NUMBERS

Numbers Chapter 35

• Numbers 35:1 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. 
• 5 And ye shall measure from without 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, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities. 

Now God reminds the children of Israel through Moses to provide for the Levites. The Levites were appointed to serve in the sacrifices, ordinances and such having to do with the temple and and the worship of God. They gave up the regular type of inheritance that the other tribes would inherit in order to serve the Lord. The Lord was their inheritance. Yet a way had to be made to feed and clothe their families while they did service for the Lord. 

The Levites and the priesthood of Aaron's descendants later became very corrupt. Soon God had to speak to Israel by way of prophets like Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. Some prophets even became false prophets after gain rather then after God. The Kings of Israel also became corrupt. 

God had to send a prophet, priest and king all rolled into one. First this prophet, priest and king had to be a sacrifice for sin. This he did not by offering animals or any other human being but He offered Himself as a sacrifice to die for sins.

He lived among us fulfilling the law by keeping it in every point and by not breaking the law in any point. That way when He was killed, His death was not deserved. The penalty of sin was death and He paid that penalty without deserving to die. Those who believe in Him and trust in Him to forgive them and cleanse them from sin, will not have to die for their own sins. Their old body may die temporarily until the resurrection but the soul is safe and will not suffer eternal vengeance in the fires of hell.

The law says the soul that sins shall die. Jesus Christ with His death on the cross reverses that curse and became the curse for us. Now the soul that believes in Him thereby turning away from sin and receiving Him as savior, inherits eternal life. 

Christ became a priest, actually a high priest who made intercession between sinful man and a holy God. He made reconciliation and brought us back to God. A priest offers sacrifices and in a sense intercedes for the people. Christ did this permanently by sacrificing Himself and making those that believe kings and priests. We are no longer under the priesthood of Aaron and our only intercessor is Jesus Christ. 

Christ also will become king of kings and lord of lords at His Second coming. He will reign over the earth with other kings in subject to Him. Naturally He is a prophet above all prophets who gives the gifts of the spirit to those that have believed in Him and have received His Holy Spirit. 

The book of Hebrews is an excellent book to explain the doing away with the Old priesthood and ushering in the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ. Here is but a part of that explanation concerning the old and new covenants. 

• Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 
• 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. 
• 3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. 
• 4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: 
• 5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. 
• 6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 
• 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 
• 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 
• 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 
• 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 
• 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 
• 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 
• 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

I might add here that instead of a tribe of Levites through Christ we who have received Him are all made priests. In this life on earth we have no continuing city. We are like fugitives spreading the gospel and not being bound by the things of the world. Our treasure is in heaven with the Lord and not here on earth. We are like the Levites. God provides for us a place to live and raise our families but that may be temporary. We may have to move somewhere else at His word.

Our treasure is not in this world. God is our inheritance. The gifts given to us are spiritual gifts not temporal although He promised to supply our needs. We are not to seek riches in this life especially since there are so many poor that need help. Beware of the modern prosperity gospel. It despises the poor and is very close to idolatry. 

• Numbers 35:6 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. 

This is to make sure that vengeance by relatives is not taken upon someone who may be innocent, may have killed to save another or may be falsely accused. It may have been self defense, defense of a family member or an accident. Giving him a place to flee makes sure that he gets a fair trial to determine proper guilt or innocence. This was never a means to justify any murder or make the guilty go free. 

• Numbers 35:7 So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.
• 8 And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth. 
• 9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
• 10 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. 
• 14 Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. 
• 15 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. 

The law gave the death penalty for those found guilty of willful murder. We pattern our law in the United States after this. The cities of refuge were given to make sure that the one put to death is truly guilty of murder and one who killed by accident or in self defense is spared the death penalty. It is equal too getting a fair trial except they didn't have slick lawyers who for gain would get a real murderer off scot free. 

• Numbers 35:17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. 
• 18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and 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. 
• 20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; 
• 21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. 
• 22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait, 
• 23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm: 
• 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. 

Come to think of it, the one that kills by accident also does not get off lightly. He had to stay in the city until the high priest died before he could go home. He is separated from his family all that time unless they made a way for his family to come and live where he was living. So even in accidents, the one who did the thing did not get off without paying in some manner. 

• Numbers 35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; 
• 27 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: 

He risks his own life if he leaves the cities of refuge and a relative of the one he killed finds him and kills him. It would seem that they were allowed to seek vengeance if a murderer killed a loved one. That is where their laws were different than our laws today. 

• Numbers 35:28 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. 

This was unfortunate but necessary because once in a while we have a witness who deliberately lies and once someone is put to death, there was no way to bring him back alive and undo a wrong. It took more than one witness to condemn someone to death. Circumstantial evidence also should not condemn someone to death because they may be innocent and there is no way to bring them back alive if a mistake has been made. Better to err on the side of caution. God knows the truth and everyone will face judgment from the Lord sooner or later. 

• Numbers 35:31 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. 

They should not feel so sorry for a murderer that is put to death that they spare his life if he is guilty. If justice is not done, evil continues and people feel free to commit murder for any reason. Without law and order the innocent will suffer. 

I personally feel too that we should never rejoice at the death of another even if it is a murderer. It is sad to see anyone die but it has to be in some cases to have law and order. We should mourn that any person has to die. We never should rejoice in putting people to death. 

• Numbers 35:32 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. 
• 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 
• 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. 

If we feel so sorry for murderers and lawbreakers that we do not allow them to be punished for their crimes, we will see the innocent harmed without any justice. We must seek justice for victims of crimes and feel more sorry for them than the ones who do the crimes. Yet, we should never rejoice to see anyone suffer. 

When Jesus came we see a different type of justice. We see mercy that rejoices against judgment. A criminal still has to pay if he commits a crime because of the law of the land he is living in but if a murderer repents and allows the sacrifice of Christ to count on his behalf and he believes in Jesus as savior, he will not suffer eternal death. He can be saved. In the eyes of God he is no longer a murderer yet in the eyes of man, he still is a murderer. 

We have to have law and justice because only God knows whether or not the man was truly repentant. We cannot tell in the flesh. So justice still has to be done in this life but in eternity, his soul is saved if he truly repents and trusts in Christ. 

Christ makes a way for any sinner to be saved, whether he was a big sinner or only told a few white lies. All have sinned at one point or another and all both small and great need a savior from sin to reconcile him or her back to God. Christ made it possible by becoming flesh and allowing Himself to die in our place and for our sins. DC

• 1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 
• 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
• 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
• 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.