#DailyDevotion The High Priest Has Died. We Can Return Home

Holy Trinity Sunday

Num 35:9–30

Num 35:30-32  “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.  (31)  Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death.  (32)  And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest.

 

You may have little trouble with the reading today. Who wants to talk about murderers, manslaughterers, how to tell the different and what to do with them? But in this we see the mercy of God the Lord. First we must understand that these are laws to govern a nation under the authority of God. So we as Christians should make a distinction here between what our country does (which is not Israel) and what the Lord commanded his Israel to do as a nation. We are not under the Mosaic covenant—though it would be good to learn some lessons from it. Indeed some of our law concerning these things mirrors the law given here.

 

But we should note the mercy of God here. In making a distinction between persons and their actions which bring about a death of another person, there is the intent of the individual. One whose actions intend to kill another are treated one way and those whose actions were not intended to kill are treated another way. We are given what to look for to discern intent. And even those whose actions might be interpreted as intentionally killing someone, there must be two witnesses to the fact. There is no my word against his word.

 

Those who commit manslaughter are given a place of refuge until judgment is determined and if it is determined that it is manslaughter they can stay in the city so the avenger cannot kill him. On top of that, he only has to stay in that city until the day the high priest dies when the killing occurred. After that, he is free to return home.

 

Here is where Jesus comes in. Now the devil has been a murderer since the beginning. There is no forgiveness for him. He has been murdering mankind since the garden. His fate and those who followed him is the Lake of Fire. But for those of us who sin or who may unintentionally lead other to sin there is a day of ransom for us. Jesus is our high priest and he has died on the cross for us. With his death, mankind has been ransomed. We can return to our homeland. And where is that? The New Jerusalem. The New Heavens and New Earth. If you believe that Jesus’ death has provided the ransom for your life then you can leave the city of refuge (this world) and return home to the Father.

 

Heavenly Father, you have provided a ransom for our life in the death of our high priest, your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us faith in his work that we may look forward to returning home to you knowing our adversary the devil has no power over us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.