Most of you know all about melting snow and melting icebergs, but what do you know about melting hearts? Here is a true story that will help you to understand.
This story is about a lady who lived in a house on top of a long, high wall enclosing the city of Jericho, near the Jordan River. Her parents and her brothers and sisters lived inside the shelter of the wall. And for many years they all had heard the story of a great army of half-a-million people who were coming to their city to destroy them.
At first it seemed like a faraway tale. But it was different from other tales because, although the people in the city had a wall and a river for protection, the people who were coming had a God. Their God was mighty and could roll back the waters of the Red Sea and lead them across safely, and then drown all their enemies who chased them. Their God could also feed them for 40 years in the barren, desert wilderness. There was no other god who could do mighty things like that. And as the people in this city thought about it, they were afraid - their hearts melted. And what can you do for melting hearts?
The lady in the house on top of the wall was not afraid - she did not have a melting heart. Her name was Rahab. Living on top of the wall, it couldn’t protect her, and she didn’t have a spear or shield, but her heart was trusting in the same mighty God who had fed His people all those 40 years. There are no ups and downs with a God like that. He is always the same, always trustworthy. Do you know Him?
Rahab had more than these people’s wonderful stories to believe. She had a personal promise. She was told by two messengers from God’s people that if she hung the scarlet cord in her window, everyone in her house would be safe when God’s judgment fell on the wicked city. Rahab quickly tied the scarlet cord in her window and did just as she was told, and the promise made her safe.
We have a promise too. “He that believeth on Me [the Son] hath everlasting life” (John 6:47). Who is the Son? He is the Son of God, whose precious blood cleanses us from all sin. If you take that promise for your very own, you will be as safe as Rahab was. God keeps His promises. His awful judgment day will find you safe, because you are cleansed by the precious blood of the Saviour who died for you.
Rahab climbed down from her house on the wall and went into the city of melting hearts. The frightened people were probably reminding each other about the protection of the flooded Jordan River and the strong walls they were counting on, and the well-armed soldiers in their city. But Rahab did not listen to them; she had a promise she was counting on. She went to her parents and her brothers and sisters and told them about the wonderful promise God’s messengers had given her. She invited her family to stay in her house, which had only the scarlet cord in the window to protect them. And they came!
Will you come? We are telling you this story to urge you to come to Jesus Christ, because His blood is your protection and His Word is your promise. Will you come now and be as safe as Rahab was? God is always the Same; His promise will never change.
Soon the army of God’s people came to the wall of the city. The flooded Jordan River was nothing at all when God led His people through on the dry riverbed! And the city walls were nothing at all when God commanded His people to shout and the walls fell down flat! God’s people had a wonderful victory that day. The city of Jericho was completely destroyed, including all the people and their livestock.
I suppose it was crowded in that little house on the wall before the wall fell, but God kept His promise, and every person in Rahab’s house was safely removed to the safety of God’s people. In fact, Rahab lived to be an ancestor in the royal line of Jesus who was born of the virgin Mary.
Would you have been in Rahab’s house if you had been there? Maybe you would not have been invited, but you are certainly invited right now. Come and believe and trust the One who gave Himself for sinners. Come to the protection of His precious blood. There is no halfway point. When you hear of the judgment of God against sin, fear should melt your heart. You may shut your ears and mind to it, you may count on your good works to protect you, or you may trust the Saviour of sinners with all your heart. Only one carries the promise of God. Which will you do?
“Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe”
(Proverbs 29:25).
ML-06/30/1996