This chapter contains the account of two spies Joshua sent into Canaan (specifically Jericho) to assess the land. The spies are hidden in the house of a prostitute, Rahab, who protects them from enemy patrols.
“and [Rahab] said to the men, ‘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… 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 deliver our lives from death.’ ” (v9-13 abr)
The spies promise to spare her household because she believed in their God and protected them. They instruct her to tie a scarlet cord in her window so when Israel returns they will know to spare her household and everyone inside.
This is a beautiful picture of the Passover (the angel of death passed over the Hebrew homes with blood on their posts and lintel), and Jesus’ death on the cross (His blood shed on our behalf spares us from eternal death). Though Rahab was a sinner (a prostitute), the scarlet cord, representative of atoning blood, is the symbol that she is to be spared from death because she believed in God.
This is the power of faith – Rahab had to do very little in order to be spared. Sure, she hid the spies and helped them escape, but it was her faith in God that saved her household. Do we have faith like Rahab? Do we hear the accounts of God and His mighty works and fall at His feet?
The passage says “their hearts melted”, which reminds me of this passage: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Eze 36:25-26) Not only does God cleanse us from sin when we welcome Him into our lives, he “melts our hearts” from a “heart of stone” into a “heart of flesh”. This is symbolic of transformation and renewal as we turn from our sinful past into a new creation under Christ.
Have we fully surrendered ourselves and our loved ones to God’s grace and mercy? Are we still trying to provide for people or save them with our own power? The lives of those in Jericho were not in their own hands, they were delivered into Israel’s hands by God. Our lives are not in our own hands either, so let’s not forget that we are alive today because God has allowed it. My challenge today is to fully surrender our hearts to God in every area of our lives. Let’s put our entire life, and the lives of our loved ones, into God’s hands as Rahab did. God promises to spare us from eternal death, and who knows, our loved ones may be spared as well because of our faith, just as Rahab’s family was spared because of her faith.
Father God, our Sovereign King and Lord, holy, holy, holy is Your name. You are mighty in word and deed, delivering Your people from eternal death and destruction. Father please help us to have the faith of Rahab, a faith that calls You Lord of our lives, and a faith that brings us under the umbrella of Your grace and mercy. Father we ask for Your deliverance in the lives of our loved ones as well. Some of them may not call You Lord and King, so we pray for their deliverance. Please pour out Your love through us, so they too may witness Your grace and mercy. Father we are all at Your mercy, so please be our guide and save us through the blood of Jesus. In Your holy and righteous name we ask this, amen.
Note: I am not suggesting we can say a “sinner’s prayer” for someone else and secure their eternal salvation – that is not scriptural. What I’m saying is our faith can be so strong it will influence those around us to take notice of God, His grace and mercy, and they may make their own decision to follow Christ because of what they see in us. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 5:16)
~ Conqueror in Training