Teaching Points
1. Read Numbers 33 to 36 and make chapter outlines.
ANSWER:
- Num. 33:1-56 The journey from Egypt to Canaan
- Num. 34:1-29 Division of Canaan
- Num. 35:1-34 Levite towns and cities of refuge
- Num. 36:1-13 Keeping the inheritance within the family (example: Zelophehad’s daughters’ marriage)
ANSWER:
- Num. 33:52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places
- Here is a New Testament counterpart:
- 2Cor. 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 2Cor. 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 2Cor. 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
- “casting down” means to lower (or with violence) demolish (literally or figuratively): — cast (pull, put, take) down, destroy.
- Num. 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
- Obviously we cannot drive out the “pagans” away from our presence literally. We may live in the world but not be of the world. However it is important to keep out the worldly influence from our homes.
APPLICATION QUESTION:
- What idols or negative influences do you need to put away or avoid today?
ANSWER:
- Six, Num. 35:6
- These cities of refuge are only for those who have killed someone unwittingly or accidentally.
- Spiritually speaking, we can still “flee to the city of refuge” even though we have sinned with knowledge of sin.
ANSWER:
- Run from the avenger. Num. 35:12
- To receive fair judgment. Num. 35:12
- So for the manslayer, his only hope is in a fair judgment. A fair judgment to vindicate that he is innocent and just. Therefore the manslayer is running for his justification. Is this the same as us needing to run to Christ for our justification?
- Spiritually speaking the avenger of blood is Satan. “The sinner is exposed to eternal death, until he finds a hiding place in Christ; and as loitering and carelessness might rob the fugitive of his only chance for life, so delays and indifference may prove the ruin of the soul. Satan, the great adversary, is on the track of every transgressor of God's holy law, and he who is not sensible of his danger, and does not earnestly seek shelter in the eternal refuge, will fall a prey to the destroyer.” {PP 517.2}
ANSWER:
- Num. 35:14 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.
- Hebron, Shechem, Kodesh, Golan, Ramoth Gilead, and Bezer
- Basically, one day journey for the manslayer therefore the manslayer must run to a city of refuge as soon as he accidentally killed someone.
- “The cities so wisely provided were to be located within a half-day's journey of every part of the land. It would not often happen that the avenger of blood would be in the spot, hence the unfortunate man-slayer would have an opportunity to flee, and but few would be overtaken before they gained the place of safety.” {ST, January 20, 1881 par. 4}
ANSWER:
- Can get killed. Num. 35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; Num. 35:27 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.
- The only hope and protection for the manslayer is to remain in the city of refuge though he or she has been declare just. Therefore the only hope of a sinner is to abide in Christ so that our enemy cannot touch us.
ANSWER:
- After the death of the high priest.
- Num. 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.
ANSWER:
- Christ our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
- Heb. 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Heb. 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Heb. 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
SOP:
- “The cities of refuge appointed for God’s ancient people were a symbol of the refuge provided in Christ. The same merciful Saviour who appointed those temporal cities of refuge has by the shedding of His own blood provided for the transgressors of God’s law a sure retreat, into which they may flee for safety from the second death. No power can take out of His hands the souls that go to Him for pardon. ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.’ ‘Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us;’ that ‘we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.’ Romans 8:1, 34; Hebrews 6:18.
- “He who fled to the city of refuge could make no delay. Family and employment were left behind. There was no time to say farewell to loved ones. His life was at stake, and every other interest must be sac- rificed to the one purpose—to reach the place of safety. Weariness was forgotten, difficulties were unheeded. The fugitive dared not for one moment slacken his pace until he was within the wall of the city.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 516, 517.
- “As the man-slayer was in constant peril until within the city of refuge, so is the transgressor of God's law exposed to divine wrath until he finds a hiding-place in Christ. As loitering and carelessness might rob the fugitive of his only chance for life, so delays and indifference may prove the ruin of the soul. Our adversary, the devil, is on the watch constantly to destroy the souls of men, and unless the sinner is sensible of his danger and earnestly seeks shelter in the eternal Refuge, he will fall a prey to the destroyer.” {ST, January 20, 1881 par. 19}
- Psa. 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psa. 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
- Psa. 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
- We must remain in the “city of refuge” until we can literally enter into the city of God.
- Do you have reasons to flee to the city of refuge today?
- How could we dwell in the secret place of God today?
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