Year 4, Day 205: Joshua 20

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

This is a really neat chapter to speak about forgiveness.  We know that God is a loving and forgiving God.  Yes, we also know that God recognizes our sin and holds us accountable.  But ultimately He is gracious and merciful and allows us a means to escape our guilt through Jesus Christ.

This idea is truly reflected in this chapter as well.  The cities of refuge speak to merciful justice.  Here we have people who have been a part of a horrible action, but not intentionally so.  The cities of refuge allow such people to plead their case and then be freed of any guilt.  Granted, they still have to live within the city until the death of the high priest that oversaw their case.  But the reality is that the vindicator cannot take vengeance upon the person who unintentionally kills.

This is a sample of how God’s love truly works in us.  We find ourselves pardoned frequently – pardoned of things far worse than unintentional sin, even!  Yes, we still have to deal with the consequences.  Sometimes our life is difficult because of our sinfulness.  But the reality is that because of the death of our great high priest – Jesus – we can go back to our regular life forgiven and ready to move forward with God’s agenda in our life.

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