Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-11-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson In the International seriea
for November 2, 1sO2-Cdties
of Refuge.
THE LESSON TEXT.

| l. Inc LORD also Spake unto JOSHUA say
ing:
2. Speak to the children of Israel. saying:
| Appoint out for you cities of refuge where
| OF spake unto you by the hand of Moses:
3. That the slayer that killeth any person
| unawareS and unwittingly may fee thither:
and they shall be your refuge from the
| Rvenger of blood.
4. And when he that doth fee unto one
Of those cities shall stand at the entering
| Of the gates of the city, and shall declare
his cause in the ears of the elders OF that
| city, they shall take him into the city unto
| them, and give him place, that he may
| dwell among them
s. And If the avenger of blood pursue
| after him. then they shall not deliver the
| slayer up into his hand; because he smote
his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him
| not beforetime.
g. And he shall dwell in that city. until he
| stand before the congregation for judg-
ment, and until the death of the high priest
| that shall be in those days: then shall
| the slayer return, and come unto his own
| :ity. and unto his own house, unto the city
| from whence he fled.
| z. And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee
In Mount Naphtali, and Shechem, in Mount
Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is He
oron, In the mountain of judah.
3. And on the other side Jordan by Jeri-
| cho eastward, they assigned Beer In the
| wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe
| OF Reuben, and Ramoth in GiIead out OF
the tribe of Cad, and Golan in Bashan out
OF the tribe OF ManaSSeh.
| 8. These were the cities appointed for all
| the children of Israel, and for the stranger
| that sojourneth among them, that whose
ever killeth any person at unawares might
| nee thither, and not ode by the hand of
the avenger of blood, until he stood before
1.-THE congregation.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Giod is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in
| trOubIe.-Ps. 40,1.
| OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL SECTION.
| tribal all0tn1A0fS
| The cities of refuge .................Josh Xxx
| TIME.-B. G. 1444.
PLACE.-Gilgal and Shiloh.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Need of Refuge.-In all bar
barous and semicivilized peoples it
has been regarded as the highest duty
of the next of kin to avenge the blood
of one who has been slain. The duty
was not merely vengeance in its low
est form, but justice or equalization.
No discrimina ton was made, however,
between the murderer by intent and
the slayer by accident. So deep-seat-
ed was the sense of obligation in this
matter that law prohibiting all pri-
vate taking of life in return for one
slain would have been imperative.
Without expressly prohibiting it, the
establishment of cities of refuge tend
ed to do away with it.
The Tribal Allotments.-For the
territory assigned to each tribe, see
map. The distribution was made by
lot, and the high priest officiated. Reu-
ben, Cad and the half tribe of Manas-
sch had already received their inner
itance on the east side of the Jordan,
and, as no land was given to the Lee
vites, there were only 91h tribes to be
provided for.
The Cities of Refuge.-The esta blish-
ing of certain cities Of refuge is inter-
esting in connection with the sixth
commandment, showing that not sim
| ply was the act to ba considered, but
the spirit prompting il. The custom OF
''blood-revenge," which has been al.
most world wide at certain stages OF
civilization, rests on the principle o,
the sacredness of human life (Gen.
9:5, g., and, in the absence of an eff
cient government, the duty of indi-
viduals to protect it. IT resem bles an
authorized Lynch law. When a man
had been killed among the Hebrews,
it was the duty of his next of kin,
called his "goel," to avenge his blood
| by staying the one who had killed
him. This was his duty even when
| the killing was accidental; but cities
of refuge were set apart in different
parts of the country, to which any
manslayer might fee and be safe from
| the vengeance of the goel till he had
had fair trial before tie elders of the
city and congregation. There had to
be at least two witnesses to prove in
1919. If the fugitive was convicted
of wilful murder, he was handed over
to the goel, whose right and duty it
was to kill him. If the elders decided
that the relatives death was the re-
suit Of an accident, the goel was not
allowed to touch him. The manslayer
was, however, to remain in the city
of refuge till the death of the high
priest, when he might go free in
safety. But if the goel found him out
side of the city Of refuge before
the death of the high priest, he might
legally take his revenge.
1t was the Office of the goel, in gen.
eral. to stand up for the rights of the
family. In addition to his duty as
| avenger of blood, he was % to buy
back and hold in the family the patri-
mony of his kinsman, when poverty
had compelled him to sell it. (2) It
was his place to redeem or buy back
the person of kinsman who had sold
himself into slavery. For another use
of the word, see Job 1925: "I know
that my Redeemer (goeD liveth."
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Christ has provided refuge for the
! cinnor-nOf for tho
The refuge provided by Christ is
easily accessible. He is nigh to all who
call upon Him.
Jesus is the sinners only refuge.
| There is no other name under Heaven
| given whereby we must be saved.
The gates of the cities of refuge
were always open. The door of mercy
| is never shut to the sinner.