Deuteronomy 19
McGeeCHAPTER 19THEME: Cities of refuge; extent of the land and the extremity of the LawThe provision of cities of refuge, the protection of property rights, and the severity of the Law reveal again God’s concern for the innocent person.
Deuteronomy 19:2
CITIES OF REFUGEIn the Book of Numbers, chapter 35, we learn that the Levites were to set up three such cities on the east side of Jordan and three on the west side of Jordan. A man who had unwittingly killed a person could flee to a city of refuge. This would save him from mob action or from the action of some hotheaded relative who might be emotionally wrought up at the time. In a city of refuge he would be protected until a fair trial could be held. God makes it perfectly clear that the cities of refuge were to be protection for the innocent man. He gives an example of what he means by an accidental killing.
Deuteronomy 19:5
The Lord is specific that the cities of refuge are not to be protection for those guilty of murder.
Deuteronomy 19:14
PROTECTION OF PROPERTYHere is the fact that landmarks were sacred. This was a protection of human property and establishes the rights to property.
Deuteronomy 19:15
This passage reveals to us the awesomeness of the Law. The demands of the Law were terrible, and under no circumstances was one witness sufficient. Anyone today who says that he wants to live under law should really find out what it is. If a false witness should arise, then the accused and the accuser were to stand before the Lord, represented by the priests and the judges. If the judges decided that the witness was false, then whatever he wanted to have done to the accused was the punishment which would be given to him. In that way, evil was to be removed from the nation (vv. Deu_19:16-20).
Deuteronomy 19:21
That is law, friends. There is no mercy in law. I thank God today that the Lord is not judging me on the basis of law. He saves me by grace. If he were saving me by law, I would be lost forever, because I could never, never measure up to the requirements of the Law. Law is lawwe have developed such a careless attitude about it todaybut God enforces His Law.
It was eye for eye, tooth for tooth. How I thank God that Jesus Christ paid the penalty of the Law so that there is pardon for sinners. The throne of God has become a mercy seat because Christ died and His blood has been sprinkled thereand that’s the blood of the covenant. God saves us by His grace. We have not kept the Law; we have broken it. We are all guilty before God.
Christ paid the penalty; so the requirements of the Law have been fulfilled. Now God is free to save sinners by His marvelous, infinite, wonderful grace.