In the book of Joshua, we learned how Rahab the harlot hid two men who were spies from Israel, and she said to them “I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that you will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token. And that you 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. And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if you utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you. Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may you go your way. And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear”, and in chapter two and verse eighteen of the book of Joshua, the writer or Joshua shared how the two men told the woman, “you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window” where we read,
Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by: and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father's household, home unto you.
The verse reads, “Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which you did let us down by:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “behold, when we come into the land” which means “lo, look and consider, at the time and moment we, the two men and the people of Israel, enter the territory, region, district and city”, “you shall bind this line of scarlet thread” or “you, Rahab, are to knit and vigorously tie this crimson or scarlet colored cord which is properly from the insect 'coccus ilicis', the dried body of the female yielding coloring matter from which is made the dye used for cloth to color it scarlet or crimson” “in the window” which means “within the opening or perforation in the house wall” “which you did let us down by” or “that you, Rahab, through the means of the scarlet cord allowed us to descend and be brought down the wall”. Joshua or the writer shared how the two men instructed Rahab to tie the scarlet cord that she put out of her “window” to allow them to escape, and when the people of Israel entered the land, she was also to do the following.
The verse goes on to say, “and you shall bring your father, and your mother, and your brethren, and all your father's household, home unto you.” Joshua continued with the words, “and you shall bring your father” or “and you, Rahab, are to carry and bring forth your, Rahab’s, immediate male progenitor and ancestor”, “and your mother” which means “and your, Rahab’s, immediate female progenitor and ancestor”, “and your brethren” or “and your, Rahab’s, male siblings”, “and all your father’s household” which means “and each, every and the whole of your, Rahab’s, male progenitors’ dwelling, habitation and abode” “home unto you” or “to your, Rahab’s, habitation, dwelling place and abode”. Joshua or the writer shared how the two men instructed Rahab to convey and move her “father, mother, brothers and all their family” into her home.
When we consider words in this verse, we learn how the two men gave Rahab instructions concerning saving herself and her family when the people of Israel conquer her city. She was to tie the crimson or scarlet cord to her “window” that she put out to allow the two men to escape, and when the people of Israel came, they would see the cord and know it was her home. She was to gather her father, mother, brothers and all her family inside, and those within the house would be saved. This becomes a beautiful type of the salvation that is offered by God through His Son Jesus who came into the world to shed His crimson colored blood and die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when He was raised from the dead after three days, He made the way through faith and trust in Him to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and given His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. Jesus, in effect, is God’s “crimson cord”, and all who enter into a relation with Him shall be saved. Let all who read these words hear, understand and believe.
Next time the writer or Joshua shares how the two men told the woman, “whosoever shall go out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment