Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. 9 Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly. (NIV)

The cities of ‘refuge’ are mentioned in Exodus 21:12,13, Numbers 35 and Deut.19. They were a divine provision to offer protection to those who had committed certain wrongs unintentionally.

From our perspective, Jesus is our ‘City of refuge’. But there is contrast here as well as a comparison, for, thanks be to God, in Jesus we find forgiveness ”from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The ‘refuge’ is not just from accidental and unintentional sins, but ”all sin”. Outside of Jesus there is no mercy for us; but in Him there is all mercy.

‘Other refuge have I none;
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenceless head
with the shadow of thy wing.’ (From the hymn, ‘Jesus, lover of my soul, by Charles Wesley)

‘Jesus Christ is our ”city of refuge” (Heb.6:18-20), but the salvation He gives is in contrast to the refuge given to the manslayer. It is true that the sinner must come to Christ (Matt.11:28-30), but it is also true that Christ first comes to us (Luke 19:10)…When we come to Christ, there is no trial to determine our guilt. We know we are guilty! That is why we fled to Him! We did not stand at the door and wait; we entered the open door (John 10:9) and were welcomed by the Saviour, knowing that we would never face condemnation (John 5:24; Rom.8:1).’ Warren Wiersbe

J. Sidlow Baxter also comments helpfully: ‘Even when we are ”in the land” we may do many things that are wrong without realising they are wrong. In strict justice the law of God cannot but pursue us as guilty. Yet there is provision made for this in the blood of Christ. Mistakes, inadvertencies, ”sins of ignorance,” unintentional wrongs are provided for in the Atonement. Christ Himself is our ”City of Refuge”; and by holding to Him we are protected and covered…’