Protective Custody

Protective Custody started long ago, it was a mandate from God, an instruction to Moses for those who accidentally killed another, a person that may be pursued by a relative of the deceased, seeking to avenge the loss of loved one. It worked like this: I throw a stone and unbeknownst to me, the trajectory of said stone is in direct line with the body of another, that person dies. I have killed, I am not innocent of killing and yet, I am innocent of murder, my stone throwing was never to have resulted in hurting or killing another. Witnesses can attest to these facts and yet, there may be an angry, hurt relative that cannot accept this truth and in their emotional state of shock, pain, grief, they seek to retaliate. The stone thrower, in this case, me, is told to go to an established safe place, a town dedicated as a haven of protection where a priest, a man of God, becomes my shield, until he dies. I am not to leave the town until the priest dies and than I am free to return home...think of the pain of loss for all. The family of the dead loved one must live with memories, no longer able to have and to hold the person they loved. The stone thrower must live with knowing that they caused death and that despite their lack of malice in killing, someone out there may want to make them pay for having taken what is precious from them. God knows hearts, the hurt and pain that lives there, the inability to right wrongs that we wish desperately to make amends for. It is not humanly possible to fix, glue back together, turn back clocks or undo a stone that has been thrown. Our only protection and shield from what has become, is God~He alone provides a safe haven, a refuge from...what do you need refuge from? What is it that can't be undone? To whom do you turn for safety? Notice, the stone thrower is not innocent of killing, only innocent of the intention to kill. We are not innocent, because for every stone we throw, there are countless ones that have malice enrobing them. Gods mandates, the ones that He gave as law to His people, the Isrealites, are the very same laws that govern us today. His instructions were protective and instructive, covering us with how to'es for living. Most importantly, He wanted us to know that it is He that judges, protects, saves, that man alone is just that, alone and wide open to attack. Knowing human frailty and inclination to reaction, God governs for the greatest good of mankind and His only request is that we abide, honour Him and have reverence for His governance. The Priest in the Old Testament is an archetype, a foreshadowing of Christ. Curious? Read it for yourself, The Bible as all time best seller makes sense, it is the precursor of ALL books worthy of reading.