Scarlet Cord

“Then she said, ‘According to your words, so be it.’ And she sent them and away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.” Joshua 2:21.

Some of you may remember that my second sermon at church since I got here was on the story of Rahab. I really like this sermon as it focuses on both our identity as Adventists and our hope to see Jesus again. I was going through the story again this week and I thought it would be good to talk about it again. It would be a good refresher.

When my family were gone to Korea for many weeks it wasn’t easy for me. But I knew when they were coming back. So everyday I would count how many days are left for them to return home. I had the hope of seeing my family again. Having the hope really changes the perspective and attitude to things. Without hope things just worsen. With hope you know there is a positive attitude to everything. Also, with that hope of seeing my family again, I get prepared.

What about Rahab? When she let the spies go she made them promise to her that when they return to conquer Jericho, they would save Rahab and her family. They made the promise but Rahab didn’t know when they would return. Spies told her to tie a scarlet cord on the window as a sign for them to know which was her house. Here’s an interesting word play here. The Hebrew word for ‘cord’ is mentioned 31 times in the Old Testament and this passage is the only time translated as ‘cord.’ The other 30 times, it was translated as the word ‘hope!’ Isn’t that amazing? When Rahab tied the red rope around her window, it not only symbolized the saving blood of the Savior, but also represented her hope to being saved!

We know Jesus is coming again. We don’t know when, but He is coming again for sure. We need to learn to have the hope in our heart. To learn to have hope means to have the faith. May we live with that hope everyday.