(September 8, 2010)
Prayer & Medication
This coming weekend we have the Vandenberg Family ministering to us. It begins with a Men's Breakfast on Saturday. They will be leading us in worship as well as bringing the word. Please be in prayer for these special services.
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This is Family Week at Prayer House. That means we are not having any midweek services - which, hopefully, will give your family extra time together.
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Devotional!
I want to take a few moments to look into what a city of refuge was or is. Cain was the first man to establish a refuge city. So often we look at Cain in a negative light because he was the first man to kill another man. However, remember our God is a merciful God, and if someone actually repents of his sin and seeks forgiveness, God, in His mercy, grants it to him.
Genesis 4:13-17 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. (14) Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." (15) But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. (16) So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (17) Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
Cain was building a city of refuge because prior to this there was no safe place for him to live. Plus since God put his mark on Cain stating that anyone who brought harm to him would receive vengeance seven time over, the city of refuge became a means of protecting them also. The root meaning of the Hebrew terms for "city," means "to keep watch for the approach of an enemy." That was the primary reason cities came into existence. The leading purpose of gathering into towns was security against marauders.
Within the network of cities were certain ones appointed as cities of refuge. A city of refuge was a place where someone who had committed a crime could go to be safe from those seeking revenge. In the ancient Middle Eastern countries if a person were killed, it was the custom that the nearest relative of the slain one would became the "avenger of blood."
Numbers 35:19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
It became his duty to slay the slayer. He had every right to do it – unless the one who committed the crime made it to a city of refuge before he could get to him. Then he was safe – for the time being. The city of refuge was a type of what we call in our justice system – innocent until proven guilty.
The person who committed a crime could find sanctuary in the city of refuge until it was time to hear his case. The courts would then take the accused one back to the scene of the crime for his trial. If it could be proven that what happened was truly an accident then the accused could go back to the city of refuge and live as a free man within the confines of that city for the rest of his life or until the High Priest of that city died. Then he was free to return to his original city.
Do you see the typology here? Jesus is our refuge. He is our strong tower. We go into him for protection. We all have committed the crime of sin. There was a sentence of death upon us. But we made it to our refuge. If Satan could have killed us before we made it to our refuge then we would have died in our sin. Once we entered into our place of refuge we became safe from harm. However, if a person left the city of refuge before the death of the high priest, he then became subject to death at the hands of the avenger of blood.
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Medication: A Merry Heart
Hebrew Lesson
At the Henry Street Hebrew School, the rabbi finished the
day's lesson. It was now time for the usual question period.
"Rabbi," asked little Melvin, "there's something I need to
know."
"What's that, my child?" asked the rabbi.
"Well, according to the Scriptures, the Children of Israel
crossed the Red Sea, right?"
"Right."
"And the Children of Israel beat up the Philistines, right?"
"Uh--right."
"And the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?"
"Again you are correct."
"And the Children of Israel fought the Egyptians, and the
Children of Israel fought the Romans, and the Children of
Israel were always doing something important, right?"
"All that is correct," agreed the rabbi. "So what's your
question?"
"What I need to know is this," demanded Melvin. "What were
all the grown-ups doing?"
Prayer & Medication
This coming weekend we have the Vandenberg Family ministering to us. It begins with a Men's Breakfast on Saturday. They will be leading us in worship as well as bringing the word. Please be in prayer for these special services.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is Family Week at Prayer House. That means we are not having any midweek services - which, hopefully, will give your family extra time together.
====================================
Devotional!
I want to take a few moments to look into what a city of refuge was or is. Cain was the first man to establish a refuge city. So often we look at Cain in a negative light because he was the first man to kill another man. However, remember our God is a merciful God, and if someone actually repents of his sin and seeks forgiveness, God, in His mercy, grants it to him.
Genesis 4:13-17 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. (14) Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." (15) But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. (16) So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (17) Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
Cain was building a city of refuge because prior to this there was no safe place for him to live. Plus since God put his mark on Cain stating that anyone who brought harm to him would receive vengeance seven time over, the city of refuge became a means of protecting them also. The root meaning of the Hebrew terms for "city," means "to keep watch for the approach of an enemy." That was the primary reason cities came into existence. The leading purpose of gathering into towns was security against marauders.
Within the network of cities were certain ones appointed as cities of refuge. A city of refuge was a place where someone who had committed a crime could go to be safe from those seeking revenge. In the ancient Middle Eastern countries if a person were killed, it was the custom that the nearest relative of the slain one would became the "avenger of blood."
Numbers 35:19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.
It became his duty to slay the slayer. He had every right to do it – unless the one who committed the crime made it to a city of refuge before he could get to him. Then he was safe – for the time being. The city of refuge was a type of what we call in our justice system – innocent until proven guilty.
The person who committed a crime could find sanctuary in the city of refuge until it was time to hear his case. The courts would then take the accused one back to the scene of the crime for his trial. If it could be proven that what happened was truly an accident then the accused could go back to the city of refuge and live as a free man within the confines of that city for the rest of his life or until the High Priest of that city died. Then he was free to return to his original city.
Do you see the typology here? Jesus is our refuge. He is our strong tower. We go into him for protection. We all have committed the crime of sin. There was a sentence of death upon us. But we made it to our refuge. If Satan could have killed us before we made it to our refuge then we would have died in our sin. Once we entered into our place of refuge we became safe from harm. However, if a person left the city of refuge before the death of the high priest, he then became subject to death at the hands of the avenger of blood.
=====================================
Medication: A Merry Heart
Hebrew Lesson
At the Henry Street Hebrew School, the rabbi finished the
day's lesson. It was now time for the usual question period.
"Rabbi," asked little Melvin, "there's something I need to
know."
"What's that, my child?" asked the rabbi.
"Well, according to the Scriptures, the Children of Israel
crossed the Red Sea, right?"
"Right."
"And the Children of Israel beat up the Philistines, right?"
"Uh--right."
"And the Children of Israel built the Temple, right?"
"Again you are correct."
"And the Children of Israel fought the Egyptians, and the
Children of Israel fought the Romans, and the Children of
Israel were always doing something important, right?"
"All that is correct," agreed the rabbi. "So what's your
question?"
"What I need to know is this," demanded Melvin. "What were
all the grown-ups doing?"
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