The cities of refuge were provided so that a manslayer who killed any person unintentionally may flee there (v. 11b). Verse 12 says, “The cities shall be for you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer may not die unless he stands before the assembly for judgment.” In this way a manslayer could be protected from the avenger. However, the cities of refuge were not for murderers, those who killed with an intent (vv. 16-21). They were only for one who killed unintentionally so that he might be delivered out of the hand of the avenger of blood and come under the judgment of the assembly (vv. 22-25a). Adam sinned without intent, and we, the descendants of Adam, have sinned in the same way (cf. Rom. 7:15-24). Our sinning today is foolish and nonsensical. Therefore, in the sight of God we are those who sin without intent, and He considers our sinning as being without intent and thus has prepared cities of refuge for us. In those days the cities of refuge were not only for the children of Israel but also for the stranger and sojourner among them (v. 15). This signifies that the Triune God as a refuge for mistake-making man is for all mankind. Today both Jews and Gentiles have a refuge in the Triune God.
The rescued killer was to remain in the city of refuge and live in it until the death of the anointed high priest. After the death of the high priest, he could return to the land of his possession (vv. 25b-29). The need of the one who fled to the city of refuge to live in it until the death of the high priest signifies that the redemption of Christ, our High Priest, became effective in releasing us at the time of His death.
The cities of refuge typify that Christ, as the embodiment of the Triune God, is our refuge. For Old Testament saints, such as Abraham, David, and Isaiah, the city of refuge was like the fold in John 10. These saints had to remain in this refuge, in this fold, until Christ, the High Priest, died. No ransom could have released them before the time of Christ’s death (Num. 35:32), but now that Christ has died and resurrected, we, who have sinned unintentionally, can flee into Him to be redeemed and to be in the good land enjoying the blessed portion given to us by God. This is truly a picture full of God’s mercy, grace, wisdom, and sovereignty.
The fringes, the water for impurity, and the cities of refuge are rich in spiritual meaning, functioning as types and symbols. The fringes indicate beauty, and a cord of blue on the fringe signifies a heavenly binding. This indicates that, as people of the kingdom of the heavens, we should be bound by the heavenly binding and ruling to produce a beauty in our human conduct that we may be sanctified and glorify God.
The water for impurity is the water which was used to get rid of the filthiness of death with which the children of Israel were affected. The water for impurity was composed of a red heifer, the principal component, which signifies that Christ, who is sinless and perfect and who has never been used by anyone, is our redemption. Other components were cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet strands, signifying that the high and dignified Christ and the lowly and humbled Christ in His redemption were elements in the composition of the water for impurity. There was also living water for purification, which signifies the Spirit in the resurrection of Christ. Hence, the water for impurity signifies that the efficacy of Christ’s redemption with the washing power of the Spirit of His resurrection can heal and cleanse the situation of God’s people, a situation which is full of death, and annul the effect of death and impurity brought in by our committing of sins.
The cities of refuge were for a manslayer, someone who killed a person unintentionally, to flee there to escape death. There were six cities of refuge, divided into two sets of three cities. Three cities were on the east of the Jordan, and three cities were on the west of the Jordan. Moreover, the six cities were the same distance from each other. This signifies that the Triune God, as the refuge for all those who make mistakes, dwells on earth among mankind to be their refuge, and that the Triune God, who has spread Himself among men to be a city of refuge for all those who make mistakes, is near and convenient. Regardless of where we are, we can flee into Him. As such a refuge, the Triune God is for all mankind. Everyone, including Jews and Gentiles, has a refuge in the Triune God. The one who fled to the city of refuge had to live in it until the death of the high priest, signifying that the redemption of Christ, our High Priest, became effective in releasing us at the time of His death. The picture of the cities of refuge typifies that Christ, as the embodiment of the Triune God, is our refuge. Now that Christ has died and resurrected, sinners can flee into Him to be redeemed and to be in the good land enjoying the blessed portion given to us by God.