Justice, Mercy, and Humility

Hey, good morning. Good morning. Welcome to coffee and devotions this morning. We're at Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 41 through 43 so just a couple verses Deuteronomy chapter 4 verses 41 through 43 we're gonna be looking at again at the Setting of those cities of refuge on the Transjordan. Let's have some coffee.
We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your word. Father, we pray that as we read your word, that your Holy Spirit would be working in our hearts, teaching us, instructing us, bring us on towards love and good deeds. Lord, we pray that you would let us know who you are. Love you and follow you in Jesus's name. Amen.
All right. So we are at Deuteronomy chapter four, verses 41 through 43. Short one this morning. Let's go. Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in the past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live, Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. So that's it. We're going to ask ourselves our three questions. A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this? And C, what are we called to do in response to these words? So A, what is this about? Well, this story or this section, remember this is all about the historical prologue, but we got kind of into the preface type stuff of the law, mainly that the Lord was supposed to be their God, no idolatry.
But here we find that the Lord is also still this God of justice. And he established those three cities on the other side of the Jordan River, on the eastern side where the sun rises, and that God had set those three places apart. So if someone had killed someone without forethought or malice, if this was accidental, but they still killed someone, They would have a place to go to escape the Goyal, the person, the avenger of blood. And so that's where they're going to run to. And so the Lord is a God of justice. And he's the one who set up these three places in Bezer, Ramoth and in Golan, in Bashan. So each of those two and a half tribes over there, each one has a city.
So that way, the person is able to run and save their lives. Right. People got hot under the collar. the avenger of blood might go and try to kill them, but they have a place to go and a system of justice set up because innocent blood should not be shed in the land. It's a tragedy. It's a tragedy already that manslaughter had happened, that an accidental death had occurred, but it would be an even greater tragedy or injustice for an unjust killing of the person who had done this accidentally.
So what's the best verse to summarize this? Well, I think in my Bible, Hmm, I would probably, this is only three verses, but it's kind of hard with how it's broken up, probably verses 41 and 42. That just leaves out what those three cities are, but it says what the purpose is and that they're on the other side of the Jordan. So that's what I would underline in my Bible.
Alas, see calling, what are we called to do? But we are also to love justice. But we're also called to walk humbly and with mercy. Because see, we could get so quick in our own anger, but we know that the book of James tells us the wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God. And so oftentimes we need to slow down. We may be fired up for justice, and it is right to be angry, right?
But God says, be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, lest you give place for the devil. You don't want to open up that crack in the door where the devil could step in and attack, rip hold of their heart with anger and bitterness, malice and hatred. And the Lord says, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on, hold on.
Even. When there's somebody who dies in ancient Israel in this. In this economy of the old covenant there with his people, Israel in this civil law, he says they've got a place to run to. He doesn't want innocent blood to be shed. And so also we we need to be those who value life. Loving justice, but also knowing, hold on, we may not have all the information yet. We should be careful. We should be careful about being pushing towards especially something like a capital punishment, like the death penalty. We ought to be very careful when we're pursuing justice to make sure that we also uphold the justice of the innocent as well. We have an amazing system in our country, all around the world. People struggle with this. This is always going to be a struggle. This is always going to be a difficulty.
But we as Christians ought to be able to be those who stand for life. Because it's Jesus himself who said that if we hate a brother in our heart, we've already committed murder in our heart. If we say to him, you fool, we've already committed murder in our heart. We need to check our own anger. We need to walk with mercy. with humility, as well as with justice.
Because that's the God we serve. That's the God who Jesus shows himself to be. that maybe we become more and more like Christ. Let's pray. Father, this takes a great deal of wisdom. It's easy to say these things, and it's really hard to do them. Father, we pray that you would please teach us to walk in your ways. Let us know how to walk humbly, how to show mercy, and yet how to also love justice. Please, Lord, teach us your ways. Fill us with your spirit. We need it desperately. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen. May the Lord bless you. May you love Him and follow in His ways, and I'll see you next time. Bye.