This evening we're gonna take
a look at Joshua chapter 20, and the subject of this short
chapter, just nine verses. The subject of this short chapter
is those six cities of refuge. And in that city of refuge, and
in those cities of refuge, we see a fit picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ, who in scripture is called, Our Refuge. Christ, Our Refuge. That is the subject and that
is the title of the message. Now, if you'll notice in verse
1, Joshua 20, the Lord also spake unto Joshua, saying, speak to
the children of Israel, saying, I point out for you cities of
refuge." There were six of them. "...whereby I speak unto you
by the hand of Moses." As I pointed out, this is given in Exodus
21. You see the marginal reference,
numbers 35. Deuteronomy 19, you can go back
and read those references. Now the Lord in his infinite
wisdom and sovereign mercy established a place that a man could run
unto and be safe. protected from the avenger of
blood, those who would seek refuge for the murder of his brother
or a family member, someone who was killed unwittingly, unawares. Now these six cities were appointed
by the Lord and Joshua was instructed to mark them out plainly so they
could be easily accessed by the manslayer. Now, people knew in
that day the cities that were designated to be cities of refuge. It's also said that going to
those cities there were signs posted along the way that said,
cities of refuge this way. Have you ever been out on a trip
traveling somewhere and trying to find a certain place and how
you're always looking for a sign? And when you see that sign, you're
somewhat encouraged, ah, I'm on the right track. Well, these
cities were marked out and kept. These signs were marked out and
these signs were kept and maintained by the priest so the manslayer
could easily access these cities. And they were placed and appointed
around in that land of Canaan to where each man could travel
within a day's journey to get to any of these cities. It was
a matter of convenience that the Lord had done this and justly
so in his wisdom. Now over many years that I've
been in the ministry, over I guess 35 years, most people who I've
talked to have always had some kind of refuge. Most people that
we talk to have some kind of refuge, don't they? Some kind
of hope, some kind of shelter that they're hiding in. Some are religious, some are
non-religious. Some people have a religious
refuge. Some people have a irreligious
refuge, but they still have one. They still have, I don't think
over the years that I've talked to people, I've talked to a lot
of people, that they don't have some sort of hope that they're
clinging to, some sort of refuge that they're hoping in. But most
people lay claim to some sort of hope, some sort of a hiding
place, some sort of a refuge. Those that are a false hope,
and a false refuge. The Lord calls them, remember
in Isaiah 28, remember what he calls them? A refuge of lies. Now I don't want to hide in a
refuge that's a lie. That wouldn't do any good when
the storm of God's wrath comes upon us. Those who have a true
refuge a good and true hope of salvation, and a real refuge
that's appointed by the Lord from the hand of God's holy justice,
have a good hope through grace. Now that's where I wanna hide.
I wanna hide in Christ my refuge. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ,
He is our hope. Our hope is not being a member
of the church. Our hope is not that we have
tried to honor the law of God or that we have made this profession
or we've had this baptism. That's not a good hope. Our hope
is in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our designated
refuge and redeemer. The Apostle Paul put it this
way, we have an everlasting consolation and a good hope through grace,
through grace. We believe through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. That's what it
takes to save a sinner. Grace, almighty grace, power,
power. David in the book of Psalm refers
to this refuge many times. If you hold your place there
and turn to the book of Psalm for just a moment, let me point
out just a couple. But as I look through the book
of Psalms, I found at least 20 places you find Psalm 46. We could spend the rest of the
evening reading the references given in Psalms, 20 different
places. David, through the Psalms, talks
about a refuge. You see Psalm 46 verse 1, God
is our refuge and strength. the very present help and trouble. Who is our refuge and strength?
God himself is our refuge and strength. And then turn to Psalm
62. I call this the only Psalm. Psalm
62. And here, David mentions this
several times in Psalm 62. He only is my rock, my salvation,
verse six. He is my defense, I shall not
be moved. In God is my salvation, my glory,
the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Now, he's our refuge. Now, trust
in him at all times. You see verse eight, ye people,
pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Now, wouldn't it be wise to hide
in the refuge that God has established? It would be very unwise to try
to hide in the refuge of lies. May God give us grace to see
Christ our refuge and cause us to hide in him. Now, when the children of Israel
were settled in the land, Now all the land had been divided
up among those 11 tribes. Remember the tribe of Levi had
no land given to them, for it says the Lord was their inheritance. But if you read over in chapter
21, you'll find that there was 48 cities given unto the Levi. You see that title at the top
of the page? 48, eight and 40 cities given
to the Levi. Of those 48 cities, 6 of those
cities were designated as a city of refuge. A city of refuge. And each of those 48 cities had
a priest that officiated in those cities. Now, the Lord's instructions
were to appoint these 6 cities. Now, we know that, now, He said
6 cities. Why not 7? Why not 8? Why not 48? Six cities. Now we know that
seven is a number in scripture that is a symbol of completeness. Seven eyes, seven spirits, it's
a number of completeness. But you remember in the revelation,
the number six, six, six, that's our number. Six is the number
of man. So the Lord in his wisdom provides
these six cities for sinners, sinful men that they might run
unto. through malice, killed his neighbor. There were two men out in the
field working, and one man, something fell off or flew off the end
of the axe, and the head of that axe hit his neighbor and killed
him. He didn't intentionally and premeditated
his murder. It happened, as we might say,
accidentally, and I use that word advisedly. It happened unintentionally,
unaware. If he could get to that city
before this man's family found out, and what happened? There
wasn't any eyewitnesses around, just these two men out working.
And here's this man's brother's dead. Now he's thinking, you
killed my brother. It's eye for an eye, tooth for
a tooth. I'm going to take your life because
you took my brother's life. If he could get to the city,
that is, the manslayer, the avenger of blood could not legally touch
him. If he stayed in that city, he
was safe from all harm. Now it says over in Numbers 35,
27, and 28, if that man fled to the city, the manslayer, and
stayed in that city maybe a month or two months, And then he decided,
well, I think I'll go home. If the avenger of blood caught
him outside of that city, he could kill him and not be charged
with murder. Now you see how important it
was to stay inside the city to the death of the high priest. Now again, this gives us a picture
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our refuge. Now,
that's why all this is given. All this is given to teach us
We who are guilty of murder, not unintentionally, but intentionally
have committed murder and were guilty before the Lord. where
to run to Christ who is our refuge. We're gonna see in the end of
the message that even the names of these six cities that were
pointed, even the names of these cities describe some attribute
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me give you five or
six ways in which this is a picture of the gospel. The cities of
refuge being a type and picture of Christ. Not a perfect type.
Not a perfect type, but a type and picture we're gonna see in
ways which are not a type of Christ. Now, number one, these
cities were appointed by the Lord, our God, for the safety
and security of the people. Even their names described the
Lord Jesus Christ. And I'll tell you about that
in just a moment. It was appointed by God and His
divine will that the Lord Jesus Christ, His beloved, the only
begotten Son. These cities were appointed by
God and the Lord Jesus Christ is the appointed refuge, the
creed of God from all eternity. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. These cities were appointed
by the Lord and the Lord Jesus Christ is the only appointed
Savior. He's the only appointed refuge. He is the well-beloved. He is
the only begotten Son of God. He is our surety. He's the surety of the everlasting
covenant, Hebrews 7.22. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
great high priest after the order of Melchizedek. That's what we
read a moment ago in Hebrews chapter 6. He is the great high
priest who has somewhat to offer, not the blood of bulls and goats,
but he offered up his own blood. The Lord Jesus Christ, by the
divine appointment of God, is our surety. He's our mediator. He's our high priest. He is the
Lord, our righteousness, all this by God's doing. Salvations
of the Lord. This is the Lord doing, and it's
marvelous in our eyes. He is the only appointed Redeemer. who obtained eternal redemption
for us, and certainly he is the only Savior that's appointed
of God. As Peter said, neither is there
salvation in any other. no other name under heaven, given
among men, whereby we must be saved." So, the cities were divinely
appointed, God in His infinite wisdom. Even so, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the only designated, appointed Savior. He's called
God our Savior. Secondly, the cities of refuge
were to be plainly identified and pointed out as a city of
refuge. So that any could flee without
difficulty, signs along the way were pointing to that city or
those cities of refuge. We know that Christ, our refuge,
is not far from any of us. The word is nigh thee, even in
thy heart and in thy mouth. That is the word of faith which
we preach, Romans 10. The guilty have but to look to
the Lord Jesus Christ and believe on him. The word of God is a
clear sign which points us to the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith
comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. The
preachers of the gospel or to keep the way clear of stumbling
blocks and obstructions by preaching Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul said, We are your servants. We preach
Christ, not ourselves. We are your servants for Christ's
sake. Determined as Paul to preach nothing but the Lord Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. The preachers of the gospel are
to keep the way clear of stumbling blocks and obstructions by lifting
up the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember he said, if I be
lifted up, I'll draw men unto me, draw all his elect unto him."
Thirdly, the manslayer was to flee to the city immediately,
not delay, immediately, without delay. To delay meant death by
the danger of blood. He wasn't to go to that man,
that brother's house, and say, well, I've killed your brother.
He wasn't to seek out his brother and explain to him what happened.
He was to flee to the city of refuge without delay. To delay
would mean the avenger of blood would be on his trail and catch
up with him. Even so, those guilty sinners
who find refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ must look to the Lord
Jesus Christ right now. Come to Christ in your heart
right now. Today is the day of salvation.
What's going to happen tomorrow? Do you have tomorrow? You don't
have tomorrow. All you have is right now. That's
why today is the day of salvation. We have no tomorrow. There is
no tomorrow. 2 Corinthians 6. The Lord gives
us this, I've heard of thee in a time accepted and in the day
of salvation, I have succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted
time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Look to Christ right now in your
heart and keep looking. Keep looking, looking unto Jesus
who is the author and finisher of our faith. How shall we escape
if we neglect so great a salvation? Now the avenger of blood is going
to catch up with you. The avenger of blood is God's
holy justice who is after you justly because you're guilty. Fourthly, the manslayer must
be in the city to be safe. Now he couldn't run to the outskirts
of the city. He couldn't come to the gate
of the city. He must get inside that gate,
inside that door. Christ is that door. Knowing
about the city or standing near the city, was not to be safe. He's back there and he's coming
after me. I think I'll just stand outside
the city. Everything will be okay. I'm close enough. You've
got to be inside the city, inside the city designated and appointed
of God to be safe from the avenger of blood. Those who would find
refuge in Christ must by faith dwell and abide in the Lord Jesus
Christ. To know about Christ, to profess
to know Christ or even to admire the Lord Jesus Christ is not
to be justified before God. Believers like the manslayer
of old leave all behind and gladly run to the Redeemer, the Lord
Jesus Christ, casting all their care upon him and resting in
his sufficient grace. As Paul said, I count everything
else lost, ruined, done that I might win Christ and be found
in him. Now, salvation in Christ, in
him, in his person. being united by faith in union
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Fifthly, the manslayer must remain
in the city. As I said earlier, in Numbers
35 verse 26 and 27, to leave meant death. Now, if you'll find Joshua and
then the book of Numbers, and then turn over to Deuteronomy
35. Deuteronomy, no, Numbers 35,
not Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy Numbers 35. Numbers
35. And verse 26, I'll read this
to you. You see verse 26, Numbers 35,
26. But if the slayer shall at any
time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whether
he has fled, and the avenger of blood find him without the
borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood kill
the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. But what a motive to
stay in the city. You come out of that city, you're
in trouble. You're in big trouble. Believers will and must continue
in faith. To deny Christ or to depart from
Christ is to perish with no hope. No hope. Don't turn because you're
familiar with this one, but let me read it to you over here in
Colossians 1. You, verse 21, Colossians 1,
that were sometimes alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked
work, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight, if
you continue in the faith. grounded and settled and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which
was preached to every creature, which is under heaven, where
we are made ministers. And then Paul warns about this
many times in the book of Hebrews, but let me just read this one
to you in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 38, where it says, the
just shall live by faith, But if any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10 39, but we are not
of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. So the manslayer must remain
and abide in the city. And believers do by God's grace,
they do persevere in the faith. They do remain and abide in the
Lord Jesus Christ being kept by his power. Number six, those
who ran to the city and stayed in the city before the avenger
of blood overtook them were safe in that city and secured by the
high priest. And then it says in our text
here, Verse six, he shall dwell, Hebrews,
or Joshua chapter 20, verse six, he shall dwell in that city until
he shall, until he stand before the congregation for judgment,
and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those
days, then the slayer return and come to his own city and
to his own house unto the city from whence he fled. Upon the
death of the high priest, the man slayer was set free. Sad liberty. You see the gospel
there? Upon the death of the Lord Jesus
Christ, our great high priest, we are set free. You shall know
the truth and the truth will set you free. All come, all who
come to God by the righteousness and blood and sacrifice and mediation
of the Lord Jesus Christ, are forever justified and freed
from all condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because our great
high priest had died, put away all our sin, all our guilt, and
he set us free. Set us free. He that spared not
his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things in Christ? Now, I told you there are some
ways in which this type breaks down, which this type is not
a good type in picture of Christ. There is some ways in which it
doesn't hold out. Let me give you three or four
of them. There were six cities of refuge, right? There's only
one Redeemer. There's only one Redeemer. The
Lord said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. There's
not six ways to God. So just one way. Christ is that
way. So in that way, the type breaks
down. Secondly, these cities protected
only from physical death. Our Lord Jesus Christ delivered
us from spiritual and eternal death. He says, I give my sheep
eternal life and they shall never perish. He that hath the son
hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Thirdly, these cities required
physical exertion and running to reach them. Coming to Christ
is not a physical move. As my dear pastor used to say,
come to Christ and don't move a muscle. Don't twitch an eye. There's no physical, coming to
Christ is not a physical move, an effort. No effort or deed
is necessary to come to Christ, only heart, faith. Remember Isaiah
45, where he says, look unto me and be you saved, all the
ends of the earth. I am God, the only just God and
Savior. Beside me there is no other.
Look, look to Christ right now by faith. We look to him for
all of our salvation. These cities, fourthly, these
cities were only for those who by chance, accident, unawares,
killed someone. But Christ, our Lord, is a refuge
and redeemer of willful murderers, adulterers, thieves, and the
chief of sinners. I didn't accidentally sin against
God. You didn't either. Our sin is
a willful, deliberate rebellion against God. The carnal minded
enmity against God. But the good news of the gospel
is, this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Boy, that includes
me. Christ died when we were yet
without strength. Christ died for the ungodly.
Our Lord said, go ye to learn what that means. I will have
mercy and not sacrifice. I'm not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentant. He came to seek and to save that
which is lost. Now, in verse seven, and eight
in Joshua 20, he gives us the names of these six cities. And they're familiar names because
we've seen them before. In closing, I want to tell you
about the names of these cities as they describe our refuge.
And they appointed Kadesh and Galilee in Mount Nephthala. What does Kadesh mean? Kadesh
means holy. Christ is our Holy One. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is our righteousness. Christ is the Holy One who had
no sin, the spotless Lamb of God who knew no sin, who did
no sin, who was manifested to take away our sin. God made him
to be sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Christ is our Kadesh. Christ is our, he's called the
Lord, our righteousness. Secondly, Shechem in Mount Ephraim,
What does Shechem mean? Shechem means shoulder, shoulder. Christ is our broad-shouldered
Redeemer. He carried the enormous load
of our sin upon His shoulder. He bare our sin in His own body
on the tree. The government and the rule is
upon His shoulders. In our conversion, you remember
the story of the Shepherd who finds the lost sheep. In our
conversion, he finds his lost sheep, puts them upon his shoulders,
and carries them all the way to glory. He's carrying us upon
his shoulder. He's a broad-shouldered redeemer. Thirdly, Hebron in Mount Judah. You see that? Kujat Arba, which
is Hebron in the Mount of Judah. That was Caleb's city, was it
not? Hebron means fellowship and truly our fellowship is with
Christ by our union with Him, by Christ we have access to and
fellowship with the Father in Christ. Listen to this scripture,
1 John 1 verse 3, that which we have seen and heard declare
we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly
our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son. There is no
fellowship with God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. There
is no knowing God, not savingly, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. And then down here in verse eight,
on the other side of Jordan by Jericho eastward. Remember there
were three tribes who had the inheritance on the other side
of Jordan. Eastward, the first one he mentions
there on the other side by Jericho, Eastward assigned Bezer in the
wilderness upon the plain of the tribe of Reuben, and then
Ramoth and Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan, we still
hear about the Golan Heights today, don't we? Golan and Bashan
out of the tribe of Manasseh. Now, these three on the other
side, Bezer, means a fortified place. And we know the Lord Jesus
Christ is our strong refuge, never failing Savior, and a faithful,
strong Redeemer, our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I had it in the bulletin a week
or two ago from Psalm 18. I will love thee, O Lord, my
strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress,
my deliverer, my God, my strength, and whom I'll trust, my buckler,
the hoard of my salvation, and he's my high tower. A fortified place. Boy, it's
a fortified refuge, is it not? And then, Ramoth in Gilead. Ramoth means exalted. And we
know the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted to the right hand of
the throne of God. You see, even in the names of
these cities, they describe the character of our blessed Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Ramoth means exalted, Christ
is our highly exalted. He's highly exalted to the right
hand of the throne of God. When he by himself purged our
sin, he sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. Can
you get any higher than that? And then it says in Ephesians
chapter two that we are exalted in Christ our head. What's through the head is through
the body. Where the head is, that's where the body is. We
are exalted in the heavenlies in Christ right now. That's an amazing truth, but
it's so. And then the last one, Golan. Golan means revealed or manifested. That's how we learn the gospel.
The revelation of God shines in our heart and we see the glorious
person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Christ is the revealed
Savior and manifested to our heart. He's hid these things
from the wise and prudent and revealed them undebated. Peter, who do you say that I
am? You're the Christ. How do you know that? Flesh and
blood didn't reveal unto thee, but my Father, my Father. We only know God in Christ who
commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in
our heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God that shines in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. There
is no knowing God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he's revealed and
manifested. Now, isn't that a tremendous
subject to think about? Christ, our refuge. Christ, our refuge. May the Lord always cause us
to look to him and rest in him. I not only want to look to him
and come to him, I want to rest in him. Didn't he say that? Come
unto me all you that labor, heavy laden, I'll give you rest. That's what I need, rest, rest.