The citizen., 1920-08-12

When the high
priest died, and so there came a change
I'm the priesthood. he could leave the
city Of refuge and return to his home.
How these cities Of refuge preached
to Israel Of her need Of a divine refuge
| for terrible frntricide For she Is the
mnnslaycr who has unwittlngly slain
her fellowman, the Lord Jesus Christ,
as his prayer at the cross revealed {:
Father forgive them. for they know
not what they do And the avenger
of blood is the Man Of Sin, that dire
enemy Of the last days. and for whose
coming the world Is making such rapid
preparation.
But the text likens believers In the
Lord Jesus 10 the manslayer. and upon
the likeness bases our strong consola-
tion. And In Hebrews o - II Is written
~ the Great High Priest OF our con
fession: For Christ is not entered
into holy places made with hands.
which are the figures Of the true. but
into heaven itself. now 10 appear I'm
the presence Of God for us"
l INC SFI
Behold your security. child Of God
Shut up In the city Of refuge and your
life there depending upon the High
Priest who said, Because / live We
shall live also" and Of whom IL is
written In Rom. $40. "For II, when
we were enemies. we were reconciled
to God by the death OF his Son. much
more. being reconclled. we Shall be
saved by his life"
But when will our Great High Priest
die? And Romans 6 % answers: "Know-
| ing that Christ being raised from the
/ dead dicth no more: death hath no
mare dominion over him." lie has left
| tire grave forever In defeat behind him
and he lives In the presence Of God
for us In the power of that endless
life. And thus Hebrews 7 1928: "And
they truly were many priests. because
they We're not suffered 60 continue by
reason of death" Aaron died, and the
! priesthood descended 20 his sons,
Eleazer and Ithamar. These, in turn,
died and the priesthood descended 10
their sons. and So on through a long
line OF priests. "But this Man" the
next verse tells us-thls Man who now
appears for Us In heaven-"because he
continueth ever, hath an Interchangeable
priesthood. Wherefore he Is able also
to save them 10 the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth TO make intercession for
them"
Each Of these cities Is mentioned by
name, I'm the twentieth chapter Of
Joshua. and every name speaks TO US
OF our good portion now In Christ. In
whom we are secure.
The first was Kedesh in Naphtali /:
the sanctuary OF the struggler." This
Is what our Lord has provided for all
his own by that awful struggle to
viii h our sins had put him, so that
now we struggle no more but rest In
his finished work on our behalf.
The second was Shechem in the hill
country OF Ephraim. Shechem means
shoulder" and Ephraim is fruitful
ness" In this haven Of refuge that
Christ has provided II Is In bowling
the shoulder TO receive the yoke of
submission 20 him that the fruitful
ness for which he looks from US is
realized.
The third was Hebron I'm the hill
country Of Judah. And here are two
familiar names: Hebron is "com.
munion" and judah Is praise" A
goodly city this. and It is ours Shut
up here with Christ, IL II 10 enjoy un.
broken communion with him and thus
to have the overfull heart pour itself
out in that sacrifice of praise" with
which our God is well pleased.
The fourth city was Beer in the
wilderness. And what Is the wilder
ness? Just what this world has be
come TO the heart that has come under
the power of these. divine realities and
that knows It's place I'm Christ But
Beer means "riches" and tells us OF
our possessions now I'm Christ that we
are TO enjoy In the wilderness world
The fifth is Rainoth in Gilead. AND
Ramoth means "the heights" Yea
the heights are ours also, for che
hath made US sit together In the
heayenlies," and by a thousand voices
he is calling us 10 have our hearts In
that place In which he sees us.
And last we come 10 Golan. 10Y
"exultatiOn," a fitting name. indeed
with which TO end the record. foi
knowing our strong consolation ant
all these blessed things that belong tc
US IN the cities Of refuge our exulta
tion is complete.