Adrian Rogers - Jesus, the Sinner's Refuge
Take God's Word and find, if you will, Joshua chapter 20. We're going to be in the Old Testament, but we're going to be talking about Jesus, our Lord and Savior. One of the things I've learned about the Bible is all of the Bible is about Jesus. Sometimes people say, "Have you read the four Gospels"? Friend, I've read all sixtysix of the Gospels; they're all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, Jesus is the hero of the Bible. Salvation is the theme of the Bible. And because Jesus is the hero and salvation is the theme, we find Jesus standing somewhere in the shadows in all of the Old Testament if we study it carefully and look at it, because God wants us to be saved and He wants us to love Jesus. So He's tucked away illustrations, even in the Old Testament.
Now the cities of refuge, when Joshua was leading the children of Israel, were remarkable. And I want us to read today in Joshua chapter 20 verses 1 through 3, "The Lord spake also unto Joshua, saying, 'Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'Appoint out for you cities of refuge,''" now just underscore that, "cities of refuge", and I'll talk to you about that later, "''whereof I spake unto you at the hand of Moses. That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.''"
Now let me tell you what the avenger of blood is. If a man back in this day were guilty of manslaughter, negligent, or unaware of what he had done, there was a person who was a family member who was called the avenger of blood. And he had the right and, in that day, the responsibilities to track down the killer and to slay him. Well, the Lord realized how this could be abused and misused, and so, what the Lord did was to take six cities and make them cities of refuge.
Now these six cities of refuge are highly symbolic and teach us a wonderful lesson. First of all, I want you to notice what I'm going to call the saving nature of these cities. And you'll find that Scripture there again in Joshua chapter 20 verses 1 through 3. There were cities there that into which the person who was fleeing from justice could go into that city and there be safe. Now, does that refer to the Lord Jesus Christ? I think it does. As a matter of fact, I think that's what the writer of Hebrews was talking about, and put in your margin Hebrews 6:18, it speaks of those, "Who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us". They have fled for refuge.
Doubtless, in my mind, this is a reference to the cities of refuge tucked away there. So just put down, first of all, the saving nature of these cities. And by that they represent Christ our Savior and Lord, who is our place of refuge. Now the second thing I want you to notice is the significant names of these cities.
Now what are their names? Well, look, if you will, over here in Joshua chapter 20 and verses 7 and 8, "And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali," underscore Kedesh, "and Shechem in Mount Ephraim," underscore Shechem, "and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron," underscore Hebron, "in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side, Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer," underline Bezer, "in the wilderness upon the plain of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth," underscore Ramoth, "in Gilead of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh".
Golan, underscore Golan. There were six cities, six cities of refuge. Now it's an interesting thing as we study this to find how these six cities picture the Lord Jesus Christ by their very names. Look, if you will, in verse 7 again. There is Kedesh. Do you know what Kedesh means? Kedesh means holiness. Thank God for our holy Savior. Kedesh is a place of holiness. And for you to be saved, to know salvation, to have eternal life, you must come to the sinless, stainless, spotless, holy Son of God and let Him make you holy. Now you can never make yourself holy. Don't try to get better so you can be saved; get saved so you can be better.
Listen, friend, if I've learned one thing it is this: that holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness. Thank God for that. Come, bring your sins, bring your weakness, bring your faults, bring your failures, bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't try to clean up without Jesus. Thank God He's a sinless Savior. You can't wash clothes and make them clean washing them in dirty water. And there's no one else that can save. Mohammad can't save. Confucius can't save. Allah can't save. Only Jesus saves. You believe that? Amen. So, the first city is Kedesh, and it speaks of Christ our Savior.
Now the second city is Shechem and it speaks of Christ our strength. You see, the very name Shechem means shoulder. It means support. And Jesus is our support. Jesus is our strength. He's the one that carries us on His shoulders. You remember over there in Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6? The Bible says what? "The government shall be upon His shoulders". Do you remember there in Luke 15 verses 3 through 5, in the parable of the Good Shepherd, where He goes out and finds that one lost sheep? And the Bible says, "He layeth it on His shoulders and brings it back to the sheepfold". That's an interesting sheep, a sheep with six legs: four on him on two on the shepherd, and He's going back because of Christ our strength.
Now listen to me, precious friend. Don't get the idea that you must live the Christian life. Now the Christian life ought to be lived, but it is Jesus Christ underneath with His strength carrying you on His shoulders. I've learned that He has done that for me since I was saved as a 14 year old boy. Were it not for the strength of Jesus, I never would have made it. Now look at the next name, Hebron, there in Joshua 20 verse 7. And the word Hebron speaks of fellowship and it really speaks to me of Christ our satisfaction. Hebron is a place that the Bible gives the name fellowship. That's what the Hebrew name means. And what does that say to us?
Well, friend, not only are we saved by a holy Savior, not only does He carry us through, but, hallelujah, He brings us together that we might have fellowship with one another and fellowship with Him. Put in your margin First John chapter 1 and verse 3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ". So we come to a holy Savior and He's Christ our Savior. We lay our burdens upon Him. He's Christ our strength. And then we enjoy Him. He is Christ our satisfaction. What your heart yearns for is fellowship with God and fellowship with one another.
"Friends all around me are trying to find, what the heart yearns for by sin undermine; I have the secret, I know where 'tis found, only true pleasures in Jesus abound". Thank God that Hebron speaks of Christ our satisfaction. What a fellowship and what a joy divine. And then the next city there in verse 8 is Bezer, and that means stronghold; it means fortification. Now when you come to Jesus, the holy Savior saves you. And when He carries you in His arms, and when you enter into that sweet fellowship with Him, then you're going to learn the security that Jesus alone can give, because Bezer speaks of fortification. It speaks of a stronghold. And that means that He's Christ our security. You don't keep Him; He keeps you. If it depended upon my living it, I never would live it.
Friend, let me tell you something. I'm going to ask you today to give your heart to Jesus Christ if you've not done so. And He is the one that will be your strength and your fortification. The Bible says this in Proverbs 18 verse 10, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and are safe". Come to Jesus. I promise you, I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, if you sincerely trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, not only will He save you; He will keep you all the way. That's what the Bible teaches. We have a high priest who's able to save us to the uttermost. I used to think that meant He could save any kind of sinner.
Well, He can, but that's not what it means. It means He'll save you all the way through. He'll keep you. He will keep you. He'll save you instantaneously. He'll be with you continually. He will keep you eternally. Thank God for Bezer, and it speaks of Christ our security. And then Ramoth. Ramoth means what? Exalted. That's what the Bible word means, and it speaks of Christ our sovereign. He is the one high and lifted up. Acts chapter 2 and verse 33, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted". Speaking of Jesus. By the right hand of God, He is exalted. And again, Philippians 2 verse 9, "Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted Him".
Oh friend, what a Savior! Hallelujah. High and lifted up. And the glory is we are seated in the heavenlies with Him. He is exalted, He died for us, He rose for us, He ascended for us, and we are co-enthroned with the Lord Jesus Christ on high. So many Christians have never realized the privilege that they have. Being saved by His holiness, carried by His strength, sweet fellowship with Him, secure in Him, and then worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. And then, Golan speaks of separation, and it tells me of Christ our sanctification. The word Golan means separated. And, you see, when Jesus saves us, we don't remain the same.
Second Corinthians 5 verse 17, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature". Now sanctification is a big, double-jointed word that we don't use very much, but what it literally means is to be sanctified or to be separated, and, literally, Golan means separated unto joy. Put in your margin now, in the New Testament, Second Corinthians 6 verses 17 and 18, "'Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,' saith the Lord Almighty".
Now you can't have fellowship with God and you can't truly worship Him if you're dabbling in sin. When I say He will strengthen you, He will, but He'll not strengthen you to sin; He'll strengthen you to live right and righteous. And so, the third thing I want you to think about now. We're talking now about the saving nature of these cities. We're talking to you about the very significant names of these cities. Now think with me about the strategic nearness of these cities.
Now, you see, God wanted people to have safety and refuge, so He put these six cities out, and over the land of Israel He put them in strategic places. Put some in the north, some in the south, some in the east, and some in the west, and one in the center, very near to everybody. So these were spread out. And then, the roads to them were always open and clearly marked. At a crossroads there would be a sign pointing Miqlat, which mean refuge. So if you're fleeing, you don't wonder, "Shall I go this way or shall I go that way"? These roads, as much as possible, were level so there'd be no impediment, no blockades. Stones and trash were removed. And the roads were wide. They were always open. And the priests would go out and examine these roads to make certain that they were fit. And these roads were clearly marked and always near.
Now what does that tell us about the Lord Jesus Christ, the strategic nearness of these cities? Listen folks, your city of refuge is Jesus, and He is always, always, always, always near. Now I want you to put in your margin, in the New Testament, now, Romans 10 verses 6 through 9. Oh, what a great passage this is, "But the righteousness which is by faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven"? that is, to bring Christ down from above, "Or, Who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead, 'But what saith it?'" listen to this, "The Word is nigh thee," we're talking about strategic nearness, "the Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the Word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved".
Now what's the writer talking about here in the Book of Romans? He's saying, "You want to be saved"? Listen, he's saying, "You don't have to make a pilgrimage into Heaven, and go up there and appear before the throne and say, 'O God, O God, please send us a Savior.'" Why not? Because He's already come, Amen? Now we don't need to go down into the netherworld and say, "O, that Jesus could be raised from the dead. We need Him. Bring Him up from the deep". You don't have to do that. He's already come down. He's already been raised from the dead. And He's very near. Let me tell you how near He is. He said, "The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart". "Well how, wait a minute, pastor, how's the Word of God get in my mouth and in my heart? What is this talking about"?
Well, he's saying that Jesus is in your mouth, I know this sounds a little bizarre, but now listen to me carefully, and He's in your heart. You say, "Well, now, wait a minute, how did Jesus get in my mouth and Jesus in my heart? I'm not saved. How did He get there"? I just put it there. "How did you put it there"? The Word of faith which we preached. I'm preaching to you. And what I'm doing, I'm putting His Word in your mouth and in your heart. Now you're not saved yet, but he says the Word is there. And then he says, "If you will believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, you'll be saved". It's there. You talk about being close. He is closer to you than the person sitting next to you. He's in your mouth and in your heart.
Now you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. I don't care how close you are. No one is almost saved. To be almost saved is to be altogether lost. But nobody will walk out of this place today, saying, "I didn't have an opportunity, and I never heard". "The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; the Word of faith, which we preach". That's the strategic nearness of these cities. Now, folks, I want to speak to you about a man who was so near to salvation and he missed it. Would you turn over here to Second Samuel this time, and I want us to continue to think on this theme of the cities of refuge.
And this is chapter 3 of Second Samuel. Let me just tell you a story. We're talking about how the avenger would come and chase a man, and the man would run into the city of refuge and be safe. Now there was a man named Abner. And Abner killed a man named Asahel. He didn't really want to kill him. But in a battle, Asahel was pursuing him, and he killed Asahel. Now Asahel's brother was Joab. Joab was the commander-in-chief of King David's armies. But Joab was also an avenger of blood, and so he's been looking for a time and a place to slay Asahel. Now here's the background. Joab and Abner are just outside the City of Hebron, which was one of the six cities of refuge. And what happened now is Joab says to Abner, "Hey, Ab, come over here. There's something I want to share with you".
And Joab just puts a smile on his face, and in a friendly way he beckons Abner to come to him. It's right there in Second Samuel 3 verse 27, "And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly," that sounds friendly enough. "'Come on, there's something I want to tell you', and smote him there under the fifth rib that he died for the blood of Asahel, his brother". Now right at the gate of the city! Right in the very gates of the city of refuge! But on the wrong side of the gate Abner died. Now when David heard about the death of Abner, David began to lament.
Second Samuel 3 verses 32 through 34, "And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up," this is King David, "and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. And the king lamented Abner, and said, 'Did Abner die as a fool dieth? Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet into fetters; as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou.' And all the people wept again over him". And then in Second Samuel 3 verse 38, "And the king said unto his servants, 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?'" David wept. He said, "O Abner, that's so foolish. You didn't have to die. You were not in chains. It was your choice". And he said, "Abner, you died like a fool. Like a sheer fool you died". And then he told everybody, "He was a great man. He was a prince. And he died"!
And, friend, where did he die? Right at the gate of the city of refuge, but he was on the wrong side of that gate. He never stepped in. Now I read, in the New Testament, of Judas who kissed Jesus. That's pretty close. He kissed the door of Heaven and went to Hell. There are some people who can be so close. Romans 10:8, "The Word is near them, nigh them; in their mouth and in their heart". They are right at the threshold of salvation. Some of you in this building are that way, but you're on the wrong side. Now David said, "A great man, a prince has fallen". Do you know some men, some of you businessmen, bankers, lawyers, entrepreneurs; some of you are very successful of this world.
You know, the Bible says in Luke 16 verses 22 and 23, "A rich man died, and in Hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment". Can you imagine his funeral? Can you imagine what it must have been like, this rich man? Well, no, you know, if they had automobiles in that day, out front would be a lot of Mercedes and Cadillacs and high-class automobiles. People would be all dressed, and they'd come into the funeral, and the casket would be there and the body. And some man would get up get and make a speech over it. And he says, "Here lies so-and-so, a man of great influence and prestige, and we commit him to the Almighty".
A great man in the eyes of people, but his soul was in Hell before the undertaker heard he was dead. Why? Why? Because people like this are victims of a cunning deception. They don't realize how important it is to deal with their souls. They deal with their bank accounts. They deal with their golf game. They deal with their family. They deal with all of these things, but they don't deal with God. Bill Gates, a multi-multi-multi-billionaire, was asked, "Do you go to church"? He said, "No, I don't". "Why"? He said, "It is a waste of time". A great man. His name is known worldwide.
Friend, listen, I don't care how great you are, you may be a prince in this city, but if you don't give your heart to Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches you are a fool. You're a fool. Jesus said to another man who was wealthy and he was a rich farmer. And he said, "I've got it all made". And Jesus said in Luke 12:20, "Thou fool; this night shall thy soul be required of thee". What, it doesn't matter what else you're doing. If you don't give your heart to Jesus Christ, you're very foolish because, you see, the Bible says in Mark 8 verses 36 and 37, "What should it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and yet lose his soul. Or what should a man give in exchange for his soul," I mean, when you compare your soul to other things. What is more valuable, a bank account, a career, your sports, your beautiful yard? What is more important?
Suppose there's a house on fire. And in that house is a mother and her little baby, and that little baby is in the crib. The mother smells the smoke. She sees the flames. She knows the house is going to be consumed. So she goes around and gets the pots and pans and carries them out. She goes and takes the pictures off the wall and carries them out. She goes and gets the clothes from the closet and carries that outside. And the whole time her baby is there in the crib to perish in the flames. You'd say she's insane.
Well, listen, you are living for the trinkets of this world. You're a great man, a prince. I want to tell you if you don't care for your soul, Jesus said, "What should it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul"? Now why did Abner do this? Well, Abner was the victim of a cunning deception. Joab acted as if he were his friend. He said, "Hey, Ab, come over here. There's something I want to tell you". And he puts one arm around him, and with a dagger he stabs him under the fifth rib. And he dies right there on the threshold at the steps of Hebron. No wonder David said, "He died like a fool. He didn't have to die that way. He should have known about Joab and what Joab wanted him to do".
And David wept. David wept over Abner. You know, it's time that we weep over lost souls before they die. You see, all the tears of David could not bring Abner back nor rescue him. In another church, I got a phone call. A lady that I knew well was on the other end. She was hysterical, just hysterical. She was saying, "O Pastor, Pastor, Pastor, Pastor". I said, "Hold it! Tell me what is wrong". She said, "My daddy is in Hell. My daddy is in Hell. My daddy is in Hell. Pastor, my daddy died and he's in Hell". I said, "Your daddy is not in Hell". He was a medical doctor. I said, "Your daddy is not in Hell. Your daddy is in Heaven". She said, "Why do you say that? He wasn't a Christian".
I said, "Yes, he was. A few days ago I went by his house and asked him if he knew how to be saved. And he wasn't certain, and I told him. And I asked him if he wanted to receive Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. And he said he did. And I led him to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Your daddy is not in Hell. Your daddy is in Heaven. But now I want to ask you a question. Did you ever witness to your daddy? Did you ever tell him about Jesus? Did you try to get him saved"?
Friend, one of these days it'll be too late for tears. If you're going to weep over your loved ones, weep for them now, not after they die. And shed tears for them. We have friends, neighbors, relatives who are being deceived by the devil and they are going to die and go to Hell. Now what can we learn from all of this? Four things I want to lay on your heart. Number one: if you are inside, if you're already inside, hallelujah, what a Savior! Thank God for Christ our salvation. Thank God for Christ our strength. Thank God for Christ our satisfaction. Thank God, thank God, thank God. Oh friend, we are blessed if we're inside that city, Amen?
We're so blessed. Now number two: listen, if you're not inside the city of refuge, if you've not yet received Jesus Christ, come in today. I would not lay my salvation aside if you were to stack this building with gold and say, "All you have to do is lay your salvation aside for a day". You say, "You're lying". I'm telling you the absolute truth. If you were to stack it with gold from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, and say, "It's all yours if you will put aside Jesus for one day". I wouldn't do that. I'll tell you why. First of all, I might die in that day. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:1, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth". Number two: I would miss loving Jesus for that day. And number three: I would not so disgrace the Lord Jesus to set Him aside for all the gold in the world.
Friend, if you have no yet come into the city of refuge, if you've not yet turned to Jesus and said, "Lord Jesus, come into my heart, forgive my sin;" do it. I don't care how great you are in this community. You can be a great man and a prince, but you can die like a fool. Now the third thing I want to lay on your heart is, we need to warn and educate our friends and tell them about the city of refuge, and tell them about the deception of the devil. Your children are sitting ducks for the devil. The devil is a liar! The devil is a deceiver! He's put his arms around you and act like he's your friend, but there's a knife that's coming under the fifth rib. He doesn't want you inside that city.
The last thing I want to say is this: we need to weep for the lost before they die. Jeremiah said in chapter 9 and verse 1, "Oh, that my eyes were a fountain of tears". Somebody has described the modern church as a dry-eyed church in a Hell-bent world. When is the last time you shed a tear for some soul that was mortgaged to the devil?
Bow your heads in prayer. Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. Now if you're in that city, thank God for it. If you have a neighbor, a friend, a brother that's not in, begin to intercede for that one. And, friend, if you've not yet given your heart to Jesus Christ, God brought me here, and God brought you here, and God brought His Word here, and God put His Spirit here that you might be saved today. And I want to lead you in a prayer, and I promise you, on the authority of the Word of God, if you will trust Christ, He will save you instantaneously. He will be with you continually. He will keep you eternally. Would you pray this kind of a prayer?
Dear God, I need to be saved. I need a city of refuge. I know that judgment is on the trail and Satan seeks to slay me. Lord, I need a refuge. And, Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I come to You as a little child. I lay my intellectual pride in the dust and Lord, I come as a little child to You. I trust You to save me. Lord, forgive my sins because Jesus died and paid for my sins with His blood. Come into my heart, for, Lord, You promised to do so. Begin now to make me the person You want me to be. And, Lord Jesus, give me the courage to make it public, even today. In Your name I pray. Amen.