Quick Note – Joshua 2:21 – The Scarlet Cord

Joshua 2:18-21 – 18 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. 19 Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. 20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 21 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.

There are a lot of things that people can procrastinate on.  You can procrastinate on writing the twenty-page term paper that is due the next day for half of your final grade in college.  You can procrastinate on filling out your voting cards for the primary election.  You can procrastinate on cleaning your house, washing your car, or doing the laundry.  You can even procrastinate on paying your taxes.  It might incur you some heavy fines, but you can still live your life if after the warnings, you get them in. 

However, one thing you should never procrastinate on is giving your life to Jesus Christ.  We never know when we might die.  It can happen suddenly and without warning.  Even the healthiest can suffer an unexpected stroke.  Even the safest driver can end up in a traffic accident.  We never know when our lives here on this earth will end.  Ecclesiastes 9:12 says, “For man does not know his time.  Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.”  So one should never delay coming to Christ. 

Our passage today talks about how Rahab after hiding the two spies of Israel who came into Jericho asked them to let her and her family live.  She had shown kindness and mercy by hiding them, so she was hoping that they would show mercy in return.  The spies then told her that she needed to tie the scarlet cord which she let them escape with to her window and that would be a sign for them.  After they left, she tied the cord.  Although verse 21 doesn’t tell us she did it immediately, it sounds like she did.  She didn’t delay.  She didn’t procrastinate.  She didn’t want to take the risk that she would forget or the cord would be lost or that they would return to conquer that moment.  She likely immediately tied the cord. 

We have one cord for salvation, and that cord is Jesus Christ.  When we accept Him into our hearts, we are tying His blood as a cord upon our hearts to show that we are saved by His grace and mercy.  It is a sign that when we die, we are promised salvation through Him.  So don’t delay.  You never know when you might go from this earth to the next.  You never know if Christ may be coming back this exact moment.  If you wait too long, you may miss the chance.  Behold,  now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2).