"When the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations whose land the Lord
thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their
cities, and in their houses; thou shalt separate three cities for thee
_in the midst of thy land_, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to
possess it. _Thou shalt prepare thee a way_, and divide the coasts of
thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three
parts, _that every slayer may flee thither_." (Ver. 1-3.)
What a very striking combination of "goodness and severity" we observe
in these few lines! We have the "cutting off" of the nations of Canaan
because of their consummated wickedness, which had become positively
unbearable; and on the other hand, we have a most touching display of
divine goodness in the provision made for the poor man-slayer in the
day of his deep distress, when flying for his life from the avenger of
blood. The government and the goodness of God are, we need hardly say,
both divinely perfect. There are cases in which goodness would be
nothing but a toleration of sheer wickedness and open rebellion, which
is utterly impossible under the government of God. If men imagine that
because God is good they may go on and sin with a high hand, they will
sooner or later find out their woeful mistake.
"Behold," says the inspired apostle, "the goodness and severity of
God!"[19] God will most assuredly cut off evil-doers who despise His
goodness and long-suffering mercy. He is slow to anger, blessed be His
holy name! and of great kindness. For hundreds of years He bore with
the seven nations of Canaan, until their wickedness rose up to the
very heavens, and the land itself could bear them no longer. He bore
with the enormous wickedness of the guilty cities of the plain; and if
He had found even ten righteous people in Sodom, He would have spared
it for their sakes. But the day of terrible vengeance came, and they
were "cut off."
[19] The word rendered "severity" is ἀποτομία, which
literally means "cutting off."
And so will it be ere long with guilty christendom. "Thou also shalt
be cut off." The reckoning-time will come, and oh, what a
reckoning-time it will be! The heart trembles at the thought of it,
while the eye scans and the pen traces the soul-subduing words.
But mark how divine "goodness" shines out in the opening lines of our
chapter. See the gracious painstaking of our God to make the city of
refuge as available as possible for the slayer. The three cities were
to be "_in the midst of thy land_." It would not do to have them in
remote corners, or in places difficult of access. And not only so, but
"_thou shalt prepare thee a way_;" and again, "Thou shalt divide the
coasts of thy land ... _into three parts_." Everything was to be done
to facilitate the slayer's escape. The gracious Lord thought of the
feelings of the distressed one "flying for refuge to lay hold on the
hope set before him." The city of refuge was to be "brought near,"
just as "the righteousness of God" is brought near to the poor
broken-hearted helpless sinner--so near, that it is "to him that
_worketh not_, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly."
There is peculiar sweetness in the expression, "_Thou shalt prepare
thee a way_." How like our own ever-gracious God--"the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ"! and yet it was the same God that cut off
the nations of Canaan in righteous judgment who thus made such
gracious provision for the man-slayer. "Behold, the goodness and
severity of God."
"And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, _that
he may live_: Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not
in time past; as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to
hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the
tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his
neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities and
live; lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart
is hot, and overtake him, _because the way is long_,"--most touching
and exquisite grace!--"and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of
death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past. Wherefore I command
thee, saying, 'Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.'" (Ver.
4-7.)
Here we have a most minute description of the man for whom the city of
refuge was provided. If he did not answer to this, the city was not
for him; but if he did, he might feel the most perfect assurance that
a gracious God had thought of him, and found a refuge for him, where
he might be as safe as the hand of God could make him. Once the slayer
found himself within the precincts of the city of refuge, he might
breathe freely, and enjoy calm and sweet repose. No avenging sword
could reach him there, not a hair of his head could be touched there.
He was safe--yes, perfectly safe; and not only perfectly safe, but
perfectly _certain_. He was not hoping to be saved, he was sure of it.
He was in the city, and that was enough. Before he got in, he might
have many a struggle deep down in his poor terrified heart, many
doubts and fears and painful exercises. He was flying for his life,
and this was a serious and an all-absorbing matter for him--a matter
that would make all beside seem light and trifling. We could not
imagine the flying slayer stopping to gather flowers by the roadside.
Flowers! he would say, What have I to do with flowers just now? My
life is at stake. I am flying for my life. What if the avenger should
come and find me gathering flowers? No; the city is my one grand and
all-engrossing object: nothing else has the smallest interest or charm
for me. I want to be saved; that is my exclusive business now.
But the moment he found himself within the blessed gates, he was safe,
_and he knew it_. How did he know it? By his feelings? by his
evidences? by experience? Nay; but simply by the Word of God. No doubt
he had the feeling, the evidence, and the experience, and most
precious they would be to him after his tremendous struggle and
conflict to get in; but these things were by no means the ground of
his certainty or the basis of his peace. He knew he was safe because
God told him so. The _grace_ of God had made him _safe_, and the
_Word_ of God made him _sure_.
We cannot conceive a man-slayer within the walls of the city of refuge
expressing himself as many of the Lord's dear people do in reference
to the question of safety and certainty. He would not deem it
presumption to be sure he was safe. If any one had asked him, Are you
sure you are safe? Sure! he would say, How can I be otherwise than
sure? Was I not a slayer? have I not fled to this city of refuge? has
not Jehovah, our covenant-God, pledged His Word for it? has He not
said that "fleeing thither he may live"? Yes, thank God, I am
perfectly sure. I had a terrible run for it--a fearful struggle. At
times, I almost felt as if the avenger had me in his dreaded grasp. I
gave myself up for lost; but then, God, in His infinite mercy, made
the way so plain, and made the city so easy of access to me, that,
spite of all my doubts and fears, here I am, safe and certain. The
struggle is all over, the conflict past and gone. I can breathe freely
now, and walk up and down in the perfect security of this blessed
place, praising our gracious covenant-God for His great goodness in
having provided such a sweet retreat for a poor slayer like me.
Can the reader speak thus as to his safety in Christ? Is he saved, and
does he know it? If not, may the Spirit of God apply to his heart the
simple illustration of the man-slayer within the walls of the city of
refuge. May he know that "strong consolation" which is the sure,
because divinely appointed, portion of all those who have "fled for
refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them." (Heb. vi. 18.)
We must now proceed with our chapter; and in so doing, we shall find
that there was more to be thought of in the cities of refuge than the
question of the slayer's safety. That was provided for perfectly, as
we have seen; but the glory of God, the purity of His land, and the
integrity of His government had to be duly maintained. If these things
were touched, there could be no safety for any one. This great
principle shines on every page of the history of God's ways with man.
Man's true blessing and God's glory are indissolubly bound together,
and both the one and the other rest on the same imperishable
foundation, namely, Christ and His precious work.
"And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coasts, as He hath sworn unto thy
fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy
fathers; if thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I
command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk ever in
His ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these
three; _that innocent blood be not shed in thy land_, which the Lord
thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. But
if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up
against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one
of these cities; then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him
thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he
may die. Thine eye shall not pity him, _but thou shalt put away the
guilt of innocent blood from Israel_, that it may go well with thee."
(Ver. 8-13.)
Thus, whether it was _grace_ for the slayer, or _judgment_ for the
murderer, the glory of God and the claims of His government had to be
duly maintained. The unwitting man-slayer was met by the provision of
mercy; the guilty murderer fell beneath the stern sentence of
inflexible justice. We must never forget the solemn reality of divine
government. It meets us every where; and if it were more fully
recognized, it would effectually deliver us from one-sided views of
the divine character. Take such words as these--"Thine eye shall not
pity him." Who uttered them? Jehovah. Who penned them? God the Holy
Ghost. What do they mean? Solemn judgment upon wickedness. Let men
beware how they trifle with these weighty matters. Let the Lord's
people beware how they give place to foolish reasonings in reference
to things wholly beyond their range. Let them remember that a false
sentimentality may constantly be found in league with an audacious
infidelity in calling in question the solemn enactments of divine
government. This is a very serious consideration. Evil-doers must look
out for the sure judgment of a sin-hating God. If a willful murderer
presumed to avail himself of God's provision for the ignorant
man-slayer, the hand of justice laid hold of him and put him to
death, without mercy. Such was the government of God in Israel of old,
and such will it be in a day that is rapidly approaching. Just now,
God is dealing in long-suffering mercy with the world; this is the day
of salvation--the acceptable time. The day of vengeance is at hand. Oh
that man, instead of reasoning about the justice of God's dealings
with evil-doers, would flee for refuge to that precious Saviour who
died on the cross to save us from the flames of an everlasting
hell![20]
[20] For other points presented in the cities of refuge we must refer
the reader to "Notes on the Book of Numbers," chapter xxxv.
Before quoting for the reader the closing paragraph of our chapter, we
would just call his attention to verse 14, in which we have a very
beautiful proof of God's tender care for His people, and His most
gracious interest in every thing which directly or indirectly
concerned them. "Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which
they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt
inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it."
This passage, taken in its plain import and primary application, is
full of sweetness, as presenting the loving heart of our God, and
showing us how marvelously He entered into all the circumstances of
His beloved people. The landmarks were not to be meddled with. Each
one's portion was to be left intact, according to the boundary-lines
set up by those of old time. Jehovah had given the land to Israel,
and not only so, but He had assigned to each tribe and to each family
their proper portion, marked off with perfect precision, and indicated
by landmarks so plain that there could be no confusion, no clashing of
interests, no interference one with another, no ground for lawsuit or
controversy about property. There stood the ancient landmarks, marking
off each one's portion in such a manner as to remove all possible
ground of dispute. Each one held as a tenant under the God of Israel,
who knew all about his little holding, as we say, and every tenant had
the comfort of knowing that the eye of the gracious and almighty
Landlord was upon his bit of land, and His hand over it to protect it
from every intruder. Thus he could abide in peace under his vine and
under his fig-tree, enjoying the portion assigned him by the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Thus much as to the obvious sense of this beautiful clause of our
chapter; but surely it has a deep spiritual meaning also. Are there
not spiritual landmarks for the Church of God, and for each individual
member thereof, marking off, with divine accuracy, the boundaries of
our heavenly inheritance--those landmarks which they of old time, even
the apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, have set up.
Assuredly there are, and God has His eye upon them, and He will not
permit them to be removed with impunity. Woe be to the man that
attempts to touch them; he will have to give account to God for so
doing. It is a serious thing for any one to interfere, in any way,
with the place, portion, and prospect of the Church of God; and it is
to be feared that many are doing it without being aware of it.
We do not attempt to go into the question of what these landmarks are;
we have sought to do this in our first volume of "Notes on
Deuteronomy," as well as in the other four volumes of the series; but
we feel it to be our duty to warn, in the most solemn manner, all whom
it may concern against doing that which, in the Church of God, answers
to the removal of the landmarks in Israel. If any one had come forward
in the land of Israel to suggest some new arrangement in the
inheritance of the tribes, to adjust the property of each upon some
new principle, to set up some new boundary-lines, what would have been
the reply of the faithful Israelite? A very simple one, we may be
sure. He would have replied in the language of Deuteronomy xix. 14. He
would have said, We want no novelties here; we are perfectly content
with those sacred and time-honored landmarks which they of old time
have set in our inheritance. We are determined, by the grace of God,
to keep to them, and to resist, with firm purpose, any modern
innovation.
Such, we believe, would have been the prompt reply of every true
member of the congregation of Israel; and surely the Christian ought
not to be less prompt or less decided in his answer to all those who,
under the plea of progress and development, would remove the landmarks
of the Church of God and, instead of the precious teaching of Christ
and His apostles, offer us the so-called light of science and the
resources of philosophy. Thank God, we want them not. We have Christ
and His Word; what can be added to these? What do we want of human
progress or development, when we have "that which was _from the
beginning_"? What can science or philosophy do for those who possess
"_all truth_"? No doubt, we want--yea, long to make progress in the
knowledge of Christ; long for a fuller, clearer development of the
life of Christ in our daily history; but science and philosophy cannot
help us in these; nay, they could only prove a most serious hindrance.
Christian reader, let us seek to keep close to Christ, close to His
Word. This is our only security in this dark and evil day. Apart from
Him, we are nothing, have nothing, can do nothing; in Him, we have
all. He is the portion of our cup and the lot of our inheritance. May
we know what it is not only to be safe in Him, but separated _to_ Him,
and satisfied _with_ Him, till that bright day when we shall see Him
as He is, and be like Him and with Him forever.
We shall now do little more than quote the few remaining verses of our
chapter. They need no exposition. They set forth wholesome truth, to
which professing Christians, with all their light and knowledge, may
well give attention.
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for
any sin, in any sin that he sinneth; at the mouth of two witnesses, or
at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established."
(Ver. 15.)
This subject has already come before us. It cannot be too strongly
insisted upon. We may judge of its importance from the fact that not
only does Moses again and again press it upon Israel's attention, but
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and the Holy Ghost in the apostle Paul,
in two of his epistles, insists upon the principle of "two or three
witnesses," in every case. One witness, be he ever so trustworthy, is
not sufficient to decide a case. If this plain fact were more
carefully weighed and duly attended to, it would put an end to a vast
amount of strife and contention. We, in our fancied wisdom, might
imagine that one thoroughly reliable witness ought to be sufficient to
settle any question. Let us remember that God is wiser than we are,
and that it is ever our truest wisdom, as well as our greatest moral
security, to hold fast by His unerring Word.
"If a false witness rise up against any man, to testify against him
that which is wrong; then both the men, between whom the controversy
is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges
which shall be in those days; and _the judges shall make diligent
inquisition_: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and have
testified falsely against his brother; then shall ye do unto him as he
had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil
away from among you. And those which remain shall hear and fear, and
shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine
eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Ver. 16-21.)
We may here see how God hates false witness; and further, we have to
bear in mind that though we are not under law, but under grace, false
witness is not less hateful to God; and surely the more fully we enter
into the grace in which we stand, the more intensely we shall abhor
false witness, slander, and evil-speaking, in every shape and form.
The good Lord preserve us from all such.