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After the division of the land was completed, God commanded Joshua to establish cities of refuge. What are the cities of refuge? If someone accidentally kills another person, not intentionally, he can flee to these cities for refuge, where he receives protection and is not pursued by those seeking vengeance. The Israelites set up three cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan: Kedesh in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Hebron in the hill country of Judah; and on the east side of the Jordan they also set up three: Bezer in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in the tribe of Manasseh. These six cities of refuge are distributed throughout the land, so that anyone who needs protection can quickly reach the nearest city of refuge for shelter.
God commanded the establishment of six cities of refuge, where those who accidentally killed someone could escape the avenger and receive a fair trial. This shows that God is both just and merciful. He prepared a way of grace for sinners to escape judgment, and a fair judicial system for victims. The establishment of the cities of refuge reminds us that in God's kingdom, justice and grace go hand in hand.
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