Deuteronomy 19:1-13 - Be just and fair

In Deuteronomy 19:1-13, God instructed the children of Israel to set aside cities of refuge when they came into the promised land. The establishment of these cities of refuge is because God values life. He has regard for the sanctity of life and would not allow His people to needlessly terminate the life of another person. God first established that the promised land would be a gift to them. In verses 3, 8, and 10 we see the emphasis that the land was His gift to them. God’s desire was for them to live harmoniously as His unique people in the land He was giving them.  

God would be cutting off the inhabitants in the promised land so that Israel could inherit it. And when they had possessed the land, they were instructed to set aside three cities which would be extended to six when the Lord had further enlarged their land. The reason for these cities was for anyone who had accidentally caused the death of another person to seek refuge from his avengers. God wanted those three cities to be conveniently located and not too far apart. He also made sure that the road leading into them would not be needlessly obstructed. God wanted easy accessibility for one who had committed an unpremeditated killing to have easy access.

God wanted to prevent needless bloodshed as well as to get rid of the guilt of those who had killed someone unwittingly. It seemed obvious for the family who had lost a relative to death would want the life of the killer, regardless of whether he was innocent or not. The problem was that in such a state, their ability to distinguish between murder and death caused accidentally would be greatly reduced by their heightened emotion. So the cities would be a person's recourse. He could run to it to escape the vengeance that the dead person’s relative would seek. However, God knew that there was the possibility of abuse. One who was guilty of murder could run to seek refuge in one of the cities of refuge. In such a case the elders of that city would have to deliver the guilty one to the family for appropriate action to be meted out.   

What lessons can we draw from these verses? Firstly, we know that God values life and so must we. We must not place so much importance on ourselves till we have a total disregard for the lives of others. The lives of others are just as important as ours. Deal with each person rightly. Secondly, we know that God is just. He wants us to be like Him - just and fair. We must not judge a person to be guilty without proper facts or verification. Here’s what Paul exhorts us to do in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Let’s be fair and just!