Joshua 2:13-3:413And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 14And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. 15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18Behold, 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. 19And 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. 20And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. 21And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window. 22And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. 23So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: 24And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. 1And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host; 3And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. 4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. (Joshua 2:13‑3:4)
Not only did Rahab think about her own need, but she thought of her loved ones, and sought delivence from coming judgment for them, too, for as soon as a soul is saved, he begins to think of others in their need. The men then gave Rehab the pledge she had asked for, promising to protect her, and all those in her house, when the judgment fell. She lived in a house upon the wall of the city, and after they had made their promise to her, she let them down over the wall by a scarlet cord. They told her she was to put this scarlet line by which they escaped in her window, and then she would be safe, and all in her house when they took they city.
We notice here that the word “whosoever” appears twice in verse 19. It says, “And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall he 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 he upon him.” The second “whosoever” applies to those who took their place inside the house with the scarlet line and were safe—the first “whosoever” applies to those who were outside and were put to death.
And so it is today, dear reader. If you, whether young or old, a great sinner or a little sinner, will take your place in the grant. “whosoever” of John 3.16, there is salvation, pardon, and eternal life for you, but if you reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and refuse to take shelter under His precious blood, you will find yourself in the “whosoever” of Revelatiun 20:15 who are cast into the lake of fire. How dreadfully solemn this is!
Rahab made her decision. She gladly put the scarlet line in her window, and she was safe. Not only was she safe, but she was sure too, for she trusted the word that was spoken, and said, “According to your word, so be it:’ Dear reader, have you done this? Have you made the great decision as to your soul’s salvation? Are you under the shelter of the blood of Christ, as Rehab was under the scarlet line? Do not delay, but decide at we, we beseech you.
The spies then went away and returned to Joshua. They told him all that had taken place, and rejoiced in the knowledge that the Lord had given them the land, even before they actually possessed it. Faith always counts God’s promise as sure and certain.
We now come to the actual crossing of the Jordan. It is a most wonderful event, and since it is intended to reach us such needful lessons, God has given it in much detail. Joshua then rose early in the morning, the people moved from Shittim to Jordan and lodged there. Joshua told the people that the ark of the covenant of the Lord was to go before them, and when they saw it they were to rise up and follow, only there was to be a disfaacc of about two thousand cubits beluoon them and the ark. Typically this speaks of the fact that Israel as a nation has not yet entered into the place of nearness into which the believer has now been brought through the work of Christ, but is so to speak, at a distance. Israel’s time of blessing and nearness is, however, drawing nigh.
ML 01/04/1953