“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3 NIV).
 
      The hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God” by Martin Luther, is said to be a paraphrase of Psalm 46. Historians have written that the song has been sung by persecuted people going into exile and martyrs marching to their death. Psalm 46 talks about the presence of God, the provision of God, and the power of God.
 
The Presence of God
           
      If ever there was a reason to fear, it is today. The world is topsy-turvy. Evil is good and good is evil. Wars, uprising, and anarchy threaten to undo the fabric of civilization. Yet God tells us in verses one to three of Psalm 46 that God is our refuge, our strength, present to help us in our trouble. Even if the world falls apart, we are not to fear.

      Why not? Because God’s Presence is unshakable and unchangeable. “Because I am the Eternal One, I never change...” (Malachi 3:6 VOICE). He is always there to be our refuge. The One who holds the universe together with the Word of His Power, is always there for us. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

The Provision of God
           
      “God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places. God is in the midst of his city, secure and never shaken. At daybreak his help will be seen with the appearing of the dawn. When the nations are in uproar with their tottering kingdoms, God simply raises his voice, and the earth begins to disintegrate before him. Here he comes! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!” (Psalm 46:4-7 TPT).
 
            In the midst of trouble, God desires to bring provision for His people. Verse 4 talks about God’s constantly flowing river which brings joy and delight. In Revelation 22:1, the Apostle John writes, “Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb...” (Revelation 22:1 BSB). The prophet Ezekiel wrote about water issuing below the threshold of God’s temple toward the east (Ezekiel 47:1). “Wherever the river flows, life will flourish – great schools of fish – because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds” (Ezekiel 47:9 MSG).

            In John 7, we read where Jesus stood up on the most important day of the Feast of Tabernacles and said, “...’All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!’” (John 7:37-38 TPT).

         Jesus stated in John 6:35 NLT, “...’I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” One of the names for God is El Shaddai – the Almighty and all-sufficient One. He is everything we need.

The Power of God
           
         “Everyone look! Come and see the breathtaking wonders of our God. For he brings both ruin and revival. He’s the one who makes conflicts end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon of war. Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth. Here he stands! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!” (Psalm 46:8-11 TPT).
 
            Because God is the God Who is above all the nations, and exalted throughout the whole earth, and because the Lord of Angel Armies is on our side and fights for us, He tells us to surrender our anxiety to Him. That sounds like a command to me rather than a suggestion.
       
       How can we surrender our anxieties to God? By realizing how much He loves us. “Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3 WEB).

          Because of who God is, we can give all our care to Him. “...You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern” (1 Peter 5:7 Phillips). God is on our side. He fights for us. Even in a chaotic world, if we hide the truths of Psalm 46 deep in our hearts, we can be at peace.

        I recently read about starling murmurations. Masses of these birds gather together and move in one huge group across the sky. They aren’t simply flying in a flock. They make a show in the sky by twisting and turning into myriads of different shapes. I viewed a murmuration on a YouTube video and it is truly amazing to watch.

         Starlings are small-to medium-size birds. They have a short tail and a pointed head. Their feathers are glossy black, streaked with tinges of purple and green. One account I read stated that murmurations form when one starling copies the behaviour of its seven neighbours. Then those starlings nearby copy each of their seven neighbours, until the entire group moves as one.

        Often at sundown, starlings will produce a synchronized cloud of movement over their roosting site – the place where they will rest for the night. It has also been hypothesized that starlings use their dance to deter larger predators like hawks or falcons from attacking the group. When they move as one, it can confuse the predator and decrease the individual risk faced by each  starling.

        Like the starling, we are always better when we are together, rather than alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NLT) says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” Verse 10 goes on to say, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

         One of Satan’s tactics is to isolate us and make us easy prey for him. Without the comfort and protection of others, we’re exposed and easy for him to “pick off”. I love the New Living Translation of verse 12 of Ecclesiastes 4. It says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer...” We need others in our lives who are willing to stand back-to-back with us when we’re in the midst of a battle.

            Verse 12 of Ecclesiastes 4 ends with, “...Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” With companions, we are not alone. We can give and receive help. Today, a Christian friend I hadn’t heard from for a while called me. She shared some problems she was facing and we prayed together. Then she asked me how she could lift me up in prayer. I told her and know she will be faithful in bringing my needs before the Lord.

          “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). Jesus never meant for us to slug it out alone. We are part of a body, His Body, the Body of Christ, every part supporting every other part.
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            One other thing about a starling murmuration. Each starling instinctively follows their nearest companion. Apparently, they fly so close, that if one missed a beat, they’d suffer calamity. My closing prayer is, “Lord, help me to fly so close to You that there is no space between us. Help me to see the lost, lonely, and hurting, to reach out to them, and bring them into a community which flies together. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.”

 
            Today, I want to look in the Bible at someone who is not often studied. His name is Jehu, a commander in Israel’s army, and you can find his story in 2 Kings chapters 9-10.

            In 1 Kings 16:30 it says of King Ahab, a murderer and an idolater and the seventh king of the northern kingdom of Israel, that he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all those before him. He died with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, during a battle to recover Ramoth-Gilead from the Arameans. He was mortally wounded by an unaimed arrow. The dogs licked the blood from his chariot, as Elijah had prophesied.
 
          God used a prophet of Elisha to anoint Jehu as king of Israel. God also gave Jehu an assignment. He was to strike down the descendants of Ahab because of Ahab’s  wickedness.

        When the prophet anointed Jehu to be king, he said the following: “... ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel” (2 Kings 9: 6-8).

         The Bible presents Jehu as a very intense man who goes full blast in carrying out his assignment. The following verse describes the way he drives his chariot. “The watchman reported...’The driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously’” (2 Kings 9:20, italics mine).

        In verse 24, Jehu draws his bow with his “full strength” and the arrow pierces the heart of the son of King Ahab, named Joram. With continued vigour, Jehu has King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel put to death and tramples her body under his horses’ hoofs. At the start of chapter 10 of 2 Kings, Jehu kills 70 sons of Ahab. So far, he has been obedient to the Lord’s command.

         He continues his mission, and through trickery, kills all the prophets, priests, and worshipers of Baal. “In this way, Jehu destroyed every trace of Baal worship from Israel” ( 2 Kings 10:28 NLT). Jehu does everything big. If he lived today, his motto might be, ‘Go big or go home’.

        BUT, the end of verse 28 of 2 Kings 10 says, “He (Jehu) did not, however, destroy the gold calves at Bethel and Dan, with which Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to sin.”

        Verses 31-32 of 2 Kings 10 (NLT) are telling. “But Jehu did not obey the Law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. At about that time the Lord began to cut down the size of Israel’s territory” (bold print mine).

       Because Jehu destroyed Ahab’s family, as God told him to, God allowed him to have descendants on the throne of Israel for four generations. But because of Israel’s persistence in hanging on to idolatry, which Jehu failed to stop, God began to cut off parts of Israel, until we read about the Israelites going into exile at the end of 2 Kings.

       Jehu was zealous to cleanse the land of Baal worship, but he did not seek to love God with all his heart, soul, and mind as Jesus told us to do in Matthew 22:37. He was not a true worshipper of God.

            What lessons can we learn from Jehu’s story? There are many, but here are three.

1. To end well, we must live a life of vital fellowship with God. A number of kings in the Bible began well, but ended poorly because they failed to keep God first place in their lives.
2. It is important to follow ALL the commands of God, not only those that benefit us.
3. We must worship God in spirit and in truth. “God is Spirit, and it behooves those worshiping Him to worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24 BLB). False worship of the one true God is not acceptable to Him. 

        In closing, if we are wise, we will not be like Jehu and go half way in following God. To be half hearted may lead to success in some things, but in the end, we will fail. Our goal should be to walk closely with the King, the Lord of all.

            Did you know crows are called “gangsters of the sky” and that they have the audacity to attack eagles, the strongest bird of prey? Crows attack eagles, mainly to steal their food. The hunt for food takes energy; it’s much easier for the crow to steal it. The crow will also attack to protect their nests and hunting grounds.
           
          Crows are intelligent. I read they are as smart as a seven-to-ten-year old child. When they glide, they can reach up to 70 mph. The following are some of the tactics they use to attack eagles:

1.Crows dive bomb, peck at the eagle, and tug at their feathers. They are known to land on the eagle’s back

2.Crows use their numbers to confuse their victims, so their prey has to fight on many fronts

3.Crows do something called “mobbing”. As few as three or four or as many as dozens will come at a victim with their voices. They caw and caw, intimidating the prey. They don’t stop

4.Crows tag-team. While some go off to rest and feed, others come in to continue the fight. The crows get a rest, while the prey doesn’t

         So what does the eagle do when attacked by crows? It flies higher. An eagle can fly comfortably at 10,000 feet, while a crow’s maximum is 7,000 feet. Higher than 7,000 feet, the crow gets dizzy and faints. They don’t have the lung capacity to fly at the higher heights.

            When I read about the tactics crows use, they reminded me of Satan’s strategies. John 10:10 (VOICE), says, “The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaugher, and destroy...” Satan stands ready to steal the blessings God has pledged to us by whispering lies into our ears and making us doubt God’s goodness and promises.  

            And if we as believers bring light into his territory of darkness, he will attack. Like a tag team, he and his demons will wear us down with their constant voices of negativity, doubt, and accusation.

            He will ruffle our feathers, peck, and dive-bomb us and bring pressures from all sides, whether it be in our finances, health, or relationships. He and his devils will mob us with their voices, telling us we are fools for believing God.

            So...what should we do? Do like the eagle does – fly higher and look heavenward. Dwell on God and on His promises. In Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). In Him, we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). God always leads us in triumphal procession – not sometimes, but always (2 Corinthians 2:14). If we’ve been born of God, we are world overcomers (1 John 5:14). The God in us is greater than the god of this world (1 John 4:4). Jesus disarmed the rulers of darkness and authorities and put them to open shame (Colossians 2:15). Jesus has given us all power over the enemy (Luke 10:19). I could go on, but I think you get my drift.

            When under attack, praise the Lord. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise and worship break bonds. Remember Paul and Silas in jail (Acts 16:24-26). When Jehoshaphat and the Israelites praised the Lord, God fought their battle (2 Chronicles 20:19-22). The walls of Jericho tumbled when Joshua and the people shouted and blew trumpets (Joshua 6:20).

            Change what you’re looking at. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2). Lift up your eyes to the Creator of heaven and earth. The closer we get to God, the more jittery the enemy becomes. In God’s presence, the air is thin and Satan can’t breathe well. Praise the Lord for His might, His goodness, His faithfulness, His kindness and goodwill toward us, His unchangeableness, His wisdom, His love.

            When we choose to turn away from the attack of the enemy and focus on God, we submit to God. “So submit yourselves to the one true God and fight against the devil and his schemes. If you do, he will run away in failure” (James 4:7 VOICE).
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             Be like the eagle, fly high, and see the devil run, his tail tucked between his legs.

        Gardens play an important part in Scripture. The first garden, the Garden of Eden, is where the history of humanity begins. “Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground – trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:8-9 NLT).

        The Garden of Eden was the place where Adam and Eve met with God – the place where their every need was supplied. But it was also a place of treachery and betrayal.
"The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the say from good to evil"" (Genesis 3:4-5 MSG). 

         In the Garden of Eden, the pair listened to the lies of Satan and transferred their allegiance from God to the devil. In the Garden of Eden, paradise was lost.

        Then there was the Garden of Gethsemane – the garden where Jesus often prayed. But it became a place of betrayal and suffering. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus suffered. “Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me” (Matthew 26:36-38 MSG).

        John 19:41 (GNT) says, “There was a garden in the place where Jesus had been put to death, and in it there was a new tomb where no one had ever been buried.” At one end, Golgotha, the place of death and crucifixion. At the other, the place of resurrection and life.

      “After she (Mary Magdalene) said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him. Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”
        She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Sir, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”
          Jesus said, “Mary.”
       Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!” (John 20:14-16 MSG).

        Jesus was alive! The place of death had become a place of Victory.

     And lastly, there is a heavenly garden. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, flowing with water clear as crystal, continuously pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The river was flowing in the middle of the street of the city, and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life, with its twelve kinds of ripe fruit according to each month of the year. The leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2 TPT).

    In the first garden, connection with God was lost. In the second, betrayal and suffering took place. In the third, hope was found in the resurrection of Jesus. Through Him, our connection with God was renewed.

      And in the last garden, Eden has been restored. “And every curse will be broken and no longer exist, for the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there in the city. His loving servants will serve him; they will always see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more” (Revelation 22:3-5 TPT).

     God is present in every garden. Dear friend, what garden are you in right now? Have you lost connection with God? Are you wandering in a wilderness, apart from Him? Come to the garden of victory, hope, and resurrection. Receive Jesus as your Saviour and Redeemer. He will never disappoint you. And when you die, you will live eternally in the special place God has prepared for those who love Him. A place where there is no curse, no night, and the river of the water of life flows abundantly. Come now.

            Bulldogs are known for their aggressive behaviour. Their grip is tenacious and they are persistent and determined. If a bulldog gets something of yours in its mouth, don’t plan on getting it back.

            When it comes to the promises of God in His Word, we need to be just as tenacious. We need to have bulldog faith that will not let go. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that God's laws bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, "Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed."

            Satan knows we’ve been delivered from the curse, but he’s going to challenge us on it. He knows that by faith we can have everything Jesus died and rose again to provide for us. So Satan’s plan is to wear down our faith, through continual pressure, disappointment, and discouragement. He knows if he can get us off our faith, he can steal from us what is rightfully ours in Jesus.

            THEREFORE, be like a bulldog in your faith. Be aggressive. “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matthew 11:12 NIV-84). Faith is always advancing, persistent, determined, and confident. It does not retreat or move backward. “If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38-39 KJV). When we draw back, we are pulling away from the blessings God has for us.

            Like the bulldog, we need to bite down on the Word of God and not let go. We must continually speak it and keep it in front of our eyes, going into our ears – and to call things that are not as though they were.  “’...I have made you a father of many nations’” in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did...” (Romans 4:17 NKJV).

            Bulldog faith is fully persuaded that what God has promised, He will fulfill. Abraham “...drew strength from his faith, and while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement his own promise” (Romans 4:12, Phillips). Being fully persuaded is not hoping or wishing. Fully persuaded means to be completely convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that what God has said will come to pass. It means believing God’s Word instead of the circumstances around us.

            Lastly, bulldog faith takes possession of what God has promised. Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long are you going to sit around on your hands, putting off taking possession of the land that God…has given you?” –Joshua 18:3 (MSG).

            The Word of God brings things from the spirit realm into the natural realm. In Matthew 8:8, the centurion said to Jesus, “Speak the word only, and my servant will be healed” (KJV). In essence, he told Jesus that the Word of the Son of God was the only evidence he needed. Bulldog faith is not afraid to put a demand on the covenant promises of God.
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            So even though the bulldog isn’t the handsomest of animals, be one when it comes to your faith. Bite down on the Word of God AND DON’T LET GO.

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable]” Psalm 119:89 AMP.
 
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” Genesis 1:1-3.
 
From the above verses in Genesis, we see that the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the waters before God spoke, but nothing happened until God said. When God released His words of faith, creation happened. Everything in this material world is the result of the Word of God.
 
And Jesus holds the universe together by the word of His power. “He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature,upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power” (Hebrews 1:3 AMPC) . 
 
God’s Word is eternal, unchangeable, forever settled in heaven. The material universe, what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell is temporal. It can change and it does change. When you apply the unchangeable to the changeable, it is obvious which one will yield – the changeable.
           
When we take the unchangeable Word of God and apply it in faith to the temporal world, the temporal world must conform to the Word of God. Jesus demonstrated this principle while He lived on earth. When he spoke, demons fled, diseases were healed, the dead were brought to life (“And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth...” John 11:43 KJV), food multiplied, and winds and storms ceased.
 
Jesus said He did what His Father told Him to do.
 
“I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,  but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:30-31 NIV).
 
By the power of God’s Word, Jesus lived and ministered on this death filled planet totally free from all its bondages. Jesus desires us, as born-again believers, to speak His Word in faith, and expect it to change the negative circumstances around us through the power of His unchangeable Word.
 
Our words have power and we need to be careful how we use them. The following ten Scripture verses speak about our words:
 

1. “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut” (Proverbs 10:19 NLT)
2. “Wise words bring many benefits” (Proverbs 12:14 NLT)
3. “A gentle tone is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 ESV-bolding mine).
4. “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21 NIV).
5. “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36 NASB).
6. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).
7. “The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you” (Matthew 12:37 NLT).
8. “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” (James 1:26 NLT).
9. “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:10 NLT).
10. “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies” (1 Peter 3:10 NLT).

 
And lastly, Satan can steal from us with our words.
 
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7 ESV).
 
From the above verse, we see we have the choice to waiver or to receive. We can’t do both at the same time. One of Satan’s tactics is to get us to doubt and waiver. We can either give in to the doubting thoughts and give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27) or we can stand on the veracity of God’s Word. We are the ones who decide if we will allow Satan to steal God’s promises from us. Remember, Satan’s only has one plan – to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).
 
We need to be like God, Who calls the things that are not, as though they were. “As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don’t exist into existence” (Romans 4:17 CEB).
 
Be assured, born-again friend, God’s unchangeable Word, spoken and acted on in faith, will release the power of God and change the circumstances you face.

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        In our Sunday evening Bible studies, we are continuing to examine the Book of Joshua. Last night, we looked at the cities of refuge. I’d never thought much about them before, but as I prepared for the study, the Lord spoke to my heart.

         What were the cities of refuge? We find the answer in Joshua 20.

"Then the Lord said to Joshua:  “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.  When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them...” (Joshua 20:1-4, NIV).
 
        During the time of Joshua, Israel lived under the law of ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘a tooth for a tooth’. If you murdered someone, you were put to death. Killing an innocent person polluted the land because humans are made in the image of God. “If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image” (Genesis 9:6 NLT).

          Numbers 35:33 NLT says, “This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder.”

       However, even if you accidentally killed someone, the slayer was to be killed to cleanse the land from the pollution of innocent blood. The closest relative of the person killed could come after you for your life. That person was called ‘the avenger of blood’.

         When someone accidentally killed someone, they could flee to one of the cities of refuge. God designated six cities – Kedesh, Golan, Ramoth, Shechem, Bezer, and Hebron as cities of refuge. Some of the cities were in the north, some in the south. Three cities were situated on each side of the Jordan River.

        In a city of refuge, the slayer would find welcome and safety until his trial and could work and make a living. The cities were administered by the Levites, from the tribe of Levi. Some of the Levites were priests, who performed the daily rites in the Tabernacle. Others cared for the Tabernacle and all its furnishings, as well as being responsible for the administrative work. Later, they were involved in interpreting the law and were teachers.

         We see from the passage in Joshua 20 that God initiated the cities of refuge. He also made the way clear for someone to reach one of them. The roads to each one were to be kept free of all obstructions and in good repair. Bridges were built where needed so the slayer didn’t have to go down into a ravine but could go straight across.

          In addition, at every crossroad, there were signs which read, “Refuge! Refuge!” and pointed in the direction of the city. The signs had to be large enough so that the slayer could read them as he fled.

            Joshua 20:9 (NLT) says, “These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them...” They were available to all, young, old, free, slave, male, female, Jew, Gentile.

          I’m sure you’re already thinking about the similarities between the cities of refuge and the great salvation God has provided for us. As stated previously, God initiated the cities of refuge. From the time of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden, God was the One to institute the way to refuge and salvation through His Son, Jesus.

        The cities were available to everyone. John 3:16 (VOICE) is a whoever verse. “For God expressed His love for the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not face everlasting destruction, but will have everlasting life” (italics mine).

         It wasn’t difficult to find the cities. God gave instructions that the path to each one be clear. And likewise, God is not far from any of us. “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:26-27 NIV).

       Joshua 20:6 (NIV) says, “They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

        I read that the Talmud, which contains the teachings and commentaries on the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), argues that the death of the high priest formed an atonement for the slayer’s mistake so they could go free.

           Jesus is our great High Priest. 

       “We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 6:18-29 MSG).
 
       Praise God that in the Old Testament, over and over, He gave us glimpses of what was to come in the New. Praise Him for the great salvation He provided for us in Jesus. The only thing that can stop us from receiving refuge and salvation in Him is our will. Come to Him today, whatever your need. His arms are outstretched and He’s waiting for YOU.