Scarlet Letters, Cords Of Redemption
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built [f]into the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. And she said to them, “Go [west] to the hill country, so that the pursuers [who have headed east] will not encounter you; hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you can go your way.” The men said to her, “We shall be blameless and free from this oath which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this [g]cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and bring into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household [so that they will be safe]. But if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head [that is, his own responsibility], and we shall be blameless and free [from our oath]; however, if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell [anyone] this business of ours, we shall be blameless and free from the oath which you made us swear.” She said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then Rahab sent them off, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
---Joshua 2:15-21 Amplified
When I was a sophomore in high school English one of the requirements along with the learning of basic grammar, sentence structure, and parts of speech was the reading of classic works of literature, works such as "Lord Of The Flies," "The Grapes Of Wrath," "Moby Dick" to name a few. There were a few I enjoyed, "Lord Of The Flies" being one of them which, to this day, I can't get my head around given the overall nature of the story. Others read about as exciting as stereo instructions and I am not too proud to admit I barely cracked their covers. My grades reflected as much as well.
One title stands out; Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," a tale about a young woman, Hester Prynne, found guilty of adultery, an affair which has led to a child being born and her refusal to identify the child's father. Her punishment? To don a scarlet letter "A" (for "adulteress") on her chest and to wear it everywhere both in public and in private. Hester and her child are shunned by the town but Hester, who now resides outside the community, presses forward to provide for them both, taking work as a seamstress. With the help of the local minister, a man named Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester and her young daughter are able to stay together, her child nearly being taken from her. Dimmesdale is in poor physical health and his mental health isn't much better, as his psychological anguish is contributing to a failing heart. Dimmesdale has taken in an elderly man, Roger Chillingworth, who suspects a secret tying the good minister to the outcast Hester. One evening in his sleep Chillingworth learns that secret and vows revenge (spoiler alert: Chillingworth is Esther Prynne's husband, a fact known to no one but Hester and Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Hester's daughter). Unlike Dimmesdale's outward showings of anguish and mental torture Hester lives humbly, doing good within her corner of the world, softening the arrows of scorn she had come to know. His condition is rapidly deteriorating but, in spite of his daughter's requests to be publicly acknowledged, he refuses. Hester approaches Chillingworth to ask that he stop adding to Dimmesdale's anguish and is denied.
Hester and Dimmesdale meet to discuss leaving with their daughter and traveling to Europe, believing that is the only place they can live together as a family. Before they leave there is a celebration within the town and Dimmesdale gives what will be his final and possibly his most beautiful sermon. Unknown to them is the fact that Chillingworth has learned of their plans to leave and has made arrangements to follow them on board the exact same ship they are booked on. Dimmesdale sees Hester and their daughter standing before the town scaffold, approaches them, and finally acknowledges his daughter. As he is given a kiss by his daughter Pearl, Dimmesdale falls to the ground dead. Chillingworth dies a year later, his revenge having been thwarted. Hester and Pearl leave, their whereabouts unknown. Years later, still wearing her letter, Hester returns. After her death she is buried next to Dimmesdale, a letter "A" etched in their headstone.
Wow! Not exactly a redemption story, is it?
Take a little walk with me now over to the second chapter of Joshua wherein Joshua is sending out spies to scope out the territory, specifically a place called Jericho. These unnamed spies under the direction of Joshua go to survey their surroundings and while they are out they check in for the evening at an inn run by a woman named Rahab. Rahab's title is twofold--on the one hand she is the innkeeper, having charge over a legitimate business, providing lodging for weary travellers. On the other hand she is also a well known prostitute, a woman who sells her body and affections for money. Word gets out to the people of Jericho that there are spies among them to the extent that the king himself contacts Rahab. In verse 3 the king says, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, because they have come [as spies] to search out all the land.”
I have no doubt that in most situations when confronted by someone in authority we would be likely to hand over said individuals. Maybe out of respect, maybe out of fear, maybe coming from the notion that there may be something in it for us but whatever our motives we would turn these folks in.
What was Rahab's response?
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; so she said, “Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. When it was time to close the [city] gate at dark, the men left; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for [if you do] you will overtake them.” But [in fact] she had brought the scouts up to the roof and had hidden them under the [b]stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof [to dry]. So the [king’s] men pursued them on the road to the Jordan as far as the [c]fords [east of Jericho]; as soon as the pursuers had gone out after them, the gate [of the city] was shut.
Not only did Rahab hide these two spies but she lied...don't miss this...she LIED to the king, sending his men on a wild goose chase. I don't want to get ahead of myself because this IS a redemption story but one thing I will quickly add here is...regardless of the later outcome, lying is never justified. It just isn't. But let's not camp here. Let's go further...
The Lord had been doing a work in Rahab's heart. I believe that with every ounce of mine. Verses 8-13 go on to say, Now before the two men lay down [to sleep], Rahab came up to them on the roof, and she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror and dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted [in despair] because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the [d]Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan [on the east], to Sihon and Og, whom you [e]utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted [in despair], and a [fighting] spirit no longer remained in any man because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. And now, please swear [an oath] to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s household (family), and give me a pledge of truth and faithfulness, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, along with everyone who belongs to them, and let us all live.”
Catch what she says here? "THE Lord..." Not "A lord.." or "One of many Lords.." In a polytheistic (more than one God) culture, the eyes of Rahab's heart were being opened to the God of Abraham, the God who is mighty to save.
The spies agree. After helping them out of her house she directs them to head west since their pursuers have headed east and to wait for three days. Once the three days were up they were free to move on. Verses 17-21 go on to say "The men said to her, “We shall be blameless and free from this oath which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this [g]cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and bring into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household [so that they will be safe]. But if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head [that is, his own responsibility], and we shall be blameless and free [from our oath]; however, if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell [anyone] this business of ours, we shall be blameless and free from the oath which you made us swear.” She said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then Rahab sent them off, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window."
What was the significance of the scarlet cord? Scarlet equals red which is the color of blood. You may remember from the story of Moses when God commanded him to sacrifice a lamb and to place that lamb's blood over the door posts and mantels of every house belonging to the children of Israel. That evening, when the angel of death came to Egypt, every house with that lamb's blood over its mantels and door posts would be passed over; death would not come to that house. In this case, the "blood" was in the form of the scarlet cord placed in the window of Rahab's house, keeping her and her family safe from harm. Of course the ultimate example of redeeming blood was Christ's sacrifice on the cross, restoring God and man and keeping those who receive this gift of salvation safe from eternal death. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin! (Hebrews 9:22)
What a difference in those two stories! For Hester Prynne scarlet was a symbol of shame, scorn, and condemnation. For Rahab, scarlet symbolized hope, protection, freedom, and redemption. That act of faith on the part of Rahab, Rahab the harlot as she has been known, has not only placed her in God's Hall Of Faith (Hebrews chapter 11) but also placed her in the lineage of Christ. How? Hester married Salmon, the father of Boaz who would later marry Ruth, a Moabite. Their son Obed was the father of Jesse who would become the father of King David. The rest, as they say, is history.
We all have scarlet letters. They may not be "A"s for "adultery and they may not be visible to the world around us but we feel their presence, much like the "A" that had been seared onto the breast of Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne's novel, weighing on us like cement and chains, shackles from past choices and mistakes we would give anything to forget. What's more, we're pretty sure the rest of the world CAN see. We just know by the way they look (or don't look) at us, by their body language, the way they whisper, on and on and on. If they don't see the letters we just know that if they did see or could see that they would shun us, condemn us, not have anything to do with us. Never mind what God would do to us!
Are you ready to have your mind blown? God DOES see those scarlet letters. He has seen them all along. He was there. Are you ready to have your mind blown even further? He is here, He hasn't left, He hasn't gone anywhere. He has not shunned, condemned, or turned His back on you. He stands with His arms open wide, grasping that scarlet chord, waiting to remove those chains of sin, failure, and shame. He waits to wash you clean, removing those stains of regret and darkness. He wants to take whatever your scarlet letter may be and exchange it for a new letter--R-- Redeemed!!!
Are you a Hester?
Or are you a Rahab?
Devotional Time
Take a moment to reflect on Joshua 2 and Rahab's response to the king. Reflect on Hester Prynne's story and that of Rahab's; record any similarities, any differences, whatever it is that God has revealed to you. Now take a moment or two to dig a little bit deeper. Take a few minutes to reflect on how you can relate to both of these women and their stories. Be honest, as no one's eyes will see these reflections but you. If you haven't taken a hold of God's scarlet cord of redemption, this is an excellent time to do so!
---Joshua 2:15-21 Amplified
When I was a sophomore in high school English one of the requirements along with the learning of basic grammar, sentence structure, and parts of speech was the reading of classic works of literature, works such as "Lord Of The Flies," "The Grapes Of Wrath," "Moby Dick" to name a few. There were a few I enjoyed, "Lord Of The Flies" being one of them which, to this day, I can't get my head around given the overall nature of the story. Others read about as exciting as stereo instructions and I am not too proud to admit I barely cracked their covers. My grades reflected as much as well.
One title stands out; Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," a tale about a young woman, Hester Prynne, found guilty of adultery, an affair which has led to a child being born and her refusal to identify the child's father. Her punishment? To don a scarlet letter "A" (for "adulteress") on her chest and to wear it everywhere both in public and in private. Hester and her child are shunned by the town but Hester, who now resides outside the community, presses forward to provide for them both, taking work as a seamstress. With the help of the local minister, a man named Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester and her young daughter are able to stay together, her child nearly being taken from her. Dimmesdale is in poor physical health and his mental health isn't much better, as his psychological anguish is contributing to a failing heart. Dimmesdale has taken in an elderly man, Roger Chillingworth, who suspects a secret tying the good minister to the outcast Hester. One evening in his sleep Chillingworth learns that secret and vows revenge (spoiler alert: Chillingworth is Esther Prynne's husband, a fact known to no one but Hester and Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Hester's daughter). Unlike Dimmesdale's outward showings of anguish and mental torture Hester lives humbly, doing good within her corner of the world, softening the arrows of scorn she had come to know. His condition is rapidly deteriorating but, in spite of his daughter's requests to be publicly acknowledged, he refuses. Hester approaches Chillingworth to ask that he stop adding to Dimmesdale's anguish and is denied.
Hester and Dimmesdale meet to discuss leaving with their daughter and traveling to Europe, believing that is the only place they can live together as a family. Before they leave there is a celebration within the town and Dimmesdale gives what will be his final and possibly his most beautiful sermon. Unknown to them is the fact that Chillingworth has learned of their plans to leave and has made arrangements to follow them on board the exact same ship they are booked on. Dimmesdale sees Hester and their daughter standing before the town scaffold, approaches them, and finally acknowledges his daughter. As he is given a kiss by his daughter Pearl, Dimmesdale falls to the ground dead. Chillingworth dies a year later, his revenge having been thwarted. Hester and Pearl leave, their whereabouts unknown. Years later, still wearing her letter, Hester returns. After her death she is buried next to Dimmesdale, a letter "A" etched in their headstone.
Wow! Not exactly a redemption story, is it?
Take a little walk with me now over to the second chapter of Joshua wherein Joshua is sending out spies to scope out the territory, specifically a place called Jericho. These unnamed spies under the direction of Joshua go to survey their surroundings and while they are out they check in for the evening at an inn run by a woman named Rahab. Rahab's title is twofold--on the one hand she is the innkeeper, having charge over a legitimate business, providing lodging for weary travellers. On the other hand she is also a well known prostitute, a woman who sells her body and affections for money. Word gets out to the people of Jericho that there are spies among them to the extent that the king himself contacts Rahab. In verse 3 the king says, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, because they have come [as spies] to search out all the land.”
I have no doubt that in most situations when confronted by someone in authority we would be likely to hand over said individuals. Maybe out of respect, maybe out of fear, maybe coming from the notion that there may be something in it for us but whatever our motives we would turn these folks in.
What was Rahab's response?
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; so she said, “Yes, two men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. When it was time to close the [city] gate at dark, the men left; I do not know where they went. Pursue them quickly, for [if you do] you will overtake them.” But [in fact] she had brought the scouts up to the roof and had hidden them under the [b]stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof [to dry]. So the [king’s] men pursued them on the road to the Jordan as far as the [c]fords [east of Jericho]; as soon as the pursuers had gone out after them, the gate [of the city] was shut.
Not only did Rahab hide these two spies but she lied...don't miss this...she LIED to the king, sending his men on a wild goose chase. I don't want to get ahead of myself because this IS a redemption story but one thing I will quickly add here is...regardless of the later outcome, lying is never justified. It just isn't. But let's not camp here. Let's go further...
The Lord had been doing a work in Rahab's heart. I believe that with every ounce of mine. Verses 8-13 go on to say, Now before the two men lay down [to sleep], Rahab came up to them on the roof, and she said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror and dread of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted [in despair] because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the [d]Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan [on the east], to Sihon and Og, whom you [e]utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted [in despair], and a [fighting] spirit no longer remained in any man because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. And now, please swear [an oath] to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s household (family), and give me a pledge of truth and faithfulness, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, along with everyone who belongs to them, and let us all live.”
Catch what she says here? "THE Lord..." Not "A lord.." or "One of many Lords.." In a polytheistic (more than one God) culture, the eyes of Rahab's heart were being opened to the God of Abraham, the God who is mighty to save.
The spies agree. After helping them out of her house she directs them to head west since their pursuers have headed east and to wait for three days. Once the three days were up they were free to move on. Verses 17-21 go on to say "The men said to her, “We shall be blameless and free from this oath which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this [g]cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and bring into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household [so that they will be safe]. But if anyone goes out the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head [that is, his own responsibility], and we shall be blameless and free [from our oath]; however, if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell [anyone] this business of ours, we shall be blameless and free from the oath which you made us swear.” She said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then Rahab sent them off, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window."
What was the significance of the scarlet cord? Scarlet equals red which is the color of blood. You may remember from the story of Moses when God commanded him to sacrifice a lamb and to place that lamb's blood over the door posts and mantels of every house belonging to the children of Israel. That evening, when the angel of death came to Egypt, every house with that lamb's blood over its mantels and door posts would be passed over; death would not come to that house. In this case, the "blood" was in the form of the scarlet cord placed in the window of Rahab's house, keeping her and her family safe from harm. Of course the ultimate example of redeeming blood was Christ's sacrifice on the cross, restoring God and man and keeping those who receive this gift of salvation safe from eternal death. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin! (Hebrews 9:22)
What a difference in those two stories! For Hester Prynne scarlet was a symbol of shame, scorn, and condemnation. For Rahab, scarlet symbolized hope, protection, freedom, and redemption. That act of faith on the part of Rahab, Rahab the harlot as she has been known, has not only placed her in God's Hall Of Faith (Hebrews chapter 11) but also placed her in the lineage of Christ. How? Hester married Salmon, the father of Boaz who would later marry Ruth, a Moabite. Their son Obed was the father of Jesse who would become the father of King David. The rest, as they say, is history.
We all have scarlet letters. They may not be "A"s for "adultery and they may not be visible to the world around us but we feel their presence, much like the "A" that had been seared onto the breast of Arthur Dimmesdale in Hawthorne's novel, weighing on us like cement and chains, shackles from past choices and mistakes we would give anything to forget. What's more, we're pretty sure the rest of the world CAN see. We just know by the way they look (or don't look) at us, by their body language, the way they whisper, on and on and on. If they don't see the letters we just know that if they did see or could see that they would shun us, condemn us, not have anything to do with us. Never mind what God would do to us!
Are you ready to have your mind blown? God DOES see those scarlet letters. He has seen them all along. He was there. Are you ready to have your mind blown even further? He is here, He hasn't left, He hasn't gone anywhere. He has not shunned, condemned, or turned His back on you. He stands with His arms open wide, grasping that scarlet chord, waiting to remove those chains of sin, failure, and shame. He waits to wash you clean, removing those stains of regret and darkness. He wants to take whatever your scarlet letter may be and exchange it for a new letter--R-- Redeemed!!!
Are you a Hester?
Or are you a Rahab?
Devotional Time
Take a moment to reflect on Joshua 2 and Rahab's response to the king. Reflect on Hester Prynne's story and that of Rahab's; record any similarities, any differences, whatever it is that God has revealed to you. Now take a moment or two to dig a little bit deeper. Take a few minutes to reflect on how you can relate to both of these women and their stories. Be honest, as no one's eyes will see these reflections but you. If you haven't taken a hold of God's scarlet cord of redemption, this is an excellent time to do so!
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