What can we learn from Rahab's commitment to God's people in Joshua 2:21? Rahab’s Immediate Obedience “ ‘Let it be as you say,’ she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” (Joshua 2:21) • Rahab moves from agreement to action without delay. • Her quick obedience shows genuine faith; she treats the spies’ instructions as the very word of God (cf. James 2:25). • Obedience precedes understanding: she cannot foresee how Jericho will fall, yet she acts on what she knows. Visible Faith in Action • The scarlet cord becomes a public declaration; anyone passing could see where her allegiance now lies. • Faith that remains hidden is incomplete. Rahab lets her window preach her new loyalty—even inside a doomed city (Matthew 10:32). • The cord is tied immediately, proving that faith is not merely internal assent but outward, tangible commitment. Aligning with God’s People • By aiding the spies and marking her home, Rahab severs ties with her old community and casts her future with Israel (Ruth 1:16 echoes this heart posture). • She trusts the character of a God she has only heard about (Joshua 2:9–11) more than the walls she has always known. • True conversion involves a transfer of allegiance: from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13). The Scarlet Cord as a Sign of Salvation • Prefigures the Passover blood that marked Hebrew doorposts (Exodus 12:13). • Points ahead to the blood of Christ, our greater scarlet sign (Hebrews 9:12). • Shows that deliverance is provided by God but must be personally applied; Rahab ties the cord herself. Lessons for Us Today • Take God at His word and obey without procrastination. • Let faith be seen: live openly for Christ, even in hostile environments. • Break with former loyalties that conflict with belonging to God’s people. • Rest in the sure sign of salvation God has provided—the finished work of Jesus—displaying that trust through practical obedience. |
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