Christ, Our Refuge

May we say from the start that it is unfortunate that many of God’s people seem to have alienated the scriptures: on one side, the Old Testament; on the other side, the New. In Ephesians chapter 2 we are told: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. . .for to make in himself one new man. . .that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross. . .” Yet there are some who seem intent on repairing or building back the wall that our Lord has broken down! It is one Bible; one Word of God. There is no “great gulf fixed!” At least let us build a bridge across Old and New that we may travel as need be between the two. Far better, let us view the scriptures as they really are - interwoven together to reveal a panoramic picture of a Sovereign God, His Christ, and the wondrous work of redemption.

David Jeremiah spoke of a trip that he made with his father to the middle east. “I am a tourist; I enjoy sight-seeing: but my father is an archaeologist, an explorer.” The same may be said concerning the scriptures: many like to visit them, to sight-see, while others come to stay for a while. They are as the archaeologist; there is the desire to delve into the scriptures; to patiently explore, to probe, to dig. There are indeed many artifacts and treasures of unspeakable beauty yet to be discovered in the Eternal Word.

I think that we cannot over-emphasize the importance of carefully, meticulously, diligently, and yes, patiently searching and comparing the scriptures: May we consider one such example: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” I Cor. 3:11. “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it” Psalm 127:1. A common error is found in the study of Matthew 7 and Luke 6: two foundations; one of rock, the other of sand; and two houses; which we have supposed to be identical. The house built upon the rock withstood the storm, while that which was built upon the sand, says the scripture: “great was its fall.” That one man lacked wisdom, insight and discernment: he built his house on the sand. Then, pray tell, on what “grounds” may we assume that he might possess wisdom, insight, and discernment to build a goodly and strong house? His house may well have been built with “wood, hay, and stubble; while the house built upon the rock, with that of “gold, silver and precious stone.”

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it!"

The events of September the 11th shook the nation with the magnitude of an immense earthquake. Surely the good old USA was exempt; safe from any attack by foreign powers: well, if you don’t include Pearl Harbor. For well over a century immigrants have come from distant nations; many from lands that show forth the scars of battle. Into New York harbor they came. “There’s the Statue of Liberty! We’re safe!” But the Trade Towers crumbled in sight of the Statue of Liberty. Now no one views the City of New York as a City of Refuge. There is but one refuge for the soul. It’s not in a city. It’s not in a house built upon the sand. It’s not even within the walls of the church-house. It’s in a person, and we as believers as well as those who are lost, need to search Him out; to flee to Him for refuge.

Christ, our refuge: an anchor of the soul.

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” Heb. 6:18-20.

"Two immutable things?” “God made promise to Abraham. . .” Heb. 6:13. “an oath of confirmation” Heb. 6:16. In verse 17, the “immutability of his counsel.” The word immutable: inflexible, invariable, unalterable, unchangeable, ironclad! And it is “impossible for God to lie!” Heb.6:18. That being so, we have “Jesus, made an high priest forever,” who is a “strong consolation,” a “refuge,” “the hope set before us,” an “anchor of the soul:” and that anchor is “both sure and stedfast!”

“Which (hope) we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” Now an anchor is used for securing a ship, particularly in times of storm, to prevent it from drifting. It is an invisible thing, sinking down beneath the waters and gripping firmly the ground beneath. The winds may roar and the waves lash the ship, but it rides them steadily, being held fast by something outside itself. Surely the figure is plain. The “anchor” is Christ Himself, sustaining His people down here in this world, in the midst of the wicked, who are likened unto “the troubled sea, when it cannot rest” (Isa. 57:20). Did He not declare, “Neither shall any pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28)? Certainly there is nothing in us “both sure and stedfast”: it is the love (John 13:1), power (Matt. 28:18, 20), and faithfulness (Heb. 7:25) of Christ which is in view.

Exposition of Hebrews, A. W. Pink, page 354

O.K. If the anchor is in a place unseen; if it is firmly fixed, gripping the ground beneath - Christ being that anchor - where then is He “grounded?” Christ our anchor has “entered into that within the veil.” He is firmly anchored in the Ark of the Covenant; the Mercy Seat, with its Cherubim; where dwells the Eternal God. Here is the Everlasting Covenant, where the “immutable counsel of God” has “promised,” has “sworn by an oath;” that Christ may be found for us a “strong consolation,” a “hope, sure and stedfast,” a refuge to whom we may flee!

The word “refuge” is only to be found once in all of the New Testament; here in Hebrews chapter 6. Clearly, it is Christ himself who is identified: but what may we find concerning Him in the Old Testament?

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” Deut. 33:27. “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour” II Sam. 22:2,3. “The Lord also will be arefuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” Psalm 9:9. “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge”Psalm 57:1. “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble” Psalms 59:16. “I will say of the Lord, He is myrefuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” “Because thou hast made the Lord, which is myrefuge, even the most high, thy habitation;” Psalm 91:2,9. “I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living” Psalm 142:5. “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm. . .” Isa. 25:4.

A Hebrew Christian could scarcely read these scriptures without being reminded of the “cities of refuge” which were made known unto them from the Pentateuch and their forefathers.

The cities of refuge - what the Law had to offer

"When the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the Lord thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither. And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in the past; When a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetched a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; wherewith he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coast, as he has sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; thenshalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. . .” Deut. 19:1-10. And what did we read earlier in Hebrews chapter six? “Two immutable things. . . we . . .who have fled for refuge . . .God madepromise to Abraham. . .an oath of confirmation.”

Here is, (1.) an intimation of God’s gracious intention to enlarge their coast, as he had promised to their fathers, if they did not by their disobedience forfeit the promise, the condition of which is here carefully repeated, that, if it were not performed, the reproach might lie upon them, and not on God. He promised to give it, if thou shalt keep all these commandments; not otherwise. (2.) A direction to them to appoint three cities more in their new conquests, which, the number intimates, should be as large as their first conquests were. . .The learned Ainsworth observes that the Jewish writers themselves own that, the condition not being performed, the promise ofenlarging their coast was never fulfilled; so that there was no occasion for ever adding these three cities of refuge. . .

Matthew Henry’s Commentary, volume 1, page 803

Three of these cities were located on each side of the Jordan. On the west side of Jordan was Hebron (Joshua 21:13,) Shechem (Joshua 21:27,) and Kedesh (Joshua 21:32). The proposed cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan were: Ramoth (Joshua 21:38,) Bezer (Deut. 4:42,43) and Golan in Bashan (Joshua 21:27.) Had Israel fulfilled the condition, the Lord their God would have confirmed the additional cities - He would have enlarged their coast. Israel this day has the Jordan as its eastern border. But here is the promise that the Lord made to them in Deuteronomy 11:22-24: “For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the utmost sea shall your coast be.” In light of this scripture, need we ask why Israel remains the little country that it is; why the persecutions over the centuries; why they do not “possess greater nations and mightier” than themselves?

The way to the city of refuge? “You can’t miss it!”

According to the rabbins, in order to aid the fugitive it was the business of the Sanhedrin to keep the roads leading to the cities of refuge in the best possible repair. No hills were left, every river was bridged, and the road itself was to be at least thirty-two cubits broad. At every turn were guideposts bearing the word Refuge; and two students of the law were appointed to accompany the fleeing man, to pacify, if possible, the avenger, should he overtake the fugitive.” Unger’s Bible Dictionary

Probably they had causeways or street-ways leading to those cities, and the Jews say that the magistrates of Israel, upon one certain day in the year, sent out messengers to see that those roads were in good repair, and they were to remove stumbling-blocks, mend bridges that were broken, and, where two ways met, they were to set up a Mercurial post, with a finger to point the right way, on which was engraved in great letters, Miklat, Miklat - Refuge, Refuge.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary, volume 1, page 802.

They were to set up a Mercurial post? Surely our learned brother has misused that word! It meansvariable, unstable, inconsistent, uncertain, changeable, unpredictable. This calls for further investigation. Did not the scriptures of Hebrews chapter 6 declare our refuge in Christ as being a strong consolation, the hope set before us: an anchor of the soul, sure and stedfast?

The way to the cities of refuge - a broad way

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” Matt. 7:12. In Matthew chapters five and six Jesus has made good use of the law and the prophets. Notice now the two verses which follow: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

And just where does the broad way lead; and what is to be found inside the wide gate? And for whatpurpose does one find himself on this journey? If the broad way leads to destruction - and it must, for so says our Lord: then why would any flee to that place? Where does man think he’s going - and what does he think awaits him upon his arrival? The answer may surprise you. The place is his own “city of refuge.” “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”Pro. 14:12. How can this be? Would God establish the cities of refuge; make the way almost impossible to miss, just to have Jesus say that we ought not go that way - to search for another way? And this other way is hard to find, the “way” and the gate being very narrow?

O.K. The provision of a city of refuge was only for the man who was innocent of murder, whose act was unintentional: it was an accident. There was no malice or hatred; no forethought about the matter. He would in no wise have purposely shed the blood of his friend or brother. This man could enter a city of refuge, where upon being tried by the court of law and declared “not guilty,” was welcome to remain there, judicially safe from the avenger of blood. However, were the verdict to be “guilty as charged,” he could not look to the law for refuge: he is set without the boundaries of the city to his peril; for the avenger of blood waited to shed his blood, bringing about his destruction. May we gain understanding: the Law is no refuge for the guilty! But this is exactly what the man on the broad way is seeking. Somehow he thinks to slip by, to get away with his life as it is. After all he’s a pretty good fellow; he tries to treat people right. Surely he will not be refused entrance into his “city of refuge!” Somehow he will escape the judgment that would be meted out by the avenger of blood! This fellow follows the broad way that leads to destruction, not discerning that he is “condemned already;” that he is without hope; that there will be no refuge found while going this “way.”

The city of refuge - its conditions

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killed any person at unawares. And they shall be unto youcities of refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation injudgment. . .Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shallabide in it unto the death of the high priest” Num. 35:9-12,24-25.

(In John chapter 15, the Vine and the branches: no less than ten times does Jesus command us to “Abide in Me.” “without Me ye can do nothing.” Again, Christ is our city of refuge!) Outside of and apart from Him there is death, and not life. “But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer. . . He should have remained in the city of his refuge” Num. 35:26-28.

The city of refuge - its limitations

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” Rom. 5:12. “. . .if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded to many” Rom. 5:15.

Cain, from all indications, was the first born of Adam; therefore he was included: death was passed upon him. Cain needed a Redeemer. Had he fled to the refuge, approaching the Lord God with a sacrificial lamb, owning his sinful state as a son of Adam. . .but he did not. In rebellion against God he went forth and shed the blood of his righteous brother, Abel. For Cain there remained no city of refuge; the law found him guilty; He is left to the peril of the “avenger of blood.” Said Cain, “I shall be a fugitive and vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.” (the avenger of blood.)

What Grace has provided: the priesthood of Christ

Our beginning text declares Christ as the refuge to whom we have fled: He’s our hope, an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast. “Even Jesus, made an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.”

The book of Hebrews presents our Lord as the better way: “Being so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” Heb. 1:4. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by which we draw nigh unto God” Heb. 7:19. “By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament” Heb. 7:22. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is mediator of a better covenant, which was established uponbetter promises” Heb.8:6. In Hebrews 9 we read of better sacrifices: “but now once in the end of the world hath he [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” “. . .ye have in heaven abetter and enduring substance” Heb. 10:24. “But now they [we!] desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” Heb. 11:16. He hath prepared for them a city? Yes! And may we not rightly call it a city of refuge; one prepared for the guilty made guiltless; the wicked made righteous; found worthy of death, yet given life everlasting?

Christ, a “better refuge” than the “cities of refuge.”

Let us not fail to note here the immeasurable superiority of Christianity over Judaism as seen in the vast difference between the “refuge” under the Law, and that made know in the Gospel. The cities of refuge were available only for those who had unintentionally killed a person. But we have been conscious, deliberate, life-long rebels against God; nevertheless Christ says, Come unto Meall ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Again, the manslayer in the city was safe, yet his very refuge was a prison: it is the very opposite with the believer - Christ opened for him the prison-door and set him at liberty (Isa. 61:2), Christ “makes free” John 8:36. Again, in entering the city of refuge he turned away from his inheritance, his land and cattle; but the one who lays hold of Christ obtains an inheritance (I Peter 1:4). For the manslayer to return to his inheritance meant death; for the Christian, death means going to his inheritance.

Exposition of Hebrews, page 352, A.W. Pink

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. . .The Lord of host is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” Psalm 46:1,7,11. He who fled to a city of refuge, even in his haste, might find it a half-days journey; but Christ, our refuge is Very Present! He is “with us.” Though there were several cities of refuge for the unintentional manslayer, there remains only One refuge for those who are guilty of the innocent blood - Jesus Christ. The cities were not only for the Jew, but also the stranger: he too could find refuge. In Christ there is no difference: both Jew and Greek may find Him an Anchor and a safe Haven of Rest.

The manslayer, upon being cleared of any intentional wrong-doing, might dwell safely in his city of refuge, and that, without condemnation. But we were “condemned already.”

Nevertheless, “There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” Rom. 8:1.

The law and the priesthood

"There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus [our refuge!] who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the lawof sin and death. [avenger of blood?] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” Rom. 8:1-4.

"What the law could not do?” “Weak through the flesh? What! Is something wrong with the law? Our previous verse confirms the law to be righteous. Psalm 19:7 proclaims “The law is perfect, converting the soul.” Further, “the testimony of the Lord is sure; the statutes of the Lord are right; the command of the Lord is pure; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” No, the problem was not with the law itself, but rather the administration. The Levitical priesthood was made up of men who were the Sons of Adam: they themselves being under the law. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” - yes, even the appointed high priests.

Many are the laws of our land. We have Supreme Court Justices, judges, all manner of law-makers; we have sheriffs, police, who are to help “enforce” the laws. . .Those laws are written on the books: they are to be kept; they are to be obeyed; they are to be “fulfilled.” Despite all that, there are many who are bent upon “breaking” rather than “keeping” those laws. Even the Supreme Court Justice who constitutes the law is himself subject to and is “under the law.” The weakness may not lie with the law but with the administration of the law. What can the law not do? Be it the law of God or the laws of men; it is not designed to be a refuge for the guilty. And neither were the Old Testament cities of refuge.

When no refuge is to be found - then what?

But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and flee into one of these cities: Then the elders of his city shall send him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he die. Thine eye shall not pity him but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with thee” Deut. 19:11-13.

Jesus draws reference to and expands the Old Testament rendering, teaching us that transgression is more than a physical act; it is a matter of the intents and desires of the heart. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” Matt. 5:21-22.

Judas Iscariot, having betrayed our Lord, and having received his “blood money,” stayed for the trial. Upon seeing that Jesus was condemned, he brought again the 30 pieces of silver, “Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” The money was deemed the “price of blood:” it was used to purchase the potter’s field: it was called “the field of blood.” Judas went out and hanged himself: he is guilty; he is a conspirator, a party to the shedding of innocent blood. For him there is no city of refuge to which he can flee. Are we not also guilty of “the blood of Christ,” the “innocent blood?” Then we, as Judas, are worthy of death.

In Acts chapter 2, Peter charges the Jews: “Jesus of Nazareth. . .Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified andslain:” Acts 2:22a,23. They are guilty of the blood of Christ. There is no city of refuge to which they can flee. They are worthy of death, and that by the hands of the avenger of blood.

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, WHAT SHALL WE DO?” What shall we do? FLEE TO THE REFUGE! But there isno refuge! We are guilty! The avenger of blood awaits us! And what of the “avenger of blood?” Avenger,ga’al, Heb. The business of the avenger of blood was to apprehend the manslayer; to shed his blood that he die. But the little word ga’al has yet another meaning in its definition and operation. It isRedeemer. And what is the business of the Redeemer? To die in the stead of the guilty sinner; for him that is worthy of death; who has no city of refuge to which he can flee. To buy back, to ransom, to deliver the guilty from the avenger of blood: to set him free indeed! [John 8:36] Look at the definition:avenger [or revenger, used interchangeably]. It is also the same word used for Boaz, thekinsman/redeemer in the book of Ruth! Ga’al, to redeem (according to the oriental law of kinship), i.e. to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc., deliver, purchase, ransom, redeemer, revenger.

Christ is ga’al. He is both the Avenger of blood and Redeemer of blood. Those who refuse Him, who despise His invitation will find Him to be the Avenger of blood, while those who fall before Him in repentance and faith, will find Him the Redeemer of Blood.

"This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses” Acts 2:32. He is a “strong consolation” to whom we can flee for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. . .an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast. . .even Jesus!

But those who travel the broad way; the guilty who plead “not guilty;” shall find no city of refuge at the end of their journey; only the avenger of blood. “Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord” Heb. 10:30.

We never read in the history of the Old Testament of any use made of these cities of refuge, which yet, no doubt, were made use of upon the occasions intended. . .But the law concerning these cities was designed both to raise and to encourage the expectations of those who looked for redemption in Israel. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, volume 1, page 723

The cities of refuge were, and do now, remain a testimony to those who own themselves as guilty sinners, and worthy of death. The Law cannot save; not that the Law is in any way weak or inadequate. The cites of refuge were under the administration of a priesthood that was itself, subject unto death; they themselves being descendants of a fallen race. They could “promise” no “strong consolation;” no “hope” as an “Anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” “Whither the forerunner isfor us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.” The failure lies in the total depravity of man: he can in no wise “keep” or “fulfill” the Law. He is in desperate need of One who can, who did. The call comes; to set our sight to that which is far above and beyond temporal help. It is “looking unto Jesus.” There is no safe harbor in which we may be anchored; no refuge to which we may flee; no Redeeming Grace to be found - but in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Copyright 2007, by Darius Stewart