The passage talked about building cities of refuge so the innocent could be saved. When the Israelites’ land expanded, more such cities should be built to be convenient for those innocent parties running away from the pursuers. However, these cities must not become a heaven of murderers. Thus, if the elders found them guilty, they should hand them over to the pursuers.

The investigation must be fair. For fear of false accusation, testimony from just one witness cannot be final evidence. If no concrete evidence is found, the accused and the accuser should be brought to the priests for close examination.

Once the truth is established, justice must be met. The wrongdoer must be punished; an eye for an eye.

God did not want the innocent to be punished, so he devised many ways to prevent the innocent from being punished. Yet, God also did not want the guilty to go unpunished. So, He established ways to establish the truth. Once the guilty is found, he must be punished.

Dear brothers and sisters, love and righteous judgment must co-exist. Even to whom you love, you cannot ignore the righteous judgment. Thus, our Lord Jesus died for us because righteous judgment must be upheld. Therefore, when we come to receive Christ, we must live in righteousness and not allow our Lord to suffer for us further.

Prayer: Lord, teach us to uphold righteousness while we come to you in humble obedience and love. In Jesus name, amen.