Thru the Bible - #150-Numbers 35- Cities for the Levites

Transcript

Welcome And Setup For Numbers 35

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to Barine's Corner, the podcast where we go through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Wherever you are in the world, thank you for joining. Grab a glass of water, a cup of coffee, a tea, and let's get into today's lesson. All right, thank you, thank you. Thank you all for joining back. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever it is that you may be. Thank you very much for joining me. Open your Bible to Numbers chapter 35. We are actually almost uh at the end of this book of Numbers. The title of today's lesson is City for the Levites. Numbers 35, and let's read.

Cities Of Refuge Introduced

Intentional Versus Unintentional Killing

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Numbers 35. On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess, and give them pasture lands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasture lands for their cattle, flocks, and all their other livestock. The pasture lands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west, and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pasture land for the towns. Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasture lands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe. Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few. Then the Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the Avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens, and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there. If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. If anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer, the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death. When he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally, so that he dies, or if in hostility he hits him with his fist, so that he dies, that person shall be put to death, he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally, or without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil. But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled, and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property. These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live. Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death. Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge, and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land. An atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.

Role Of The Avenger Of Blood

Community Judgment And High Priest Rule

Multiple Witnesses And No Ransom

Do Not Pollute The Land

Modern Application And Obedience

Closing Blessing And Listener CTA

SPEAKER_02 5:52

The last time we were together, we were looking at the land that was being proportioned to Israel as they moved into Canaan. Today we are looking at the cities that the Lord is going to give the Levites as an inheritance. Now we're gonna break this down into two parts. The first part, cities are provided for the Levites by God. We see this in verses one through eight. Now, the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, opposite Jericho, saying, Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their portion or their possessions, excuse me, cities to live in, and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. So we're gonna pause right there real quick. Who is the Lord speaking to? He's speaking to Moses. Who is Moses? He's the representative for Israel. Who is Moses speaking to? He's speaking to the sons of Israel. You know, I like to always point that out so we can keep everything in his context. Verse three The cities shall be theirs to live in, and their pasture land shall be their kettle for their herds and for all their beasts. And the pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits around. You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side, two thousand cubits, and on the west side, two thousand cubits, on the north side, two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the city. As always, the Lord is very clear on how things are supposed to be split up. The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities together with their pasture lands. As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger, and you shall take less from the smaller. Each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherited. So what the Lord is telling Moses to command the Israelites is that he who has more will give a little more, and he who has little will give a little. Everybody's gonna give, but the one who has more will give more, the one who has less will give less, which makes uh a lot of sense. You know, hey, if you have a whole acre, you can afford to give up a quarter of an acre as this possession to the Levites. And if you have a quarter of an acre, that's what you're sitting on, you may give an eighth, or uh, you know, somewhere around there, something a smaller portion. So the Lord isn't saying give up everything you have, but he's saying that everyone is to give something, which brings us to part number two. God gives refuge for those who committed unintentional murder. We see this in verses nine through thirty-four. And we will break this section down into 13 parts. Part one, who the Lord is speaking to. We see this in verses nine and ten. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, so we know who the Lord is speaking through, and we know who he is speaking to. Part two. Once the Jordan was crossed and in Canaan, the refuge cities were to be selected. We see this in verses 10 and 11. Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee to. Remember earlier we were talking about the manslayer and these cities that was set up for him to flee to, a refuge city, if you will. Part three. These cities were refuse for those who unintentionally kill someone. We see this in verse 11. Then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge. Then the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. So this was a place for the manslayer who unintentionally killed someone to go to. That way he wasn't floating around out and about. This was a way for him to be in some sort uh a sort or some form of safety until justice can be had and everything could be hashed out. He had he was able to go to this refuge city. Which brings us to part four. The city of refuge was a holding place until there was a trial. Notice verse 12. The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the Avenger, so that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for trial. So, in other words, this was a place for him to be safe until the trial was had. Part five. There were to be six refuge cities. Notice verse 13. The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. So they had six cities of refuge, which brings us to part number six. There were to be three cities on the east and west of the Jordan. Verse 14 tells us, you shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan, of Canaan, and there are to be cities of refuge. So there was three on the east, and there was three on the west. Now that's where these refuge cities were, across the Jordan, uh in the east and to the west. Which brings us to part seven. The six cities were for those who unintentionally killed someone. Notice verse 15. These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel and for the alien and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there. So, not only were these six cities a refuge for the Israelites in the Israelites' land, but it was also for the alien or the stranger or the stranger in the land. So that means someone passing through these this city of refugees for them. So this is the Lord's way of showing justice because the Lord is a just God. So he's saying that, you know, you don't get to accuse an alien or a sojourner in the land. You don't just get to automatically accuse them. You have to put them in this refuge city if they unintentionally killed someone so they can also uh have this freedom to uh stand this trial until the time comes. Part eight. If the murderer kills someone with an object in hand, he should be executed. We see this in verses 16 through 21. But if he struck him down with an iron object so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall surely be put to death. I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna pause right there. With an object in hand. So what the Lord is saying here is that this is not unintentional murder. That would have been something more intentional. You know, if you picked up an iron or well, what could they else they could have had in their land? Um, uh some type of rod, something made of metal, a a you know, a strong object, you will be put to death. Verse 17. If he struck him down with a stone in the hand by which he may die, as a result, he died. He is a murderer, the murderer shall surely be put to death. Also, if he had a stone in his hand, the Lord is saying he should be put to death, meaning he raised up his hand and it wasn't intentional. Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand by which he may die, as a result he died, he is a murderer, the murderer shall surely be put to death. So even a wood object in hand. The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death, he shall put him to death when he meets him. And if he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him, lying in wait as a result, and he died. Or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer, the blood avenger shall put their murderer to death when he meets him. Now, the blood avenger was the one who was coming to put this person to death, and sometimes that blood avenger was even a relative in a lot of cases. So remember, these refuse cities are for people who commit unintentional murder. But the Lord gave us three things. He said, if he hit him with a with uh anything iron or you know, metal in his hand, if he hit him with a stone in his hand, if he hit him with wood in his hand, in other words, the Lord is saying that that is not unintentional murder. If you raise your hand to a man and you kill him, that wasn't something that you did unintentionally. That would have been intentionally. Now, I believe that an example of unintentional murder would be, you know, you're helping a man up on a camel or a donkey. Maybe you lift him a little too hard, he falls off on the other side and he breaks his neck. It was unintentional. You know, uh you this guy is helping you, you know, build your your barn or your your storehouse or you know your your tent and something falls on him. That's more unintentional murder. But if you raised your hand up against the man, the Lord is saying that that's intentional murder and you should be put to death. Which brings us to part nine. The congregation was to judge if he could live in the city of refuge. We see this in verses 22 to 25. But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity or threw something at him without lying in weight, or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy, nor seeking his in uh his injury, then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. So the congreg so what was happening here is you have the congregation being the judge. The Lord is saying that the congregation will judge whether or not this person is guilty. So, in other words, if what he did was on accident, they will judge and say, Yes, we believe it was it was an accident and called up uh the uh you know the manslayer off. Part 10. If the murderer was found outside the city, the blood avenger can execute him without guilt. We see this in verses 26 through 28. But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge, uh to which, excuse me, to which he may flee, and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession. So this is a warning to the man to the uh to the manslayer. If you were found outside the city, the Lord is saying that it's fair gain. Now listen, we gave you these cities of refuge, we gave you this place where you can go and you can be safe until your trial, or you can be safe until the high priest passes away. Because once the high priest passed, then he was cleared of all charges. But if you decide you want to go out, I'm sick of being in this city of refuge. I want to go back to my land and gather some things, or go back to my land and uh, you know, and and and and live there and be there. If the manslayer saw you, he could execute you right there and he would not be guilty. Which brings us to part 11. If there are witnesses to a murder, then the man was to be executed. We see this in verses 29 and 30. These things shall be for a statute of ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. And this is a beautiful law right here. The Lord is telling Moses to tell the people that a person cannot be put to death by the witness of one person, but it had to be witnesses. So, in other words, the manslayer, let's say that he, let's say that he did, you know, exit, he did unintentionally, you know, kill a man, but just one guy saw it, and he went to the congregation and said, I saw it, I saw the Lord said he is not to be put to death because only one guy saw it. But if multiple people were there, let's say they're out and they're watering their sheep or whatever they're doing, and they see and they saw it, and let's say there were six, seven, eight guys out, people out, and they saw it, and they were all witnesses and said, Look, we all saw it, we all saw what happened, then he would be put to death. But on the account of one witness, you a person can't be put to death. And that is something in our day and age that I believe still needs to stand. You know, there needs to be witnesses because there are false allegations all the time. You can think of any crime you want from super heinous crimes to more minus crimes, and sometimes there's only one witness, there's only one person who can attest to it and say, Yep, yep, I know he did that, I saw him do that, but that person could have an uh have an agenda. What they were teaching in that time in that time, and it will work in this time, is that when there's multiple people at that particular scene, then you have more of a leg to stand on, so to speak. Which brings us to part 12. No one was to take a ransom in a murder case. We see this in verses 31 through 32. Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but you shall sure but he shall surely be put to death, and you shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. So you do not want to take a ransom, a a uh a bribe, but what you were supposed to do were you supposed you were supposed to bring in true justice and not be ransom off or or brought off. Which brings us to part 13. The land was not to be polluted by not dealing with a murderer. We see this in verses 33 and 34. So you shall not pollute the land in which you are, for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel. What the Lord is saying here is that the land was not to be polluted with murder. This is why there had to be an avenger. This is why there had to be someone who came along and avenged, because the Lord did not want the land to be polluted. So that's why justice had to be had. And guess what? This is a lesson that the Lord is teaching the Israelites, but it is a lesson for you and I as well. The Lord is a just God, he is a God of justice, he is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice. And the Lord is saying that listen, justice has to be done for the land to be clean. If a person uh had uh intentionally murdered someone in the land, how you cleanse the land was he had to pay for it with his own blood. And the man's slayer was to come and to put him to death so that the land can be clean. And of course, you know that the Lord gave the Israelites a lot of rituals and things to do to be clean, and this is one of them. But if the man was found innocent and he could remain in the land, and that also would clear the land, it also would clear the blood that was spilled on the land. Alright, that brings us to the end of Numbers chapter 35. As always, I hope you got something out of this lesson. You know, the Lord is setting up a uh you know, he is setting up this land, and he's setting up the laws for Israel. We have seen this in These previous chapters of how they are to govern the land. The Lord is not just sending them there and saying, Hey, go here and live and do what you want, but He is setting up laws in the land. The Lord told the Israelites to obey the laws of the land he has given them. The same way the Lord has given us laws to follow in our land. Whatever land it is you live in, on these seven continents, there are laws in those lands, and whoever says the law, the Lord says you are to abide by those laws. And this dispensation that we that we are in right now in the numbers. The Lord is giving the law. He has given the law to Moses, and Moses is passing his law on to the people, and the law was supposed to be followed to the not at an angle, not how you see it, but to it. I hope that I know I already said this, but I hope that you got something out as less as always. Pray for your brother over here in Marines Corner, praying that I was saying, and we continue to go through these scriptures until the Lord comes back to take his judgment on this earth and guess you know what I am praying for you as well. I appreciate every one of you a great deal. I may never see any of you in person, I may never speak to you in person, but you are always in my heart and you are in my everyday prayers. And I thank you for taking time out to listen to me go through the word of God as we learn together. Alright, that brings us to the end of Numbers 35. That is all for now. God bless. Thank you for listening to Bereen's Corner. We appreciate you joining us as we dive into God's word and seek biblical truth together. If this episode encouraged or challenged you, be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. 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