Jesus in the Book of Joshua—The Cities of Refuge

The Cities of Refuge were scattered throughout the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. When the Israelites entered Canaan, God established six of them—three in Canaan and three on the east side of the Jordan River (Numbers 35:13-14). These six cities were distributed across the land so that every person was not far from a City of Refuge, allowing anyone who killed another person unintentionally to flee there and find protection (Numbers 35:15).

According to Jewish tradition, the standard width of a main road was 16 cubits, but the road to a City of Refuge had to be double that width (Talmud, Bava Batra 100b). The roads had to be kept straight and level, and at every fork in the road, there had to be a signpost that repeatedly said, “Refuge” (מִקְלָט). The Gematria value of the Hebrew word for “Refuge” (מִקְלָט) is 179, and 179 + 179 = 358, which is the exact Gematria value of the Hebrew word for “Messiah” (מָשִׁיחַ).

These Cities of Refuge were all Levitical cities (Numbers 35:6), and the elders and congregation in the city were Levites who were specifically tasked with teaching the Scriptures. The person who had killed someone unintentionally had to live in the city until the death of the high priest. Only then could they leave the City of Refuge and be free. Jewish tradition holds that the mother of the high priest would provide food and clothing to the refugees living in the city so that they would not pray for the high priest’s early death but for his long life (Mishnah, Makkot 11a). Jewish tradition also states that the court had to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the refugee. If a disciple fled to a City of Refuge, his teacher also had to move there to continue his instruction.

The Cities of Refuge are a type that points to the salvation of Christ, the Messiah. The salvation that God has prepared for humanity is not far from us, and it is not difficult for a person to obtain. The real question is whether people know they need a City of Refuge and whether they are willing to flee to it.