Assuring Cities of Refuge
Session 3: Defining Our Part
I.
Happenstance or Assurance:
It is possible that God will have mercy on some places without explanation
seemingly unmerited (Ex. 33:19). But we do not have to leave this up to
chance in hopes that we will somehow happen to land in one of those few
places, if there would be any at all. The fullest answer to the question “how
can we assure a city of refuge?” lies in the sovereignty of God. However, God
has told us throughout His word that He desires to act kindly and powerfully
toward His people.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He
is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will
disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and
everything in it will be laid bare (2Pe. 3:9-10).”
“Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting
and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return
to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may
turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing…Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly (Jo. 2:12-15).”
“Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed
time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the
LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD's wrath comes upon you.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of
the LORD's anger (Zph. 2:1-3).”
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my
ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place (2Ch. 7:14-15).”
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always
pray and not give up…And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones,
who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he
will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes,
will he find faith on the earth (Lk. 18:1, 7-8)?”
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II.
The Process Behind a City of Refuge:
The location and measure of these Cities of Refuge will be decided in great
part by…
A. Population Density of the Redeemed within a City/Region:
As it was with Goshen, the places where the population of a territory is
greatly made up of the redeemed will be target areas of mercy. This
factor will be greatly determined by…
B. The Great Harvest:
This massive influx of souls into the Kingdom is a future reality for the
planet but the amount and locations impacted are not laid out in the
scripture. The greatest numbers of souls will be in accordance in great
part by…
C. The Coming of Great Power on the Church:
The Church that moves in power will see massive numbers of souls come
to Jesus. But where does the power come from, or rather what will be the
vehicle that brings it? The end time move of power will be ushered in by
a number of factors, all of which require our participation; primarily
prayer.
D. The Prayer Movement:
The prophesied End Time empowering of the Church (Jo. 2:28-32; Ac.
2:6-21; Jn. 14:12) will come in accordance to How God always brings His
power, thorough His praying people. The difference in this coming power
however is that it is unprecedented in strength, scope and effect, as it will
sweep the globe and usher in more souls than all the moves of God in
history. The Church of the Last Days will be a praying Church, and prayer
itself will become the main ministry of the saints (Lk. 18:1, 7-8; Re. 1:6,
5:10). The world wide Church will not all of the sudden all begin to pray
all by itself. This Global Prayer Movement will begin with…
E. Localized Communities of Prayer (HOPs):
Little ministries across the Earth are popping up with prayer as their
single focus. These Houses of Prayer are God’s strategy to transform the
expression of Christianity in these Last Days to a praying Bride (Ps. 27:4;
Is. 56:6-8, 62:7; Re. 22:17) by beginning a movement of heart standards
centered around the fasted lifestyle (prayer, fasting, giving, forfeiting
rights, etc.). The DNA of the House of Prayer will impact the larger Body
of Christ, but not immediately. Just as with every other move of God He
begins with a small seed and as it grows, over the course of decades, it
infiltrates the greater Church around it. We can already see this trend in
a major way just over the past 10 years (IHOP/24-7 Prayer Europe
started in 1999).
III.
Egyptians were intermingled within the Israelite’s Protected Region:
The passages of the Exodus make it clear that the Land of Goshen was not
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entirely populated by Israelites, but that Egyptians, and perhaps others
beside, were scattered throughout the land. Now the percentage of nonIsraelites is not clear, but the fact that there were many Egyptians is
indisputable. Let’s look below at both the facts and the inferences we can
make based off the information provided.
A. Occupation/Lifestyle of the Israelites:
Shepherds with millions and millions among their sheep/herds (Ge.
36:34-47:6; Ex. 9:4-7, 10:9, 24-26, 12:5, 32, 38, 17:3).
B. Territory Type of the Israelites:
The best of the land of Egypt because of the favor that their forefather
Joseph had with a previous Pharaoh and because the Israelites where
shepherds and needed the fertile land for their flocks to graze (Ge. 45:10,
46:34, 47:5-6, 11, 27; Ex. 8:22, 9:26). We can see in the text itself that
Egyptians settled there as well, but it makes sense that the Egyptians
would have settled into the best part of their country especially after they
became unfavorably disposed toward the Israelites sometime after the
death of the patriarchs.
C. Geography of Goshen:
A several hundred square mile region near the Egyptian capitol in the
fertile Nile Delta. This territory encompassed the main road in and out of
Egypt as the eastern boundary and way to the nations of Canaan.
D. Israelite Population at that Time:
3 million plus (Ex. 12:37)
E. Facts about Israelite and Egyptians being in the land of Goshen together:
1. The Israelites were forced to leave in the middle of the night.
“During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up!
Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you
have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go.
And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave
the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die (Ex. 12:31-33)!”
“The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about
six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many
other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock,
both flocks and herds. With the dough they had brought from Egypt,
they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast
because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to
prepare food for themselves (Ex. 12:37-39).”
2. In the middle is the night they are near enough to Egyptians to acquire
their silver and gold.
“The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for
articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the
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Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them
what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35-36).”
3. The Egyptians are called their Neighbors because they live amongst
them.
“Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors
for articles of silver and gold." (The LORD made the Egyptians favorably
disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in
Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.) (Ex. 11:2-3).”
“And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so
that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to
ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver
and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and
daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians (Ex. 3:21-22).”
4. The term “ you will plunder the Egyptians,” would not have been used
unless it were applicable to a large number of Egyptians and a large
quantity of gold and silver. We know from the account in the dessert
at the construction of the tabernacle that this was exactly the case and
that these poor slaves had walked out of Egypt with unbelievable
amounts plunder (Ex. 25:1-7, 10-17, 24, 31-39, 36:3-7).
IV.
Conclusion:
What we are doing actually makes sense. We are seeking to establish a night
and day prayer furnace, which God guarantees as a place that will receive
mercy and swift justice (Lk. 18:1, 7-8).
A. 500 Mile Radius:
IHOP KC was given a strongly attested to prophetic word that there
would be a 500 mile radius around it during the End Times that would
serve as a Goshen (DFW just fits within that zone). This will be the case
because of all the preparation Christ is doing in the people of God in that
region the decades before. In great part the shelter will be provided to
this region because of the principle of the Population Density of the
Redeemed we spoke of earlier. This region has had it greatly prophesied
that there will be a great harvest of souls and a strong core of Houses of
Prayer that will radiate out a great glory in those days and ensure the
Goshen principle. Both the existence of Houses of Prayer and the actual
reality of prayer in that territory however is still up in the air as the
people of that region must act in agreement in order to see fulfillment.
God will not act apart from obedience and participation.
B. Responding to the Call:
If the people of God respond however, this will create a place for millions
who will seek refuge from outside that 500 mile radius to come find
safety and apostolic strategy.
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C. Forming Community:
By forming a community around corporate prayer we are centering not
only our own hearts to most aptly receive but also the Metroplex and the
Church of Dallas Fort Worth to become a City of Refuge in the coming
global crisis.
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