Sermon
#1318 Miscellaneous Notes
Title: THE CITIES OF REFUGE
A TYPE OF CHRIST
Text: Joshua 20:2-4
Readings: Deuteronomy
19:1-10, Numbers 35:6-29 & Joshua 20:1-9
Subject: Christ Our Refuge
Date: Sunday Morning and Evening - March 15, 1998
Tape # U-60 and U-61
Introduction:
Joshua 20:2-4
"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you
cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: (3) That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge
from the avenger of blood. (4) And
when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of
the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of
that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place,
that he may dwell among them."
Proposition: These six cities of refuge typified
and portrayed our great and glorious Savor, the Lord Jesus Christ and display
to us a picture of God’s mercy, love, and grace in providing his own dear Son
to be a refuge for guilty sinners.
The
word “refuge” carries with it the
idea of hope. A refuge is a place or person to which we flee in a time of
danger or trouble with the hope of safety and security. That is exactly what
every believer has done. We have fled from the wrath and justice of God, in
hope of safety and security to Jesus Christ, our Refuge. This is how faith is
described in Hebrews 6:18-20.
Hebrews 6:18-20
"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:
(19) Which hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within
the veil; (20) Whither the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus, made
an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."
I
want to show you how The Cities Of Refuge are Type
Of Christ.
1. According to the law of God, any man who
killed another man must die. “An eye
for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”, is the requirement of justice. When a
man’s life was taken by another man, even when it was taken accidentally,
without malice or purpose, the man who killed another man was, in the Old
Testament, under the sentence of death. The dead man’s next of kin had a legal
right and obligation to avenge his brother’s blood. But, for those who were
guilty of such a crime, the crime of taking another man’s life accidentally,
without malice or intent, God mercifully provided cities of refuge to which the
man slayer might flee for safety from the avenger of blood.
2. There were six cities of refuge. A
person might be anywhere in the land of Israel, on either side of the Jordan,
and easily flee to one of these cities within just a half-a-day
3. The way to these cities of refuge was
always kept clear, regularly repaired, so that the roads could be easily
traveled and the cities of refuge always easily accessible.
We are informed by the
ancient Jewish rabbis that, at least once every year, the magistrates of each
city were responsible to survey the road to their city, making certain that the
road was clear of all debris and easily passable. There must be no obstacles in
the way that would hinder any who might flee to the cities of refuge. The
magistrates would send out work crews to remove all large rocks and fallen
trees from the road, taking the greatest possible care to remove every
stumbling-block. Any low places in the road would be filled. Any high places
would be leveled.
All along the road they
placed markers with the word 'refuge'
written in bold letters. When the fugitive came to a cross-roads, he needed not
hesitate for a moment. Seeing that blessed word, 'refuge',
he kept on his breathless pace with relentless determination until he reached
the place of merciful safety. Once he entered the gates of the city, he was
secure.
4. Anyone guilty of manslaughter had a right
to flee to the cities of refuge and was guaranteed safety for his life as long
as he stayed in the city of his refuge.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the
refuge for sinners. All who come to him are saved from the wrath of God. The
way to Christ is plainly revealed: 'Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Our Lord Jesus Christ,
by his righteousness and blood, has removed every obstacle that might keep the
sinner who seeks him from finding him. He even sends his Spirit to reveal the
way, lead us in the way and bring us safely to our souls' refuge.
Divisions: 1. We all need a refuge.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ is
just such a Refuge as we need.
3. Having fled to Christ for
refuge, we must abide in him.
I. We all need a refuge.
A
refuge is something we need when we are in trouble or sense that we are in
danger. We have all taken refuge in a time of storm. But there only one Refuge
who can shelter our souls from the storm of God’s wrath. The Lord Jesus Christ
is that great friend o whom sinners may turn and in whom alone sinners find
refuge. Christ is our strong castle, our walled city, our mighty fortress, our
high tower. Christ is the ark of safety to shield us from the impending wrath
of God. Just as Noah fled into the ark and there found refuge from the waters
of the flood, we must flee to Christ. In him alone we find refuge from the
flood of God’s wrath.
Deuteronomy 33:27
"The eternal God (In Christ!) is
thy refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms."
Psalms 62:6-8
"He only is my rock and
my salvation: he is my defence; I
shall not be moved. (7) In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock
of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. (8) Trust in him at all times; ye
people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."
Isaiah 32:2
"And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert
from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great
rock in a weary land."
A. We all need refuge in Christ because we are all, by
nature, guilty sinners, under the sentence of God’s holy law; and te wrath of
God is upon us.
Every
son of Adam, by nature, stands before the holy Lord God guilty of sin,
condemned by the law, and in immediate danger of hell.
1. We are all guilty sinners
before the holy God (Isa. 1:4-6; Rom. 3:10-12, 19, 23; 5:12, 18-19).
2. Because of our guilt and
sin, we are all justly condemned by God’s holy law.
Our
babies are not born in innocence, but in sin. We did not come into this world
on probation, but under condemnation. Will you hear the Word of God?
John 3:18
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God."
John 3:36
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on
him."
Ephesians 2:3
"Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the
lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
God
help you to hear me. Oh, hear me now, for Christ’s sake. If you are yet without
Christ, you are, right now, under the wrath of God, in immediate danger of
hell. God is offended with you. You have broken his law. You break every
commandment constantly. You dishonor his name. You reject his authority. You
despise his Son, his gospel, and his grace. You killed God’s Son!
God
Almighty, the Avenger of blood, is angry with the wicked every day. You may not
know it. You may dare even to laugh at me for telling you, but tell you I must.
God has unsheathed his glittering sword. He has set his arrow in his bow. If
justice overtakes you before you get to Christ and find refuge for your soul in
him, you will be forever damned! You will be lost forever in hell!
There
is nothing keeping you out of hell right now but the mercy of God! You deserve
to be damned forever. You court destruction. You hate the fact that God is God.
Yet, he is merciful! So merciful, so gracious, so magnanimous is our God that
he whose justice is offended has made his own dear Son a sin-atoning refuge for
guilty sinners!
3. Some of you are
self-righteous, self-sufficient, and secure with your refuge of lies (Isa.
28:15-17).
Isaiah 28:15-17
"Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with
hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it
shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood
have we hid ourselves: (16) Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a
tried stone, a precious corner stone, a
sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (17) Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to
the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters
shall overflow the hiding place."
4. Some of you, I hope, know
your guilt before God.
It
is no common mercy to be made aware of your guilt. Few people ever experience
such a thing. But knowing your guilt is not salvation. Salvation is fleeing for
refuge to Christ!
B. You who are believers, who have fled for refuge to
Christ, are in constant need of your dear Savior as a Refuge for your souls.
Children of God, never be
reluctant to flee to Christ for refuge! He delights for us to take refuge in
him (Heb. 4:16).
1. Christ is our Refuge to
preserve us in temptation (1 Cor. 10:13).
1 Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but
such as is common to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
2. Christ is our Refuge to
comfort us in trouble (John 14:1-3).
John 14:1-3
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me. (2) In my Father's house are many
mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. (3) And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be
also."
My
brother, my sister, cast all your care on him. He cares for you!
3. Christ is our Refuge to
protect us from every danger (Ps. 56:3; 112:7).
Psalms 56:3
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."
Psalms 112:7
"He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed,
trusting in the LORD."
II.
the
lord jesus christ is such a refuge as we need.
The
six cities of refuge beautifully portray our Lord Jesus Christ. You understand
that no type of Christ is a perfect representation of him. But there are
numerous details given about these cities which appear to be specifically
designed by God to point us to Christ, as he is presented in the gospel as the
only Refuge for guilty sinners.
A. The cities of refuge were appointed by God himself.
They
were not devised and concocted y men. Even so, the Lord Jesus Christ is the
Savior appointed by God to be the efuge for our souls (Rom. 3:24-26)
As
these cities of refuge anticipated the need of criminals before any crime was
committed, so the Lord God, anticipating our great need, appointed Christ to be
our Refuge.
B. The cities of refuge were given to provide shelter,
safety, and life for people who justly deserved to die.
Christ
was given by God so that we who justly deserve to die might never die, but have
safety, security, and eternal life in him.
1. If the avenger of blood caught
the guilty man outside the city of refuge, he was obliged to kill him; and if
God almighty finds you outside of Christ, he is obliged to kill you. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die!”
2. If the guilty man fled into
the city of refuge, so long as he was there, he was under the protection of
God’s law. Even so, every guilty sinner who flees to Christ by faith is under
the protection of God’s holy law and justice!
In
Christ God’s elect are totally free from all possibility of condemnation. The
law of God cannot do us any harm. The justice of God cannot exact one tithe of
an ounce of satisfaction from us! Indeed, the law of God, being fulfilled for
us by Christ, is on our side. The justice of God, being fully satisfied for us
in Christ, demands our eternal salvation.
Christ, our Ark has born all
the furious fulness of God’s wrath to the full extremity of the law’s justice.
There is nothing left to be born by his people (Rom. 8:1, 33-34; Gal. 3:13).
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit."
Romans 8:33-34
"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (34) 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."
Galatians 3:13
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree:"
Illustration: Noah in the Ark
“Payment God cannot twice
demand,
First at my bleeding
Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine!”
C. The cities f refuge were easily seen.
They were built on hills or
mountains, so that they might be readily kept in sight by those fleeing for
their lives. Here again is a picture of Christ and the gospel. Our great and
glorious Christ sits upon God’s holy hill of Zion. He is lifted up to draw all
men unto him (John 12:32; Acts 5:31).
John 12:32
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."
Acts 5:31
"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins."
1. Every time the gospel is
faithfully preached, Christ the Refuge is held up before the eyes of sinful
men. Before your very eyes, “Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth” (Gal. 3:1).
2. Every time a preacher lifts
up Christ before his congregation, he is like “a city that is set upon a hill” (Matt. 5:14).
D. The road to the city of refuge was clearly marked.
God
said, “Thou shalt prepare the way…that
every slayer may flee thither” (Deut. 19:3). Signs were posted everywhere
in the land pointing to the cities, which read, “REFUGE!”
In
the gospel God has so plainly declared the way of salvation in Christ that “way faring men, though fools, shall not err
therein” (Isa. 35:8; Rom. 10:6-10).
Romans 10:6-10
"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say
not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ
down from above:) (7) Or, Who shall
descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (8) But what saith it? The word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy
heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. (10) For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
E. The six cities of refuge were easily accessible.
They
were all located in the midst of the land, so that they could be reached easily
and quickly. As I told you earlier, the road was kept clean and smooth. Every
obstacle was removed. What is the significance of that? It is just this…
1. The way to Christ is short
and easy. “Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
2. Many obstacles lay in the
way between guilty sinners and the place of safety. But Christ removed them
all!
a. The law must be fulfilled.
Christ did it!
b. Justice must be satisfied.
Christ did it!
c. Sin must be removed. Christ
did it!
d. Satan must be conquered and
bound. Christ did it!
F. These cities of refuge were, by the command of God,
open to both Jews and Gentiles.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is a
Refuge for sinners out f every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue under the
sun.
Don’t miss this - The cities of refuge
were provided only for those men who were guilty of manslaughter. Christ is the
Refuge for sinners guilty of every kind of sin! The Son of God is the sinner’s
Refuge (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. (11) And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
G. The safety of those criminals who fled to the cities
of refuge was completely wrapped up in the life nd death of God’s high priest.
The cities of refuge were
all in the inheritance of the Levites because there is no hope of mercy from
God but by God’s appointed Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a double
type here.
1. When the high priest died,
the guilty man went free.
When
the Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary, he obtained eternal redemption for God’s
elect and bught ur everlasting freedom by his precious blood.
2. So long as the high priest
was living, no harm could befall those guilty criminals who dwelled in the
cities of refuge.
Though
Christ died, he lives forever at God’s right hand, as the High Priest over the
house of God. All is safe, child of God, because our great High Priest lives
forever!
Hebrews 10:11-14
"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (13) From henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. (14) For
by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
H. Only those cities appointed by God were cities of
refuge.
There
is no refuge for sinners but that one appointed and ordained by God himself.
The only refuge for our guilty souls is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:12
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
·
Not Sinai - Christ!
·
Not Religion - Christ!
·
Not Feelings - Christ!
·
Not Baptism - Christ!
·
Not Good Works - Christ!
·
Not Morality - Christ!
The
only place of refuge for our souls is in him who died for sinners at Mt.
Calvary, the crucified Christ, the Son of God, our Savior!
“Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee.
Leave, ah, leave me not
alone; Still support and comfort me.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide!
Till the storm of life is past!
Safe into the haven guide,
Oh, receive my soul at last!”
______________
“Rock f Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure:
Save from wrath and make me pure!”
I. The man slayer had to be within the city to be safe.
This
may just be the most important part of my message for some f you. Listen
carefully. Knowing all abut the city was of no benefit to the guilty. He might
know all the history of the city, know all the inhabitants of the city, and be
able to recite all the laws of the city; but if the avenger of blood caught him
outside the city, he was a dead man!
It
was not enough for him to admire the city, talk about the beauty and wonders of
the city, or even defend the city. He must be in the city!
My
friend, if you would be saved, you must be in Christ! To know about Christ, to
profess faith in Christ, to admire Christ, or even to defend the name and
doctrine of Christ is nothing. You must be in Christ. Salvation, everything is
in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-7
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in
Christ: (4) According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: (5) Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
(6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace;"
Believers,
like the man slayer, gladly leave everything and everyone behind, flee to
Christ, lie in the bosom of the Redeemer, cast all their care on him, and rest
in his all-sufficiency!
1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:"
IV. Now, Having Fled To Christ For Refuge, We Must Abide In Him.
Numbers 35:25-28
"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. (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: (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."
John 15:5-6
"I am the vine, ye are the
branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much
fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
(6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered; and men gather them, and cast them
into the fire, and they are burned."
We must abide in Christ. This is the
doctrine of perseverance. True believers and never leave him. Believers
continue in faith.
John 8:31
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed."
Colossians 1:23
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the
gospel, which ye have heard, and which
was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister."
Hebrews 3:6
"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we
hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
Hebrews 3:14
"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of
our confidence stedfast unto the end."
To deny Christ or depart from him is to
perish (Heb. 10:38-39).
Hebrews 10:38-39
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (39) But we are not of them who draw
back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
A. We abide in Christ because we find in him, and in
him alone, everything we need.
B. We abide in Christ because he is the only refuge who
can stand the scrutiny of divine judgment.
Behold
in his head, his hands, his feet, and his side the marks of judgment!
“Bold shall I stand in that
great day,
For who aught to my charge
shall lay,
While through Thy blood
absolved I am
From sin’s tremendous guilt
and blame?”
Illustration: Rowland Hill’s Dream
PART 2
THE NAMES
OF THE CITIES
Joshua 20:7-8
Joshua 20:7-8
"And they appointed Kedesh
in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem
in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is
Hebron, in the mountain of
Judah. (8) And on the other side
Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer
in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of
Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the
tribe of Manasseh."
The man slayer in Israel had
to flee to one of the cities of refuge which God had appointed. If he had fled
to any other city for refuge, he would have found no mercy. The avenger of
blood would find him and slay him. If he would be saved, he must flee to the
refuge God had appointed.
Even so, all who would be
saved by the grace of God must flee by faith to the refuge God has appointed,
and that refuge is Christ. 'Neither 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). The only refuge for our
souls is the Lord Jesus Christ. Both for salvation and for the consolation of
our souls in any time of trouble, we must flee to Christ alone.
·
Christ is our Refuge, not the church.
·
Christ is our Refuge, not our works.
·
Christ is our Refuge, not a creed, confession, or catechism.
·
Christ is our Refuge, not a religious ceremony.
Salvation is obtained only
by fleeing to Christ. There was no place of mercy, peace, safety and rest for
the man slayer until he ran through the gates into one of those cities of
refuge. It was not enough that he knew where the city was located, how large
the city was, what provisions were in the city and how to get to the city. If
he would be saved he must enter the city. Once he entered the city four things
happened:
1. He declared his cause,
confessing his offense.
2. He came under the protection
of the city.
3. He received a complete
acquittal of all guilt.
4. He was cleansed from all guilt,
representatively, when the high priest died.
5. He was safe in the city as
long as the high priest lived.
None of these benefits were
his until he entered the city. But once he entered, all were his, and his soul
was safe, peaceful, and at rest.
Tonight,
I ant to talk to you about THE NAMES OF
THE CITIES OF REFUGE. These cities of refuge are such a clear, beautiful,
and full type of Christ that even the names of the cities are full of
instruction and comfort for our souls.
I.
Kedesh
means
'holy'.
Christ is the holy one, both
as God and as man. Being the holy God-man, he is abundantly qualified to be our
Mediator, Saviour and Redeemer. Christ is made of God unto us righteousness and
holiness, justification and sanctification (Ps. 16:10; Heb. 7:26; 1 Cor. 1:30).
Psalms 16:10
"For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption."
Hebrews 7:26
"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens;"
Hebrews 7:26 "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens."
1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and
redemption."
II. Shechem means 'the shoulder'.
Christ carried the enormous
load of our sin in his body upon the cross and put it away (Isa. 53:6.) The
government of the world in general and of his church in particular is upon his
shoulder (Isa. 9:6). And in conversion, he finds his lost sheep, lays it upon
his shoulder and carries it home (Luke 15:4).
III. Hebron means 'fellowship'.
'Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ' (I John 1:3). In Christ we
have access to and fellowship with the eternal God, and shall have
uninterrupted communion with him in heaven's eternal glory (I Cor. 1:9; Eph.
2:18; John 17:24).
1 Corinthians 1:9 "God is
faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus
Christ our Lord."
Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of
God:"
John 17:24
"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me
where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
IV. Bezer means 'a fortified place'.
'I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in
him will I trust' (Ps. 91:2). 'The name of the
Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe' (Prov.
18: 10). Christ is the fortress and defense of his people, the stronghold in
which the prisoners of hope are secured.
V.
Ramoth
means
'exalted'.
Christ is our exalted
Saviour. 'God hath highly exalted him' (Phil.
2:9). Christ is the one by whom we have been exalted from our low estate to sit
among princes and to inherit the throne of glory (Eph. 2:4-7). And Christ is
the one we exalt, honour and magnify (Rev. 5:9-10).
Ephesians 2:4-7
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he
loved us, (5) Even when we were dead
in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (7) That in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
Revelation 5:9-10
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God
kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
VI. Golan means 'revealed', or 'manifested'.
Christ is God manifest in
the flesh (I Tim. 3:16). He is the one revealed to us, to whom we are called
and by whom we are saved (Gal. 1: 15-16). In Christ the glory of God is
revealed (2 Cor. 4:6). And that revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ is salvation.
Application:
It
is my prayer that God, by his Spirit, will manifest and reveal himself to you
in Christ Jesus, and cause you to flee for refuge unto him who alone is the
Refuge for sinners.
1. Christ is the Refuge.
2. The way is open.
3. The way is clear.
4. Christ himself bids you flee
to him for refuge (Matt. 11:28).
5. Flee away to Christ, flee
away to Christ, and live forever!
AMEN.