Refuge

Psalm 9, 9, it says, The Lord will be a refuge

for the poor, a refuge in times of trouble. Matthew

11, 28, a very familiar script. Come to me, all

you who are weary and burdened, and I will give

you rest. And I would like to speak for the next

few moments, if I may, on the topic of... Refuge.

Refuge. Lift up your hands where you are, and

let's just open up our hearts for the next few

moments and know that no matter who we are, where

we're at, how high we get in the levels of spirituality,

we all need a refuge from time to time, more

often than not. Father, we thank you today for

your... goodness for your promises that you've

made unto us. Lord, that you would be so ever

-present, God, and wherever we are, you're already

there. And we know, Lord, that when we find ourselves

in trouble, you are there to catch us in your

arms, to put us upon your shoulders, and to take

us where we need to go. I thank you, Father,

for that love of a Father that you are to us.

You are our heavenly Father. You said if we would

walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

we would fear no evil, for you would be with

us. And I thank you, Father, for that. And I

thank you for this day that you have made that

we can be here. And for those that were unable

to be with us today, that they will also be blessed

and receive, Lord, encouragement through your

word. In Jesus' name. Amen. You may take your

seats. Thank you so much. Amen for your time.

Amen. Refuge. Refuge is significant and important

regardless of status, your age, whether you're

rich or poor, whether you've been in the Lord

for one year or 20 years or more or otherwise.

Through it all, through all the generations,

refuge is important. Refuge is a condition of

being safe, feeling safe, or sheltered from pursuit

or danger or trouble. It's a protection from

difficulties, from distress or unpleasant realities.

A refuge is a safe place. If you can put up the

next slide, it says the Hebrew word meklot means

refuge or shelter. This is the Hebrew word. In

modern days, in modern Hebrew, meklot commonly

refers to actually to a bomb shelter or a reinforced

room designed to protect us against rocket attacks

according to the Israelite laws. Most Israelites

in their homeland have access to one of these

types of mikvahs. As of late, because of the

conflict in the Middle East that we've been hearing

about, hopefully there will be peace soon, the

Israelites have frequented these mikvahs two

to three times per day. Can you imagine having

to find shelter two to three times per day, sometimes

more? And they already have this, you know, it's

almost like an instinct, something that's with

them that they know it's time to go to the shelter.

And I believe even so in our spiritual walks

as we don't have to hear the rumors of wars.

We don't have to hear the sirens of war. We know

it's time to go to the shelter. And I know that

I have done this many times in my own walk in

Christ. I don't always have it together. And

believe me, nobody is perfect. We don't always

have it together. We don't always have all the

answers. We don't always, you're not always on

the top of the mountain. There are times when

we have to find a place of shelter. We got to

go to that place of refuge to regain our strength

and know, amen, that we're in a safe place. Everyone,

meaning all humanity, at one point or another

has needed refuge. Whether it's physical, emotional,

or spiritual, shelters are important. I remember

there's an old song that used to say, sheltered

in the arms of God. What a beautiful song that

is because it's a reality. That's our shelter.

And one occasion, Jesus, the disciples tried

to withhold the children from running to Jesus.

And Jesus said, withhold them not. Let them come.

He says, for as such is the kingdom of heaven,

which means that even the adults will need to

find that kind of a shelter. Just to get on the

lap and in the arms of God is a place of safety.

And how many like to be sheltered in God's arms?

Amen. You like to be sheltered there? That's

a beautiful place. Amen. David faced numerous

adversaries. Including at one time, as you know

very well, the story of King Saul who sought

to kill David. He found, David found refuge in

caves such as the cave Adullam and other natural

strongholds. Hundreds of Old Testament prophets

found refuge in caves, especially during Jezebel's

pursuit to kill them. They ran to the caves.

whether you're a prophet or you're a great man

of God, doesn't matter what statue you are spiritually,

you need shelter. And God guides us. The beautiful

thing is that the Lord leads us to that place.

Elijah was sustained by God in the Kirith ravine,

which was by a brook of water, amen, that was

nearby. And food was provided by ravens, amen.

That was a shelter for a great man of God. There's

another woman that has impressed me by her faith,

even though she was not of the lineage and chosen

by God, but rather chosen by man. Hagar, which

was the Egyptian surrogate for Sarah, Abraham's

wife, in one occasion, she had to flee from Sarah

because she felt oppressed and she felt trouble

in the home. She found refuge at a place that

was called the well. In this, God says, and she

said in her prayer when she got to that well,

she says, you are the God who sees. Meaning that

nobody escapes from God. You might escape from

the enemy, but you're not going to escape from

God. And that's a good thing because he knows

where you are at all times. Tell your neighbor

he sees you all the time. Good or bad. He forever

sees you. You can't hide from him. But thank

be to God that he knows how to hide us from trouble.

He knows how to take us in his arms and protect

us and give us a sense of security and safety.

God knows where we are, amen, and what our troubles

are, amen, and he will provide a way of escape

and a refuge for our souls. God has always provided

refuge for his people. When God's people, the

Israelites, talking about back in the day, even

in Bible days, when the Israelites reached the

promised land after all of what they had to go

through in slavery, when they reached, when they

got to the promised land, the first thing he

did was establish a place of refuge for at times

of trouble. And the Levites... Unlike other Israelite

tribes, the Levite tribe, those that were selected

to be the Levites, when they crossed over into

the promised land, they were not given a specific

territory as their inheritance. They had no inheritance.

Instead, they were allocated 48 cities, amen,

that throughout the land of promise, they had

48 cities, and those were theirs, designated.

for them. They didn't have to fight for them.

God gave up to them along with other pasture

lands to live among the Israelite tribes, amen,

and prosper. Within the 48... Levitical cities,

six of the cities were specifically designated

as cities of refuge, according to Joshua 20.

We're not going to read all of it. You can read

that later. Joshua 20, verse 7 through 9. But

Joshua 20:7–9

it mentions the cities of Kadesh, Shechem, and

Hebron, and on the west side of the Jordan, and

Bezer, Ramoth. and go on on the east side of

the Jordan River as the designated Cities of

refuge. Could you put that slide up of the map?

There it is right there. That is the map if you

want to see it, you know, geographically where

they were. That is basically where the cities

were. Isn't it interesting how God strategically

put places of refuge in areas where people can

get to? They didn't have to cross the Jordan

River. There was no bridges over the Jordan River,

yet God provided. Refuges on both sides of the

Jordan. So everybody had access that needed access

to a refuge cities. These refuge cities provided

sanctuary for individuals who had accidentally

killed somebody. And this was for homicides to

find safety and sanctuary as they fled from their

avengers. And this is very important. Anyone

that ran. to one of these cities. were welcomed

by the Levites as a sanctuary until they received

due process in the courts of law. For the sake

of this message today, I would like to make some

emphasis on what the hidden meanings are for

these cities of refuge. These cities play an

important role even in our time today. I would

like to not so much misuse the word spiritual,

But I do want to apply this in a way that it

will, you know, apply to us in our daily lives

and in our Christian walk in this time and age.

First, there is the city of Kadesh. Amen. I'm

going to take one by one very briefly. The city

of Kadesh, which means God's faithfulness. Now,

Kadesh represents both the testing. of our faith

in God. But most importantly, God's faithfulness

towards us. Amen? It's a two -fold thing. We

trust God by running to him, but at the same

time, more than our faith. Greater is his faithfulness

to us than our faith in him. Despite the lack

of our faith, he receives us. He extends his

arms. He doesn't meet us halfways. He meets us

all the way. Amen? Because we don't. have strength

sometimes to pick ourselves up from situations

and conditions that we're going through. Things

we don't understand. Why am I going through this?

What's happening to me? Oh, I don't feel as spiritual

today. I haven't spoken in tongues lately. These

things could be coming upon you, but God stretches

his long arm towards you, and he picks you up

from where you are, and he brings you into his

bosom, and he holds you in his arms. He shelters

you, and he gives you safety. Somebody say, thank

God for that. It is where God meets us. and restores

us in spite of our lack of faith or our weaknesses.

His grace is sufficient. Can you say praise the

Lord? His grace is sufficient towards us. He

welcomes and embraces all that flee to him. He

never rejects anybody. He welcomes everybody.

He covers us with his faithfulness and his mercy

in spite of our condition. You can run to him.

And it's interesting how probably the worst crime

anybody can do in this land, in this life, is

take the life of another human being. But here

the Lord, even for them, he specifically made

refuge for these people to give them a place

to come to, to give them a place of hiding, to

give them a place of security, to give them a

place of safety. and of peace, not that they

would be judged by their avengers or caught by

their avengers. He does not judge us for our

lack of knowledge in him, but surrounds us with

his love. Can you say praise the Lord for that?

Kadesh means a holy place or righteousness. It

is where we can submit to God's plan for our

lives. Because you see, you don't know what God

has prepared for you. You can't even begin to

imagine the things that God has prepared for

your life. You come to him in whatever condition

you are. God does not judge you by how you show

up. The important thing is that you show up.

is that you run to Jesus. And I want you to know

that no matter what you've done in this life,

God is waiting for you. He wants you to call

upon his name and he will meet you where you're

at. Amen. It is where we submit to his plan so

that he may become, we can become consecrated

and separated from our past. In 2 Corinthians

6, 17, it says, therefore come out from among

them. and be ye separate, says the Lord. God

wants us to feel separated from our past, from

the conditions of our past. God wants to bring

you out of that and bring you into his spiritual

realm where we can enjoy the pleasures forevermore.

We can be in a place where we can have an opportunity

to speak with God and him with us. It is a place

of peace. fellowship. It is a place where God

would want to meet you today. If you're somebody

today that finds yourself troubled and you don't

have the faith, just know this. His faithfulness

is enough to embrace you and bring you in. Praise

be to God. Somebody might say, well, I came.

I had faith in God. Well, let me tell you something.

You probably had some faith, but he had faithfulness.

That's why you're here. Why don't you tell your

neighbor you're here because of God? Amen. Next

there is Shechem. Interesting. Shechem is a place

of promise and covenant. Shechem is a city where

God reveals to us our sinful nature and how we

can draw near to him in holiness. In other words,

God begins to reason. Together with us. Amen.

As the scripture said, come, let us reason together,

saith the Lord. And we got to come and reason

with him. He's not, it says, though your sins

be as scarlet, he will make them white as snow.

So you see, it doesn't matter, praise God, what

your condition is. But God wants to reason. He

doesn't want to remind you of your past. He wants

to tell you about your future. Let's not talk

about your past. Let's talk about your future.

Shechem. Shechem is known for so many important

things. Some of its significant things is it

was a place for building altars. Praise God.

We learn how to build an altar at Shechem. Praise

God. A place of commitment. It was a place of

covenant making. A place of worship. Amen. A

place of promise. We realize, amen, God opens

the book of promises there. And he tells them,

look what I got for you. Look what I've got.

I am gone to prepare a place for you that where

I am, ye may be also. And God begins to share

his promises and your future with him. Shechem

holds a significant prominence in Bible history

as a place of key events of our patriarchs in

faith. It was where Abraham built an altar to

the Lord. acknowledging God's presence and reaffirming

his trust in God's promises. It's as if though

Abraham needed to be close to God and he built

an altar there and God began to give him the

promises that he had for him and his descendants.

It was the site where the Israelites renewed

their covenant with God after they had crossed

over into the promised land, particularly when

they conquered Canaan in Joshua 24, you'll read

there how the people of Israel, they renewed

their covenant from their forefathers, Abraham,

with God at Shechem. Joseph's bones were buried

in Shechem, fulfilling a promise made by his

brothers. Meaning, let me tell you that God is

not going to leave you where you were. Your bones

are coming with you. That means everything about

you is coming to Shechem. Everything about you

is in the promises of God. Joseph said, when

you leave Egypt, don't leave my bones behind.

Take my bones with you. And, you know, I've thought

about that from time to time. And, you know,

somebody, I heard somebody preach a message,

a bag of bones, and, you know, and I don't think

they were a bag of bones. No, sir. In Egypt especially,

man, they buried their dead very elitely. They

made a custom box for him. They made a beautiful

coffin, if you want to call it that. You know,

a place of final rest. And they put him in there

beautifully. They prepared him. They dressed

him up. And they did all of that. And then they

sealed the box. Can you imagine? There was two

boxes that were going all around the desert.

One was the Ark of the Covenant, and the other

one was Joseph's bones. Praise God. They had

to carry the box. They had to have, somebody

needs to preach that someday, the pole bearers.

Because they were, in fact, pole bears. They

were, hey, where are you guys going? Hey, wait,

wait, wait. We got to take Joseph with us, you

know. There they go with the coffin. I don't

know if they had handles like they do now, but

they had to have something to carry it. Amen.

And they carried his bones for 40 years. His

bones were all over the desert. But they did

not bury his bones in the desert like many other

unbelievers stayed in the desert. There were

some folks that alive preferred to go back, while

Joseph, being dead, preferred to go to the promised

land. Come on, that'll preach. But let me tell

you something. The Israelites renewed their covenant

with God at Shechem as a pivotal moment in Israel's

history. It demonstrated the importance of remembering

God's faithfulness. recommitting to his covenant

and choosing to serve him and him alone. It serves

as a model for us believers today, reminding

us of the need for ongoing spiritual renewal

and believing in the promises of God. Don't let

go of the promise that God has given you. Praise

the Lord, somebody. Hebron is the next city.

Hebron is a place of commitment. Abraham settled

in Hebron after separating from Lot. Abraham

built an altar there as well in Hebron. Hebron

was where Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah

as a burial site for his family. The cave of

Mechelov is considered by the Jews, listen to

this, is considered by the Jews to be the second

most holiest site in Israel. Praise God. Outside

of the Temple Mount, Hebron, this cave is the

second holiest place in Israel. It is important

because of what it meant to them. It's that their

patriarchs, their fathers, their fathers of faith

were buried there. Hebron also served as King

David's first capital for seven years after he

became king over Israel. It's a place we commit

to living our lives that reflect God's truth

and his love. Abraham was so committed to God

at Hebron that he made it his committal. Praise

God, for himself and all his family. Now, committal

comes from commitment. So it's a committal when

he's, you know, I mean, it's a designated place.

And he said, this is my committal. I want to

be buried in the promises of God. I want to be

here, and I want my family here, because I want

all future generations to know that this is our

home. This is our place in the promises of God.

He committed till death and after for generations

to come. Hebron, I'm telling you, Hebron is interesting.

How many of you have been to Hebron? I've been

to Hebron. And I'm going to tell you something.

We almost lost our life in Hebron, my wife and

I. I'm not kidding you, man. Bishop Adam Lopez,

he insisted on going there when I went on a tour

and said, why are we going to Hebron? I said,

we got to go to Hebron. Don't be afraid. I said,

I'm not afraid. I think it's just foolish, man.

Why are we going to Hebron? He says, you know,

the Arabs are there, and they don't like this

Israelite bus, this dwarf bus. And he says, don't

worry. We got an Arab guide. Oh, okay, like if

that's going to help us right now. We get to

Hebron and we part. And you know, usually when

you go to Israel, those touristy places, you

know, you see like 50 buses out there everywhere

you go. Dead Sea, 50 buses everywhere. We got

to Hebron, there were no buses. We were the only

ones coming in on a dirt road. I says, I told

Bishop, I says, this ain't looking too good,

man. He said, don't worry, don't worry, we're

going to be all right. Because it's controlled

by the Arabs. And so we get off the bus, and

we have to walk down these dirt roads. And, you

know, I mean, there was no touristy stuff there,

man. People were looking at us, you know, and,

you know, scoping us out. And we have security

guards to guard the bus. And when we get there,

the first thing they did. was they got a hold

of our tour guide. And they escorted him away.

I said, there goes our tour guide. And he said,

don't worry, don't worry, we're going to be all

right. And then they closed the gate and they

incarcerated us in this fence. Here's the whole

tour, pastors, the bishop, you know, and the

board, district board, we're all sitting there

in this fence, you know. Where to now? We were

just thinking nobody would talk to us. So all

of a sudden, amen, a little time went by, and

we started making friends. Some of the sisters

started taking pictures with some of the guards,

and then they started laughing. They said, it's

getting good now, man. And we became friends

with them right there, and we began to tell them

who we were. Okay, listen. We're going to let

you in to see, but you got to run in and run

out. And I said, that don't sound too good again,

man. They're going to close the door on us. We're

going to stay in there with Abraham and Isaac

and Jacob. But they let us in, and my wife remembered

we ran in, man. We were in there looking. They

said, no pictures. You know, the apostolics,

you know. Rebellious, man. You know, but there

we were. Quick, quick, we got to get out. We

got to get out. We got to get out. You know,

we ran out. And when we ran out. You guys get

enough? He says, yeah, okay, take some pictures

with us. They wanted pictures of us. We took

pictures like a big family, you know. And then

they led us back to the bus, and our poor tour

guide was in the bus. He couldn't get out of

the bus. And so they let us go, and we came back.

Wow, I went to Hebron. I don't recommend it.

But let me tell you something. Oh, my God. Well,

I mean, you know, it's like anything else. I

mean, I'll be honest with you. I believe Hebron

more than I do the tomb. He's not here. Everybody

comes out, you know. He's not here. Well, of

course, he resurrected. But, you know, you go

to the tomb where Jesus was and he laid. I don't

know if that's the right tomb, but I'll tell

you what, Hebron's the right place. Oh, let me

tell you, man. You go there, that's real, man.

They're there. And it's amazing what they did,

how they tombed them. It's incredible. It's incredible.

But praise God, it's real. Let me tell you, Hebron

is real. Praise God. Now let's go to Besser.

I know I kept you there too long. Okay, Besser,

city of, refuge city of Besser. Besser means

stronghold or rock. Psalm 18 .2, it says, the

Lord is, this is just a teaching, okay? I forgot

to tell you that. You okay? All right, thank

you. I was going to do it anyway, but I didn't.

Psalm 18 .2, it says, the Lord is my rock, my

fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock

in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn

of my salvation, my stronghold. This is what

bezer means. It means a stronghold. It means

a rock. Proverbs 18 .10, it says, the name of

the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run

to it and are safe. Somebody say, we're safe

in him. We are safe in Christ. Amen. If you are

in trouble, if you need to run to anything, run

to the strong power. Run to Bezer. Run to the

rock because you will find safety for your soul,

refuge for your life. Psalm 9 and 9, it says,

the Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold

in times of trouble. Those who know your name

trust in you, for you, Lord, have never, somebody

say never. Never forsaking those who seek you.

He will never forsake you. When you get there,

you can leap for joy, jump and shout like we

were right here. Why? Because we are in God's

realm of refuge. We don't have to fear the world.

We don't have to fear, you know, what happens

outside of these walls. Just know this. You are

sheltered in the arms of God. You're God's people.

He died for you, and you're safe in him. Bezer

is a divine protection and strength where the

enemy has no power or influence. When the enemy,

like a roaring lion, prowls our minds and our

hearts, trying to persuade us to sin through

temptations, run to Bezer. Stay in Bezer. Don't

let go. Hang on because that's where your strength

is at. Amen. And our secret strength, our help

in the midst of weakness comes from God if we

only turn to Him. Psalm 91, 1 and 2, it says,

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most

High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, he is my refuge and my

fortress, my God and whom I will trust. Bless

the Lord. We feel safe. No matter where you are,

where you go. I'm telling you, one time another

bishop and I were on an airplane and it was getting

weird. I mean, it was going up and down sideways

and everything. He looked at me and he says,

this ain't normal, huh? I said, no, it's not

normal, man. He says, what do you think? I says,

hey, we're here. What's wrong with you, man?

We're going to be all right. And he says, you're

right, man. We're here. And he turns around and

says, we're going to be all right, tells the

people. We're going to be all right. Why? Because

we're God's people. You hear what I'm saying?

Amen. We're God's people. I've been in some serious

situations in airplanes, but I'm telling you,

I'm here today because I'm in the arms of God.

I'm sheltered in his arms. Bless the name of

the Lord. Ramoth, Ramoth, the next city. Ramoth

means to be elevated, raised up, lifted up. That's

what Ramoth means, to be made upright, to be

made righteous. To be seated in heavenly places

for those that are depressed, joyless, hopeless,

dejected, distressed, heart sick, sad and discouraged

and much, much more. Ramoth is your refuge place.

If you don't have joy, come to Ramoth. If you

are discouraged, come to Ramoth. If you feel

dejected, rejected, distressed and whatnot, come

to Ramoth. Psalm 18, 31 -33 says, For who is

God but the Lord alone? And what rock is there

besides our God? It is God who girds me with

strength and makes my way perfect, who makes

my feet like Heinz' feet and sets me on high

places. Heinz' feet. on high places refers to

the ability to navigate difficult and challenging

situations with grace, stability and strength,

drawing inspiration from a sure -footedness of

a female deer called a hind, a steep terrain.

I've seen, and I'm sure that you have seen pictures.

Of these hinds, these deer, female deers, how

they stand on the mountains. And you wonder,

what and how are they standing on the side of

that mountain? They're just standing there, you

know, enjoying the day. You know, don't you dare

try to climb that rock. But they just sit out

there, you know, like nothing's happening. And

when they want to move, they move. They just

climb the mountain sideways. They figure it out,

man. That's sure -footedness. This is what happens

when you go to Ramoth. You're going to have sure

-footedness. It doesn't matter what happens when

you are with God. Don't worry. Everything's going

to be all right. You're going to come out safe.

You're going to come out on the other side. You're

going to be victorious. This is just, amen, endure.

This is just tears for the night, but joy is

coming in the morning. Let me tell you something.

God is with us. And when God's with you, who

can be against you? There ain't no mountain,

no valley, no death, no river wide enough that

can keep us from his Savior. God is a God that

holds us in his arms. Remember this, hang feet

in high places. Steadfast means signifies spiritual

growth, overcoming obstacles, resilience, and

steadfastness with joy in the midst of hardships.

High places is not meant to be. a destination

in afterlife, but rather a state of spiritual

growth and closeness to God achievable during

our earthly life. You don't have to wait till

you get to heaven to be in high places with Christ.

You can be in high places with him today. You

don't have to wait until you know you're up in

heaven somewhere. No, in this life, you can experience

high places. In this life, he will elevate you.

In this life, he will lift you up. That's what

this means, Ramah, to lift you up. That's what

it means. Thank God that he can lift us up. Rameth

is a refuge that enables and encourages us to

seek strength in God and persevere through difficulties

and challenging circumstances. The last city

is Golan. It's known for its flourishment and

stability. It was surrounded by fertile land,

agricultural productivity. making it a valuable

city for settlement and for trade. Golan plays

a vital role in providing water to the region.

Rainwater that falls on the plateaus feeds into

the Jordan River. That's where the Jordan begins,

making it a critical water source for the surrounding

regions. Jordan goes down. Jordan is a miracle

river. That's where the Israelites crossed. Jesus

was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan

River. Many wonderful things happened at the

Jordan River. The Jordan River begins at the

Golden Heights. Golan Heights, I'm sorry. And

it flows down into the Sea of Galilee. Where

the Lord walked on water, many miracles, it fed

multitudes, fish. Where do you think they got

the fish from? From there, Galilee. And from

there, it feds down into what is known the Dead

Sea. And there's many things to be said about

that. But nonetheless, it has its beginnings

at Golan. Isn't that amazing? It's vital to providing

water to the region. known today as Golan Heights,

a very strategic region that Israel reclaimed

in 1967 in the Six -Day War. They wanted it back,

and they got it back in six days. They defended

it, and they secured it. Mount Hermon is Israel's

highest mountain. Sitting at the highest part

of the Golan Heights, it stands at nearly 10

,000 feet in elevation. Its strategical location

provides Israel with military security. Through

the centuries, Golan Heights has been the most

desired region in the Middle East. Everybody

wants what we got. Isn't that something? Everybody

tries to fabricate and make clones of what we've

got. We've got Golan in our side. We've got that

in our favor. We have that security. We have

that visual. Praise God. And that valley and

that part where Moses was able to see into the

promised land, it's a strategical place. provides

military strength and security. Everybody wants

Golan. Thank God. This is our refuge and defense

against all wiles of the devil. When we find

refuge in Golan, there's no devil in hell that

can defeat us. Proverbs 18 .10 says, The name

of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous

runneth into it and is safe. According to the

scripture, and I'm going to be closing with this

thought. According to scripture and biblical

history, the Levites were assigned a special

role. Not only did out of the 48 cities that

were allocated to the Levites when they went

into the promised land, six of those were considered

or dedicated to be refugees, and God named them.

The Levites were assigned a special role serving

as God's ministers and teachers. They were also

entrusted, get this, they were entrusted with

the responsibility of providing refuge for fugitives

who entered those cities. It was their responsibility.

All these six cities were very accessible. Tradition

tells us that it was the Levites' responsibility

in making sure that the roads that were leading

to the six cities were in good condition. And

that there be legible, listen to this, legible

and clear signposts guiding the fugitives that

were running from their avengers. Just safety.

I don't know how the signposts are. There's different

ideas of what the signposts may have looked like.

If it had arrows or what it had. Inscriptions.

But it was the Levites' responsibility to make

sure that there were signposts along roads that

they had to maintain. And keep them accessible

for anybody that was running for safety would

find their way through those roads. This is an

interesting typology for New Testament spiritual

Levites. And preparing a clear and visible path

for the troubled for refuge. The gates of these

cities were never, never closed. Surely the way

to the city, it was a clear path. These cities

represent God's grace for the sinners. Whatever

your situation is, run to this city. Run to one

of these cities. which is all -inclusive in Christ.

But Levites is us. We are the spiritual Levites.

We are the ones that have to make sure that the

path is visible. We need to go out to the highways,

the byways in our communities, in our neighborhoods.

Make it accessible for safety. That's our job.

That's our ministry. To help people see the way.

Come this way, you're in trouble. Get on this

path and follow the road signs to safety. That's

our job. This is the road sign. The word of God.

This is the road sign. If we can just carry the

map with us. Are you troubled? You need safety?

You need out of this? Are you troubled? Are you

sick? Are you distressed? Joyless? Let me show

you the map of how to get to the city of refuge,

which is Christ. There's no other city. Like

that city. Bless the Lord. Stand with me. As

long as we remain within the city of refuge,

which is the Lord, the enemy will not harm us.

But if we go outside, listen to me, we will be

in danger. I'm going to close with this. I took

you up, not taking you down. Abner's story. Abner

was a cousin of King Saul and served as the commander

-in -chief in Saul's army. He was the top guy

outside of Jonathan and others that were his

sons and served. Abner was a great warrior. He

was a great leader. But sometime after the death

of King Saul, there's a big story, a lot of things

that happened in there. Abner tried to raise

up another king that failed. Abner defected from

that side. And he swore to serve under King David.

But because he had in one of the battles killed

one of joab's brothers which was davis commander

-in -chief when joab heard that abner had defected

and gone with david he became very angry especially

because in a prior battle he had killed his brother

His name was Esael. But Abner heard of Joab's

anger and his bad intentions, and he ran to Hebron.

But at Hebron, Joab found out he was there. He

went there. Not that Abner trusted him, but somehow

he talked him into a private conversation. And

he took him just outside of the city gate as

if they were going to talk. A private conversation.

But instead of talking, Joab took a knife and

stabbed him. In the stomach. And they say his

fifth rib. Killed Abner. Of course there's a

long story after that. What Joab price he had

to pay for that. Solomon was the one that ended

up killing Joab later. But nonetheless. It was

a miserable ending for Abner. He found safety.

But. believed somebody, whatever it was, convinced

him to have a little conversation outside of

the city gate, and he lost his life. I pray that

we that are now in the safe arms of Christ don't

make the same mistake. Don't believe the devil's

lie. Don't believe that story that sounds so

true. How can that be? Whoa, yeah, okay. Don't

listen to that story. Don't listen to that conversation.

Stay faithful. Stay within the city walls in

protection. And all will be well with you because

you will be sheltered in the arms of God. He

will protect you from everything. That's where

you want to be.