The Levites are the last to receive their inheritance which consisted of 48 designated towns, each with surrounding pasturelands.
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A couple of the towns stand out particularly.
- Hebron (formerly City of Arba the Giant). It’s now a Levitical city, a City of Refuge, and under the protection and patronage of the legendary warrior Caleb son of Jephunneh.
- Anathoth. This will be the hometown of the Priest, Abiathar, who will be an important figure in the life of David. The Prophet Jeremiah will also come from Anathoth. It’s going to take us nearly a year to get to the place in Jeremiah where Anathoth plays a fascinating prophetic role. But since it sounds like it could be a planet in the Star Wars universe, you can probably remember it til then.
- Seriously- can’t you just hear Han Solo telling Chewbacca to set a course for Anathoth? 🪐🛸
Just think of all these Levite families. For 40 years they have had specific jobs. They had designated parts of the Tabernacle to load, carry, and set back up. The men had learned these jobs next to their fathers. And now the Tabernacle has been set up in Shiloh one last time. ⛺️
It can be difficult to change careers later in life. No more hauling the Tabernacle. Now they will focus on raising flocks and herds and tending small garden patches. They are supposed to help the people of Israel know the Law and keep it. We’re about to get to the book of Judges this week. We’re going to find out that the people just go off and do their own thing. In some cases, the Levites go right along with them. I think other Levites probably just kept their heads down and continued hoeing the garden and milking the goats praying for God to send help. 🪴🐑
Six of these 48 Levitical cities were the “Cities of Refuge.” This concept is first outlined in Number 35 by Moses.
It’s been a minute since we read Numbers so let me summarize in review:
If a person accidentally killed another person, the “manslayer” could flee to a city of refuge 🏯 to avoid being killed by the “avenger of blood” – usually the next of kin of the deceased. 🗡️
From within the safety of the city, the manslayer would be tried and found either innocent or guilty. ⚖️ If the death is determined to have truly been accidental, the manslayer may live safely within the city of refuge indefinitely and revenge may not be taken.
The manslayer may not leave the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. When the high priest dies, it’s as if the crime never happened. The perpetrator of the accidental death may return home and if there are any family members of the deceased around, they may not exact revenge.
That makes no natural sense – which is often the case when something is a prophetic message. 🤔
“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Hebrews 9:11-12, 15 ESV
Our Kinsman Redeemer is Jesus. He is also the ultimate Avenger of Blood 🩸 and will bring justice for every wrongful death and sin and form of abuse in this world. But instead of shedding the blood of the killer in His first coming, He sheds His own blood!
(Uh… He WILL be shedding blood in His second coming.) 👀
At the death of Christ, the High Priest, all of humanity who had been hiding out in the City of Refuge known as the Old Covenant, 🏯 were given the opportunity to go home to our Heavenly Father and receive our eternal inheritance.
But- looked at in another way- Jesus is the city of Refuge where we live permanently- safe from the penalty of our careless deeds that resulted in spiritual death. And because He is a permanent High Priest who will never die- we dwell safely in the walls of His protection forever. 🏯
To The Reader 