Evening star., 1919-03-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THE CITIES OF REFUGE.
Joshua Polls.
Golden text: BLESSED are
the merciful. for they shall OBJ
tain mercy" y"-Matthew. 81.
BY REV. HUGH T. STEVENSON

man leSlSlatlon, which Moses prOmul-
gated. They have prominent place
in the Mosaic legislation. l, was
left to Joshua after he had conquered
Palestine. distributed the land among
the tribes and provided for the ma
tional and religious instruction of
the people by means of forty-eight
Levitical cities to designate six of
these educational and religious CEN
ters to be places of refuge. In
Jehovah's provision for cities of ref
uge one finds the germ of fair trial.
which is assured every man who is
accused of crime in civilized coun-
tries today. In the introduction of
judicial process in place of the old
oriental nomadic custom of private
vengeance for homicide there is not
only constructive craftsmanship. but
principles of great value to modern
life.
The establishment of the cities of
refuge emphasized the sacredness ef
human life, divine mercy and justice.
The right OF the goel, or the next
cf kin. 10 avenge the blood OF his
relative. as well as the desire Of the
slayer to escape from his clutches
both teach the value of life. From
the earliest records of man being
made in the image of God until the
revelation of Gods lIe for man in
Christ Jesus the evidence of the sa-
credness of human life in the thought
of God has been clearly apparent. IT
is seen in the lesson in His provision
for the protection of the slayer by
opening up Of the cities of refuge.
he
relatives blood from the ground.
started like bloodhound swiftly after
the slayer. determined to make him
pay with his own blood for taking
the life of his relative. God. by means
of the cities of refuge provided a
stay of proceedings and substitution
of an ord erly trial for the accused
Safeguards were also thrown around
the fugitive seeking the protection
of the cities Of refuge. Two students
of the law were allowed to accom-
pany him to appease the avenger
could the fugitive be. overtaken. so
that legal Investigation should pass
was unintentional and not premedi-
tated he was assured of protection
by the city authorities. They would
hold him for a trial by the citizens
who would pass their judgment upon
him. If favora BILE, he stayed within
the city until the death of the high
priest. when he could return to his
old home.
The location of these cities in the
different sections of the country ac-
cessible to all. with the provision that
the roads be kept in good repair and
guide boards be placed along the
routes to direct the fugitive to the
place of safety. taught the sacredness
of the life that had been made in the
likeness Of God. The asylum of Sc
curity in the cities of refuge was
open only to the members of the
Hebrew nation. All strangers out
side of the household Of Israel were
treated like members of the various
tribes and given the benefit of the
trial by elders and the city's citizens.
where the motives and circumstances
were Investigated. A distinction was
made between murder and homicide.
SO that Justice was guarded from do
ing any intentional injustice and the
cities of refuge were kept from be-
coming harbors of the guilty in place
of asylums for those free of any
guilty intent.
The condition of safety depended
upon the unfortunate mans personal
effort. He had to seek with all dill
gency and swiftness the city, whore,
if his statement of defense was salts
factory to the rulers and the town
meeting in the public square, he
M Ss e Ye Se w1nn dne tine
stepped outside he was in danger un-
til after the high priest died, when he
could return to his home. The alb
sence from his family and friends
was a punishment. They had to
learn the art of handicraft, so as to
selves. The man who refused to work
was denied bread. Kind friends
might supplement their efforts. They
were permitted to rest under trees
planted for such as they and to drink
water from the wells that had been
dug by command Of Joshua in Gods
name. To large extent the safety
sonal choice. The way of salvation
calls for each individual to make a
personal effort to reach the Lord
Jesus, who. is the refuge for all sin
ners.
The names of the six cities have
been considered typical of the Lord
Jesus. For example, Kedesh means
shoulder: Hebron, union or fellow
ship; Bezer, "fortifcation or strong
hold; Ramoth, exalted" and Golan.
Joy" 1t is easy to see how all
these are suggestive of Christ and
the relation of sinners to the Savior.
He is holy and. like a sanctuary, was
consecrated. or set apart, to bear the
sins of men as the Lamb of God. The
government was to be placed upon
His shoulders, according to Isaiah.
No refuge will be Of value to the
soul that lives in constant and con-
tinuous defiance Of His rule of their
life. Through Him we have COM
munion with the Father and enjoy
the fellowship of the brethren. 1t is
through 1lninn with Ejypo that
saved. have security. and bring forth
fruit. He is our defense against all
foes. He has been exalted and all
power in heaven and on earth in
trusted to Him. Through Him we
have our joy as Christians. The
opened only for the persons who could
establish that their acts were not
deliberate or intentional. Jesus Of
fers refuge for the guilty sinner
who will approach Him in repentance
and faith.
This lesson has also modern ap-
because it outlines the
principles which should govern the
attitude of Christians toward those
who have done wrong through purely
accidental circumstances. Crimino-
logists have followed the principles
Of this lesson in their efforts to clas-
sify crimes. They have disseminated
the crimes into those of
passion. occasion. habitual. insane,
instructive and political They have
revealed by their investigations the
extreme youth of those who annually
come under the raw. "The average
age of convicted criminals is about
twepty-three years. A large percent
age being mere boys
Christian love should strive to
reach the criminal with the healing
touch of the gospel that will seek to
reclaim the one who has failed to
live up to the standards of society and
extend to him the helping hand in
his efforts to re-establish himself as
a respected member of society. In do