“15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall. 16 And she said to them, ‘Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way.’ 17 The men said to her, ‘We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 18 Behold, when we have 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 2:15-18 “18 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
- Isaiah 1:18
Have you ever made the mistake of judging a book by its cover?
Appearances can be deceiving. Some of the strongest people come in small packages. Given the benefit of the doubt, people can truly surprise you.
Nobody would have guessed one of the greatest statements of faith in the Old Testament would come from the mouth of an outsider with no exposure to God or His Scriptures. Rahab was woman with an immoral past and present, yet she could tell this God the Hebrews worshiped was God over all! She believed the Hebrews would capture her city, and her gods were no match for the Him.
Before she ever attended a worship service, before she ever read a single Scripture, she could not deny the power of God. She willingly mislead her own people to protect God’s people. As she sent the king’s men one way and the Hebrew spies another, she made them promise they would show her family the same protection she had just provided. The men promised God’s protection and a place for Rahab in her new family of faith if she hung the scarlet rope from her window.
When Joshua and the people arrived and began walking around the walls of Jericho, seeing Rahab’s rope must have been a continual reminder that God had included an outsider in their victory. God is still drawing people far from Him and including them in His family. As you hang your ornament, remember, God can change anyone’s heart to make them part of His family. Pray for someone who’s lost to be drawn to faith today.
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