Conditions

Rahab has asked for the salvation of her family, her father’s household. She is asking the servants of the One True God, the God in heaven above and on the earth below, to make her a promise. They are to swear an oath, by that same Lord God. Rahab has shown kindness to these servants of God’s army, by saving their lives from being taken by the king of Jericho. Note, she wants them to show the same kindness, not just to her, but to her entire family. Have you heard her request, her prayer-request even? Rahab wants those two spies to show kindness to herself and family, by saving their lives from being taken by King Jehovah.

The men of God agree and they promise her that when God sends them to destroy Jericho, she and her family will be saved. The promise has been made and the oath has been sworn, in the Name of the One, True God. This promise is for Rahab, Rahab’s house and for her household. Listen again to what the spies have told her. So the men said to her: We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you made us swear, unless, when we enter the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers and all your father’s household to your own home. Joshua 2: 17 - 18.

They will not destroy her house.  It is not that she and her family will have to run to a place of refuge, as Lot and his family had to do. No! This was totally different. Her house would not be touched. This was the case because her house, the house she owned, the house into which she took in the servants of God, the house that welcomed strangers, was the house God wanted saved, and it would be saved.

However, there was a condition. The men spoke openly and frankly to Rahab, about this one condition, which carried two parts.  They told her that:

1.    Unless she had tied the scarlet cord in the window through which she had let them down, they would not be bound by the oath, to save her house.

2.    Unless she had brought her family, all whom she wanted saved, into her house, they would not be bound by the oath, to save her household.

Let’s now have a careful look at the two parts, individually. We shall meditate on the saving of the house first. I found this most real, most relevant and present and so very encouraging. May we be fully enabled in heart, mind, soul and strength, as we turn our attention to the required Identification or ID. There’s the promise given to Rahab, but without the physical sign of identification, the promise would not be binding. This hits home hard at me. What about you?

What is being brought before our spiritual eyes and in our spiritual hearing, is that Rahab is responsible for the salvation of her house.  If she refuses to make her house different from all the other houses around, she, and no one else, will make the promise null and void to her. There is to be a scarlet cord of identification.  Here are three truths upon which we must now meditate.

Rahab’s house was no different from the other houses around. It was precisely because her house was just like any other house that was similar and alike in appearance, that the identification marker was needed. 

The windows in the house were all alike. And since her house, was part of Jericho’s great wall, she was able to use windows to let them each down, to safety. Of course, there were other windows in the house, but the specific instruction was for her to put that ID, that identification marker on the exact window of salvation, as it were.  She was not to put that scarlet cord on any other window. No! It had to be the same window she used to let down the servants of God, the window which saved their lives. The significance of this window is obvious, for it is the special and specific opening that was used to save the Lord’s men. Do not take this as trivial, for it is the exact way God chose to save her. 

There are many openings and means of escape in a house.  There are doors and windows, but only one window is needed.  The exact place of escape is the exact place that will wear the ID cord. Any deviation would be her entire damnation.     

The cord must be the one that was given to her. It could not just be any other kind of identification. The scarlet cord is significant. It is noticeable by all. It is no dark, pale colour that does not show up itself.  The colour scarlet is easily seen. She could not switch cord nor colour. The colour mattered.

We pause for a needed moment here for a deep breath as it were, before we are fed much more.