There are six famous cities in scripture we hear little about. They are called, “ the cities of refuge”. These cities were appointed as places of refuge for people who had “unintentionally” killed someone. The first three were appointed by Moses and the second three by Joshua. The three Moses appointed were Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan. You’ll find these listed in Deu 4:41-43. The cities Joshua appointed were Kedesh, Shechem, and Hebron. These are in Joshua chapter 20. It was the Sanhedrin’s business to make the way to those cities convenient. No river was allowed to be in the way over which there was not a bridge. If there was a parting of the way, in it was written, “Refuge, Refuge”, lest he that fled mistake his way.

The people who were in these cities had to stay there until the High Priest died, then they could be restored back to their family. If the person died before the Priest did, then after the Priest died, the person’s bones were to be given back to the family. The mother of the High Priest would feed and clothe the locked up person. In this picture of the cities I see another picture. I see mankind, guilty before God, having to leave our home in the Garden of Eden and go out into the world until “our” High Priest died and we could go back home to “our Father”and family.

Then the saints who died before their High Priest did who were kept in Paradise, were brought back home also. He could have left us where we were in sin and let us go to hell, but he furnished us a city of refuge until he sent His “High Priest” to die. Also as the called of God, it’s up to us to show the way back to the ones lost on the path looking for a “refuge”.