First, the cities were accessible. The elders were not to choose cities that were difficult to reach but rather they were cities that could be reached quickly and easily from anywhere in the land. The Jordan River acted as a barrier so there were three cities on each side of the Jordan. The elders had to make sure that the roads to the cities were well maintained so that the one fleeing would not be delayed by improperly maintained roads.
The picture for us is that Jesus is our city of refuge and He is accessible to anyone who is accused and under the sentence of death. We are all accused by Satan and our only refuge is in our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not make it difficult for us to come to Him but we can call upon Him at any time or in any place. The pathway is always free from obstacles and barriers when we desire to flee to Him.
Second, there was safety within the city but that safety was only guaranteed when the accused stayed within the city. Jesus said that we were to abide in Him and as we abide in Him we have safety from the enemy of our souls. When we think we can stand alone against Satan then we are vulnerable to his attacks. We cannot stand against the accuser of our souls unless we stay within the gates of our refuge, Jesus Christ.
Finally, the city of refuge was available to anyone whether they were citizens of Israel or foreigners. Jesus, our refuge, does not make any distinction between people. He will welcome anyone who comes to Him. He will not turn us away.
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