I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. (Joshua 2:8–13)The spies were thankful that God had gone ahead of them and grateful for Rahab’s protection. They warned her to keep their presence a secret and promised to deal kindly and faithfully with her. She let them down by a rope through the window (her house was built into the city wall) and told them how to escape. They said to her,
We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. (Joshua 2:17–18)Rahab replied, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. (Joshua 2:21)
I sit here and try to imagine my city being invaded by enemy armies. Advance soldiers come first as part of the planned attack. They come to my house. I am terrified. Nevertheless, I tell them I will not report them if they will protect me and my family. They agree and tell me to put a small sign in my window.
Whatever my reasons for doing this, I’m then placed in a position of trust. I call my family and they come to hide in my home. Soon bombs are dropping all around me. Will the soldiers keep their promise? Will I be safe? Will my family be spared? Or have they singled me out for destruction? What shall I do? Do I put up that sign?
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Lord, I sit back and think of all the promises You have made to me. I say that I trust You, but when life’s shelling starts I often forget all that You have said, panic and become anxious. The simple faith of Rahab is a rebuke to me. She might have had some anxiety, but she put out that scarlet thread to remind her that these men of God promised they would not harm her. If she could trust the oath of these spies, why do I have so much trouble remembering and trusting Your solemn promises? You are far more trustworthy than even the most dedicated and godly person. My faith is often under attack. When the bombs start dropping, I lose my focus. Even without the bombs, far too often I simply forget what You have told me. But in spiritual war or blissful peace, I want to rest in a simple faith like Rahab. Her scarlet cord was like a sign in the window, yet in biblical history it also points to Jesus. For one thing, its color came from an insect called ‘coccus ilicis.’ The dye is extracted from the dried body of the female insect. That is, something had to die to produce this scarlet thread.
To help me focus and to remember the simple faith of Rahab, I just now tied a scarlet cord in my window.
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