I think, over the past few mornings, we have established the fact that the “Cities of Refuge” described in Joshua chapter 20 are “pictures” of the safety we enjoy in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now today, briefly, let’s notice the names of these six places. Behind each there rests a lovely thought, one exalting the marvelous Grace of God!
“And they appointed KEDESH in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and SHECHEM in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is HEBRON, in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned BEZER in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and RAMOTH in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and GOLAN in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities appointed ….” Joshua 20:6-8
“Kedesh” (spelled “Kadesh” elsewhere) means “Holy!” Or “Holy Place.”
“Shechem” means either “back” or “shoulder.” Both are symbols of “strength!”
“Hebron” clearly means “fellowship, association, company.”
“Bezer” once means “defence” in the King James Version. Although the word is most often defined as “gold.”
“Ramoth” means a “High Place.”
And then “Golan” means “captivity.”
Blending these etymological ideas … we get:
Jesus is our Holy Place!
It is His “Strength” that protects us from evil!
And “in” our Lord we have sweet “Fellowship!”
Plus, what we have in Jesus (the Safety He shares) is priceless, worth its weight in pure gold, as they say!
And yes, we live in “High Places,” Jesus being our very Fortress and Rock!
Lastly, reflecting on where we used to be, the time we spend (wasted) in the “captivity” of Satan, we rejoice in our new-found liberty!
Wow!
I realize many strict scholars would not allow me to so “typify” or “spiritualize” these names, the Cities of Refuge. But they can get a website and write their own articles refuting what I’ve done!
In the meantime, I will be thankful to Jesus, God’s Son, for where He has placed me, allowing me to live perpetually “in” Christ!
Paul worded it this way: “But God, Who is rich in Mercy … hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6
We are already sitting in Heavenly Places … in Jesus!
What Refuge!
Amen.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell