Rahab

By Canaan Chapman

Scripture Reading: Joshua 2:1-24, Joshua 6:22-25

We live in a world abundant with symbols. Wedding rings commonly adorn left hands as tokens of the commitment between a couple. God showed the world a rainbow to share His promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. In my own life, I’ve seen a red thread as the symbol of “fate” (as the legends say), that connected the hearts of my adopted sisters to their forever family. Today’s passage reminded me of another red thread.

This cord isn’t just a rope; it became a symbol of her faith and the means of her salvation. In Joshua 2, Rahab used a scarlet cord to help the Israelite spies escape from Jericho. The spies Joshua sent gave her instructions to use it as a sign—to tie the scarlet cord in her window so that when they attacked the city, her household would be spared.

I like to think about this rope symbolically. I see it as something tangible to hold onto—like the Hebrew spies actually did—but she had to use it to hold onto the promise that her loved ones would be spared. By displaying it, she took the risk of being seen as a traitor to her own people by publicly declaring her allegiance to the God of Israel. The scarlet cord reminds me of the color of the Passover lamb’s blood. The Hebrews used it to cover the doorframes of their homes in Egypt, the sacrifice that allowed those inside to be passed over when the death angel visited. And like the Hebrew people, Rahab’s act of putting scarlet outside her home was a tangible expression of her faith. She trusted the Lord with her life. She took the belief she had in the power of God and acted on it, and God spared her.

This passage prompts me to consider what I hold onto and what God’s plan is for me. What are the scarlet cords in my life I can look to as promises from God to trust in His plan? In many ways, Rahab’s scarlet cord is a challenge to me. It makes me pause to ask questions of my faith, to consider if I am living my life visibly and bold. How am I helping God’s people and standing up to those opposing Him?

Whether it’s through acts of kindness and common grace, standing up for what’s true and honorable, or testifying to what God’s done in your life, we ourselves can be symbols of hope in a world desperately looking for the way to safety. Let’s consider how we can, like Rahab, demonstrate our faith in ways that bring protection and blessing to others!

Written by Canaan Chapman