The cities of refuge were a wonderful gift from God to his people. They were a gift that provided a measure of justice. A gift that placed a high value on human life. A gift that showed mercy by sparing the life of the innocent. However, they were not gifts that provided perfect justice. Perfect justice would require the guilty person to be punished and the dead person to be raised from the grave. Perfect justice requires the restoration of what was taken—something which cannot be fully achieved in this life. And so, even as this system provided a measure of justice, it encourages us to look forward to the person and the day when God’s justice will be fully satisfied.

We know that at least part of that day has already been realized with the coming of Jesus Christ. He was the perfect high priest who, by his one sacrifice, put an end to all the shedding of blood. His death has atoned for the sins of all God’s people—not only the sins of murder but also accidental killing, theft, adultery, blasphemy, hypocrisy, and deceit—whatever you can think of. If you are a Christian believer, then Jesus Christ has paid for you. With his blood he has satisfied the demands of the blood redeemer and provided you with refuge from God’s wrath and anger. On account of his death you can be forgiven for the sin of murder and any liability you may have had in the death of a friend or neighbour.

Though it is good to be confident of God’s forgiveness, that might seem almost irrelevant given the fact that the consequences of a killing are not reversed in this life. A life has been taken and that person is no longer with us or his family. Our actions have a drastic impact that cannot simply be reversed. This reality results in feelings of guilt—guilt that can crush a person, guilt that prevents us from forgiving ourselves, guilt that causes us to self-isolate and hide from friends and family. If that is you, know that Christ has borne that guilt upon his shoulders and he will provide true restoration through resurrection. Not only has he been punished in our place but he is the resurrection and the life. By his power he will one day make the irreversible reversible. When he returns in glory that will be the day of perfect justice—the day when the victims of murder are resurrected and all is made well.

If you have lost a loved one to a killing—maybe due to a violent murder, an accident at the swimming pool, or a drunk driver—take heart because there is a resurrection. If your loved one belonged to Christ, you will see them again and be reunited in the new creation. And if you are someone who is responsible for the death of another, then know that Christ has also paid for that sin and he will ultimately fix what you have broken.