<TITLE>06. Par 21-24</TITLE>L-21 Tension has always been with people. In the Old Testament, when Israel came over into Palestine and inherited the land, Joshua built houses which was called "house of refuge." That was where the people could go if they had killed someone, or their enemy was chasing them, they could go to this house, or city of refuge, and could stand at the gate and could plead their case.
And now, if they had did this on purpose, well then, there was no hope for them.
It's just like today. Man is on a run, and what's he running from? What's the matter with him? He has no rest. He's just going like a mad man.

L-22 And in this Old Testament, if this man had did this on purposely, then he had no chance. But if he had not done it purposely, it had been an accidentally... And there's so many people today that accidentally... They don't mean to do wrong. Now, there's a hope for that person. If you want... If you are doing wrong, and you don't mean to do wrong, there's a chance for you. There's a place for you. But if you just deliberately sin wilfully, and don't want no place of refuge, then there's nothing for you.
When this man in the Old Testament, his slayers was after him, and the relatives of these people knew that if they ever could catch him they would kill him, because the law was "tooth for tooth and eye for eye." So they had a right to kill him because he had done wrong. And, if they ever caught up with him... Of course, he was under pressure and he would run for his life, and he would take towards this place, or city of refuge.
And when he come to there, and if he went in and he had told them a lie at the gate, the one who was after him could come and pull him away from the altar and slay him. But they... He could plead his case. And if he didn't mean to do it, then the pursuers had to stop at the gate. They couldn't come any farther.

L-23 I'm so glad today that there is a place of refuge, where all this rush, and hustle, and bustle, we can let off the pressure, and go in, get out of it all.
People are afraid of atomic bombs. They're afraid of fallout. When I was nearing your city down here, down here in this state, great big signs up, "Warning, fallout." Everybody's scared, trying to dig down in the ground to get away from it.
You know, the only farther you have to go down is just to your knees. You're sure to get away from it, if you--if you just drop that far. You don't have to be a mole, go beneath the ground. Just go to your knees. That's all the farther you have to go.

L-24 Now. But this man who comes must be willing first to--to accept the refuge. Now, if he doesn't care about the refuge, there's no place for him. But if he's willing to accept the refuge, then there is a place provided for him.
And so is it today. If you're sick, the doctor says, "You're going to die"--same thing said about that baby, others, cancer, whatever it is, and now, if you don't believe in Divine healing, well, then I don't know of no place for you to go. But if you believe there is a fountain open, if you believe there is a place, then I can tell you where there's a refuge, a house of refuge. No man wants to die: nobody does. You want to live, and there is a Place of refuge for you. God's provided a Place for you, a Place of refuge where you can let off your worries, let off your strains, and be safe.


<A HREF="P7">Next Page</A>