Joshua 2:1-21 – A Rope of Hope – Bible study

Joshua 2:1-21 A Rope of Hope The story we have read is a smaller part of larger picture. After hundreds of years of waiting, Israel coming into the Promised Land. Moses had died and Joshua had taken over. The new leader had sent spies into the land to investigate the first city they would have to take, Jericho. There were a lot of big things happening. 1. Israel was finally claiming what God had promised to them in the days of Abraham. Many things had happened in 600 years between Abraham and Moses. 400 of which Israel was in slavery. During that time, Israel grew from one man to a nation of three million. Things had changed in the land too. It grew in population, in fortification, and in wickedness. There were many more people in the land and the villages had formed armies and built forts. But perhaps more than anything, the pagan people had become even more wicked and determined in their sin against God. In promising this land to Abraham, God had told Abraham that the land would not belong to the Jews until the wickedness of the land had increased. Ge 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 2. Moses had died. That was very big. The man whom God had called to defeat the strongest nation on the earth at that time and to lead the children of Israel with miracles had died. Joshua had been a faithful servant to Moses from the beginning of the Exodusand maybe before, but now he was the leader and the responsibility of leading was totally his. 3. Jericho was in their way. Jericho must have been the most fortified city in this new land. It was built on a small hill or mountain that the Jews call a "tell." The was a retaining wall around the base of the tell with another wall built upon it. Together, those walls rose up between 30 to 40 feet and were approximately 6 feet thick. On up the hillside stood another wall, approximately 45 feet high. For Israel to take this city, a mighty God would have to work a mighty big miracle. https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/the-walls-of-jericho/ Among all of these BIG things, I would like us to focus on one SMALL thing this morning. I would like to focus on Rahabs rope. Three times in this chapter, the rope is mentioned. \#15\ cord \#18\ line of scarlet thread \#21\ scarlet line God has a way of using things. God used Moses staff, his shepherds crook. In fact, it became known as "the rod of God" \#Ex 4:20\. Elijah wore a mantle, a cape if you please. In 2Kings 2, Elijah used his mantle to perform a miracle. Once Elijah was gone, the mantle became Elishas and to him, it represented the power of God. The temple was filled with "things" which spoke of God and His power. Inside the temple was the Ark of the Covenant, which was a picture of God. Inside the Ark, was the rod that budded, a jar of manna, and the Ten Commandments that God gave to Israeleach thing being a reminder of the power of God. Could it be that this rope had meaning as well? Lets look at the meaning of these three references. I. \#15\ Cord A. English has homonyms. Words that may sound alike, even spelled alike, but have totally different meanings. 1. bear – can be an animal; can also mean to expose. 2. pool – can be a body of water; can also be a game. B. In the Jewish language, this word for "cord" has four meanings: 1. A band, a rope, or a cord 2. The second is similar – union 3. The third is different and has a negative quality, destruction 4. The last seems to take the two different definitions and combine them: it means sorrow or pain. (Translated 10 times this way in the Old Testament.) 2Samuel 22:6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; Isaiah 13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames Jeremiah 13:21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? C. Could it be that the word used for cord has some significance? 1. I believe God used a word for rope that also described Rahabs life. 2. Hers was a life filled with sorrow and pain. 3. I do not know what had happened in Rahabs life, but something awful must have happened to force her into the profession that seems permanently attached to her name. 4. We do realize that Rehab did many good things. a. Rahab helped the Jewish spies that came into Jericho, but when we speak of Rahabs name, no one calls her, "Rahab the women who helped the spies." b. Rahab converted to Judaism. She was in the first that we read of in the Bible who abandons her gods and her nation to totally trust in Jehovah. But when we speak her name, no one calls her, "Rahab, the woman who converted to Judaism." c. Rahab will become a Jewess. She will marry a Jewish man, a man from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe. In fact, Rahab and her Jewish family will be part of the Messiahs family tree. But when we call Rahabs name, no one says, "Rahab, the ancestor of Jesus." d. With what do we associate Rahabs name when we speak of her? We remember her by her wicked occupation and profession. We call her Rahab the harlot. e. My friend, such a life of sin would first have to be caused by sorrow but in turn would also produce much sorrow. f. And the Jewish word used in the Bible for the cord in Rahabs house means sorrow, destruction. g. Could it be that sorrow was bound to Rahabs life like a robe binds one thing to another? II. \#18\ "scarlet thread" A. The word used here is a totally different word. 1. It is the Hebrew word for a "thread." In fact, the word is so translated 4 times in our Old Testament. 2. That is interesting in that it is hard to imagine a thread being used to let two men down a wall that was 45 feet high, but that is the word that is used. 3. I think that this word, along with the color mentioned, are given to show us that this was not a "work" rope. B. The color "scarlet" that described the thread is important. C. I believe this color also described Rahabs life. Consider some thoughts: 1. Was it practical to have a red rope? a. No. b. Dye was expensive in those days and a work rope didnt need coloring. c. This wasnt a work rope but a cosmetic rope – one for looking at not working with. 2. How did the two spies happen to come inside Rahabs house? a. They were not from Jericho and had never been inside the city before. b. While searching out the city for weak points, they must have given themselves away. (1) \#3\ The king sent directly to Rahabs house for a witness had seen them go inside. That indicates they had been noticed and were being watched. (2) Jericho was not just a difficult city to get inside. It was also difficult to get out especially if the gates were being watched or even closed. (3) These men had to find a place inside the city to hide. (a) We are told that the city itself was fairly small, only about six acres with maybe 1500 people or so living inside it. https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/the-walls-of-jericho/ (b) They could not force their way into a home. It would soon be discovered. They needed to into a place where they might could blend. (c) What house would have men coming and going? A harlots house. (d) How did they know what house was the harlots house? i. I believe the red rope was her symbol. ii. In fact, it still is today. When people speak of a section of town where this profession is practiced, they often call it, "the red light" district. 3. The "scarlet thread" was not a work rope but a show rope. a. It showed everyone her occupation. b. And it pictured the sorrow that was bound to her life, both the sorrow that had brought her to that profession and the sorrow that profession brought to her. D. But we cannot leave the discussion of that color there. For scarlet, crimson, a dark red color, is also the color of redemption. 1. Scarlet is also the color of blood and it is the blood that takes away our sin and the sorrow it brings. 2. That makes scarlet the color of salvation. 3. It is interesting but when scarlet sin is covered by the crimson blood of Jesus, the color that results i always white. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 4. God took the very sorrow and pain of this womans life and made it a rope of salvation! a. It is the rope used to drop the spies over the wall. b. It is the rope used to mark her home as the safe house. 5. Here we can learn an amazing truth about God and His salvation. a. Even salvation does not remove the scars and sorrow of life, but it does give new meaning to them. b. I do not know whether Rahab kept the scarlet thread or not; but if she did, its meaning changed. c. From this day, the scarlet thread would no longer mean Rahab, the house of the harlot. It would mean, Rahab, the house of the redeemed! III. \#21\ Scarlet line A. Yet, another Hebrew word for the rope and a word that has multiple meanings. 1. The Hebrew word used is 34 times in Old Testament with only two of the uses being translated a "line" or robe. 2. Both of those are in this chapter, verses 18 and 21. 3. All of the other 32 times, it is translated hope or expectation. a. 23 times it is translated "hope." b. 7 times it is translated "expectation." c. 1 time "longing." d. 1 time "expected." e. So the word is more commonly used to mean a hope, a longing, an expectation. f. What a language that words which mean rope or cord could also have such other opposite meanings, such as sorrow and destruction to hope and expectation. B. Why did Rahab move the robe from the front door to her back window and tie it there? 1. Because she put her hope, her expectation in Gods power to destroy the city and to deliver her and her family! 2. This woman tied the scarlet rope in her window expecting God to do something with the rest of her life, And He did! a. \#Joshua 6:22-25\ God delivered her and her family. b. Rahab becomes Davids great, great grandmother \#Matt 1:5-6\. Friend, it does not matter what kind of life you have lived. It only matters what kind of life you want to live. Do you want to continue to live a life of sorrow and destruction? Or would you like to live a life of hope and expectation? In the middle of a lot of big things, let God give you a robe of hope. Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.