“And she said, ‘According to your words, so be it.’ Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” — Joshua 2:21 (ESV)
Table of Contents
- A City on the Brink of Collapse
- A Woman You’d Never Expect
- The Hidden Conversation That Changed Her Fate
- The Scarlet Cord: A Strange Rescue Plan
- Faith on Display
- Breaking It Down: What’s Really Going On Here?
- How This Points to Jesus
- Two Truths You Can Live Out Today
- Bonus: Take the Faith & Obedience Quiz
1. A City on the Brink of Collapse
Jericho was a fortress. Its walls weren’t just symbolic—they were structural, looming like silent sentinels of invincibility over the desert plain. Life behind those walls was routine. Merchants traded, children played, and rituals honoring Canaanite gods burned through the night air.
But something was different this week.
Rumors swirled. The Jordan River had parted for the Israelites. The same God who split the Red Sea was now guiding them across rivers and through deserts. Jericho’s gates were shut tight.
No one entered. No one left.
Fear was in the air, thick as smoke.
2. A Woman You’d Never Expect
On the edge of the city wall lived a woman named Rahab. She wasn’t respected. In fact, she was avoided. Her home doubled as a brothel—a place of shadowed dealings and whispered shame.
But Rahab wasn’t like the others in Jericho.
She listened.
She wondered.
And more than anything else… she believed.
When the spies from Israel knocked on her door, she didn’t betray them. She hid them. Not because she was loyal to Israel—but because she feared the God of Israel.
“I know the Lord has given you this land,” she said. “Your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:9,11)
She saw what others couldn’t.
Faith had already begun to stir.
3. The Hidden Conversation That Changed Her Fate
After helping the spies evade the king’s men, Rahab made a bold request.
“Swear to me by the Lord,” she said, “that you will show kindness to my family when you come to destroy this city.”
What she asked was unthinkable. She was a Canaanite. A prostitute. A traitor to her people.
And yet… they agreed.
They gave her a sign: a scarlet cord to hang in her window. A blood-colored banner of safety.
“Bring your family into your house,” they warned. “Anyone outside will perish. But everyone under this sign will live.”
She accepted the terms without flinching.
Then she tied the cord.
Not later. Not when the army approached. Right then.
Her faith was active.
4. The Scarlet Cord: A Strange Rescue Plan
It sounds almost too simple, doesn’t it?
A piece of scarlet rope tied in a window? That’s the plan?
But God has a way of using weak things to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). A wooden staff parted the sea. A slingshot brought down a giant. A cross defeated death.
So why not a scarlet cord?
What mattered wasn’t the rope—it was what it represented: obedience, belief, covenant.
The spies didn’t promise safety because of Rahab’s morality, her background, or her works. They promised safety because she believed—and acted on that belief.
It’s always been that way.
5. Faith on Display
Theologians often debate faith vs. works, but Rahab erases the tension.
She believed the God of Israel was real—and that belief moved her to act. She didn’t argue. She didn’t delay. She didn’t need all the details.
She said yes.
“According to your words, so be it.”
She sent the spies away in peace.
And she tied the scarlet cord.
Her faith was visible, not theoretical.
It was costly. Treasonous. Dangerous. And ultimately… saving.
6. Breaking It Down: What’s Really Going On Here?
Let’s step back and apply some first principles thinking to this verse. Strip away assumptions. Get down to the raw truths.
What do we know for sure?
- Rahab hears the testimony of God’s deeds.
- She believes.
- She acts based on that belief.
- She aligns with God’s people—even against her own.
- She’s marked for salvation by a visible sign.
What does this tell us about faith?
- Faith is not just belief—it’s trust that leads to allegiance.
- Faith crosses tribal, cultural, and personal boundaries.
- Faith is displayed in obedience, not just emotion.
What does this say about law and righteousness?
- Rahab didn’t follow the Mosaic Law—she wasn’t even part of Israel!
- Yet she is called “righteous” (James 2:25) not for legal obedience, but for covenant loyalty.
- Righteousness is not about flawless living—it’s about clinging to God’s word with your life.
This completely upends religious systems that reduce salvation to rule-keeping or spiritual pedigree.
Rahab is proof: the outsider is welcomed when they trust the promise.
7. How This Points to Jesus
Here’s where it gets beautiful.
The scarlet cord foreshadows the blood of Christ. Just as Rahab’s home was marked for mercy, the Cross marks those who belong to Jesus.
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” — Exodus 12:13
The parallel is too precise to ignore:
- Both Rahab’s scarlet cord and the Passover blood mark God’s people for salvation.
- Both are external, visible signs of inward belief.
- Both prefigure the ultimate rescue—Christ’s sacrifice.
But it goes deeper.
Rahab doesn’t just survive.
She’s welcomed into Israel.
She marries an Israelite man—Salmon.
She becomes the mother of Boaz… who marries Ruth… and becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David.
From prostitute to princess.
From outsider to mother of the Messiah.
“Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab…” — Matthew 1:5
She’s in the genealogy of Jesus.
Her scarlet thread weaves straight to the Cross.
8. Two Truths You Can Live Out Today
This isn’t just a story about ancient walls and scarlet ropes. It’s about your life now.
Let these two truths anchor your week:
1. Live by God’s Word, Not by Your Resume
Rahab had no religious résumé. No righteous past. Nothing to offer but her belief in what God had said.
You don’t need to clean yourself up to come to God.
You need to believe Him—and say yes to His covenant.
Let His Word define your future, not your failures.
2. Make Your Faith Visible
Faith isn’t private. It’s personal—but never hidden.
Rahab tied the cord. She obeyed visibly, even when it seemed foolish.
Your actions will reveal what you really believe.
Don’t just say you trust God—live like you do.
Speak truth. Love boldly. Stand out.
Be marked by mercy.
Bonus: Take the “Faith & Obedience” Quiz
Want to see how Rahab-like your faith is?
We’ve created a short quiz to help you reflect on how your trust in God plays out in daily life—where you’re strong, and where you’re still tying your cord.
[Take the quiz now] (link below)
Final Thoughts
When we reduce Scripture to moral lessons, we miss the scarlet threads pointing to Jesus.
Rahab wasn’t just brave—she was prophetic.
Her story screams the gospel:
- Faith saves.
- Obedience proves it.
- And God delights in rescuing the unexpected.
Let her story reshape yours.
The walls are shaking.
Judgment is near.
But mercy hangs in the window—for anyone willing to believe.
Did this story speak to you?
Take the Faith & Obedience Quiz here and share your results with a friend!
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