Finding Home in the Cities of Refuge

Names reveal nature, purpose, and function. Today, Austin Gardner explores the six cities of refuge to show that they aren't just geography—they are a promise. From "Shechem" (the shoulder that carries your burden) to "Golan" (the place where the outsider becomes family), see the Gospel in a whole new light.

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Transcript

Keddish: Refuge Begins Set Apart

Shechem: The Burden Transfer

Hebron: Union Over Isolation

Bezer: Secure Salvation And Protection

Ramoth And Golan: Lifted Then Brought Home

Refuge For Everyone, Including Strangers

One Gospel Pointing To Jesus

Austin Gardner 0:27

I hope you enjoyed what we talked about. We talked about the cities of refuge and what a tremendous blessing that is. Today, I just wanted to kind of sum it up and finish up with the names of the cities of refuge. It's so interesting when you study and find out how God uses the Hebrew language to teach us things. It's not as open and apparent as it might be if you didn't dig into that. That's what a good commentary will do for you to help you dig in there. So we looked at the cities. I would just like to go a little bit deeper. Names are never random in the Hebrew language, or they weren't. They reveal nature, purpose, and function. You know, in Proverbs chapter 22 and verse 1, a good name is rather to be chosen. And so they chose the right name to tell what their child was doing or what they were supposed to do. They named cities. And you've read the Bible, you know that all through the Bible, those names mean something. It reveals their identity, but it also reveals some truth. It's not just a label. So when God named the cities of refuge, I loved this. I was just studying for the fun of it. You know how it is. You've been in the Bible every day of your life just about it, and you're looking, and you realize God's not just naming a city with a geography. There's a purpose behind it. It says in Hebrews 6.18 that we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge. So now we ask, what kind of refuge? What's this mean? So I want to walk through those six cities with you and just talk about it. Each of the names are action-based. In other words, the name says a whole lot more about you. You've learned that. We've talked about it when we talked about how Naomi changed her name to Mara, Mara meaning bitterness, and Naomi was blessed of God, and Mara was like cursed of God, and she was sad. And it was to label who she was. So names describe what something does. We're not just to studying the name of a place. And the Bible says in Psalm 46, 1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. God called himself a refuge. So the cities are an end, they're a promise, and they're pointing to him. Now there are six cities, six cities that were that were they were told to set up in the city in the country of Israel. Keddish was the first one, uh, or one of them, and it means set apart or holy the first city. It's uh dedicated. John 17 9. And for their sakes I sanctify myself that they may also be sanctified through the truth. So refuge begins with God setting something apart, human effort or divine provision. In 1 Peter 1 19, the Bible says, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Jesus, in other words, is set apart and perfect and prepared by God. Refuge begins not with what you do, but with what God has already set apart. Now, once refuge is established, something is going to happen to your burden. So God set aside Jesus as our refuge, the place to go, holy and perfect and prepared by God. The next city is Shechem. Shoulder. It means shoulder, like our shoulder, our burden. It's a place of carrying. In Isaiah 53, 4 through 5, he says, Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, but he was wounded for our transgressions. Shechem is a transfer of burden. It is what was your burden now becomes his burden. It's what he said when he said, Come unto me all you that labor, I'll give you rest. It's what he said when he said, Casting all your care on me, because I care for you. Refuge is where your weight is lifted and your guilt is carried. At Shechem. What was crushing you? What was crushing you? Did you catch that? Is placed on him. So burdens are lifted at Calvary. Something happens there. He takes our burdens to himself. And next city, there's six of them. Hang on, it just keeps getting better. Hebron, union and fellowship. It's joining together, it's banding together. It is 2 Corinthians 5, 18 and 19. God has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. He brought us back together. It's not isolation, it's restoration into a relationship. And all of Christianity is about a relationship. It's never about rules and regulations of what you do. It's about being how we're related to God through Jesus. John 17, 21, he prayed that they all may be one. You are not saved from something. You're brought into someone. You're not saved to stand on the outside. You're brought into union with Jesus Christ. And so you are brought in. See, you and I are in union with Christ. And now he's going to keep us. The next city is Bezer, B-E-Z-E-R, fortress, enclosure, stronghold, protected place. We have fled for refuge. We're in a place that can protect us. John 10, 28 says, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. We are protected in Jesus. It is a secure salvation. It's not fragile, it's not temporary. We are circled about, we're enclosed, we're surrounded, we're held. You're not barely safe. You're not, I made it in. You are surrounded and completely surrounded by him in love. And then something happens inside of our refuge. Ramoth, height, exalted. Ramoth means height, exalted, lifted up, exalted. And he hath raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, where God, wherefore God has highly exalted Him. So Jesus is our refuge and he lifts us up above condemnation, above judgment, above our past. We are in Christ and rescued and in the middle of refuge. We're not where we were. We are lifted into a new position. You're not just forgiven, you're lifted into a new reality. Next is Golan, exile, home. It's a wandering, exclusive, enclosure, transition. In Ephesians 2, 12 through 13, that at that time you were without Christ. You were strangers, but now in Christ, you were sometimes far off or made nigh. God's speaking to us, and God is saying, You may be an outsider, you may be a stranger, you may be far off, but I brought you in. And that's where we lost find a place. The outsider becomes family. We had no place to go, but now we are home in Christ because of Christ. We are home. So if you're looking at these cities, Keddish means that we were set apart, or he was set apart, and then our burden was carried at Shechem, and then we were brought into union at Hebron, and then we were enclosed in safety at Bezer, then we were lifted up at Ramoth, and we were brought home in Golan. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. That's not about six cities, it's about one gospel. God prepared something set apart, where your burdens would be carried, so you could be brought into union, enclosed in safety, lifted above your past, and brought home. Six cities. Now here's what is exciting beyond exciting. Even the stranger could run to the cities of refuge. Numbers 35, 15. They shall be for a refuge, and check it out, for the stranger. Not just Israel, everyone. Always accessible and never too far away. Six cities, three on each side of the river. Everybody can go there. Wide roads, signs that point that way. God is our refuge and our strength. That's a message. And the message is always pointing to a person, and that person is Jesus. It is Jesus who carries your burden. It is Jesus who brings you into union. It is Jesus who surrounds you. It is Jesus who lifts you up. He is Jesus who brings you home. Jesus. His name is Jesus. So as you think about these cities and you look over these cities, I want you to consider what He's done for us. What a savior. What a God. And all the way back in the Old Testament, just as you're reading your Bible, you're just going through it and you're like, I'm just trying to figure out what's happening here. You can all of a sudden see pictures that just jump off the page at you to show you how great God is. I love Jesus. I know you do. And I thank you for taking the time to listen, and I hope you'll share it. God bless you.