“NOW Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.” Thus the inspired historian writes of that ancient city with its strong walls and defiant towers.
“Why was it shut up?” Because of the children of Israel. “And who were they?” The executors of the righteous judgment of God.
Long before, God had declared to Abraham His intention of visiting the sins of the Canaanitish nations (Gen. 15:1616But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16)), and now the time was come; the iniquity of the Amorites was full.
“What a solemn time for Jericho!” The long-suffering patience of God exhausted, judgment must now come―judgment from which there was no escape. “None went out, and none came in,” and the hosts of the Lord, having crossed the Jordan, encompassed the city.
Whatever may have been the thoughts of those within, as to their chances of safety―and doubtless many had their pet schemes of salvation―only one household, of all that dwelt in Jericho, was secure: the household of Rahab the harlot. All the rest were doomed. The Lord said unto Joshua, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.”
“But how came it about that a woman of such a character should be the object of Divine mercy―a harlot, a prostitute, a woman of ill-repute―while the king himself, and the mighty men of valor, were exposed to the coming storm? What amends had she made for her misspent life? What had she done to atone for her sins?” Absolutely nothing.
“What was the faith of Rahab, and how did it save her?” She believed in the report of the spies, the messengers of Jehovah. They had entered the city some time previously, and made known to her the solemn fact that Jericho was ripe for judgment. She believed the message, and, as an evidence of her faith, not only hid the messengers, after having received them, but sent them out another way (James 2:2525Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? (James 2:25)).
“But what security did this give her, seeing she was still left in the doomed city, and her house was upon its very walls? How should the executors of Divine vengeance distinguish her house from others, in spite of her faith?” This she felt, and asked for “a true token.” “Swear unto me by the Lord,” she said, “since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: and 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.” And 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.... Behold, 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. And 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.”
Thus that which was to ward off the stroke of Divine judgment was the display of the scarlet thread in the window. Whatever others may have thought or said about Rahab, or her house, her repose and trust were in the scarlet thread, the true token, which had been provided for her by the representatives of the people of Jehovah; her salvation entirely depended upon that thread.
And now the dread judgment was at their doors―Jericho was doomed. Solemnly the Lord’s hosts march round the city―all the men of war and seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. “So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp” (Josh. 6:1111So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. (Joshua 6:11)). “And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days” (vs. 14). “And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord Hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she, and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent” (vs. 17). “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
Beloved reader, do you know that the world in which you and I live is like ancient Jericho―exposed to the sure and righteous judgment of God? “He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man Whom He hath ordained”; and do you know that there is one way of salvation from the judgment, and one way only? No matter who you are; you might be even of royal blood, a mighty man of valor, or possibly a poor fallen creature like Rahab. Without distinction, there is but one way, and that by taking shelter beneath the precious blood of Christ. Just as Rahab was secure by virtue of the scarlet thread displayed at the window, so the “precious blood of Christ” is displayed before the eye of a holy God as that which is of His own provision, and of which He has said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” “Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness; that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3).
Divine love has made this gracious provision, the death of Christ has met all God’s holy, righteous claims against sin, so that He can now “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Will you not at once display the scarlet thread? Take your stand upon the atoning work of Christ as that, and that alone, by which you “shall be saved from wrath.” “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:8, 98But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8‑9)). Christ’s blood is the “true token,” all other hopes of salvation are vain.
“Precious, precious blood that shelters
From the wrath to come,
Gives the sinner right to enter that bright home.”
J. H. E