Can parallels to being saved from our sin be found in the Cities of Refuge (Old Testament)?

Question

In Joshua chap 20, six strategically located Israelite cites offered refuge to unintentional manslayers. If they got there before the avenger of blood caught them (the deceased's next-of-kin), they would be safe until the High Priest died. The roads to the cities were maintained, signed, and direct so anyone in Israel could reach one within half a day, max. Does this teach anything about God's provision of Christ's sacrificial death to save sinners from a symbolic 'avenger of blood' that might be at our heels?

Answer 1

I've just spent an hour researching this using only the NIV Study Bible, and this is what I've discovered:

Joshua means 'The LORD saves' or 'The LORD gives victory'. Interestingly Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua. Matthew 1:20 - "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." So one parallel can be found between Joshua and Jesus.

The Cities of Refuge are unique, and I could find no cross-reference in the New Tesament. However, many times in the Old Testament we are told that "God is our refuge and strength" (Psalm 46:1). A tenuous link, perhaps, but the implication is that only God can grant refuge, and this He has done through the sacrifice of Christ. Just as foreigners living in Israel were granted the same protection as Israelites, so too the gospel message was opened up to the 'Gentile' nations.

I found an interesting parallel between the blood of the covenant as spoken of in Exodus 24:8 and Jesus who said "This is my blood of the covenant" (Matthew 26:28). From there my search led me to Romans 3:21-26: "But now, a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known... this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Again, in Romans 5:9 it says "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"

The parallel is that Jesus Christ is the symbolic 'city of refuge' we must flee to if we, as sinners, are to be spared God's wrath. The directions are all there, in the NT, and the path (although narrow) is open to all who genuinely seek.

Couldn't find anything on a symbolic 'avenger of blood' but there was a reference in Revelation 12:11 to Satan, the accuser of God's people, being overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the blood of Christ, shed to atone for sin.

I'm no theology student and my research material is limited. I hope you can come up with a satisfyingly good explanation for this intruiging question!

Answer 2

Not really, it was just a provision in those times for some sort of justice, a murderer couldn't find refuge in those cities, as you state only unintentional manslayer.

Answer 3

Hmm, it seems that it might be true. Try this webpage. It's a bit indirect for my taste, but it may tell you what you need to know. And the rest of the site http://www.christian-thinktank.com is a good resource. So is http://net-burst.net/search.htm .

God bless.