Cities of Refuge

Levitical towns were scattered throughout the tribal land of Israel, with land donated by each tribe in proportion to it's size. Some of these towns were designated as "cities of refuge" and were intended to be safe havens for people who had unintentionally killed someone. In order to avoid being killed in an act of vengeance, the slayer had to flee to one of these towns and remain there until the high priest died. Very detailed examples of unintentional killing versus murder show that the difference was found in the heart of the slayer. Death resulting from malice was considered murder and had to be punished by execution. A murderer could not buy his way out of the death penalty (as we sometimes see today in our justice system), nor could an accused murderer be sentenced to death on the basis of only one witness. These laws protected the very serious policies regarding the death penalty from being perverted, and showcase both the merciful and just aspects of God's nature.

Tomorrow's reading: Deuteronomy1-3:20