Monday, October 11, 2010

The City of Refuge

Joshua 29:1-9
Rev. James Wong

I. MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
People naturally move to cities or countries of safety and opportunities

1. Migrants moving to Sabah
“It is estimated that Sabah has 1.7 million illegal immigrants”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrants_in_Malaysia)

2. Malaysians migrated to other countries
2007 : 139,696 migrated
2008—2009 : 300,000 migrated
March—August 2010 : 304,358 migrated (630 leave the country everyday)
(http://tankenling.com and http://blog.limkitsiang.com)


II. GOD’S PROVISION FOR CITY OF REFUGE

1. The Purpose of the City of Refuge
The Cities of Refuge were not places to escape justice, but rather places that saw justice was done.

Then the LORD said to Joshua: 2 "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. ~Josh 20:1-3 (NIV)

The death of the high priest brings atonement for wrongs done
And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled." ~Josh 20:6 (NLT)

2. Our City of refuge is God
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” ~Ps 46:1

18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. ~Heb 6:18-20 (NLT)

3. The Church as a City of Refuge
Together, we provide a place where people can experience salvation, friendship, healing, faith, hope and love.
“… Faith without actions is dead” ~James 2:26 (TEV)

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