Pulelulu Sepitema 22, 2021
the scarlet cord of salvation
Maea kulokula ‘o e fakamo’ui
Siosiua 2 (Joshua 2)
(v. 17-21) Pea lea kiate ia ‘a e ongo tangata, ‘Oku ma fie ta‘ehalaia ‘i ho‘o fuakava ni, ‘a ia kuo ke fakafuakava‘i ai kimaua. Ko eni, ka mau ka omi ki he fonua ni, ko e maea filo kulokula ni te ke fakama‘u ‘i he kātupa, ‘a ia na‘a ke tuku hifo ai kimaua: pea te ke fakataha kiate koe ki fale ‘a ho‘o tamai mo ho‘o fa‘ē, mo ho ngaahi tuonga‘ane, mo e fale kotoa ‘o ho‘o tamai. Pea ka ‘ilonga ha taha ‘e ‘alu ki tu‘a ‘i he matapā ‘o ho fale, ‘e ‘i hono ‘ulu ‘o‘ona ‘a hono toto, ka ko kimaua te ma ‘ata‘atā mei ai: ka ‘ilonga ‘a ia ‘oku ‘iate koe ‘i fale, ko hono toto ‘e ‘i homa ‘ulu, ‘o kapau ‘e ala ha taha kiate ia. Ka ‘o kapau te ke fakahā ‘ema me‘a ni, te ma ‘ata‘atā ai mei ho‘o fuakava, ‘a ia kuo ke fakafuakava ai kimaua. Pea pehē ‘e he fefine, Ke fai pe ‘o hangē ko ia kuo mo lea‘aki. Pea ne tukuange kinaua, pea na ō: pea ne fakama‘u ‘a e maea kulokula ‘i he kātupa.
(v. 17-21) The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. 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. 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. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” 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.
G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible
Forty years before this time the spies had been sent out and had brought back to Moses their reports of the land. Of these, Joshua had been one of the two who had brought back a report revealing their recognition of the power of God.
Now Joshua himself once more sent out spies. The whole story, however, reveals the principle of his sending was very different from that underlying the sending of the spies in the time of Moses. As we saw in considering the Book of Numbers, the occasion then was almost certainly one savoring of unbelief. Here it was the action of faith.
Faith, however, is never foolhardiness. It acts with caution. Joshua's vision of God was no dimmer and his courage was evidenced by his attention to all the details of the coming conflict. Whatever the report of the spies might be, he would go forward, but it was important for him as a military leader to know the condition of affairs.
The men thus sent found all they wanted to know from conversation with Rahab. A comparison of what she said to them with the report which they brought to Joshua (verses Jos 2:9-24 ) will show that their report was in exact accord with what she told them.
Thus these spies returning to Joshua made it evident that the promise of God that no man should be able to stand before him was being fulfilled; for, according to Rahab, "the fear of you is fallen upon us."
Rahab's action was that of faith ( Heb 11:31 ), which was manifested in that she acted on the conviction that had come to her in common with the rest of the people in Jericho concerning this invading army. The men of Jericho shared that conviction but rebelled against it. Rahab recognized the activity of God and yielded to it. That is faith.
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