Read
17-20The spies said:
You made us promise to let you and your family live. We will keep our promise, but you can't tell anyone why we were here. You must tie this red rope on your window when we attack, and your father and mother, your brothers, and everyone else in your family must be here with you. We'll take the blame if anyone who stays in this house gets hurt. But anyone who leaves your house will be killed, and it won't be our fault.
21“I'll do exactly what you said,” Rahab promised. Then she sent them on their way and tied the red rope to the window.
22The spies hid in the hills for three days while the king's soldiers looked for them along the roads. As soon as the soldiers gave up and returned to Jericho, 23the two spies went down into the Jordan valley and crossed the river. They reported to Joshua and told him everything that had happened. 24“We're sure the Lord has given us the whole country,” they said. “The people there shake with fear every time they think of us.”
Reflect
Rahab’s faith was not unknown to God, for every person who has faith is known to God and no faith goes unanswered. This is why the spies, thinking that they were simply being smart spies ended up in the care of the one person in the city who had faith, because God knew her and loved her and intended to respond to her faith with salvation. However faith is not faith without confession, for it is one of the mysteries of faith that it is not faith if it is all tucked away secretly; no, somewhere faith must show itself as trust that defies the wisdom of this world. Rahab showed her faith by hiding the spies and letting down the scarlet cord for in so doing she broke with her tribal gods, with her culture, and yes with her livelihood as a prostitute. She threw a scarlet line of hope from the seen world into the unseen world; hope for salvation, not only in this world but in the world to come.
God never ignores your faith, feeble, uninformed, and even desperate; your faith is seen and known by God. But your faith must be more than past beliefs or warm affirmations, it must be faith that believes that Christ is for you and that is willing to follow him with absolute trust. The scarlet cord: a sign of faith. Figure out what the scarlet cord is in your life and toss it out the window—into eternity.
Respond
Dear Father, I reject all misplaced faith for your truth, your reality, as shown to me in Jesus Christ, whom I embrace and whom I will follow and in whom alone I will hope for eternal life.
Franklin Pyles
Franklin Pyles was a pastor of churches that served inner city neighborhoods, taught theology at Canadian Theological Seminary, and then was a pastor in a medium sized Ontario city. He then served his denomination, The Christian & Missionary Alliance as President for the full time allotted. He has written on C.S. Lewis and on a variety of ministry and church concerns. He continues a preaching and teaching ministry, currently at McMaster Divinity College. Publications: Most electronic and in house for the Alliance.