"Go to your room!" - God knows our passions - Numbers 33-36

There is much to learn in these four chapters ourselves and how God works with us. I noticed the concept of "cities of refuge" for the nation of Israel. As they settled into the promise land, by lot (a lesson in and of itself) God instructed them to designate 48 cities to be "cities of refuge" for the person who "killed his brother" to flee to and find safety until justice was meaded out. This "safe zone" was a key concept in God working with His people. If someone was killed by accident or by full premeditated actions he or she would need a "safe zone" to go to avoid the "passion" and "anger" of those close to the person slain. God so knew our "passion" for justice and our "passion" for immediate "vengeance" that He established a safe-zone the person could flee to. God so knows the creatures He created. He knows we have this extreme sense of fairness and justice. We should, we were created in the image of God. From early childhood we all could tell when something "just wasn't right." But, God also knows we are a corrupt individual. He knows we are bent to sin and our sense of justice is not control by mercy, love, or forgiveness. We are blinded in our justice by the passion of hatred, anger and angst. We cannot control that passion and therefore need a "city of refuge" to keep us from doing something we shouldn't. This "time out" zone is a great "method" for dealing with immediate conflict in our lives. Have a place of "refuge" is so, so important. When my wife and I were blending our two families into one we had much trouble the first year. There was much conflict. Much of it was based upon "that's not fair" mentality. We established "safe zones" kids could go to so that they did not have to deal with the immediate passions of a new family member. The safe zone was a good place to let things cool while the truth was sorted out. God knows our passions. Sending two kids to their rooms should not be a punishment but a strategy for dealing with the conflict between justice and fairness and the immediate passions of life.