A Scarlet Cord
“His is a boundary-breaking grace, a fathomless and immeasurable grace, a grace that will break down walls to rescue His beloved!”
Joshua 2:8-21 (NLT)
Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
“Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”
“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”
Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.”
“I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.
Reflection
Rahab was locked in. Helpless. Strangulated by her past and with no hope for a different life. Rahab was trapped inside the walls of Jericho as tightly as she was ensnared by her sins and confined by the derision of others.
We don’t know why she resorted to selling her body for an income, but we do know she lived in a time when women had no recourse and very few options. Your reputation was public knowledge in the midst of communal living, and how ever shame touched your life, it was impossible to erase. There was no other way forward, and no going back.
How much she must have endured! Perhaps she had gazed out that window before and felt hopelessly alone, ashamed, and devalued. How many times had she heard about this God of the Israelites, who rescued His children from slavery by dividing the Red Sea? I wonder if her broken heart yearned for that kind of Savior, for she alone recognized that He was “supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below” (verse 11).
We know her faith drew the attention of the Almighty God. Her acknowledgement of His absolute power and authority created an avenue for His grace to reach over the impossibly high walls surrounding her, and to make way for her deliverance.
That scarlet cord may have been Rahab’s idea after striking a bargain with the spies for her family’s escape, but the bright red cascading down from her window that day really signified the blood of Jesus, allowing the angel of death to pass over her household. She was rescued from impending doom!
But her story doesn’t stop there. Not only did God see her and miraculously rescue her…He gave her a home with His people (Joshua 6:25). No longer was she defined by her mistakes, but by her new identity in God!
And Rahab didn’t reside on the outskirts of the camp, relegated to the shadows because of her shady past. No, God’s grace was so deep and His redemption so complete that she became an honored mother in the line of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world (Matthew 1:5)!
I am Rahab, and so are you.
Rahab’s story is our story. We were dead in our sin, marked by shame and destined for death and hell, but God sent His rescuer, Jesus Christ, to our aid!
His is a boundary-breaking grace, a fathomless and immeasurable grace, a grace that will break down walls to rescue His beloved. His grace shatters convention, demolishes all barriers, erases all our shame...and then gives us a beautiful inheritance!
Rahab’s story is our story. Nothing is beyond the reach of His infinite grace!
Action Steps
Prayer
Heavenly Father, no matter how much I try, I can never comprehend the depths of Your grace and love! Thank You for including stories like Rahab’s so I can remind myself of Your grace whenever my past rears its ugly head. Thank You for Your limitless power, authority, and grace over my life. Help my faith always remain strong, and let it always attract Your attention! I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
“Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”
“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”
Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death. If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.”
“I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.
Reflection
Rahab was locked in. Helpless. Strangulated by her past and with no hope for a different life. Rahab was trapped inside the walls of Jericho as tightly as she was ensnared by her sins and confined by the derision of others.
We don’t know why she resorted to selling her body for an income, but we do know she lived in a time when women had no recourse and very few options. Your reputation was public knowledge in the midst of communal living, and how ever shame touched your life, it was impossible to erase. There was no other way forward, and no going back.
How much she must have endured! Perhaps she had gazed out that window before and felt hopelessly alone, ashamed, and devalued. How many times had she heard about this God of the Israelites, who rescued His children from slavery by dividing the Red Sea? I wonder if her broken heart yearned for that kind of Savior, for she alone recognized that He was “supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below” (verse 11).
We know her faith drew the attention of the Almighty God. Her acknowledgement of His absolute power and authority created an avenue for His grace to reach over the impossibly high walls surrounding her, and to make way for her deliverance.
That scarlet cord may have been Rahab’s idea after striking a bargain with the spies for her family’s escape, but the bright red cascading down from her window that day really signified the blood of Jesus, allowing the angel of death to pass over her household. She was rescued from impending doom!
But her story doesn’t stop there. Not only did God see her and miraculously rescue her…He gave her a home with His people (Joshua 6:25). No longer was she defined by her mistakes, but by her new identity in God!
And Rahab didn’t reside on the outskirts of the camp, relegated to the shadows because of her shady past. No, God’s grace was so deep and His redemption so complete that she became an honored mother in the line of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world (Matthew 1:5)!
I am Rahab, and so are you.
Rahab’s story is our story. We were dead in our sin, marked by shame and destined for death and hell, but God sent His rescuer, Jesus Christ, to our aid!
His is a boundary-breaking grace, a fathomless and immeasurable grace, a grace that will break down walls to rescue His beloved. His grace shatters convention, demolishes all barriers, erases all our shame...and then gives us a beautiful inheritance!
Rahab’s story is our story. Nothing is beyond the reach of His infinite grace!
Action Steps
- Listen to the song “Fear Is Not My Future” (Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore). Consider where in your own life you think God’s grace can no longer reach you.
- Does shame still secretly reside in your heart? Pray right now and allow His unfathomable and boundless grace in to reach you even there!So often we are thankful for God’s salvation, but we stop there. What has God’s grace gifted you with that you are not walking in? If you need a reminder, read Ephesians 1-3!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, no matter how much I try, I can never comprehend the depths of Your grace and love! Thank You for including stories like Rahab’s so I can remind myself of Your grace whenever my past rears its ugly head. Thank You for Your limitless power, authority, and grace over my life. Help my faith always remain strong, and let it always attract Your attention! I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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