Joshua 20
LOOK at the picture, dear reader! Here is a strong city, with walls to keep the people safe who are in it, and a gate to go in by.
Now look at this man who is running toward the gate. How fast he runs, and how anxious he looks. He wants to get into the city, for he knows it is a safe place, and he is frightened.
Would you like to know what it is that he is afraid of? Then I will tell you. He has killed a man by accident, and the friends of the man he has killed are running after him; they want to catch him, and put him to death for what he has done; so no wonder that he is in such haste and tries so hard to get to the city-gate before they reach him, for he has heard that if he can only get in there he will be safe; his enemy will not be allowed to fetch him out again. He knows that the strong city is meant for people like him, and so he is not afraid that those inside will send him away. Oh no, they will be glad to take him in and keep him as long as he likes to stay, and he will have everything he wants there, too.
Now do you not hope the poor man will reach the gate in time? I hope so, and indeed I feel sure he will, for he is almost there now, and he looks so earnest in trying.
When he goes in at the gate he will have to tell what he has done, and surely he will be willing to do that when he knows he will be let in; and how thankful he must feel that there is such a place of safety for him to run to!
The account of this city is in Joshua 20. You may read it there for yourself if you like, but here I have told you about it in easier words, so that you may better understand it, and I have put it like a picture.
Now what do you think this “city of refuge” is like? and whom is the man like that is running toward it?
We will think of the man first; and will you be very much surprised and shocked if I say that he is like you in the sad, sad thing he has done?
You will exclaim, “What, like me in killing a man? I never did such a wicked thing as that, even by accident.”
Wait a moment, while I tell you a true tale of One who was killed a long time ago. He was the best man that ever lived. He never did one wrong thing, never said one bad word, never had one bad thought. He was always good and kind to everybody. He fed the hungry; He made sick people well; He spent all His time going about doing good. And then He used often to pray to God all night long, because He loved God so much, and did so much enjoy talking to Him; He liked that better than going to sleep, though He was tired. And God, who could see right into His heart, said He was always pleased with Him, for His heart was quite clean and holy, as well as His behavior. So you see He was not like others, for our hearts are filthy and wicked.
When this good and holy Person had lived in this world about thirty-three years He was murdered. Now can you not guess His name? Yes, dear children, it was Jesus the Son of God, who had come down from heaven. Jesus was murdered; killed for nothing at all that He had done. Now if He had done nothing to deserve death, why did He die? Death is the wages of sin; He had no sin of His own; then whose sin was it that caused His death? Why, it was our sin, was it not? Then who are the persons that killed that blessed One? Ah, we may well hang down our heads and feel ashamed, for we did the dreadful deed by our many sins.
Now, dear reader, do you not see how much this man in the picture is like yourself as to the sin? And I hope you will be like him in running to the refuge God has provided for you.
Now I will tell you about the Refuge. The city of refuge is like Jesus now He is alive again. It is very wonderful, but after Jesus had died for sinners, He rose again from the dead. He was made alive again that He might forgive us all our sins, and take us to be with Him in glory forever. Is not that good news? The Lord says in the third chapter of John, in the fifteenth verse, “That whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” and in the eighteenth verse, “He that believeth in Him is not condemned” — that means the sin is not reckoned against them, and they shall not be punished.
Now perhaps you feel unhappy after reading so far, because you find you are a greater sinner than you once thought you were. You say, “Yes, I am like that man who killed another. My sins caused the death of Jesus — but, I did not mean to do it. I did not hate Him, and try to kill Him.”
True; and there again you are like the man in the picture. He did not hate his neighbor, nor try to kill him. It says in another chapter, that he was doing some work he wanted to do, and hurt the man with his ax. He was careless, I suppose, and did not notice his neighbor near him, and that seems to be the way it happened.
And you, ever since you were born, have been doing what you liked, as far as you could; never thinking of Jesus near you; never thinking that your ways would hurt Him, and cause His death. I know you did not sin on purpose to kill Jesus, but you sinned to please yourself.
Do you feel alarmed? Oh, then, you will not stay where you are, surely. You will run to the refuge at once, will you not?
Jesus is the Refuge. He whom your sins have killed, but who is now alive again to save you. Go to Him at once and confess all.
Yes, He can forgive you, and He will. He does not feel any anger toward you. He is willing to save you; and He says He will not cast you out if you will come to Him. Oh, come then, do not delay, for while you are staying away from Him you may die, and then you will perish forever.
Be like this man in going at once. As soon as he found that he had killed a man, he ran fast toward the refuge; we may be sure he did not waste time in picking flowers, or talking to the people he met; for he thought his life too precious to be lost, so on he is running with all his might, and will not stop till he has entered the gate. Will you do the same?
The man has to do one thing more as he enters the gate. He must confess his sin. We read in verse 4, “He shall declare his cause.” That means, tell what he has done. “Please let me in,” he says, and he is asked what he has done. Suppose he should answer, “I have done nothing,” the elders of the city would say, “Then why do you come here? Go away.” And the gate would be shut, and he left outside to be taken by his enemy. The elders inside would know he had done the murder, and they would let him be punished for not confessing his sin.
I was once talking to a little girl six years old about Jesus, and telling her that her sins had caused His death. She did not seem troubled about it, and I said, “Polly, you have a great many sins, have you not?” She answered, “No.” I then said, “What, have you never told stories, nor disobeyed your mamma?” She again answered, “No.” Poor little girl! She had helped by her sins to kill Jesus.
Now, dear reader, if you stay away from Jesus, it is death for you, for there is “no other name whereby we may be saved.” Acts 4:1212Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12). But if you come to Him you will have life. You shall never die, and “none can pluck you out of his hand.” John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28). “He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” He says Himself, I am the door; by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.” John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9).