The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-09-05
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Sept.
ID, 1895.
Subject. The Cities of Refuge. JOSH. go: 10.

ID. 1895.
Subject: The Cities of Refuge. JOSH. go: 10.
zone reading these notes should frs. carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated aboyei
INTRODUCTION.
Henry Ward Beecher once said: I'm world
which is made purpose to kill lazy folks and
to build up industrious people, in n world which
has been made like a vast grinding-stone on
which TO polish and sharpen men by attrition,
do YOU suppose God, in giving US the Bible, has
given us n book that settles everything? In
stead OF being such book, il is one which stirs
men M and requires them to form judgments
of their own The Bible answers precisely to
the analogy of the world into which we are
born. 1t is book which contains gwen
amount of instruction and stimulation, but
which does not take away from US the neces-
sity of making an effort to find ont for ourselves
those things which are most vital to our well
fare both here and hereafter"
The National Baptist 1892 said: 1--WE always
like to see the Bible in the pew. The Bible in
every new argues n Bible-reading people,
argues a people who expect the minister TO
preach from the Bible and who follow his
preaching with the Bible in hand. The Bible
should be in every pew just as much as the
call just now for responsive service; there is
no better response from the pews to the pulpit
than the rustic of the leaves of the Bible"
Sacredness Of Human Life.
This lesson emphasizes the outlines of the
murderer 1t insures, however, justice. Gen,
9: 6, states Gods law as to murder. Ex.,
2f:12 Earlier we find man-siayer Mt the
altar of the tabernacle seeking protection till
his case could be investigated. Elk. 2l: Ii.
There was always a sacredness and protection
about the altar. We find it avalcd of even
after the cities of refuge were established.
Ki..2 :2s. Lynch law does not allow of inves-
tigation 1t is liable to become the resort of
the hasty. passionate those blinded by ven
reance Life is too sacred to be taken away by
mistake. Justice demands elaboration and an
even dspensation of just and only just punish
mcnt.
The right Of asylum has been recognized in
the Christian Church all along its history.
Slaves. insolvent debtors, criminals found at
least temporary protection at the AFFAIRS anu
temples OF Rome.
All through the Middle Ages the churches
served to save accused persons from too hasty
Judgment.
Constantine, Justinan, Gratian. Theodosius,
Charlemagne, insisted on the right of asylum.
Sometimes Justice used to be thvarted by
the too great magnifyng of the altar or other
holy place Of refuge, as though it were pro-
lection for the guilty. The Mosaic law re-
CURED investigation, protected the innocent,
aud handed the guilty over to the avenger.
Rather than being harsh, the Mosaic law
seems mercifu. 1t was certainly SO as com
pared with the laws of those days in neighbor-
ing countries. 1t was indeed as compared
with much of more modern law.
In 1900 A. ID. England had death penalty for
263 crimes. n7r2'
l., pit al
crimes.
Recalling the fact the Jewish laws were
enacted in the wilderness, and first put into
operation in very unsettled condition of So
ciety, when there were no such facilities Tor
Furnishing in prisons rs in the 18th century In
England, and we see the greater tenderness of
the Hebrew enactments.
The Mosaic Code did not allow attainment,
while English law tolerated this until recently.
The United States Consultation forbids it.
We notice how speedily arrangements were
made by tho Israelites for the protection of
human life. Cities Of Refuge were appointed
the very start. soon rs the people could
settle in homes and have law effective in
more civilized way than was possible for wan
derers in the wilderness.
The Ter talioais prevailed even as to method
of punishment-eye for eye, tooth for tooth,
etc. Ex.. 81: "a. %; Lev, 81: 10, 90
If one owned a vicious animal, knowing it to
he such, in case the animal killed a person.
both tho owner and animal were put to death.
Ex., 81 90 81.
The law allowed the killing of thief break
ing into a dwellng-house at night, but not at
daylight. Ex., %: 2. 3.
Accidental killing is illustrated in Deu.,
1875
In no case would man-slayer be executed
unless there were two witnesses against him.
Nh A. 30. Den IL g
The method Of execution was by stoning.
Deu, -: 10; JOSH. 1925. If however, the
aveuger overlook the accused before he could
reach the refuge city, tho execution was gen.
orally by the sword.
The witnesses against murderer were re-
quired to cast the first stone at the victims
execution. If false witnesses, they thus be-
came not only violstors of the ninth command
ment but also of the sixth-liars and murder
ers. Deu., II: Z.
JOSHUA COMMANDED TO APPOINT THE CITIES
OF REFUGE.
Data
Joshua, 90: 10 In connection with the les
son, read carefully the references below.
Time.
The exodus occurred in the year 2515 A. NJ.
Add two years as the date when Caleb was ap-
pointed spy. Add 45 years more for the Exc
in settling the tribes in Canaan, which was 45
years after Caleb was spy. 14:7, 10. Then
estimate one year for the u (1S:4 TO examine
the land and report, and for the lots to be cast.
We get A. NJ. 1851.
God directed Moses as to the appointment of
refuge cities, A. NJ 25l3 or 48 years before our
lesson. Ex.. 81: 13. God referred to the mat
ter again in his directions to Moses, A. NJ. 1858,
or about eight years before our lesson. Nu.,
81: g. IL, Ia; Deu., 1922, 9. That was near the
close of the life of Moses and at the expiration
of the wanderings.
Place.
Our lesson is located at Shiloh. ID: The
word means place of rest. 1t was to that place
the ark was carried from Gilgal. 1t is about %
miles north of Jerusalem, between Bethel and
Shcchem.
Its ruins arc scattered over slight emil
nence which rises in one of those softer and
wider plains noticed as characteristic of this
par: of Palestine little removed from the
great central route OF the country; its antiquity
marked by the ruins of the ancient well. proba-
bly, the very one by which the daughters of
Shiloh danced in tho yearly festival when the
remnant of the neIghboring tribe of Benjamin
descended from their hills, to carry them off,
and also by the approach from the East through
in all probability must have been the last rest
selection as the sanctuary. may partly have
risen from its comparative seclusion. still more
from its central situation"
The modern name is Seilun.
Refere,ices.