Cities of Refuge

The Lord said to Joshua, “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.  Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed. [Joshua 20.1-3]

Was revenge okay by Israelite standards?  Why could the relative of someone who was accidentally and unintentionally killed then kill the person responsible for that accidental death and not be guilty of murder (a greater crime)?

Why also would the person responsible for an accidental death be banished from his home to a city of refuge?  Again, if the death was accidental, what was the deal?

These questions all tie in to the same conclusion: it was normal as well as acceptable for a/the family member of the deceased to take revenge on the person who accidentally killed their relative.

It is prudent here to also be reminded that intentional death was a whole different matter that the city of refuge concept didn't touch.

I think this all ties into some legal scenario in which we should see Christ.  It is deep and it is complicated, but I feel certain that something about this arrangement was critical to the work of Jesus on the Cross.

There is apparently something about 'the shedding of blood' and death that our society has lost the meaning of.  Death, albeit unintentional or accidental, is still death.  God seems to have originally established a natural chain of events to follow the shedding of blood as it were that was as natural as the laws of physics.  At this time in Israel's history, society as a whole understood the 'city of refuge' concept.  Justice, guilt and human rights were simply not the same then as now.

Blood speaks to God like nothing else.  Blood moves God to action like nothing else.  When blood was shed, there better have been a good reason because a definite response to that blood shed was imminent!

Father, I don't know if I can see my way through this conversation here in this post.  However, I am asking You here and now to help me to consider these things today and get further insight from You on this matter.  I believe with all my heart that the cities of refuge tell of Jesus in a powerful way - just help me to see what that powerful way is!