Joshua 约书亚记 20 — Sanctity of Human Life 生命的尊贵

Posted on Jan 8, 2022 in 2022, Joshua |

The cities of refuge are mentioned in Exodus 21:12-13, Numbers 35, and Deuteronomy 19, so you may want to review those passages.

出埃及记21:12-13，民数记35与申命记19都提过逃城，所以你也可以同时回顾看那些经文。

 

Jesus Christ is our “city of refuge” (Heb. 6:18–20), but the salvation He gives is in contrast to the refuge given to the manslayer. It is true that the sinner must come to Christ (Matt. 11:28–30), but it is also true that Christ first comes to us (Luke 19:10). The elders of the six cities did not help.

耶稣基督是我们的“避难所”（来6:18-20），但祂所赐予的救恩与误杀人可逃往的避难所是相反的。罪人确实必须来到基督面前（太11:28-30），但基督得先寻找我们（路19:10）。这六个逃城的长老并没有作主动的帮助。

 

When we come to Christ, there is no trial to determine our guilt. We know we are guilty! That is why we fled to Him! We did not stand at the door and wait; we entered the open door (John 10:9) and were welcomed by the Savior, knowing that we would never face condemnation (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1). The manslayer had to remain in the city, but we “go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

当我们来到基督面前，我们无需受审裁决罪愆。我们知道自己是有罪的！这就是我们投靠祂的原因！我们没有站在门外等候；我们进入了敞开的门（约10:9），受救主的迎接，并晓得永远不被定罪（约5:24，罗8:1）。误杀人的不得不留在逃城里，但我们却能“出入得草吃”（约10:9）。

 

Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告

 

The provision of the cities of refuge reflects the values of Yahweh’s justice. The chapter breathes the sanctity of human life: both the manslayer’s and the dead man’s. We can clearly see that the concern with these cities assumes the preciousness of the unintentional manslayer’s life. But we may not so clearly see that the slain man’s life is presumed sacred as well. For the city of refuge is not only a place of safety for the manslayer but also of exile. He enjoys protection but also suffers penalty. He cannot return to his home town and resume normal life; he must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest (v. 6b). Nor can he leave the bounds of that city, for, if he does, he is fair game for the slain man’s relative (Num. 35:26–28). As Trent C. Butler says, the city is ‘at the same time refuge and prison’. Such is the cost of destroying human life; even when that life is taken unintentionally the consequences of that wrong must be carried. Life made in God’s image always remains exceedingly sacred (Gen. 9:6). Let’s pray that we treasure every life that the Lord has made.

逃城的供应反映了耶和华的公义。无论是误杀人的或被杀者的生命，其尊贵渗透了整篇经文。我们可以从设立逃城的用意清楚地看到对误杀人生命的珍惜。但我们或许从中没看到被杀者的生命也是神所珍惜的。要知道，逃城不仅是误杀之人能安全逃难的地方，这也是他被流放的地方。他虽受保护，但同时也遭受处罚。他不能回到自己的家乡恢复正常的生活；他必须留在逃城避难，直到当任的大祭司过世（6节）。他也不能离开逃城的境外，因为一旦这么做，报血仇的可将他杀了也无流血之罪（民35:26-28）。特伦特·巴特勒说，逃城“既是避难所也是监狱”。这就是毁灭生命需附上的高价；即使是误杀，他也必须承担后果。神是照着自己的形像造人的，所以人的生命永远是珍贵神圣的（创9:6）。让我们祈祷，叫我们珍惜神所造的每一条生命。