Let's begin this morning with some nostalgia, shall we, in the 80s and 90s. giving my age away but in the 80s and 90s in this country it was common for breakfast cereals to offer toys and stickers for children to collect. If you're of a certain vintage in the room maybe you can remember what this was like but breakfast cereals offering toys and exciting toys and stickers. One example of this sticks in your minister's minds rather firmly, a company ran an offer where if you bought their cereal time and time again, you could collect, wait for it, you could collect a series of hologram cards. Can you imagine the excitement in the Pearson household? When we were children, you know, you put your hand into the cereal box and yes, you pick out this card and you look at it and just on the superficial level, it's amazing to look at. As a kid, you're looking at it, it's shiny and it's detailed and you're transfixed. But then what happens? you tilt it in the light and all of a sudden this picture 3D image appears and this kid you know you're looking at and all of a sudden you're able to see a 3D image of Tony the tiger or the sugar puff monster or some other breakfast related superhero amazing hologram cards now from Wagner to Tony the Tiger, you definitely think I've lost the plot. I'm sure there is a serious point to that, believe it or not, because I think in this portion of scripture this morning in Numbers chapter 35, something akin to that can take place because yes it's true isn't it that if we just in a sense superficially look at this portion of scripture and we hold it up in front of us it's transfixing like don't you agree i mean it's a really detailed portion of scripture it's very colorful but What happens if we were to hold Numbers 35 up in the light of the Holy Spirit? What happens if we tilt the chapter? What happens if we angle this portion of Scripture and come at it from the viewpoint of redemptive history? I want to suggest to you if we do that, Depth appears in front of us. Do you see a picture almost appears in front of us? As we look properly at Numbers 35, I think we see this morning a picture of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that this morning, really I only want to do two things in the time we have together. I want us just to look at some of the details of this law. That's the first thing. about manslaughter. And then the second thing I want us to do is just to consider how those details anticipate Jesus or point you this morning, mate, to the cross of Christ. Or let me just give you the two headings just now. So not three headings, not four headings, but two. The first is the law of the manslayer. And then the second heading, a little bit later, we'll consider the gospel of the man saver, the law of the man slayer, and then the gospel of the man saver. So you have a copy of scripture in front of you, do you? Some of you have got a Bible, others have got printouts, others have got phones, but we've got a copy of scripture. So we'll consider the law, this law, the man's law, the law of the man slayer, okay. Right, if we're going to understand anything about this, I think you and I have to at least get to terms with the nature of what it is that we're holding up and dealing with here, don't we? Because I'm guessing you know what Christians are like, you know what we can do with a portion of scripture like this. So some Christians come at this and they see an old covenant law and they rub their hands and they think, right, we have to re-establish this, you know, we have to recreate this law. Then other Christians go to the opposite extreme, don't they? They see this old covenant law and they think this is absolutely no bearing on us whatsoever. Do you see the polar opposites, the extremes? I would hope If you've been here any length of time, I would hope that you realise the truth is actually more of a middle ground, isn't it friends? That what you're dealing with there, in front of you, is part of the civil law of Israel. Okay, so this is a law to govern how the people of Israel are going to live as they come into Canaan, as they come into the promised land. So what does that mean? It means that we don't follow it in a sense, right? I am not standing up this morning and saying, we have to take Watford and we have to make a city of refuge, okay? Or Croydon, or we're not setting up cities of refuge this morning. We're not doing that. But by the same token, doesn't mean that this is entirely irrelevant to us. So you have to understand as a Christian, there are principles, like ethical principles, spiritual, moral principles here that are supposed to inform how you think and how you live. So is everybody with me? We see the sort of nature of what we're dealing with. This is part of the civil law. Now, as we move from that to consider this actual, this specific law, I wonder, do you agree that we're, I suppose, we're a bit of an advantage? Because as a congregation, not all that long ago, we studied the book of Numbers, didn't we? And if we know anything about the book of Numbers, do we not know that God demanded purity, didn't he? Like God, the man, if he was going to abide with his people, live with his people, those people and the land was not to be in any way defiled. Will you just look at your sheet, your page, look at the last verse of chapter 35. Look at the last verse. Do you see that the same concern for purity, not being defiled, it's prevalent in this portion of scripture. I want you to listen to me. Get this, if nothing else. That because the killing of another person, because it defiled the land, because the killing of a person demanded the death of another so that there would be justice in the sight of God. What does God do here? before you in Numbers 35, to ensure that he can abide with his people in this land. He can be with them. God sets out this really intricate law and procedure. And I'm really hoping that everyone in the room understands it isn't about murder. We got that from reading, did we? It's not about murder. In Israel, murder was, in a sense, easy to deal with, wasn't it? You kill, you be killed. That was it, wasn't it? A life for a life. No, the complications here surround manslaughter. The question that is in the air for Israel, what do we do, God, if somebody kills someone accidentally? We want you to be with us. We want you to abide with us. And what do we do if someone kills without intent? Now, before we get any further with this, I think you and I have to deal with or address the character that we are introduced to in this portion of Scripture, the character that verse 12 calls the avenger. And so you can see what I've got to do. I've got to speak to the younger people for a moment and make it incredibly clear. Please listen to me that this is not Tony Stark. Okay? So when we are dealing with the Avenger, it has nothing to do with Iron Man. Okay? Okay? Nothing to do with Captain America. Nothing to do with us at all. No. Understand that in the ancient world, before there was anything like a police force, then what used to happen is that very often families would take justice into their own hands. Now, do you see that? Can you think that through? So if a relative of theirs had been killed accidentally, what they would do was call in the services of an avenger. They would set up a representative of the family And it was his job, this avenger, to hunt down that person who killed their relative, hunt them down. And this, if you're sticking with me, this was a role, you'll see it, this was a role because it pursued to severe a punishment Didn't it, the Avenger? The Avenger was looking to repay an accidental death with murder. See, this Avenger was trying to kill, was trying to murder for manslaughter. Because of that, this role necessitated the establishment of what we see in this portion of Scripture, the establishment of these cities of refuge, where that guilty person could run, could flee, and flee for asylum. What do you think of this portion of scripture? Come on, it's complicated, isn't it? Do you not find it a little bit engaging? Is it not like reading a crime thriller or one of these Netflix kind of murder docu-series? Isn't it a little bit like that? But if you're following this, I wonder if you recognize the problem at this stage. Does anyone get it? Do you all get it? Think about what I've just said. For God to abide with his people, for there to be justice, the killing of a person demanded the death of another. And have you noticed thus far that has not occurred? God has set up a city of refuge and God has demanded that there has to be a court case for the accused. But thus far, this person who's been accidentally killed, his death has been unavenged. Do you see the problem? There is blood guilt on the ground. Well, because of the importance of this, I would ask you to look at verse 25 for a moment here. There's a little phrase that is the centerpiece of this whole chapter. Look, the manslayer, this guilty party flees to the city of refuge, but for how long does he live there? Do you see the detail? He lives there until the death of The high priest, the high priest. Isn't that interesting? Now, hang on a second with me here. What do we know about the high priest? We know that this was a representative role. Don't we all know that? The high priest offering a sacrifice in the temple, is it for himself only? No, he's doing it on behalf of the people. So I am asking you, do you get it? Do you see what's happening here? Do you see how there is justice? The guilty person enters through the gates of the city of refuge and immediately God acts. Immediately God associates this manslayer with the high priest that God goes on to count the later death of the high priest as making payment, as atoning for the sin and the guilt of this man. Isn't it full of grace? We look sometimes, we scratch our heads at these Old Testament laws. What grace! God frees here the guilty party. God actually grants undeserved pardon. Undeserved pardon. And all on the basis of the death of the high priest. Isn't that amazing? Don't you think? Now, what on earth do we do with this? OK, we're not setting up a city of refuge today. What do we do with this? How do we deal with this? What principles do we take? There's so many roads that we could wander down this morning. What I instead want to do is just to set out before you, I suppose, the main principle, because would you not agree having read this, that nearly everything in this portion of Scripture, it screams of the sanctity of human life. And is that not the case in this portion of Scripture? Everything screaming as of the value and the worth of human life. Now you think about it with me, like in verse 17, what does God do? To provide the greatest deterrent to murder. He ensures what? The punishment is life for life. Do you see it? The greatest discouragement imaginable for us to shed any blood. Do you see how it screams the sanctity of life? Then if you look at verse 32, what does God do? You know as well as I do that in so many parts of the world throughout history, the rich have been able to kill and kill with impunity, haven't they? Not in verse 32. God ensures that because, to ensure rather, that the rich cannot kill with impunity. He says it doesn't matter what they do. You can't pay your way out of it. No ransom if you take some blood. If you shed blood, it doesn't matter. No cost. It has to be blood. Then you think even about the establishment of these cities of refuge. I mean, this is the almighty God we're dealing with and what lengths he goes to to ensure that this guilty party is protected. Why? Why? So that no more unnecessary blood is shed by this avenger. Everything screams at you. Human life is valuable. There is dignity to human life. Now, you and I, because we've spent so much time in Genesis over the last few years, you and I hopefully know exactly why human life is infused with such dignity. Why? Why? Because human life is made in the image of our God, made in the image of God. We know the principle. How do we get to practice? Well, I want to suggest this to you this morning, and I would urge you to heed it. Given that life, human life, is so treasured by our God, you and I should be quick to champion the rights of the most vulnerable in our society. Do you see and follow the logic? Given God holds human life, such cherishes it, treasures human life, because of that, we as his people should be quick to speak up for lives without a voice. And what happens as soon as I say that? I think we begin to contemplate abortion. Do we? I hope so. I read some of the statistics this week. I'm sure you probably know some of the statistics. But we're talking about in just England and Wales, something like one in five babies in the womb are killed. One in five. So we are talking about hundreds of thousands every year, not even in the whole of the UK, but simply in England and Wales. We immediately, when we talk about speaking up for the vulnerable, we think about that sort of life. But do we not also need to go to the other end of the age spectrum? I mean, you know as well as I do that assisted dying, right? That's the new progressive cause at the moment. So many countries legalizing, trying to legalize euthanasia at this point. Is it not important for us? Do we not have a responsibility as God's people given God's values here? Do we not need to speak out? and speak out on social media and speak out in any way we can, speak out amongst our family, speak out amongst our friends, regardless of what opposition we will face. Because if you read Scripture and you know Scripture, then you see it time and time again, the value, the dignity of human life. You consider it for a second, even in a chapter about killing. God this morning brings before you the sanctity of human life. So we see the law of the man slayer. He said only two headings this morning. The second heading is this, the gospel of the man saver, the gospel of the man saver. We've reached into the cereal box, haven't we? And we've pulled out the hologram card and we've looked at it on face value and we have been transfixed by this law and its detail and its colour. What I want us to do at this point is to tilt this. to look at this chapter in the light of the Holy Spirit and to see something of how this chapter points you, friend, to Jesus. It points you to the cross of Christ. But I wonder if I have skeptics to win over in the congregation. Is there perhaps some of you today who are thinking, I don't get it. I'm not buying it, man. Not for a second. This is an Old Testament law. You're not saying that we are pointed to Jesus Christ here. Not for a second. Are you skeptical? A little bit. Maybe there's somebody listening or watching online who is skeptical. To you, the skeptic, I would say this, that in the New Testament book of Hebrews, the author of the Hebrews talks about the Christian coming to Jesus Christ for salvation. And what most scholars would affirm, me, is that the language there in Hebrews is drawn from this very incident, this very law, this very chapter in Numbers 35, where the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 6 says this, that Christian friend, we have fled in our salvation to Jesus Christ, and we have fled to him for refuge. This is legitimate for us to think gospel thoughts at this precise moment. But what do we think? What do we think? What thoughts should we have? Well, the first thing that I reckon that you ought to do is see yourself in this portion of scripture in Numbers 35. I reckon you and I should recognize our desperate guilt, not just the manslayer's guilt, but our guilt. Now, would you stand with your minister on this when I say this, that it is in the Christian's view of human nature, where we so keenly are distinct from the rest of our world. Would you agree with that? That in our view of human nature, that's where we're separate from our world. So you think about it for a moment, will you please? What does our society say about our hearts and who we are and our nature? Does this kind of sum up that society, our world basically says, with the exception of a few bodies, We're all kind of okay, right? Isn't that the view of society? Isn't it? Maybe it's the view of some of you in here, you know, with the view of a few bad, a few mass murderers, right? You know, a few really bad guys like Hitler or Stalin, with the exception of a few of them, the rest of us, deep down, we're inherently decent people. We're kind of, you know, the rest of us are good. What does the Christian say to that? What does the Christian know? We know that nothing could be further from the truth. But we know that our nature, my nature is corrupt. And we know that this is a corruption against our God, and it is an extreme corruption. And this is where I'm going with this. What does Jesus say in Matthew's gospel in Matthew chapter five? Surely you know where I'm going. What does Jesus say about the extent of our sin, the extent of our nature? That even when we are angry with our brother, that it is tantamount to murder, such is the nature and our offense to God. Do you see it? Surely you do. When we look at this, we think of our sin, we pass it away. We think the sin is nothing. It's accidental most of the time. It's unintentional. But what are we spiritually? Do you begin to see yourself in Numbers 35? You're the manslayer. I am the manslayer. And what's the reality here? We are being pursued, pursued by the divine avenger. We are set to face the justice for our guilt, for our sin in death, unless something happens, unless we can find a shelter, unless we can find some refuge. Isn't it stark, the nature that we have? Wait, wait, wait. What would happen if you and I were able to strip everything else away from this time of year? You know, get rid of the tinsel, get rid of the trees and all that, and we focused right only on the gospel and the good news of salvation set out in scripture. What would happen? We would surely be reminded that, wait, God has acted. And indeed God has provided for his people that city of refuge. For us, God has provided this shelter that we so desperately need as we are being pursued by divine justice. And I ask you, if you're a Christian, is that not what you see when you look at Numbers chapter 35? Surely you do. Surely you look at this and you rejoice because how are we rescued? Like, how are we saved? How do we avoid, come out of this condemnation from God? And you would say to me, wouldn't you? It's exactly the same as this. It all happens because we are accredited with the death of the high priest. Isn't that what you say? Isn't that what we see in the gospel? Isn't it? Surely we say, how do we escape to rescue us? You say Christ has died. But he has died as our representative. He's died as our great high priest. His blood rescues us. His death accredited to us. His death sees us free. You look at Numbers 35 and you begin surely to praise God. Christ is our shelter. Christ is our shelter. For all who come to Jesus, he becomes for them. The city of refuge and the city of refuge from the wrath and anger of an almighty, fair and just God. And that is good news. It is good news. But how do we respond? Well, I would suggest that yes, there is application here for the Christians in the room, but I would ask you all to look at it with me. Look at verse six, please. Verse six. Now my question really is to whom did these cities in a sense belong? Do you notice, I think even the title gives it away, chapter 35. Do you see? So these cities were taken out from amongst the 48 cities that were given to the Levites. So these cities of refuge were by nature, they were Levite cities. Who were the Levites? Come on, the Levites, you know, I guess, you know, the priestly group, if you like, but they were the servants of God, these Levites, weren't they? So it was their job, can you imagine it? These Levites, it was their job to, from the city, be on the lookout for those who are fleeing the avenger. And it's these Levites whose their job to beckon these people into the city of refuse to holler at them, shout at them, welcome, open the gates of the city to the fleeing manslayer and to care for these people. Well, I'm asking you, if you're a Christian, do you not see the application that is there for you? Is it not the case that we today, look at us, we're the priesthood of believers, aren't we the holy priest? We are the servants of God. Do you not see the application? At this time of year, when at least Christian things are being talked about a little bit more, you and I have to be on alert. You and I have to be on the lookout for those people who are looking for refuge, fleeing for some form of salvation. We have to appeal to people, beckon people, come to Jesus Christ, come to him, come for safety, come. So there's application for Christians, but I'm afraid I know this, that there are some in the room or some watching who are not Christians. I know that. I also know that because of our sinful hearts, our sinful nature, I also know that we are adept at making excuses. for not entering the refuge that Christ offers us. So this is how I want to end this sermon. I simply and very briefly want to address two excuses that the unbeliever might make for not coming to Christ Jesus. And I want to address them so that those excuses might fall apart. Can you imagine, friends? that those excuses might fall to the ground, and that even at this minute, even at this hour, that an unbeliever might enter through the gates of the city and come to Christ for refuge. And if you are a Christian in here, If you're a Christian even watching online, I would urge you, pray that that happens. That God would show mercy to an unbeliever even now. So what excuses are we talking about? Well, this is the first of the two. So if you're not a Christian, I would ask you this. Do you think of Christ's refuge as simply not being for the likes of you? Not being for the likes of you. Now that is a common thought to have. certainly a thought that I had in my youth, but it can be for a number of reasons why we think that this refuge is not for the likes of us. It can be because of the way that we live. You know, we can have these friendships and we can have these patterns of living and the things we do behind closed doors that other people don't know about. And we think that these things render us unwelcome in the city of refuge. It can be because of the way we live. Do you know what it can be? Because it can be because of our families. and because of our lineage and because of our background. And, you know, we can think, well, well, my parents, my parents didn't do this. But like my parents, my lineage, they attend church and they're not born again people. And therefore I am not welcome here. I'm not, I'm not, I'm a stranger to these things. This is not for me. Well, if you are thinking that this is not for the likes of you, I would urge you just to drink in the grace of God in verse 15. Because look what God does, just staggering grace. He says that these places of refuge were for all who would run to Him. Look, He even specifies that if you're a stranger, you're an alien, you're from outside of the covenant community, you're welcome. Don't you see? Doesn't it stagger you to think of the grace, your rebellion, your unfaithfulness, your enmity towards God. And here in the gospel, God is saying, come, you are welcome. It is for the likes of you. You can come and be safe in Christ. But then we end, okay? Last thing, the second excuse. I would ask you if you're not a Christian, are you simply putting off? coming into the city of refuge. How we can do that? Are you seeing the journey of your life, the path of your life? You're thinking, okay, I know that there is refuge to be found in Christ, but that's for later on down the tracks. That's for a distant time. You look at these cities of refuge, it seems a long, long way off to you. I long for you to understand that the city of refuge is here and it is ready and it is available. I wonder if you noticed, did you, friends, that there were six of these cities of refuge in itself? Isn't that amazing? But do you know what the book of Joshua makes clear? And I love this, my favorite detail, I think. The book of Joshua makes clear that God in his goodness strategically placed the cities of refuge throughout Canaan and across the Jordan. Do you understand? Like God made sure that people didn't have to travel far for refuge. And I need you to understand if you're not a Christian, this is not something that you can or should or ought to put off. You're being pursued. You're being pursued by justice. You do not know what can happen on this journey. You need to run to this city that is near at hand. Now you might say back to me, but Andy, how do we do this? Like I see it that Christ offers me salvation today and I see that I'm welcome, but how do I come to him? I'd say to you, it is the most simple and beautiful thing. Right now, you need to pray to God. So forget about me, forget about the people you're sitting with or sitting at home with, forget about all of us. This is you and God. And even now, it doesn't have to be audible, but you speak to God and you tell him you recognize you were guilty. You speak to Him, you know you are a sinner. You speak to Him of the need of Jesus Christ. But I'm saying to you, and I urge you, make excuses no more. By the grace of God, there is a city in itself, what a miracle, but there is a city. By the death of the high priest, it is a city that offers you shelter. The gates of the city are open and you are being beckoned inside, beckoned to safety. Friends, the picture we see as we hold up and tilt this portion of scripture, The picture is that of a cross. Flee to the cross. Flee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Go to Him. Go to Him for refuge. Refuge forevermore. Friends, let's bow our heads and let's pray. Gracious Father, how it is that at this time of year we can I'll be so taken up with peripheral matters and travel and holidays and even family and presents and relationships and work. And we ought to plead with you to forgive us that we don't on a daily basis spend hour after hour praising you for what you've done in Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you that though we are as guilty as a manslayer, though our sin is higher than our heads, you have provided us with justice. You've provided us with safety and all through the atoning death of the high priest that you yourself provided. So we do pray, Lord, that you would be merciful at this hour. that there might be some who are won for Jesus Christ by your grace and through your Holy Spirit. And we pray that for your eternal honour and glory. Amen.