Cities of Refuge

[World Traveler]

A question popped into my head the other day during a sermon. Maybe one of you theologians could help me with it.

If a person accidently killed someone he could flee to a city of refuge and be safe from the revenger of blood as long as he stayed in the city. A well know example is Abner who slayed Joab's brother.

My question. If you had to flee to a city of refuge and there accidently kill someone. Where do you go? Are you still protected there?

[Scott]

A question popped into my head the other day during a sermon. Maybe one of you theologians could help me with it.

If a person accidently killed someone he could flee to a city of refuge and be safe from the revenger of blood as long as he stayed in the city. A well know example is Abner who slayed Joab's brother.

My question. If you had to flee to a city of refuge and there accidently kill someone. Where do you go? Are you still protected there?

I think the answer is obvious - you go to another city of refuge.

[Elfin]

I'd say you have a pretty bad track record and I'd be pretty suspicious that it was "accidental"...kind of like that Drew Peterson guy with the 4 missing/dead wives.

[World Traveler]

Scott,
I used Abner as an example. Abner had someone waiting outside the city to kill him. So, using him as an example, leaving wouldn't have been an option.

I think there might be a correlation here if we consider the cities of refuge to be a type of our salvation experience through Christ. If you blow it (again) once you are under the blood, take advantage of what you have been given and don't go looking for another city, another salvation.

I think the fact the scenario I brought up was never addressed in the Bible says a lot about the power of the cities of refuge to protect and keep safe just as Jesus is greater than all of our faults and can keep us safe and protected.

Stay in the city and work it out. Stay in Christ and work it out. The only safety is in the city, in Jesus.

[Scott]

Scott,
I used Abner as an example. Abner had someone waiting outside the city to kill him. So, using him as an example, leaving wouldn't have been an option.

I think there might be a correlation here if we consider the cities of refuge to be a type of our salvation experience through Christ. If you blow it (again) once you are under the blood, take advantage of what you have been given and don't go looking for another city, another salvation.

I think the fact the scenario I brought up was never addressed in the Bible says a lot about the power of the cities of refuge to protect and keep safe just as Jesus is greater than all of our faults and can keep us safe and protected.

Stay in the city and work it out. Stay in Christ and work it out. The only safety is in the city, in Jesus.

Do you really think the avenger was going to sit out side the city for up to 50 years? 

[World Traveler]

Himself? No. But anyone who wants something bad enough has ways to get what they want. I am sure he would have contacts that let him know activity, others that feel the same way he does, others that help him watch out for his interests.
If he was there in person or not, I bet he would know as soon as his target was available.

[Scott]

Remember getting to the city was half the fun, if you were able to get to one, why not another.

[BroTrey]

If you were already in a City of Refuge and accidentally killed someone, you would have to flee to another.....though it is not specifically said in the Bible, but it was mantained that way in Jewish culture...

On a side note, as someone else mentioned, if you had to flee to that city and then killed another while there, there would be cause to toss you to the avenger as there is a good chance that neither were accidental...

[Paul Smith]

Of course there is always the retort, "The devil made me do it."

About Abner; as I remember the story Joab went inside the city and there pretended to make peace with Abner then invited Abner to walk outside the gates of the city to talk. A moral of the story? Don't give any place to the sworn enemy of your soul. On God's ground he can do nothing - on his ground he has all the advantage.