9.23.09: Numbers 34-36

Suppose you were accused of murder. Wouldn't you want an impartial jury and a fair trial?
Of the forty-eight cities given to the Levites, six were cities of refuge. (Numbers 35:6) Such cities were needed because the ancient customs of justice called for revenge in the event of any death, accidental or otherwise, by the hand of another person (2 Samuel 14:7). The Levites would hold a preliminary hearing outside the gates while the accused person was kept in the city until the time of his or her trial. If the killing was judged to be accidental, the person would stay in the city until the death of the high priest. As that time, he or she would be allowed to go free and could start a new life without worrying about revenge. If it was not accidental, the person would be handed over to the slain person's avengers for execution.
This shows how important God considers both justice and mercy. God wanted the people to be intolerant of the sin, yet impartial to the accused could have a fair trial.
It is unique both to overlook wrongdoing and to jump to conclusion about guilt. When someone is accused of wrongdoing, stand up for justice, protect those not yet proven guilty and listen carefully to all sides of the story.

The book of Numbers covers 39 years and closes with the Israelites poised near the banks of the Jordan River with the Promised Land in sight. The wanderings in the wilderness have come to an end, and the people are preparing for their next big move - the conquest of the land. The apostle Paul says that the events described in Numbers are examples that warn us and help us avoid the Israelites' mistakes (1 Corinthians 10:1-12). From their experiences we learn that unbelief is disastrous. We also learn not to long for sinful pleasures of the past, to avoid complaining, and to stay away from all forms of sexual sin. We must not weaken our biblical beliefs by compromising them with our cultures values. If we choose to let God lead our lives, we should not ignore His message in the book of Numbers.