The Oath

DEVOTION

JOSHUA

THE OATH

 

Josh 2:14-24

14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." 17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." 21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

NIV

Now that we are at the oath made to Rahab regarding anyone in her house he will be saved from the attack on Jericho. It is her responsibility to see that her family is in her house, and it is by oath the Israelites will not harm that house, the one with the red cord hanging in the window. This was a covenant made between them that saved herself and her family. Is that our truth from this narrative? Is it being in the house to be saved from death? We know it is appointed for all men to die once, but Jesus told us that if we are in Him or remain in Him and He in us, although we die, we will live. In that sense, Jesus is the house, although we call Him our Fortress, our Rock. Because we remain in Jesus our blood in on His hands, He shed His blood so that we do not need to shed ours to be saved. But if we leave Jesus, and go out of him, into the world, then our blood is on our hands, it is going to cost us our lives. Someday those who refuse to get into the house and accept the saving grace of Jesus will melt in fear when they face their judgment. But we live in the place with the red cord, the blood of Jesus hanging over us. No harm will come to us. With all this marvelous truth, there is one more idea that we are brought. When Rahab told them to hide in the hills for three days, and then go back to their camp, we can see the three days Jesus was hiding in the hillside tomb, and after the three days, He returned to His camp with His disciples. We can hear Him tell us, “Surely I have given the whole land, all of heaven into your hands”. Along with that truth, we also note the two spies told Joshua everything that had happened to them. Of course, the Lord already knows everything that has and will happen to us, nevertheless, it would behoove us to always be truthful, be pure of heart before him, and try to not hide anything, any sin, any fault, even our flaws, for in of ourselves we have no righteousness. Let us always remain in Jesus, in the Fortress with the red cord of His blood, in fact, we have sprinkled His blood over the doorpost of our hearts so the death angel will pass over us. We live because of the oath of God.