“Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.”
(Joshua 2:18-19)

When the two spies that Joshua sent out came to Jericho, by divine providence, God lead them to the house of a certain woman named Rahab. Joshua (Christ) must need go through Jericho to save God’s chosen child. Rahab, as we know, hid the spies from the king’s men, and provided a way of escape for them down the wall by a scarlet cord. That scarlet cord that so beautifully represents and pictures the blood of our Saviour, was the two men’s salvation out of Jericho (sin) the same as it was Rahab’s assurance of deliverance, by hanging in her window. The blood of Christ (God’s blood) is what washes away our sin and covers us in perfect righteousness and holiness. That scarlet thread “hanging in the window,” represents His blood being shed in our room and stead while “hanging on the cross.”

Notice in the text that the two men promised her deliverance (salvation) by two things, which when we consider them, they are the same thing. They both picture Christ.

The first thing was to tie the scarlet cord in her window. Don’t you know that Rahab tied that scarlet cord tight? I am sure she checked it many times a day not knowing when her deliverance would come.

The second stipulation was “stay in the house.” (vs. 19) There is nothing but death and destruction outside the house. Your safety and deliverance will come by staying in the house.

Our Surety of safety is the same. Stay in the house. STAY IN CHRIST. There is nothing but death, destruction and eternal damnation outside of HIM! Your only way OUT is to STAY in. The only way Rahab and her family would leave Jericho alive was to stay in the house, marked by the SCARLET CORD. The only way we will leave this life alive is to stay in Christ, whose scarlet blood was shed for us. Stay in the House!

Thank God that by His sovereign grace and mercy in divine preservation, He will keep us in the House, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

D. Eddmenson