Love’s Strong Cord

Pastor Darryl Bentley

Midland SDA Church

January 9, 2010

Homiletical Idea:  This world offers us security; security that is based on the ability to fight back in our own or through being part of a collective strength or through what we have from a materialistic standpoint.  True security only comes when we trust God to take care of us.  True security comes when we hang the scarlet cord from the window of our life.

Body Armor

            When I was preparing to deploy to Iraq the Army issued us lots of gear.  We got new uniforms, new packs, goggles, a helmet, first-aid pouches, and body armor.  The IBA or interceptor body armor consists of a heavy, cloth vest that attached together in the front with Velcro.  The vest contains heavy ceramic plates that slip into pouches in the front and back of the vest.  The vests are rated to stop a 7.62MM AK-47 round.  That is pretty tough stuff. There is only one problem with the body armor.  It only covers part of the body.  You had no protection for your legs, arms, or face.  Sadly, there have been Soldiers who have come under fire that never sustained an injury on their chest, but because the rest of their body was exposed they suffered tremendous loss.

            Despite the fact that the body armor could only protect a portion of our bodies we still wore them because it was the best defense we had.

World Defenses

            The security that we have in this world apart from Christ is much like our body armor.  It covers some areas well, but leaves other vital ones exposed.  Security is something that we are all concerned with.  When we go shopping we lock the doors to our vehicles because we want to deter those that might seek to steal our vehicle or our possessions inside.  We lock our doors at home and set security alarms because we want protection from those that seek to rob us of our valuables or that might seek to do our family harm.  We seek security against fraud protection because someone may steal our identity and ruin our credit rating.  We build our cars with front, rear, and side-curtain air bags to offer us security when we experience a collision or have an accident. 

While all of these measures are great for the purposes they serve, none of them can offer protection and security when the world is turned upside-down in the last days.  None of these measures touch on the spiritual protection that you and I so desperately need.  Only the scarlet coord of Jesus’ love can give us that protection.

Joshua, Servant of the Most-high God

            After the death of Moses, God raised up another man to lead His people.  Joshua, who had been by Moses’ side through many troubles, was commissioned to lead the people in the land of promise.  Joshua had proven himself faithful to the cause of God in many circumstances.  When spies were sent to the land Joshua and Caleb were the two that came back with a report that spoke of the ability of the Lord to give His people victory.  Yes, they saw the giants in the land like the others, but instead of despairing they saw the giants simply as an obstacle that the Lord would overcome for them.  It was Joshua that went to the top of Sinai with Moses when the Lord gave the 10 commandments, and it was Joshua who first heard the people dancing and singing around their golden calf.

            Part of Joshua’s mission when he took the reins of leadership was to finish the job of leading the people to the land of promise.  In order to accomplish this mission he must also continue to rid the land of certain people groups that opposed the Lord.  These were peoples who had been given chance after chance to follow God, but time and time again they had refused the hand of God.  Eventually their probation ran out and it was necessary for them to be removed from the land by force and even death.

Jericho: City of the Palms

            One such city that stood in the way of this mission of ridding the land of the ungodly was Jericho.  Jericho was the seat of Canaanite moon worship and it lay within a plain that was the gateway to other cities.  The Bible describes certain items as having been under the ban of things the people of God were not to take when they conquered a group opposed to God.  Usually, even when they were commanded to destroy all the people of the city they were allowed to keep the cattle and other items of spoil for themselves, but Jericho was different.  Jericho was to be the first-fruits offering to the Lord.  Therefore, all the cattle were to be killed, and all the precious metals and other valuable spoil were to be placed in the treasury of the sanctuary.

            Jericho was also known as the “City of Palms” because of the plain where it lay.  The plain was rich in balsams and palms.  Jericho was strategically placed at the entrance to two hill passages that led to other cities beyond the plain.  Taking Jericho out first would open the door to easier passage to the two mountain passes that led to Jerusalem and Ai. 

Harlot in the Wall

            Joshua sent out two spies to Jericho.  The previous 12 spies had been sent out by the people but this time Joshua was the one who sent them, and they were to answer to him when they returned.  When the spies arrived in Jericho they went to the house of Rahab the harlot.  Why do you think the two spies decided to go the house of a harlot?  We are not told for sure why in the Bible but scholars have speculated that they went to Rahab’s house because it would have been less conspicuous than a more public place of lodging.  Their plan did not work very well because they were spotted going in and word quickly made its way to the king who was told that men of Israel had come to search out the land.

            Word was sent to Rahab to reveal the men, but she chose to cover for them and say that they had left when the gates to the city were being closed (Joshua 2:4, 5).  Reality was that she had hidden them on her roof under the stalks of flax.

            After the men of Jericho set out in pursuit of the two who had supposedly fled the city Rahab went up to the roof and began to talk with them about why they were there (Joshua 2:8).  She explained how the word of Israel’s conquests had gone before them and she and others were afraid of the Israelites because of what the Lord had done through them.

            Rahab whose life had been anything but pure began to sense a need of change in her life.  Yes, she had been immoral and lived according to the customs of her people, but that night would begin a change that would turn her life around forever.  Let’s look at their dialogue together.

**Read Joshua 2:8-11**

            How was it that Rahab had come into knowledge of the true God while living in the heart of Canaanite moon worship?  The Bible is silent on how she learned of God, but we can easily imagine that the word has spread before the people and as Rahab heard tales of conquest she was moved to want to serve Jehovah God.

Covenant Relations

            Most who had entered into the home of Rahab had experienced relations with her of a sexual nature.  Now a new day had dawned on Rahab’s life.  These men from Israel came not to lie down with her, but rather as representatives of the one, true God.  Rahab had the good sense to know that destruction was coming to Jericho, and she sought to make a deal with the spies.  What do you think her motivation was to help the spies?  No doubt she was afraid for her life and the life of her household.  She had heard of how the Red Sea was dried up and the Egyptians were consumed when the waters rushed back in.  She had heard how the Amorite kings and their people were wiped out.  Perhaps she had also heard how Sodom and Gomorrah had been destroyed by fire and brimstone.  We do not know for sure what all she heard, but it was enough that she did not want fall the next victim of Israel’s conquests.  She wanted to be saved and fear was no doubt her motivator to help.

            In the midst of providing help she seeks to secure her place among those that might survive the battle of Jericho.  She asks for the spies to make a deal with her.

**Read Joshua 2:12, 13**

            Upon hearing her urgent request, the men agreed to do as they had been asked.  They pledged that Rahab and her household would be spared when the Israelites came to take out Jericho.  The spies told her that there was to be a special sign that must be placed in her window or their promise would be made void.

Passover Revisited

            As the spies were being lowered down the wall of the city to safety, they told Rahab that a special sign must be placed within her window.  They said that she was to place a scarlet cord within the window as the sign of Passover.  When the Israelites were to be freed from Egypt the Lord commanded that they smear the blood of the lamb over the doorposts so that the angel of death would know to pass by that house and not kill the first-born where the scarlet sign was posted.

            Now Rahab was instructed to place a scarlet cord in her window so that she and her household might be spared in the coming destruction of Jericho.  This she did this without hesitation.

            Some have thought that she simply left the rope hanging in the window that she had used to lower the men down, but that would have been seen and all the city would have known that she had let the spies free.  No, this cord of scarlet was not rope.  The Hebrew words used in the original text are even different in this passage when speaking of the rope and the scarlet cord.  Being known as a harlot, no one would have been suspicious of a cord of scarlet hanging in the window.  Soon the angels were to come to Jericho and aide Israel in destroying the city and its inhabitants, but the cord of scarlet would serve as a sign to the destroying angels and to the men if Israel to spare this house and all who dwelled within. 

Plan of Attack

Most of us know the rest of the story, don’t we?  The men of Israel were to march around the city once a day for six days and to be silent when they did so.  The seventh day was to be different.  On the seventh day they were to march around the city not once but seven times.  And they were not to be silent but the priests were to blow the ram’s horns and after that the people were to shout with a load shout.

Joshua and all the people did as the Lord had commanded them.  On the seventh day they marched and at the right time the horns blew, the people shouted, and God’s angels pushed over the mighty walls of Jericho.  Notice how the Scriptures read.

**Read Joshua 6:20-25**

The Lord honored the promise the spies had made by not collapsing the wall where Rahab’s house was located.  Joshua honored the promise the spies had made by allowing them to go in and bring out Rahab and her family. 

Fear to Faith

Thus Rahab moved from fear to faith.  Instead of staying firm in rebellion against God like the rest of her city, she sought to escape her life of sin and to become a child of God.  She sought to break away from the false worship of her people and worship the one, true God.  For a time she would have had to remain outside the camp in order to be purified from her heathen ways.  But eventually Rahab and her family were allowed to come into the camp and join the Israelite faith.  Rahab even became the wife of Salmon who was a prince of Judah.

Observations on the Life of Rahab

            There are some things that we can learn from the life of Rahab.

1. Rahab was a sinner who was in desperate need of a Savior.  People often talk about how cruel and heartless it was for the Lord to wipe out entire people groups in the Bible.  What they forget is how many times the Lord would have offered them hope and salvation; both of which Rahab decided to receive from the hand of God.  So we see that great sin is not a bar to repentance.  All who choose to be saved can indeed be saved.

2. Secondly we see that even though we may have lived a life of deep sin we can become heroes of faith.  It happened for Mary of Magdalene and it happened for Rahab.  Rahab was even honored to have a part in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).  She was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth the Moabitess.  Ruth was the mother of Obed who was the father of Jesse.  Jesse was the father of David and Christ was of the lineage of David.  What an awesome honor for Rahab to be allowed to be part of the lineage of Christ.

3. Thirdly, we must recognize that even though we find forgiveness for our sins the effects and memory of sin may linger into eternity.  Although Rahab was forgiven and welcomed into the family of God, even to this day she is known as the harlot from Jericho.  Many of us may never live down the reputation we have made for ourselves, but by God’s grace we do not have to bear the penalty for those sins that the blood of Christ erases.

Bringing it Home

As I was thinking about this story this week and part of last week, I begin to consider how our lives might parallel this story.  I began to think about sports banners and even our beloved American flag.  Many people display their colors so to speak outside their homes.  If you drive around Midland you will see Chemic signs in front of many homes; each one proudly announcing their affiliation with their favorite club or sport.  I love our country and I have a place that I can display a flag outside my home because I am thankful to be an American and to have the freedoms that we do.

            But what we hang outside our homes might not be an indication of who rules our hearts.  You see the colors displayed in our hearts can be much more difficult to identify.  But the banner or cord displayed outside the door of our heart means the difference between life and death.  It means the difference between being saved from sin and being destroyed with the wicked.

            You see, you and I have a choice to make too.  We like Rahab and the inhabitants of Jericho have heard the stories of Israel’s miraculous release from exile.  We have heard the stories of how God is forced to destroy those that refuse His grace and mercy, and yet many of us do not respond to the warning that is given. 

Hear of the Harlot

If only we all had the heart of the harlot; if only our hearts were melted when the stories are told of Jesus’ love; if only we were willing to hang to scarlet cord of Jesus’ love outside the door of our hearts.  Sure for some of us we made the decision to follow Christ many years ago.  We, like Rahab, chose to move from fear to faith, but over time something happened.  For whatever reason we allowed our first-love experience to grow cold and lifeless, and without knowing it, we untied the scarlet cord from outside our hearts as we live the life of a Laodicean.

But it is not too late.  Today is the day that you can change your status, so to speak.  Today can be the day that you choose to truly make Jesus first in your life, and to allow love’s strong cord to bind you tightly to Christ.  What color is outside your heart today friends?  Is the deep scarlet cord that represents the blood-stained banner of Christ?  Or does your heart bear the banner of icy-blue coldness that shows your love for Christ and the inhabitants of this world has grown cold? 

Sometimes the banner we display outside our hearts depends on how people have been treating us doesn’t it?  If life is going well and we have plenty of all we need then we are happy and praising God, but if we have experienced sadness or loss we feel justified in being cold and bitter towards others.  We do this not realizing perhaps that our lack of love towards others is a sign that we really do not love Christ or have His Spirit at work in our lives.

Wrap-up & Appeal

            Friends, it is my desire that today will be the day that you leave Jericho.  It is my desire that you and I will heed the warnings of a soon-coming Savior, and be ready to meet Him in the clouds of glory.  The only way we can do that is to be display the scarlet cord of Jesus’ love outside our hearts, and we must choose to be bound by love’s strong cord.  How many here would be willing to covenant with me today that by God’s grace we will not be cold and lifeless, but rather we will gladly take up the banner of Christ and surrender our lives to Him?