The first commandment from God was that Israel must listen to God and carry out His will if they want to live and take possession of the land that God of their ancestors, is giving them, Deuteronomy 4:1. They need to do more than just listen; they must do as God says, James 1:22.
The decrees, Deuteronomy 4:1, that is, statutes, were the initial revelations of God that were written and established as principles by which everyone must live.
The laws, Deuteronomy 4:1, that is, judgments, were the revealed decisions of God concerning specific matters as to how Israel carried out the written statutes of God in their lives.
The commandments, Deuteronomy 4:1, were all direct instructions of God concerning the conduct of people’s lives, that is, things they should and shouldn’t do.
Notice God tells His people that they shouldn’t forget that He commanded them not to change any of His laws, abide in His commandments alone, Deuteronomy 4:2.
Moses repeats this principle later in Deuteronomy 13:1, and it was so important that even the prophets repeated this command, Proverbs 30:6 / Jeremiah 26:2, and the Scriptures themselves end with these same words, Revelation 22:18-19. No one has the right to add or remove anything from God’s Word.
When Moses spoke, he spoke divine commandments from God, Numbers 12:7-8. The commandments of God save the soul. Israel had tried their hand at reinterpreting God’s Word, Numbers 16:3, and rebelled against God’s commandments, Deuteronomy 1:26, none of which helped them, Proverbs 14:34.
We can only be saved from sin through following and obeying God’s commands, Daniel 5:27 / Hosea 5:10-11 / Amos 7:7-8 / Matthew 7:21-24 / Ephesians 2:20 / Ephesians 4:1-6.
It’s God’s word which exposes our real identity, 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 / Hebrews 4:12-13. God’s Word never changes, Malachi 3:6 / Matthew 24:35 / Hebrews 13:8, even though we may change, Jonah 1:1-2 / Jonah 3:1-10 / Malachi 1:6-8 / Malachi 3:7-10. It’s God’s word which will judge us in the end, John 12:46-50 / Colossians 2:23.
Israel looked and saw God’s wrath poured out upon the disobedient at Baal-Peor, Deuteronomy 4:3. Israel had committed fornication with the daughters of Moab and the Midianites and even worshipped their gods, Numbers 25:1-18.
The Lord’s anger was aroused, and twenty four thousand Israelites were killed before the zeal of Phinehas stopped the plague with the act of conviction. Those not involved in the sin at Baal-Peor could look to their current state of life and realise that it was due to God’s will for the obedient, Deuteronomy 4:4.
Remember that before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, the Lord God warned them against worshipping the Canaanite gods in Deuteronomy 6:14-15, but Israel turned to idolatry anyway.
Baal was the name of the supreme god worshipped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practise of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges, Judges 3:7. It wasn’t long before it became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab, according to 1 Kings 16:31-33, and also affected Judah, 2 Chronicles 28:1-2.
The word Baal means ‘lord’, the plural is Baalam, and in general, Baal was a fertility god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children.
Different regions worshipped Baal in different ways, and Baal proved to be a highly adaptable god. Various areas emphasised one or another of his attributes and developed special doctrines of Baalism. For example, Numbers 25:3 refers to Baal of Peor, and later it is known as Baal-Berith in Judges 8:33; in other words, it became a localised deity.
According to Canaanite mythology, Baal was the son of El, the chief god, and Asherah, the goddess of the sea. Baal was considered the most powerful of all gods, eclipsing El, who was seen as rather weak and ineffective. In various battles, Baal defeated Yamm, the god of the sea, and Mot, the god of death and the underworld.
Baal’s sisters were Ashtoreth, a fertility goddess associated with the stars, and Anath, a goddess of love and war. And as we know, the Canaanites worshipped Baal as the sun god and as the storm god. He’s usually depicted holding a lightning bolt, which defeated enemies and produced crops.
They also worshipped him as a fertility god who provided children. Baal worship was rooted in sensuality and involved ritualistic prostitution in the temples. At times, appeasing Baal required human sacrifice, usually the firstborn of the one making the sacrifice, as we see in Jeremiah 19:5.
One of the most famous incidents in the Bible involving Baal was during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. At the height of Baal worship in Israel, God directly confronted paganism through His prophet Elijah.
First, God showed that He, not Baal, controlled the rain by sending a drought lasting three and a half years, according to 1 Kings 17:1. Then Elijah called for a showdown on Mount Carmel to prove once and for all who the true God was.
And if you remember all day long, four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal called on their god to send fire from heaven, which was surely an easy task for a god associated with lightning bolts.
But as 1 Kings 18:29 tells us, ‘there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.’ And after Baal’s prophets gave up, Elijah prayed a simple prayer, and God answered immediately with fire from heaven.
The evidence was overwhelming, and the Bible says in 1 Kings 18:39. ‘the people fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD–he is God! The LORD–he is God! In other words, Baal was a god who didn’t exist except in the minds of those who wanted him to be real.
Judges 9:4 tells us that the Israelites were involved in worshipping Baal-Berith, which literally means ‘the Baal of the covenant’. The Israelites were supposed to be in a covenant relationship with God, but they were now in a covenant relationship with Baal.
Moses encourages Israel to remain faithful to God’s commandments and that such actions are defined as being wise and full of wisdom, Deuteronomy 4:5-6. The nations about them will perceive that Israel is wise as they obey the Lord’s commands too. The nations will see that God answers Israel’s prayers and is with them as they obey, Deuteronomy 4:7-18 / Acts 17:22-31.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Almost all the nations in the earth showed that they had formed this opinion of the Jews by borrowing from them the principal part of their civil code. Take away what Asia and Europe, whether ancient or modern, have borrowed from the Mosaic laws, and you leave little behind that can be called excellent.’
One of the dangers among people of all times is forgetting where our blessings in life come from, Deuteronomy 4:9. Israel was to teach their children and their children’s children about what God had done in the past, Deuteronomy 4:9-10 / Ephesians 6:1-3.
Israel’s personal experiences of God’s direct leading in the past were to be passed on to their children, Deuteronomy 6:7 / Deuteronomy 6:20 / Deuteronomy 11:19 / Deuteronomy 31:13 / Deuteronomy 32:46.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If a man knows the worth of his own soul, he will feel the importance of the salvation of the souls of his family. Those who neglect family religion, neglect personal religion; if more attention were paid to the former, even among those called religious people, we should soon have a better state of civil society. On family religion God lays much stress; and no head of a family can neglect it without endangering the final salvation of his own soul, Genesis 18:32 / Genesis 19:38 / Deuteronomy 6:7.’
God’s work among them in the past forty years was to be a witness that He worked in their lives to bring them into the land of Canaan. Israel was to have burned within their memory the twenty four thousand who died due to their sinful conduct, Numbers 25:9.
Israel was to always remember that there are consequences to disobedience. Israel didn’t hear the words from God; only Moses heard, but they did hear the great sound from God on the mountain, Deuteronomy 4:11-12 / Exodus 19-20.
God appeared to the people at Sinai, and they saw the smoke from the fire, Exodus 19:18, the thick darkness about them, Exodus 20:21, and the cloud, Exodus 24:16, and the people were terrified at the sight, Exodus 20:18.
The Lord then spoke to Israel out of the fire and thick darkness and Moses reminds the people that they ‘saw no form of any kind’ but that they only ‘heard the voice of words’, Deuteronomy 4:12. Moses told them that they must never forget what they heard, and so, pass the awesome and terrifying experience on to the generations to come.
The generations of Israel must understand that the ‘voice’ was proof that Moses didn’t invent the law of God from his own imagination. He was only the mediator through whom God spoke His laws for Israel.
God declared to Moses His covenant, the Ten Commandments, which He commanded His people to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets, Deuteronomy 4:13.
God had directed Moses at that time to teach Israel the decrees and laws they were to follow in the land that they were crossing the Jordan to possess, Deuteronomy 4:14.
Phillips, in his commentary, says the following concerning the two tablets.
‘The Commandments are not to be thought of as written partly on one tablet and partly on the other. Each tablet would have contained all the Commandments. This again reflects the normal practice of the suzerainty treaties under which one copy was retained by the suzerain and the other given to the vassal to deposit in the temple of his god. In Israel’s case, both copies were placed in the Ark, Deuteronomy 10:1-5 / Deuteronomy 31:9 / Deuteronomy 31:26.’
Moses reminds Israel of their fearful experience at Horeb, that is, Sinai, when they heard the voice of God and received His commandments, Exodus 24:1-8. Moses calls upon Israel to think back at what they heard and saw and tells them that they ‘saw no form of any kind’, Deuteronomy 4:15.
Israel had to watch themselves very carefully, so that they don’t become corrupt and make for themselves an idol, Deuteronomy 4:15-16. To carve an image out of stone or wood and call it God is idolatry. No representation of any imagined gods was to be carved in either stone or wood.
No representation of the sexual organs of man or woman was to be made that would incite heathen worship and immorality, Deuteronomy 4:16-18 / Genesis 31:19 / Genesis 35:2 / Exodus 20:4.
The Egyptians worshipped all kinds of things, and they had idols set up everywhere to represent many different gods, but Israel wasn’t to make any representation of any animal as an object of worship.
To look at the sun, moon, and stars and worship them is also idolatry, Deuteronomy 4:19. The Egyptians also worshipped the heavenly bodies, and so, they worshipped the created instead of the Creator. There is one Creator and one worthy of worship, that is, the Lord God, Romans 1:13-32 / Acts 14:16-17 / Acts 17:30.
Notice Moses refers to Israel’s time in Egypt as an iron-smelting furnace, Deuteronomy 4:20. This is obviously metaphoric language for great affliction and suffering, 1 Kings 8:51 / Isaiah 48:10 / Jeremiah 11:4. Moses reminds Israel how God’s anger was directed at him for not following through with His commandment, Deuteronomy 4:21 / Numbers 20:10-13.
God tells Moses that he will not be able to enter Canaan with Israel due to this act of rebellion on his part, Deuteronomy 4:21-22 / Numbers 27:12-14. Though Moses pleaded with God about the matter, the Lord would not change His mind, Deuteronomy 3:23-29. This teaches us that no one is above God’s laws.
Once again Israel were remined to be careful not to forget the covenant of the God that He made with them and they are remined again not to make for themselves an idol in the form of anything God has forbidden, Deuteronomy 4:23.
The proof that they forgot the covenant they made with God is seen in them making any graven image, which meant that they had created other lords in their lives than the One who gave them laws by which to direct their lives.
Moses reminds Israel that the LORD your God is a consuming fire, Deuteronomy 4:24. In other words, they must take Him seriously, Hebrews 12:29. We are also told that God is a jealous God, Deuteronomy 4:24 / Exodus 20:3.
In what sense is God a ‘jealous’ God?
1. With regards to the passage in Deuteronomy 4:24 / Exodus 20:3, we have to admit that it’s easy to see how some readers and some who, at school, had to learn to recite the Ten Commandments, as I did, might gain the impression from that verse that God isn’t only a jealous God but is also a vindictive God, who punishes the children for the sins of their fathers. And that is an entirely erroneous impression.
If you look up the word ‘jealous’ in a concordance you will also come across the word ‘jealousy’, and you will be led to that striking verse which states, ‘Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God’, Exodus 34:14.
The problem arises because these two words today don’t mean what they meant in Old Testament times; and a meaning which is different, even from the 1611, when the Authorized Version was produced.
I am sure that we have all discovered, in reading the older version, that problems arise because, over the years, many words have acquired very different meanings. If we had the space to spare, this fact could very easily be demonstrated.
Today we list ‘jealousy’ among such sins as ‘envy’, ‘malice’ and ‘pride’. In fact, the Oxford Dictionary defines the word ‘jealous’ as, resentful towards another on account of known or suspected rivalry; envious. Because of this, jealousy is the motivation behind a great many of the sins that people commit.
The Old Testament word at which we are looking is ‘quanno’, and its basic meaning is, quite simply, ‘zeal’ and ‘to be jealous’. In the Old Testament sense, with one or two rare exceptions, it means to be ‘zealous or enthusiastic or passionate’.
It is in this sense that the prophet Elijah uses the word when he declares his enthusiasm for God, in 1 Kings 19:10. Similarly, when God declares that He is jealous, He tells us what it is that He is jealous of. Several times, He states, ‘I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion’.
There is no resentfulness in His jealousy for Jerusalem, but the expression of a deep and powerful love and concern for the city in which He ‘caused His name to dwell’.
This means that when, in Exodus 20:5 and Deuteronomy 4:24, He says, ‘I am a jealous God’, He is declaring His zealousness for the protection of His own honour as the ‘one True God’. In Isaiah 42:8, He states, ‘I am Yahweh; that is My Name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to graven image.’
1. As for the supposed vindictiveness of God, which some think they see in that verse, it should be noted that the verse doesn’t teach that children bear the guilt of the iniquities of their parents. The word ‘aven’, meaning iniquity, means perverseness in error or waywardness.
If God had wanted His people to understand that children bear the ‘guilt’ of the sins of their parents, He could have caused that very word to be used. ‘Asham’ is the word for guilt, and there is a world of difference between the guilt of sin and the consequences of sin.
The Bible doesn’t teach the errors of inherited guilt or total inherited depravity. The truth is much simpler than that, and something which faces us every day of our lives.
The truth is that children suffer because of the sins of their parents. It’s a sad fact that all too often the innocent has to suffer the consequences of the sins of the guilty.
Within the last few days, as of writing this, the world has been saddened by the news of the death of a small, courageous African boy, who died of Aids, the scourge of our modern world, it’s a disease with which he was born because of the sin of others.
The reality is that sin always brings appalling consequences, and its effects are borne not only by those who are responsible for committing it, but also by their children and their children’s children.
And remember also that since children learn from the behaviour of their parents, whether it be good or bad, the sins of the fathers are very often reproduced and copied by their offspring.
There are families in which criminality, lawlessness, immorality, violence, and addiction have become a way of life and are accepted as normal. And, sooner or later, they bear the consequences of such a lifestyle. But as for the matter of guilt, the prophet Ezekiel has the definitive word in Ezekiel 18:20.
Here we read of the consequences for Israel if they do forget what they had learned from Moses or God’s prophets and if they didn’t teach their children and their children’s children about God’s mighty power, Deuteronomy 4:25. Moses calls heaven and earth in as witnesses that if such occurs God’s anger will be provoked and Israel will be consumed from off the earth, Deuteronomy 4:26.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God and man being called upon to bear testimony to the truth of what was spoken, that if there was any flaw or insincerity, it might be detected, and if any crime, it might not go unpunished. Such appeals to God, for such purposes, show at once both the origin and use of oaths, Deuteronomy 6:13.’
God will scatter them among the peoples, and only a few of them will survive among the nations to which God will drive them, Deuteronomy 4:27 / Leviticus 26:33-40 / Deuteronomy 28:64.
Moses looks into the future at a day when the people of God would turn their backs on God and worship the works of their hands in the form of birds, snakes, fishes, and various forms of wood and stone, Deuteronomy 4:28 / Isaiah 45:20 / Psalms 115:4-7 / 1 Corinthians 12:2. We can imagine that these words would have haunted those Israelites who were carried away years later into the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
The condition for remaining in the land was their obedience to the law of the covenant, Deuteronomy 4:29. Once they rebelled against the law of God, then they had no right to the land. The consequence of their sin would be hardship and destruction because of their disobedience.
Though they suffer, the Lord stands ready and willing to forgive them of their iniquity if only they would seek His forgiveness, Deuteronomy 4:30-31. This promise reached far into the future when Israel would be in the bondage of Assyria and Babylon.
After their captivity, they had repented of their ways, and so, God would bring a remnant of all twelve tribes back to the Promised Land in order to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah.
Someone once said, ‘nowhere in man’s history has there been a time when God revealed himself so much to man’. God spoke with them at Mount Sinai in the hearing of all, and He performed mighty works in Egypt to get Israel out of Egypt.
Moses tells us two things that Israel couldn’t deny, first of all, the Lord spoke to them from the mountain, and they saw no form, Deuteronomy 4:32-33, and second, the Lord humbled the mightiest nation of their day and brought His people out by divine miracles, Deuteronomy 4:34 / Exodus 7:9 / Exodus 11:9-10 / Exodus 14:24-25.
God did all these things to let Israel and the other nations know that the Lord alone is indeed God, Deuteronomy 4:35. We would think that because of everything which God had done, the Israelites would be a people who had great faith in God. However, all these things God had done for them weren’t enough to convince them, and so they turned to idolatry again.
From heaven God made them hear His voice to discipline them and on earth God showed them His great fire, and they heard his words from out of the fire, Deuteronomy 4:36.
However, because God loved their ancestors and chose their descendants after them, He brought them out of Egypt by his Presence, Exodus 33:14, and His great strength, to drive out before them nations greater and stronger than they were and to bring them into their land to give it to them for their inheritance, as it is today, Deuteronomy 4:37-38.
The undeniable fact that the Lord is the one true God was to be ‘taken to heart’, because ‘there is no other’ Deuteronomy 4:39 / Deuteronomy 4:28 / Isaiah 46:8-11.
God gave birth to them through Abraham, brought them out of the bondage of one of the most powerful nations of the world, Egypt, and then brought them into a land that He had promised them centuries before.
Israel ate to keep God’s decrees and commands, which He is giving them, so that it may go well with them and their children after them and that they may live long in the land the God gives them for all time Deuteronomy 4:40.
Seeing that the Lord God is the only true God and that He has delivered commandments to be followed the people ought to understand the importance of doing so. This section brings to an end Moses’ first sermon.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This whole address by Moses, Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 4:40, and especially the exhortation to observe the Law faithfully, Deuteronomy 4:1-40, is one of the greatest revelations of God’s character in the Old Testament. The address builds to a climax, as every great sermon does. The total impression God and Moses intended must have been awe and humble gratitude in the hearts of the Israelites.’
Cities of refuge were established in reference to the civil laws of the nation, and six of the cities were given to the Levites to which a person who has killed someone may flee, Deuteronomy 4:41-42 / Numbers 35:6 / Deuteronomy 4:41-43 / Deuteronomy 19:1-14 / Joshua 20:1-9.
Moses sets up three cities of refuge on the east of the Jordan River for one to flee out of Gad, Reuben, or half the tribe of Manasseh, Numbers 35:6-34 / Deuteronomy 19:1-14 / Joshua 20:1-9.
These cities would be accessible to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh who lived on the east side of the Jordan. In addition, give them forty-two other towns, Numbers 35:6.
In all the Levites were to be given forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands, Numbers 35:7. The towns the Levites are to be given are from the land the Israelites possess and are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe, Numbers 35:8. Moses is to take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few, Numbers 35:8.
God told Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them that when they cross the Jordan into Canaan, they are to select some towns to be their place of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee, Numbers 35:9-11.
They will be places of refuge from the avenger, Genesis 9:6, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly, Numbers 35:12 / Joshua 20:4 / Joshua 20:6.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If he was found worthy of death, they delivered him to the avenger that he might be slain, Deuteronomy 19:12, if not, they sent him back to the city of refuge, where he remained till the death of the high priest, Numbers 35:25. Before the cities of refuge were appointed, the altar appears to have been a sanctuary for those who had killed a person unwittingly, Exodus 21:13 / Exodus 21:14.’
These six towns will be their cities of refuge, Numbers 35:13. There were three cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan and three were on the east side, Numbers 35:14. On the west side of the Jordan, Hebron, Kiriath-Arba, was given from the tribe of Judah, Joshua 20:7.
Shechem was given from the tribe of Ephraim, Joshua 21:21 and Kedesh in Galilee was given from the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 21:32. From the east side of the Jordan, Golan in Bashan was given from the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 21:27. Bezer was given from the tribe of Reuben, Joshua 21:36 and Ramoth-Gilead was given from of the tribe of Gad, Joshua 21:38.
Back then, cities of refuge had meaning to their names. Shechem means shoulder or back or strength, Hebron means fellowship, Kedesh means holy, sanctuary, Golan means joy, exultation, Ramoth means high, exalted, and Bezer means fortification, stronghold.
These six cities will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there, Numbers 35:15. The cities are mentioned in Exodus 21 / Numbers 35 / Deuteronomy 19 / Joshua 20.
Roads leading to these cities were kept in excellent condition, with signposts reading, ‘Refuge! Refuge!’ The cities were no more than half a day’s journey from any other city, Joshua 20:7-8.
The cities were in central locations where they could easily be reached from any part of the country. The cities of refuge were open to all, and the doors into the cities were never locked. The cities were stocked with food, and there was no protection if a man did not flee to a city of refuge.
The principle behind these cities is based on the law of the avenger who could avenge the death of a relative who was killed. The next of kin had the right to avenge the death of a relative.
Unless the avenging relative acted out of the heat of the moment when a relative was accidentally killed, the attacker could escape to a city of refuge until a judgment could be made, Genesis 9:6.
If someone was killed by using a weapon, a weapon made of iron, Numbers 35:16, stone, Numbers 35:17, or wood, Numbers 35:18, then this would be classed as murder and was to be put to death, Numbers 25:16-18. If a murder took place, the avenger could kill the murderer on the spot, Numbers 35:19.
This same law applied to those who, out of hatred, killed another, Numbers 35:20-21. The murderer was someone who intentionally killed someone else, whereas the manslaughterer was someone who had no such intent, but unintentionally killed someone. Anyone who killed someone accidentally was dealt with differently.
If, without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations, Numbers 35:22-24.
Only those who accidentally killed someone were able to flee to the cities of refuge, Numbers 35:25. They could flee to the city of refuge in order to escape the vengeance of a near relative, Numbers 35:25. However, if anyone exercised the privilege of escaping to a refuge city, they had to stay in the city until the high priest died, Numbers 35:25.
If that same person who killed someone accidentally decided to go outside of the city of refuge before the high priest died, then the near relative of the one who was killed could kill them without any guilt, Numbers 35:26-27.
If the high priest died, the one who accidentally killed someone could return to his property, and the near relative had no right to avenge the death of his relative, Numbers 35:28. This is to have the force of law for Israel throughout the generations to come, wherever they live, Numbers 35:29.
Notice that capital punishment could only be carried out when more than one witness could testify to the fact that murder was committed, Numbers 35:30 / Deuteronomy 17:6-7.
No amount of money could be paid to free the one who was guilty of murder, Numbers 35:31 / Exodus 21:30, and neither could any amount of money be paid in order that anyone who accidentally killed someone could leave a city of refuge before the death of the high priest, Numbers 35:32.
Israel must not pollute the land where they are because bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it, Numbers 35:33. Israel must not defile the land where they live because God’s dwells there among them, Numbers 35:34.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No wonder God is so particularly strict in his laws against murderers.
1. Because he is the author of life, and none has any right to dispose of it but himself.
2. Because life is the time to prepare for the eternal world, and on it the salvation of the soul accordingly depends, therefore it is of infinite consequence to the man that his life be lengthened out to the utmost limits assigned by Divine Providence. As he who takes a man’s life away before his time may be the murderer of his soul as well as of his body, the severest laws should be enacted against this, both to punish and prevent the crime.’
The death penalty was given in order to keep society pure from the sickness of murderers. Once someone murders someone else, then the land is defiled by those who have no value for life. The death penalty, therefore, was God’s way of keeping society clean from moral decay in reference to anyone who had no value for life, Genesis 9:6.
The Bible Hub says the following.
1. Refuge and Safety.
Just as the Cities of Refuge provided a safe haven for the manslayer, Christ offers refuge to sinners seeking salvation. Hebrews 6:18 speaks of believers who ‘have fled to take hold of the hope set before us,’ drawing a parallel to the act of fleeing to a place of safety. In Christ, believers find protection from the ultimate avenger, the justice of God, which demands retribution for sin.
2. Accessibility.
The cities were strategically located and easily accessible, ensuring that anyone in need could reach them without undue delay. This reflects the availability of Christ to all who seek Him. Romans 10:13 declares, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ The open access to these cities symbolises the open invitation of the Gospel.
3. Impartiality.
The Cities of Refuge were available to all, regardless of social status or nationality, as stated in Numbers 35:15. ‘These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites, as well as for the foreigner or temporary resident among them.’ This inclusivity prefigures the universal offer of salvation through Christ, who breaks down barriers and extends grace to all humanity, Galatians 3:28.
4. High Priest’s Death.
The manslayer was required to remain in the city until the death of the high priest, at which point they could return home without fear, Numbers 35:25-28. This aspect foreshadows the death of Christ, our High Priest, whose sacrificial death liberates believers from the penalty of sin. Hebrews 9:15 states, ‘For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.’
5. Judgment and Mercy.
The cities balanced justice and mercy, ensuring that the innocent were protected while the guilty were held accountable. This balance is perfectly embodied in Christ, who fulfils the law’s demands while offering mercy through His atoning sacrifice. John 1:17 affirms, ‘For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.’
The Cities of Refuge serve as a multifaceted type of Christ, illustrating His role as a sanctuary for sinners, His accessibility and impartiality, and the profound implications of His sacrificial death. Through this typology, believers gain a deeper understanding of the comprehensive nature of Christ’s redemptive work and the assurance of safety found in Him.
This is the law Moses set before the Israelites, he gave them when they came out of Egypt, Deuteronomy 4:45. The decrees, Deuteronomy 4:45, that is, statutes, were the initial revelations of God that were written and established as principles by which everyone must live.
The laws, Deuteronomy 4:45, that is, judgments, were the revealed decisions of God concerning specific matters as to how Israel carried out the written statutes of God in their lives. The commandments were all direct instructions of God concerning the conduct of people’s lives, that is, things they should and shouldn’t do, Deuteronomy 4:1-8.
The valley near Beth Peor was on the east side of the Jordan, Deuteronomy 4:46 / Deuteronomy 1:1 / Deuteronomy 1:5 / Deuteronomy 3:29. The land was originally controlled by the Moabites, Numbers 21:26, and here it’s identified as the land of Sihon, the king of the Amorites whom Israel had just defeated, Deuteronomy 4:46.
Israel took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan, Deuteronomy 4:47. This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge to Mount Sirion, that is, Hermon, and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah, Deuteronomy 4:48-49 / Psalms 48:2.