Deuteronomy 19:5-6
5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the headb slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slayc him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
I. There are many besides the murderer of Uriah who have need to cry with him, "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God." (1) This charge may have a fearful applicability to Christian ministers. If ministers neglect to warn the wicked, if they keep back from the people any part of the counsel of God, blood lieth at their door; the angel of vengeance is abroad in pursuit of them. (2) Consider that subtle, undefinable thing called influence. Can you conscientiously say that you have always exerted your influence for good, never for evil? If in one instance you have used it for evil, blood lieth at your door. You have shed the blood of souls, and the life of your own soul is justly forfeit.
II. The spiritual refuge of the sinner is Jesus Christ, and the road by which we flee to Christ is the road of faith. (1) The sinner must fly to Christ as if for his life, as a man flies from a falling house or a beleaguered town. (2) As impediments were removed out of the man-slayer's way, and the road was made as easy and obvious to him as possible, so it is a very plain, simple thing to believe in Christ, and thus to flee to our spiritual cities of refuge. (3) When the merciful Elder, Jesus Christ, comes to the gate of the city of refuge, we can only plead our sinfulness, our infinite desert of condemnation, and God's appointment of Jesus Christ to be a refuge to us. (4) The man-slayer was to abide in the city of his refuge, and so must we abide in ours if we would be safe.
III. There are two points of contrast between the Jewish city of refuge and its New Testament antitype. (1) The city of refuge was permanently available only to such man-slayers as had acted without any evil intent. Not so our city of refuge. Christ is able to save to the uttermost. (2) The man-slayer was to remain in the city until the high-priest died. But our High-priest never dies. "He ever liveth to make intercession for us."
E. M. Goulburn, Sermons Preached in the Parish Church of Holywell,p. 101.
References: Deuteronomy 19:12. J. B. Mozley, Ruling Ideas in Early Ages,p. 201.Deuteronomy 19:21. Ibid.,p. 180. Deuteronomy 19 Parker, vol. iv.. p. 281.Deuteronomy 20:2. J. M. Neale, Sermons for the Church Year,p. 167. Deuteronomy 20:8. W. Ray, Thursday Penny Pulpit,vol. xi., p. 233;Parker, vol. iv., p. 290; J. M. Neale, Sermons for the Church Year,p. 177. Deuteronomy 20:10. Ibid.,p. 298. Deuteronomy 20:16. M. Dods, Israel's Iron Age,p. 1; J. B. Mozley, Ruling Ideas in Early Ages,p. 83.Deuteronomy 20:19. Parker, City Temple,vol. iii., p. 18. Deuteronomy 22:1. Parker, vol. iv., p. 305.Deuteronomy 22:6; Deuteronomy 22:7. Ibid.,vol. ii., p. 312; S. Cox, The Bird's Nest,p. 1.Deuteronomy 22:8. Parker, vol. iv., p. 318; Preacher's Monthly,vol. iii., p. 354.