Refuge … Miklat in Hebrew…shelter, protection, or safety from danger. Times these days are tough; and, if you’re a believer of God’s Word and of prophecy, you understand that things aren’t going to get any better. Where do YOU go during times of danger? What does a place of shelter, a protection from danger look like? God’s Word gives us a working definition with the Old Testament concept of a City of Refuge.
Cities of refuge were ordained by God as cities or places where innocent people could go to when they were being accused of murder. Instructions were given for the appointing of six specific cities, three on the west side and three on the east side of the Jordan River. (Numbers 35:14-15). There are specifics about those Cities of Refuge that can be a guide in developing refuges within the American Redoubt.
1. God specified the exact location of the Cities of Refuge. Each City was placed on a hill or mountain to be readily seen. They were prominent. Location was critical; they were situated so that one was near at hand and able to be reached within a single day’s journey. Think about it. Individuals, innocent ones, were fleeing for their lives. The city, the refuge, had to be close enough for those innocent individuals to reach their destination within a reasonable time. In our day, we are commanded to blameless and harmless, in a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world. Like the voice of wisdom cries come, modern day places of refuge should call out the same and should be visible to all around as a place of protection, easy to reach by those who need assistance most.
2. God appointed the Levites as keepers of the Cities of Refuge. The inhabitants were sanctified – set apart for a specific purpose. The Levites were chosen by God to perform daily tasks for Him – the sacrifices, the maintenance of the tabernacle, and other critical services for the Lord. Today, every believer is to be set apart for God’s chosen purpose. Strong Godly individuals who follow hard after God’s will make for strong Cities of Refuge.
3. God pointed the way to the Cities of Refuge. Signs were posted and a path prepared to guide individuals to each City of Refuge. Jewish law mandated that City inhabitants continually repair and maintain the roads. Additionally, City residents would actually go outside and wait for refugees – some would run with them to insure that they made it safely to the Refuge City. The gates of the City were never closed. In today’s terms, City of Refuge inhabitants should not be passive or wait for the troubled to knock on the door of freedom. City dwellers should mark the route, pave the trail, and actively seek the lost, the hurting, and the wounded.
4. God established the internal functions of the Cities of Refuge. Once at the City, the refugee received a preliminary hearing from the City elders, who kept their “offices” at the City gates. These Cities had a central government with fair, equitable, and strong leaders. Once in the City, the refugee was given a place to live and began to dwell among the City inhabitants. Refugees were acclimated into the community; they were taught skills and given instruction on how live and make a living to allow them to become active, productive members of society. Community is important and involves strong leadership, good communication, and a willingness on everyone’s part to participate, to learn, share, and grow as a society.
As we can clearly see, Cities of Refuge are not created by happenstance or by luck of the draw. These cities and those who develop and maintain them are put in place by God for a specific reason: to be places of shelter for those who are looking for protection. What do those places of protection look like? They are well located areas filled with individuals who follow God’s will, who actively bring others to the fold, and who build solid communities with a specific purpose in mind. In short, a City of Refuge is much like the American Redoubt, a safe haven and a refuge for those who fear God, love liberty, and have a desire to live out the freedoms richly granted by God. Where are you? Are you willing to step up and be an active participant in the American Redoubt? Involvement in the Redoubt Movement is not a spectator sport (JJS adds: neither is the fight to preserve our freedoms, liberty, Americanism, our Judeo-Christian heritage, an our values. If you’re only a spectator, you simply watch it as it all erodes, as we’re doing today) — it does include work and sacrifice. However, the benefits are, eternally, worth the effort!!
How do the people who live in a City of Refuge get outside powers to respect the boundaries, and not pursue their victims into the city? Seriously, I’d like to know.
by Chloe
How do the people who live in a City of Refuge get outside powers to respect the boundaries, and not pursue their victims into the city? Seriously, I’d like to know.
Bear