October 13

Seeking Refuge in the Night Watch

 
There are countless reasons to seek our God in the eventide. The Word instructs us carefully and unambiguously to "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6) But of all the reasons to seek Him, one of the finest illustrations in the Word comes from Numbers 35:

"...you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there. The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial." (vs11-12) "These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there." (vs15)

This is actually a story that should be very personal to each of us. In this illustration, we are the accused. We are being pursued to receive a just execution for our many capital offences. And here, the righteous avenger is none other than God. He is seeking justice against us. He is seeking our life as the only possible just penalty for our sins.

But God has likewise planned for our rescue from our own folly and from His sentence of death for each of us. He has created a city or refuge and its name is Zion. And it is there that He has instructed us to run… and be quick about it!

"Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities. Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still...." (Jeremiah 4:5a-6)

Of course, if we have bent our knees in genuine repentance and received the sacrifice of our Lord Master for our evil, only then may we escape to Zion, our refuge. For the sentence of death must be satisfied – and through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on our behalf, it has!

Thus it is tonight, beloved, that we have been commanded to go to the City of Refuge, celebrate the pardon of grace bestowed by our Majestic King, and humbly receive the sacrifice on our behalf by His beloved Son. We have been commanded to stay there forever and never leave; for the absolute forgiveness of the King cannot be challenged by anyone or any power in the universe.

Even though our great enemy will try and extract his own brand of counterfeit vengeance on us, we are eternally safe behind the walls of God's Kingdom. Thus it is that we must run there on this blessed eventide and stay forever, safely hidden under the authority and majestic power of our King in the great city of refuge called Zion – our eternal home!