight could be saved if one would forbear to carry out a blow. Paul brought it up in his letter to the Romans:

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (2:4)

If God forbears from carrying out His justice upon the sinner, so that those who once bore that title could repent and be saved, we also who now bear His name should learn forbearance.

Praise God for His forbearance,
Bucky