…anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.
Joshua 20:3

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READ: Joshua 20

When a story of vigilante justice hits the news, we all take note. If someone who had committed a heinous crime is attacked by a vigilante, some might think, “Well, he had it coming.” But more often than not, a vigilante mob attacks the wrong guy—as was the case with 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was tortured and lynched because a mob of men thought he whistled at a White woman.

For ancient tribes of the Near East and beyond, vigilante justice often led to unthinkable bloodbaths. Moses established the rule of “an eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:23) to limit payback and put a cap on vigilante feuds. He also established the first court system, in which wrongdoers could receive a fair trial and be sentenced fairly if found guilty. But with human nature being what it is, payback still happened sometimes, even if someone’s death had been accidental. If an accused killer was captured by angry relatives before a fair manslaughter hearing could take place, that person could end up dead.

To avoid this scenario, Joshua designated six cities of refuge, located throughout Canaan and the Transjordan (their territories east of the Jordan River), where an accused person could flee and seek shelter until his manslaughter trial. Each of these cities was also a Levite city where a priest resided, so the law of Moses was more likely to be known and honored there. This sheltering system is a beautiful glimpse of God’s role as Protector over each Israelite— even those who had committed a crime. The Psalmist later wrote, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:1–2). God Himself shelters those who follow Him.

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

God Sheltered Me | Barb E. | Willow South Barrington

There have been many moments in my life when I’ve seen God’s shelter, but one stands out as the turning point: I was 17 years old, five months pregnant, clinically depressed, and ready to end my life. I had been hiding the pain of a date rape that had happened months earlier, and shame had buried me deep. I didn’t see a way out and felt completely unworthy of love— especially from God.

But God had other plans. When I found out I was pregnant, I realized that while I may have been willing to end my own life, I couldn’t take the life of the child growing inside me. That realization was the moment God stepped in and sheltered me—from death, from despair, and from the consequences of spiraling deeper into hopelessness. My son, David—now 35—saved my life. God used him to awaken me up to the truth that I was not alone. God had never left me.

He didn’t erase my pain, but He entered into it with me. He began healing the parts of me that had been shattered. And He’s continued to shelter me ever since—in ministry, in missions, through financial uncertainty, and even through my husband’s cancer diagnosis. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced God showing up for me exactly when I needed Him, again and again.

Looking back at my 17-year-old self, I don’t see a nightmare; I see God’s redemption. I see a life the enemy tried to destroy, but God sheltered—and has used for His glory. My story is not about my strength. It’s about God’s never-ceasing, radical love.

DID YOU KNOW?

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took the “eye for an eye” concept and turned it upside down (Matthew 5:21–22; 38–44): He raised the bar for what constitutes murder: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” Yet He forbade vengeance: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” He concluded with the power of love: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

A PRAYER

God, how easy it is to want revenge against those who have wronged me or mine, while forgetting the many times You have sheltered me from receiving payback for my own mistakes. Help me remember that, ultimately, justice is Your job, and loving my enemies is my job. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

Describe a time when you wanted revenge. How do you (or will you) love your enemy and trust justice to God?

Describe a time when you made a mistake but God protected you from the natural consequences of that mistake. How did it change you?