Refuge

 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.
Numbers 35:15 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/num.35.15.ESV

The law of Moses made allowances for manslaughter. There was a distinction made between premeditated murder and accidental killing. Murderers were executed; manslaughterers were exiled to 'cities of refuge' so that no one could get revenge on them.

Just because the punishment for murder in the law is death, doesn't mean to say that murder is unforgivable. King David of Israel was guilty of both murder and adultery, and yet God forgave him because he was genuinely sorry for what he had done. The only sin that won't be forgiven is unrepentant unbelief in the means of our forgiveness, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus's Kingdom of heaven is like an epic city of refuge. There are all sorts of people in it. There's religious people. Yet there's also repentant murderers, adulterers, and all sorts of other sinners who have been made saints by faith.

How can sinners like us be forgiven by the Holy God? Only through the blood of His eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. By His wounds we are healed of our sin-sickness.

'Heavenly Father God, we're grateful that we can take refuge in You from the condemnation we deserve, and all because of Jesus. May we each take refuge in You, in His name we pray, amen'

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