Solomon - The Cities of Refuge

While we are discussing Solomon and Shimei I wanted to get at least one more idea into place. That concept is that of the Cities of Refuge. In Numbers chapter 35 is a detailed set of guidelines about what a city of refuge is, why it is there, and how to work with them.

God knew the needs of His people and He assigned 6 cities to be established for cities of refuge in Canaan. These cities were listed in Joshua 20:7-8. These cities were Kedesh in Galilee; Shechem in Ephraim; Hebron in Judah; and on the other side of Jordan shall be Bezer in the wilderness area; Ramoth in Gilead; and Golan in Bashan.

If anyone killed someone in the county by accident he was to flee to one of the above cities for refuge. He was to come to the gate and tell the elders what had happened. The elders were then to investigate the case accurately and if the individual was telling the truth that person could stay in the city and be safe from any family member seeking to avenge the death of their loved one. As long as the individual stayed in the city he was to be protected from this avenger of blood. If he chose to leave the city then if the avenger of blood found him and killed him his blood would be on his own head, and the avenger of blood would be innocent.

The individual who had killed accidentally could stay in the city until the congregation for judgment (Joshua 20:6) had completed its investigation or until the death of the high priest. Then the individual could return to his own city and be able to live in safety.
This plan was a device to show mercy to those who did not intend to harm anyone and it was a way of delivering justice, judgment, and mercy. If the person who had killed his neighbor had killed with intent then that person would either be dealt with by the judges of the city of refuge or turned over to the avenger of blood. In any case justice would be maintained and murder would be forbidden.

This law was applicable to anyone in Israel, natural born, a stranger in the land, or for the sojourner. This covered natural born Israelites, those who had decided to become Jews, or those visiting and evaluating whether to become Israelites. Anyone who needed to be rescued from an accidental death would be preserved according to the law as given by Jesus to Moses in Numbers 35.

With the above instructions in mind let us go back to King Solomon. Before King David’s death, and shortly after David suppressed Adonijah’s attempt to usurp the throne from Solomon, David had instructed Solomon to judge Joab, Shimei, and to bless Barzillai. Solomon did this and specifically talked to Adonijah, and communicated his wishes to all of the other potential rebels in the camp. After Adonijah tried to take the kingdom again, Solomon had him put to death, along with Joab. Solomon removed Abiathar from being the priest of Israel and replaced him with Zadok, and then appointed Benaiah to take Joab’s position as General of the Army.

Solomon then has a very specific discussion with Shimei, who apparently had no dealings with the rebellion of Adonijah. Solomon warned Shimei that he should make himself a house and dwell within Jerusalem. As long as he dwelt in the city he would be safe. But in the day that he left the city of Jerusalem, and crossed the brook Kidron, in the day he would sign his death warrant, and the avenger of blood would kill him. In this case the avenger of blood was Solomon and he was doing things somewhat outside of the letter of the law but clearly within the spirit of the law. In I Kings 2:42 Solomon states that he made Shimei swear by God that if he left Jerusalem he would die. In that text Shimei states that he agreed with the command and that he agreed to abide by it.

The story proceeds and two of Shimei’s slaves run away from him and run to the king of Gath for refuge from Shimei. Shimei apparently forgets his oath, leaves Jerusalem, crosses the Kidron and goes to Gath and brings his slaves back to Jerusalem. Word is brought to King Solomon about Shimei’s behaviors and he calls for Shimei to come to the judgment regarding his case. Solomon confronts Shimei on his behaviors and reminds him again of his curses toward King David. Solomon pronounces him guilty and states that "the Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head." I Kings 2:44. Solomon commands his General to kill Shimei and thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

We have now seen the original plan of the Cities of Refuge and then how Solomon adapts it to accomplish the purpose of showing mercy and justice toward Shimei. Earlier in the Bible King David had expanded the concept of the City of Refuge by extending it to God, not just to a city. God becomes the place of refuge from the difficulties of the world. In Psalms 46:1-2 David again states "God is our refuge and strength, a very pleasant help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, thought the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." This idea is repeated again and again through out the Psalms.

Isaiah picks up the story and uses the City of Refuge thought to apply to the workings of God and to the tabernacle of God as well. Isaiah 4 is about this process and ends with verse 6 "And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain."

Isaiah also applies the concept of the City of Refuge in the negative as well. In Isaiah 28:14-15 he describes the thinking of the wicked and what they appeal to as their refuge. He says "Wherefore hear the Word of the Lord (Jesus), ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We had made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge (this is the time of the judgments of God) shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." These men felt that it was safer to trust to error and falsehood, the domains of Satan, than to surrender to Jesus.

Finally, we are brought to the New Testament and again God tries to get us to focus our minds on the spiritual ramifications of truth. In the Old Testament the minds of the people were introduced the concept of the cities of Refuge. God, through His people, has expanded the idea both positively and negatively. In Hebrews 6:17-20 God says the following: "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

Jesus is the Great High Priest who abides in a special city where we can flee to be protected from our adversary. We are safe as long as we remain in the city, appeal to the elders, and as long as our High Priest lives. We are especially blest for that city is the New Jerusalem, and our High Priest lives eternally, and the elders have studied our case and have agreed with the decisions of Jesus regarding us. We will be safe from danger as we hold onto the promises of God in Christ Jesus. We can have this promise of protection today as we claim the protection of Jesus our Savior. We can learn the lesson that Shimei did not learn and be protected by the Greater than Solomon. Thus the lessons of the Cities of Refuge