Cities of Refuge Tues Devo

Read Joshua 20
Cities of refuge. This is one of my favorite things to study. I have been interested in them for years and still don't fully understand their significance, but here is a little I have come to understand.
These cities were for people who accidentally killed someone and have no eye-witness. They can run to these cities and be safe until they stand before the congregation for judgment and until death of the high priest. Then they are released and free to go. What a great picture of what Jesus did for us.
Until Jesus came into our lives we were murderers, liars, sinners and didn't even know our sin. God kept us in his city of refuge until we came to the truth. When we realized the High Priest had died for us and we came to the realization that we were sinners; we subjected ourselves to his judgement and we were set free. Now we can walk this earth free from the "avenger of blood" that once had the right to judge us. Jesus took all the penalty of our sin and did away with it on the cross.
Want to go deeper? I asked God one night before I drifted off to sleep, "Where did the people in the OT go after they died?" I woke up to this in my head: "cities of refuge." I remembered my question the night before and realized God was answering my question. I got up and started studying again about the cities of refuge. I realized that when God-fearing people in the OT died, God had "cities of refuge" under the earth where they stayed until "the death of the High Priest". When Jesus died and was buried he went and preached to them and delivered them out of bondage. He "led captivity captive." After Jesus came back to walk the earth, many other people who had died came back and walked the streets of Jerusalem also. Jesus was the first fruit to rise from the earth, but he brought many with him.
Lord, thank you that you still have "cities of refuge" where we can go and hide away until we repent and apply your blood to our sin. Help us not to stay in these cities long but appropriate your death and go free. Help us to lead many out of bondage into freedom.