King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Friday, March 10, 2023
Chapters: NUMBERS 35-36
Study: The Family of God In The City of Refuge
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
This song came to mind as I was reading the chapters for today, Family of God, [I’m so glad I’m a part of the Family of God, I’ve been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, For I’m part of the family, The Family of God. You will notice we say “brother and sister” ’round here, It’s because we’re a family and these are so near; When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear. From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King, No longer an outcast, a new song I sing; From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong, I’m not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!]
It really is incredible that God can bring two people (who may or may not have crossed paths) together and unite them as one. Talk about true soul mates, and being yoked together as one, and I tell you what, the yoke is not the ring or the vows taken, it is Jesus, [Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.]
I have to brag on my Sweet a little bit, he lives about forty-five minutes away from me, and every night after work he drives his motorcycle to my house so that we can have dinner together, then drives back home. Not only that, he helps me cook, and I will let you in on a little secret, while I love to cook, I rarely have time to cook during the week. Well, by him coming over and helping me we are both eating better and definitely starting to feel better, even though we are both experiencing those signs of when your body detoxes from all the junk being put in it (I am talking about preservatives and artificial yuck) for who knows how long. The incredible thing that God has given to us apart from our salvation through our faith in Christ is that our bodies have the ability to heal themselves. The healing however works from the inside, starting with our faith, [1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.]
Speaking of life to come, the second that we receive Christ as our Saviour and start living our lives with Him in it, we really do discover that we have a new life and no longer live in the dead soul that we once lived. As we come to the end of the reading of Numbers, God, continues the instruct Moses on what to tell those who were going into the promised land what was expected of them.
[Numbers 35:1-4,6 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. 3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts. 4 And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 6 And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.]
[shall reach from the wall of the city and outward] In other words, they were to dwell right in the center of the town that the tribes were to inherit. This is how God works, He wants to be at the center of everything that we do. This is also why we have churches on every corner, we need God fearing preachers, teachers, and ministers to guide us until we get to see Jesus. Keep in mind that not every church is a Christ led church, [1 Timothy 4:4-7 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.]
It is important that we attain those words of faith and of good doctrine throughout our journey to the promised land. Remember, if we are saved by the blood of Christ, then this is not our home, we are only dwelling here for the time being. In fact, we are just like the Levites who’s inheritance was God and were given cities to dwell in while we are here. Now, within those cities that were to be given to the Levites were six special cities.
[Numbers 35:10-13 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. 12 And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. 13 And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.]
[ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.] Why were there only six cities for refuge? Well, there may be no explanation for that exact number, but each of the cities were scattered throughout the land so that they would only be a day’s journey to reach one if they needed to get to one. These cities were not for those who deliberately killed someone out of hate, they were solely for those who had killed someone accidentally. God, goes on to elaborate on what these cities were for.
[Numbers 35:15-16,19,22,24-25 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. 16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments: 25 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 shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.]
[The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer:] Even if the revenger of the blood was justified in killing someone who was guilty, they too would be put to death for killing the person out of hate because they took the law into their own hands. God, is actually the giver and taker of life, [Romans 9:14-18 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.]
[he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest,] The most interesting if all this that even if they were acquitted from the charge, they were protected from the avenger of blood. However, they must continue to stay within the boundaries of the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. This is a reminder to us that the death of our great High Priest is the only means whereby sins are pardoned, and sinners are set at liberty, [2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.]
God, places great emphasis on those committing murder being guilty, and subject to death, but as long as they were in a city of refuge they were safe from their avenger until the high priest died. If they went out of the city at any time before the high priest died, and their avenger killed them, then it would be their own fault.
[Numbers 35:27-32 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 shall not be guilty of blood: 28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. 31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. 32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.]
[Because he should have remained in the city] Okay, so, in order to make sense out of this we need to look at it at a different angle. Say that you are guilty of killing someone who broke into your apartment only to discover that it was a neighbor who locked themselves out, thinking they were trying to get into their own. You were acquitted, but the family of the one that you killed is out for revenge and now you are under police protection. If you get from under that protection and they come after you, then there is nothing stopping them from getting their revenge, and when they do, they will not be held accountable because you knew the danger and still proceeded. It does not matter if we sinned out of ignorance, we will be held accountable for our sin, [Acts 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.]
[take no satisfaction for him that is fled] We are to never become arrogant about our salvation nor are we to judge those who are not. This reminds me of what Jesus said to the disciples when He sent them out to preach the Gospel and they came back boasting of all the power they had against the evil, [Luke 10:18-20 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.]
God, does not enjoy seeing anyone die and end up in hell, but He has rules, those who reject Christ had the opportunity to be saved from death and hell. And hell is no place for anyone, and we should never take it for granted that we were once subject to hell, and now our names are written in heaven through our faith in Christ alone. Now, after the Israelites were told where they would be and what was appointed to them, the daughters of Zelophehad remind Moses about an inheritance that was to be given to them.
[Numbers 36:2-4 And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.]
[then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance] This is proof that once we get saved that we receive the I inheritance of Christ upon our soul, and nothing and no one can take that away from us. God reconfirmed that, but one condition had to be made to keep it, they had to either stay unmarried or marry someone within their own tribe.
[Numbers 36:6-9 This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. 7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.]
[shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe] This was not cousins marrying into each other, this was people of the same tribe, similar to why we as saved, born again Christians need to marry within our congregation. It is very important that we marry someone who is a Christian, and not just any Christian, one of like faith. A Baptist and a Catholic are just as unyoked as a Baptist and a Jew are, there are different beliefs among the two and it will cause distress in the marriage.
[2 Corinthians 6:14,16-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.]
Today’s Prayer: God, When You promised to give us eternal life by receiving and accepting Your Son as our Saviour You also promised that You would never leave nor forsake us. I know that You never go back on Your Word, and am trusting in You completely to save me from death and hell. In this world there are dangers all around, and You know exactly what they are, thankfully we can find refuge in Your Son, not only in our salvation, but the evils on the earth as well. Lord, Lead us and guide us, surround us with Your security and shelter from the dangers, keep us from walking into something dangerous, and should we take a step out of our refuge, lead us back safely. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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