When we think about being in bondage we must remember that bondages are not only to addictive habits, but there are numerous other areas of our lives we can be held captive to; some of them could be pride, anger, love for money, friendships or certain unhealthy relationships, social media and the list is unending. God’s will and plan for us is that everyone of us be set totally free from every form of enslavement, and live a triumphant life.
We read in Psalms 77:1, “I cried to God with my voice...” (ESV) and in Psalms 77:14, “You are the God who works miracles;”(GNT)
In Psalms 77:11, he says, “I will remember your great deeds, LORD; I will recall the wonders you did in the past.” (GNB)
The Psalmist in Psalms 77:1 says that he cried out to the Lord with his voice. Most often we cry out loud only when in a situation of frustration or turmoil. However, in verse 14 his mood changes, and he affirms by saying, ‘you are a God who works miracles’ which makes us wonder what happened in this interval, where he started off with discouragement but ended with a proclamation of faith. The answer is found in verse 11, when he took his eyes off his circumstances, and decided to remember and recall the great and mighty wonders that God performed in the past.
Whenever we encounter those difficult challenges, and hard situations in our lives, we must learn to do exactly as the Psalmist did; meditate and recall all the wonder that God accomplished in the past. We are indeed believers of the new covenant that Jesus consummated for us by His sacrificial death on the cross, and fulfilled by His burial, resurrection and ascension. But, we have the entire Bible placed in our hands, so that we can read and comprehend all that God has done in the past, thereby strengthening our faith in God to face the present and the future.
Rahab and the crimson (red) cord
We read in Joshua 2:21, She said, "According to your words, so be it." She sent them away and they departed. Then she tied the crimson cord in the window.” (NRSV)
This is an incident about a woman named Rahab, a citizen of Jericho, whose house was built on the wall that surrounded the city of Jericho. The wall of Jericho was famous for its architecture and fortitude. It is said that the walls were so broad that two chariots could ride on top of it at the same time. However, as the people of Israel advanced towards the Promised Land, the city of Jericho was a hindrance to their progress. The people of Jericho heard all about God’s mighty hand at work, and the wonders He performed to deliver the people of Israel from the cruel hand of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. When the news reached them that the Israelites were advancing towards their city, they were filled with fear and dread of the Israelites. Rahab was a harlot and probably someone who was shunned by others, but when she heard this, though she too was fearful she decided to put her faith in the God of the Israelites.
One day two Israelite men who came to spy on Jericho, came knocking on Rahab’s door. Instead of fearing the king, Rahab decided to entertain the two men from Israel because she believed that the God of Israel was greater than any king. Rahab gave shelter to the two men, and made way for them to escape out of Jericho safely. The reward that Rahab received from the Lord for her act of faith was immense.
We read in Joshua 2:12-13, “Now, therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD since I have showed you mercy that ye will also do the same unto my father's house, of which thou shalt give me a true sign, and that ye will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from death.” (JUB)
As a recompense for taking care of the spies from Israel, Rahab requested the men to be gracious to her and her family, to save them from death and destruction which she knew was impending. Being a woman who led an immoral life, the chances were that she lived all alone and was probably abandoned by everybody including her family. However, when it came to seeking the safety from the imminent destruction from the Israelite armies, she pleaded with the two men that all of her family be saved (her father, mother, brothers and sisters).
We read in Joshua 2:18, “This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's family together in your house.” (GNT)
When Rahab appealed with the men for a sign for the assurance that she and her family would be kept safe, the men instructed her to tie the red (crimson) cord to the window through which the men were let down to safety. Not only was she to tie the red cord, but bring all of her family into her house, so that they could be free from harm. They guaranteed her that if obeyed their instructions, when the Israelites invaded Jericho, she and her family would be safe. Here was a woman, who though a harlot, from an unbelieving city, chose to believe in the true God, put her faith into action by saving the spies, beseeched them for mercy, thereby saving her entire family from death and destruction. The crucial sign of this deliverance was the red cord tied to the window.
Rahab’s story reminds us that God can transform anyone irrespective of who they are, or what their background is. God can take any man or woman and turn their life around completely, because that’s the only reason Jesus came down to the earth. Even if someone were to feel that their sin in unpardonable, we have a God who is willing and ready to forgive, to completely reconstruct our lives into His image and likeness. He is a God who can make beauty from ashes, and lift us up from the deepest depths to place us on the heights.
Many live in constant fear of people’s opinions rather than being concerned about what God thinks about them. In order to please people they begin to live a life of compromise. We read in Proverbs 29:25,“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.” (NLT)
If we fear people we will be caught in a trap, but on the other hand if we trust in the Lord we will be safe and secure.
Faith accompanied by works will beget God’s blessings
Our faith must always be combined with works, otherwise our faith is futile. For instance if we pray for rains, the evidence of faith is when we walk out with an umbrella. Many of us decide on what we want, and then go to the Lord in prayer just seeking his approval to our decisions. However, when we pray we must go with an open mind, and allow God to do what He thinks is best. Our faith in God is evidenced not just by our prayer, but by our willingness to do what God wants us to do.
Abraham was justified because he fully trusted in God, and was willing to leave his country and his people to walk out in obedience to God’s command, though he has no idea what was in store for him. When David visited his brothers and saw Goliath defying the armies of Israel, he stepped forth in faith and thereby conquered the giant. The woman who was suffering with an issue of blood for twelve years, took the step of faith to come out in the open, and touch the hem of Jesus’ garment to receive her miraculous healing. Lazarus died and was buried for four days, but when Jesus asked them to remove the stone, Mary and Martha obeyed. Others round them may have discouraged them from doing so, but by faith they had the stone removed and had their brother brought back to life. We read in James 2:17, “So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it so long as it stands alone.”(WNT)The word is clear that faith if it is not accompanied by obedience and works is dead.
Like Rahab appealed for the safety of all her family, we too are called to have a heart of compassion for all who are lost without the Lord. It is our responsibility to stand in the gap, and plead for the salvation of those who are closest to us, and those whom we are in association with.
The great deliverance for Rahab
We read in Joshua 6:20, “So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed.” (GNB)
Joshua chapter 6 records the amazing victory that God wrought for the people of Israel and astounding way in which the walls of Jericho came crumbling down. As the armies of Israel, shouted, and the priests blew their trumpets on the seventh day, the entire wall of Jericho collapsed. Rahab and her entire family were in the house on top of the wall, and as the entire wall of Jericho collapsed, the part of the wall that had Rahab’s house on it stood firm. While it sure was a miracle that God destroyed the walls by the praises of His people, it was a far greater miracle that part of the same wall which housed Rahab, was saved from destruction because of her faith which was attested by her works. The sign on her window was a red cord.
We live in uncertain times, there is financial instability, diseases, perils and dangers lurking all around. But, there is nothing to fear for those whose trust is in the Lord, for when God is with us, He is able to save and protect us from all insecurities and instabilities. We are assured in Psalms 91:7,“A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed.” (GNT)
The other end of the red cord
In Matthew 1:1, we read, “This is the list of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, who was a descendant of Abraham.” (GNB)
In Matthew 1:5, “Salmon and Rahab were the father and mother of Boaz. Boaz and Ruth were the father and mother of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse,”(GNB)
If we were to picture the red cord that saved Rahab, if one end of the cord was tied to the window, the other end found its place in the geneology of Jesus. God is a God of mercy and grace. Rahab became the mother of Boaz, and Boaz the father of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse who was the father of David. Rahab became an ancestor of King David in whose lineage Jesus descended. In the book of Hebrews in chapter 11 there are only two women who are mentioned in the list of heroes of faith. One is Sarah and the other is Rahab. This Rahab was a sinful woman, a gentile, living in a city of Jericho that was defiled, but she had faith to believe and the works to accompany her faith. If we were to compare Sarah and Rahab, they are opposites in every way, but in God’s divine plan both of them are heroines of faith.
Rahab’s life is an encouragement to one and all that our past does not matter to God. God does not care about how bad our past was, because He is prepared to give us a glorious future! Many people are so engrossed with their past, but the Lord wants them to let go of it. That is the reason why Jesus came down to the earth, died on the cross for us, so as to forgive us of all the sins of the past, and restore to us a brand new future.
In His grace and mercy God calls us to live a life of high calling. If we have faith and place our complete trust in Jesus, bring our faith to action, and live in obedience to God’s word, God will save us from destruction and take us to the highest place that He has ordained for us. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (KJV). These wonders God has accomplished in us, so that we could become a blessing to those around. If we were to think of the red cord today, Jesus holds one end of the cord, and the question is are we are willing to hold on to the other end of that cord and place our complete trust in Him? If we do so, He will be faithful and true to change all that is old, save us from destruction, cleanse us from all our sins, and seat us in the heavenly realms. May we submit to God, and allow Him to fulfill the purpose for which he called and chosen us.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
