Year 1, Day 150: Numbers 35

The Levites

Okay, before we get into the concept of the cities of refuge, let’s talk a little bit about the Levites.  Remember that the Levites were the priestly part of the family.  They were never counted among the fighting men.  They did not receive land as a part of the inheritance.  They were to solely depend on the people who gave to God out of the abundance that God first gave to the people.  That being said, God did give the Levites 6 cities to be used as safe havens.  These cities were not so much for the benefit of the Levites – although they did get to use the land – as they were a benefit to the Hebrew people to ensure a fair trial. 

Here we see that God’s priestly people are not here to serve their own needs and desires.  God’s priestly people are here for the benefit of those around them.  As followers of Christ, we are all priests.  In following Christ, we are called to give up our self-serving agendas and pick up the agenda of God.  We are to be God’s agents into the world around us.

Cities of Refuge

So now we get to the cities of refuge.  This chapter primarily talks about the cities of refuge with respect to the concept of death.  If someone is involved in the death of another person, either by murder or by accident, they can flee to one of these cities and be held safely within until they have received a fair trial.  In many respects, this is the underlying principle to what we in America call “innocent until proven guilty.”

You will notice one significant difference, however.  In all cases the person fleeing the wrath of another is guilty of something.  The person who flees to one of these Levite cities is involved in the death of another person whether by accident or by intent.  So it isn’t quite the same as innocent until proven guilty.  Everyone involved is guilty.  The question is actually a question of intent.  Rather than “innocent until proven guilty” the cities of refuge are “manslaughter until proven murder.”

Intent Always Trumps the Effect of an Action

This leads me to a point I have made on this blog before.  With God, motivation is usually far more important than action.  That doesn’t mean God doesn’t care about action – because all actions have consequences and many actions lead to communal sin.  But it does mean that for as much as God cares about what we do, He cares even more about why we do it in the first place!

For example, let’s look at this passage.  Numbers 35:16-21 speaks about the person who killed with intent.  That person hit someone with an object knowing it would kill the other person.  Or the person waited to entrap someone knowing that they could kill them in surprise.  These verses are verses dealing with what we would call premeditated crimes.  These are crimes that indicate planning and preparation.  These are crimes that at the very least indicate a recognition of the knowledge that the course of action will likely result in the death of another.  You’ll notice that in these incidents fleeing to the city does not save the person.  They receive a fair trial and then receive the punishment of death.

On the other hand, Numbers 35:22-29 speak to us about the person who kills without intent.  Notice that the person is still guilty of the death of another person.  Death occurred, there is no denying that.  But if the death occurred without intent, the person can continue to live so long as they remain confined to one of these Levite cities.  They can actually continue to live in peace so long as they stay within the border of the city of refuge.  There is still punishment for the crime – the perpetrator has his or her life greatly reduced in flexibility.  But because the death occurred without intent, there is an easement of the penalty.  The perpetrator need not die when there is no direct intent.

In this passage we can see that while our actions matter, the intent of our heart matters even more.  Yes, sin is sin.  Actions done in sinful behavior are horrible in God’s sight.  But sin also exists in the heart, and the sin that lives within our heart is far more dangerous than any sin that manages to escape into action.  Our thoughts and our desires poison our life far more regularly than do our actions.  However, because we can see our actions and the consequences of our actions, we associate our actions with sin most often.  Rather, I believe and teach that the sinful heart and a sinful mind are far more subtle and dangerous than the sinful actions we do.

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