Fri.’s Devo - Cities of Refuge

Read: Numbers 33:40-35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-13; Proverbs 11:23
After Aaron died they traveled on to the plains of Moab. Moses gave them explicit orders that they were to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land and destroy all their means of worship or they would become a hindrance to them. If they didn’t drive them out, they would teach them their ungodly worship of idols and God would become their enemy also. God mapped out their boundaries and told them that this was as far as they were to go. The rest of the land was their enemies and they were to honor the borders.
There were eight and a half tribes who would divide the land. Two and a half tribes stayed on the eastern side of the Jordan and the Levites were not to get land although they were to be dispersed throughout the tribes and given cities to live in. These cities would be cities of refuge for anyone who accidentally killed someone. They could flee to that city and the Levites would listen to their plea. If they found them innocent then they could stay safely in the city till the death of the high priest when they would be set free.
This is a picture of our redemption. We are all murderers who killed Jesus with our sins. When we realize this and repent then we are declared innocent and set free because our High Priest, Jesus died for us.
This is also a picture of those who rested in Sheol, in the grave awaiting the death of Jesus. When Jesus died, he preached to those in prison and delivered them out. Many came out of their graves and walked the streets of Jerusalem after he rose. (Matthew 27:52-53)
In Luke, Jesus healed a man completely covered in leprosy. He told him to go show himself to the priest and let them do the ceremony that Moses had told them to do when a person was healed of leprosy. The priest had never had to do that ritual since no one had ever been cleansed of leprosy except Naiman and he wasn’t Jewish. The ritual involves two birds. The priest kills one and smears its blood with hyssop, scarlet thread, and wood on the other bird. There is also running water which is poured over the dead bird. Then the blood of the bird is sprinkled over the man who is cleansed and the living bird is loosed into the open field. (Leviticus 14:2-9). The man then washes his clothes, shaves his hair and washes himself in water.
It is all a picture of the cross and the blood shed to cleanse us from the sin of our flesh. Jesus wanted to give the priests one more picture so that maybe they would get it. I bet the priest had to brush off his scroll and read that part again. I would have loved to see them scramble for all the props they would need for this ceremony.
The scribes and Pharisees were continually offended by what Jesus did. He forgave sins, ate with sinners and chose tax collectors to be his disciples. But they could not dispute the miracles they saw.
Lord, help us to step out and believe you for miracles and wonders. We are suppose to walk as you did so increase our faith.