Devotion 207

“Before and After The Cross “

Reference: Joshua Chapter 20

Before the death of Jesus Christ (the ultimate High Priest), if a man or woman believed the Word of God, and confessed their sins, they were immediately in Christ. Yet the individual could not go to heaven when they died because the Price of Redemption had not yet been paid.

Luke 16:22 “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried.”

That was why Abraham and all the Patriarchs who were saved before the Cross had to be delivered from Abrahams bosom after His resurrection.

Ephesians 4:8 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

They were still captives of Satan until the price of redemption paid which was the death of Christ the ultimate High Priest.

God asked Joshua to establish six cities of refuge, a type of holding place for the remorseful sinner.

Let’s read:

Joshua 20:1-4 “The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, [2] Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: [3] That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. [4] And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.”

When the remorseful sinner confessed their sin, they were kept safely in a city of refuge.
When we confess our sins to God in the Name of Jesus Christ , we enter into Christ the City of Refuge, and are kept safe.

We continue our reading:

Joshua 20:5-6 “And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime. [6] And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.”

After the death of the high priest, the remorseful sinner was free to go anywhere. They were not bound to the one city of refuge. That means every place to them had become a place of refuge.

After the death of Jesus Christ the ultimate High Priest, remorseful sinners who have confessed their sins in the Name of Jesus Christ were free to go heaven. They were no longer bound to just Abraham’s bosom.

2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

We conclude our reading:

Joshua 20:7-9 “And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjath–arba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. [8] And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. [9] These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.”

Six holding places, a type of Abraham’s bosom, where the remorseful sinner is protected from Satan (the avenger of the blood) but with limited access.

Today, we have free access to all of heaven upon death in Christ. No longer bound to just Abraham’s bosom (paradise).

Let the Word of God guide you to the presence of GOD. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. The ultimate City of Refuge, in Christ!