" Command the Israelites and say to them, "When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries"...
"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee."...
"If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death...The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him."
"But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or,...and he dies...the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood...back to city of refuge...until the death of the high preist."
"No one is to be put to death by the testimony of only one witness...Do not accept ransom for the life of a murderer...Do not accept ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and allow him to return to his own land before the death of the high preist"
"Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed except by the blood of the one who shed it."
Numbers 34&35 NIV
Geographic, safe, time, and inheritance boundaries are given by God to Moses and Israel today. God defines the boundaries of the promised land, towns for the Levites, towns for refuge, time needed to stay in a town of refuge, potential grooms for daughters who have received an inheritance, and for pollution of the land.
God gives boundaries to the Israelites with love and concern, just like a parent gives boundaries to a young child. Boundries, when thoughtfully set, provide a safety net, a zone of comfort, a confine within which to grow and prosper. Outside of those boundaries, like being outside of a city of refuge after accidentally killing someone, safety is less assured.
Aren't you thankful that God has provided a "city of refuge" for us in Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection on Easter Sunday? With Jesus being our "city of refuge," we do not have to face God's wrath for our sin, we are safe and have been redeemed by Jesus' blood, we do not need to shed our blood for our sin. One perfect, complete, whole, eternal sacrifice of Christ has redeemed us. Thanks be to God.
As we consider boundaries today, it may be a good time to consider attributes of God, who with great wisdom set those boundaries.
Thoughts:
How do you approach and respect boundaries? Think of not only God's boundaries, but also some of man's boundaries like speed limits or tax regulation.
What do you do as a steward of the land?
What do you do in thankfulness for what Christ has done?
What attributes of God do you see today?
Pray for government leadership that governments set fair, realistic boundaries and that citizens respect and appreciate the boundaries set.
In Christ,
David P
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