Deuteronomy 19-20: Cities of refuge; malicious witnesses; how to clean up the Land; genocide of the original inhabitants?

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The 19th chapter is not a difficult chapter to read through. The laws on the cities of refuge are a very important part of the ancient Israelite court system. They were established to discourage vigilantism and to encourage respect for the legal system where only a judge and jury could make a final decision on guilt or innocence.

Other texts: 1st Cor. 6:2–3; Matt. 7:2; Prov. 22:6;  Luke 9:57–62

There were six cities of refuge established in the land of Israel. Why not seven? Seven is a symbol of perfection and only God will complete the judgement, not mankind. God gives people the right to judge such serious crimes even though they might make mistakes in judgement. That’s a serious responsibility God has given us to be good judges.

The apostle Paul wrote in 1st Cor. 6:2–3, “ Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?” 

This text also lays a serious penalty against “malicious witnesses” who make up a false story about a person or judge them falsely. The Torah penalty for malicious witnessing is that the malicious witness will suffer the same punishment as they were placing upon the other person. Yeshua says that the measuring stick you use on others will be used on you.

Yeshua said in Matt. 7:2, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”

He also gives instructions on how to go to war to clean up the land of Israel. God said that He would go before them to destroy their enemies but God uses His natural creation, not man-made weapons. He uses plagues, disease, etc. to punish and conquer His enemies. 

Deut. 20:4 says, “…for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’” The word translated as save is ישׁע yasha, which is the root of the name of our Messiah Yeshua. But yasha (Strong’s lexicon No. H3467) has a more literal than spiritual meaning as “to be open, wide or free”

Prov. 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” God created our minds to absorb and accept His words, not necessarily our parents words. We are supposed to be trained to understand God’s words. 

The chaplains in the army should tell the soldiers what God charges the war leaders to say in Deut. 20:3–4, “He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them,  for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”

The text also says that if a man has any other issues going on in his life, such as an upcoming betrothal, building a new house or family problems, they are allowed to decline conscription into the army. The list of “excuses” to avoid fighting in war are very similar to what Yeshua tells us about counting the cost of following Him.

We read in Luke 9:57-62 about some men who wanted to follow Yeshua but they had other things on their minds. They raise objections similar to the issues that disqualified men for battle in the army. Yeshua concludes His instruction and says, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Why did God tell them to annihilate the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites? “…So that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God.” (Deut. 20:17–18)

This is similar to Noah’s time. God placed eight righteous people on an ark and left them behind when He washed away the rest the very wicked and evil. God cleaned the world for the sake of those righteous people, so they would no longer have to deal with the corrupting influence. 

The common Christian impression of Yeshua is a meek and mild Lamb of God, yet they forget the Yeshua revealed in Revelation who is a Messiah who rules with a rod of iron with glory and power. 

God gave this particular piece of land — the promised land called Israel — to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This land belongs to God and it was God’s right to give it to whoever He wanted and He chose Abram/Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Jacob’s descendants to inherit that land, not Esau, Lot or Ishmael.

Speaker: Richard Agee. Reader: Jeff Quackenbush. Summary: Tammy Quackenbush.