Scarlet Cord
Commit to living according to God's ways and He will show you signs of hope wherever you go.
“Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies...they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them...please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them and that you will save us from death...she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
Joshua 2:1-4, 6, 8-10, 12-15, 17-18, 21, 24
Have you ever spent time considering how the pathway to God's promises is both straight and still one of discovery? God promises to give Joshua the promised land. God promises that they will settle in a land flowing with milk and honey. What He doesn't mention is all the obstacles in the way or the challenges that the people must overcome by relying on His presence, power, and provision. Can you relate to Joshua's journey? He knows that they must move forward and he wants to do so wisely, but he has to live by faith. Joshua sends out spies into enemy territory with no assurance that they will return safely. Joshua has to lead by faith and live by faith. How does this relate to your journey? Where do you feel led by have not yet seen how God will lead you through the challenges in your way?
How does God accomplishes His purposes? He uses people with willing hearts. He does not use the people we would expect. Much like Julia Roberts in the famous move "Pretty Woman", the protagonist who saves the day is the lowest of the low, a prostitute. How do you think Rahab saw herself? Do you think she would have ever imagined that she would be the one to help fulfill God's promises? How do you see yourself? Should we not learn from this story that God will use any willing instrument? In the midst of her courageous act of faith, Rahab still asks for a sign. She needs a sign of faithfulness that things her sacrifice will lead to salvation. Does God shy away ffrom signs? Absolutely not. He wants us to know that He is with us and He is for us. The spies give her the sign of a scarlet ribbon. The ribbon is representative of a symbol of hope. The scarlet fortells of a Savior who gives his own blood as a sacrficial atonement for our sins. Long before Jesus there is a sign of hope shown by a scarlet rope. Do you need a sign today? Do you need to know that God will do you need Him to do?
Rahab made a decision that changed her life and the life of everyone in her family line. Rahab's decision changed your life. She went all in. She risked her very life believing that the God who parted the seas will surely settle His people in the promised land. The lowest of the low shows the boldest faith by how she risked her very life and it was that heart of faith that she eventually passed on to her descendants. Rahab ends up being a direct descendant of King David and Jesus. If God can work through Rahab, God can work through you.
“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath... Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions"
Psalms 39:4-5, 7-8, 12
Why do you think David wants God to teach him to number his days? What happens to us when we focus on counting down rather than counting up? Don't we usually take the opposite approach? Are we not taught from birth to celebrate our each year we add? What would happen if we went the other direction and realized that every year we are closer to meeting our maker?
When we number our days we shift to a mindset of living with the end in mind. We move from focusing on our temporary needs to our eternal hope. We re-prioritize what matters to us so that we find right alignment with what matters to the God of hope. How could numbering your days change how you live today? David says simply my hope is in you, save me from all transgressions. David knows that the only thing that will matter on the day of our death is the hope of new life on the other side of death. He realizes that the things can come between David and his divine destiny is the sin that separates and the transgressions of his choices. David was hoping for a sign, an assurance of his salvation.
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart."
Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, 4-7, 10-12, 15
Rahab made a vow to help the men and the men made a vow to help deliver her. There is something sacred about a vow that is made before the Lord and a vow to the Lord. You can feel the power of a vow in the presence of God. Think of attending a wedding or standing on an altar. The Word of God continually teaches the importance of learning the value of making faithful vows and then living in covenantal relationships. This is a different way of thinking than the world teaches. We live in a world that value vows of convenience not covenant. Wisdom says do not be hasty to make a vow nor in a hurry to fulfill it.
The most important covenantal relationship we will ever have is with Jesus. He is our Lord, Savior, Hope and Future. When we number our days we are counting down to the day where all we do is dwell with Him. Solomon says go near to God to listen. What is your approach to spending time with God? Do you go with a ears to heart and a heart to receive instruction? Consider spending two minutes in silence before you share what is on your mind and heart when you pray. See if spending time listening to God does not help you better hear the voice of God.
“Come, let us return to the Lord. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth...For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 6:1-3, 6
Is it possible that there are signs within the word of God of the scarlet rope that we are given as the reason for the hope we have? Look at what the word says. Return to the Lord and on the third day He will restore us that we may live in His presence. Do you think this an accident, a coincidence, or evidence that God has a plan to bring you into the promise?
Hosea says let us acknowledge the Lord. Paul said if you confess with your mouth that He is Lord and believe in your heart that He was raised from the dead you will be saved. Hosea says as surely as the sun rises, He will appear. The Word says Jesus will come again. The scriptures, the Word of God, are all connected and there are scarlet ropes throughout the Word that point to the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Do you want a sign? Read His Word with the heart of Rahab.
“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord...May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat...We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
2 Thessalonians 3:3-5, 10-13, 16, 18
Paul prays that God will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. Why? Becuase the evil one lies, deceives, and destroys. There is an enemy to your life and he actively works to undermine your identity and belief in God. How does Paul counter this? He prays and he proclaims the truth. He says we have confidence in the Lord that He will direct your heart into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Why do you think Paul chooses those two signs, those two scarlet ropes? The word for confidence that he uses is the same word from Philippians 1:6 where he wrote that being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion. God wants you to know that His purposes never fail and He has a plan for your life. He wants you to not just crawl your way carefully through life's obstacles. He wants to give you boldness to believe in His power and presence.
Why does Paul direct you to God's love to overcome the enemy's arrows? Because perfect love casts out fear. The Word says that it is the shield of faith, the shield of confidence in God that extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy. The Word is all connected and there are signs everywhere that our faith is what helps us overcome the fears we face.
Paul points to Christ's perseverance. Jesus took on the body of a man and had to endure suffering. The word for perseverance is an important one for our faith journey. We are are people who are going to face pressure. The word perseverance means to steadfastly endure, patiently persevere, refuse to give up. It is to remain faithful in the trial and believe while in the battle. Rahab had to defy a king, hide the spies, and risked her own life to be faithful to her call to save the men. Do you think it will be any different for you? Jesus remained faithful through the suffering. It was written that it was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross. It is the testing of your faith that produces perseverance according to James. How is God shaping you? How are your trials helping you learn to trust in God's purposes? The very word perseverance is rooted in the idea of abiding with God when things are hardest. We are called to draw closer to Him so that He can shine brightest through us in the darkest times. Just remember you are never alone. When you need a sign, God will give it. When you need strength, He has it. When you don't see how, God already has a plan. Go near to Him and listen and He will guide you to exactly where you most need to go.