Deuteronomy 4:41-43

he hey good morning good morning welcome to coffee and devotions this morning we're at Deuteronomy chap 4 verses 41-43 so just a couple verses Deuteronomy chap 4: 41-43 we're going to be looking at again that the setting of those Cities of Refuge on the trans Jordan let's have some coffee we'll pray and we'll get into God's word let's pray father we thank you so much for your word father we pray that as we read your word that your Holy Spirit would be working in our hearts teaching us instructing us spurring us on towards love and Good Deeds Lord we pray that you would let us know who you are love you and follow you in Jesus's name amen all right so we are at Deuteronomy 4: 41-43 short one this morning let's go then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward the rising of the Sun that the manslayer might flee there who kills his neighbor unintentionally without having hated him in the past and that by fleeing to one of these cities of ref cities he might live bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the reubenites ramoth in Gilead for the gadites and Golan in Bashan for the Manasses so that's it we're going to ask ourselves our three questions a what is this about B what's the best verse to summarize this and C what are we called to do in response to these words so a what is this about well this story or this section remember this is all about the historical prologue but we got kind of into the preface type stuff of the law mainly that the Lord was supposed to be their God no idolatry but here we find that the Lord is also still this God of Justice and he established those three cities on the other side of the Jordan River on the Eastern side where the sun rises and that God had set those three places apart so if someone had killed someone without forethought or malice if this was accidental but they still killed someone they would have a place to go to escape the the goyel the person the Avenger of blood and so that's where they're going to run to and so the Lord is a God of Justice and he's the one who set up these three places in bezer ramoth and in Golan in Bashan so each of those two and a half tribes over there each one has a city so that way the person is able to run and save their lives right people get hot under the color the Avenger of blood might go and try to kill them but they have a place to go and a system of justice set up because innocent blood should not be shed in the land it's a tragedy it's a tragedy already that manslaughter had happened that an accidental death had occurred but it would be an even greater tragedy or Injustice for an unjust killing of the person who had done this accidentally so what's the best verse to summarize this well I think in my Bible I would probably oh this is only three verses but kind of hard with how it's broken up probably verses 41 and 42 that just leaves out what those three cities are but it says what the purposes and where uh and and that they're on the other side of the Jordan so that's what I would underline in my Bible well last SE calling what are we called to do but we are also to love Justice but we're also to call called to walk humbly and with Mercy because see we could get so quick in our own anger but we know that the Book of James tells us the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God and so often times we need to slow down we may be fired up for justice and it is right to be angry right but God says be angry and do not sin don't let the sun go down on your anger lest you give place for the devil or you don't want to open up that that crack in the door where the devil could step in and attack rep hold of their heart with anger and bitterness malice and hatred and the Lord says no no no no hold on hold on even when there's somebody who dies in ancient Israel in this in this economy of the old Covenant there with his people Israel in this civil law he says they've got a place to run to he doesn't want innocent blood to be shed and so also we right we need to be those who value life loving justice but also knowing hold on we may not have all the information yet we should be we should be careful we should be careful about being pushing towards especially something like a capital punishment like the death penalty we ought to be very careful when we're pursuing Justice to make sure that we also uphold the Justice of the innocent as well that we have a amazing system in our country all around the world people struggle with this this is always going to be a struggle this is always going to be a difficulty but we as Christians ought to be able to be those who stand for life or because it's Jesus himself who said that if we hate a brother in our heart and we've already committed murder in our heart if we said to him you fool ra we've already committed murder in our heart we need to check our own anger we need to walk with mercy and with humility well us with Justice because that's the God we serve That's The God Who Jesus shows himself to be so maybe we become more and more like her let's pray father this takes a great deal of wisdom it's easy to say these things and it's really hard to do them Father we pray that you would please teach us to walk in your ways let let us know how to walk humbly how to show mercy and yet how to also love Justice please Lord teach us your ways fill us with your spirit we need it desperately in Jesus's name we pray amen may the Lord bless you may you love him and follow in his ways and I'll see you next time bye