These four chapters have a huge amount of good stuff in them, but let’s just focus on Chapter 20 for today. There’s an old saying, “A text without context is a pretext.” So bear with me as we go through a short history of justice.
In Genesis 4:23-24, we meet a man named Lamech who is bragging to his wives about how overwhelming his revenge is: “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” As you look around the world, “blood vengeance” has been the norm for what is considered justice. And the form it takes is usually not what we would consider “just.” Whether it is nations or street gangs or even individuals, its rationale is, “you hurt me or mine, therefore I will hurt you or yours even more to punish and deter.” We can point to the Hamas attacks on October 7th and the Israeli ongoing invasion of Gaza today as examples.
In Exodus 21 and Leviticus 24, God introduces the revolutionary concept of an eye for an eye and a life for a life. And not just a life from your group for a life from ours, but the actual guilty person. This is the background for the Cities of Refuge commanded in Deuteronomy 4 and Numbers 35 and here, in Joshua, being implemented.
As in so much of the Old Testament this is a model for what became fully realized in the risen Christ. Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” We know that “name” is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of David and the Son of God. We who trust in the shed blood and risen glory and authority of Jesus have a new and eternal city of refuge in His presence.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:38-48). How is this possible if there is to be justice? Two things make justice possible: 1) By his death and resurrection Jesus proved himself to be the Lord our God and the name of Jesus (Greek) is Yeshua (Hebrew) which means “God our savior;” and 2) His sacrificial death has given us His righteousness which gives us the privilege and right to enter that strong tower of protection and refuge anytime, anywhere, eternally.
Romans 12:19-21 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”
If life seems unfair from our human perspective, it’s because it is. Only a perfect God can produce perfect justice.