Numbers 35 shows how God is fair to the Levites, the children of Israel, the stranger and the sojourner of the land. This is a very good chapter to study to see how God deals with those who were not given parcels of land, and to the one who shed the blood of another.

God is JUST.

God judges very fairly. He looks at the state of mind of the one being judged, if he intentionally wanted to kill or if he accidentally did it.

The kinsman of the one killed has the right to take the life of the murderer. This is only fair. A life for a life.

But the kinsman cannot take the life of the one who accidentally killed the person and the murderer can escape to one of the 6 cities of refuge and be incarcerated until the High Priest dies. Although this murderer does not deserve death, he does not deserve to be free either because God values the sanctity of life. Someone died and this murder must be incarcerated for a period. God is FAIR.

In verses 31-34, we are told that there can be no atonement for the blood of the innocent except by the blood of the murderer. A life for a life.

While the murderer who deserves to die can be executed by the kinsman, God forbids any ransom to be paid for him because this will defile the land. God’s laws of justice requires a life for a life and if this is not complied, the land is seen to be godless by ignoring the laws of God.

The Israelites are duly reminded that God is in their midst and they must not ignore the laws (Torah) that God has given them. The laws are to show that God is JUST.