Participants: Roy Brown
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000318
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00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel.
00:34 What a delightful experience it is to be 00:37 in a situation where we can talk about the things 00:41 that relate to eternal life in Jesus Christ. 00:45 My name is Roy R. Brown, Retired President 00:49 of the Southeastern Conference of 00:51 Seventh-day Adventist. 00:54 My topic for today is The Scarlet Thread. 01:01 Let us pray. Eternal God and our Father, 01:05 we thank you for the blessings of this day. 01:11 In searching Your word may we find life 01:15 through Jesus Christ. Amen. 01:21 Moses had the monumental task of taking 01:25 the children of Israel through the desert 01:29 for 40 years because of their unbelief, 01:35 because they were reluctant in just having 01:40 faith in God. They must travel for 40 long years, 01:46 at long last however they must now face 01:52 and have combat with those people from whom 01:56 they must rest the land known as Canaan, 02:01 their entry into the promised land. 02:03 Joshua, Moses' successor was an eyewitness 02:10 to all of the miracles that God had shown 02:14 and demonstrated His power in their 02:18 journey towards the promised land, 02:21 like the crossing of the Red Sea, 02:25 like Moses hands being held up to heaven 02:28 while the battle wave in favor of Israel 02:31 against the Amalekites, he saw the display of 02:35 God's glory that random and awesome experience 02:39 on the Mount Sinai as God declared 02:41 His holy will to all of the Israelites. 02:44 He is now in leadership position and God speaks 02:50 pastorally to Moses, to Joshua. 02:54 He says to him in Joshua 1:5 02:59 "No man shall be able to stand before you all 03:03 the days of your life; as I was with Moses, 03:08 so I will be with you; I will not leave you 03:13 nor forsake you." 03:17 There is no better way to embark upon any 03:22 ministry program, irrespective of what it is, 03:27 there is no better way to start a project 03:30 than this or not a colleague, 03:35 not an administrator, not a spouse, 03:39 not a friend, not a parent but God. 03:45 And He says to Joshua, as I was with Moses 03:49 so I'll be with you. It sounds almost like 03:53 Jesus in His departing moments from His disciples 03:56 then He said, lo, I am with you always even 03:59 to the end of the age. There would be that 04:02 divine human relationship as I was with him 04:07 so I will be with you. You see my friends, 04:10 Jesus is the same yesterday, today 04:15 and forever and there is recorded in this book 04:21 written by Joshua. One of the greatest 04:25 historical episodes in Israel's conquest of the 04:30 promised land. There are two pivotal things 04:34 in this chapter two. One is that there is a 04:38 revelation of the plan of God and secondly, 04:41 God's plan to have all nations, 04:44 that's all kindreds, tongue and people to 04:47 populate the place he is now preparing for them 04:49 called the heavenly mansion. 04:52 Jericho was the key citadel of the 04:54 Jordan Valley. Its elimination was the 04:59 first imperative task of Joshua. 05:02 Geographically it commanded the passes 05:05 into the central highlands by destroying Jericho 05:10 this center of idolatry Israel would establish 05:14 number one, a bridge head and secondly their 05:18 progress would have been unimpeded. 05:21 Canaan's occupation was 40 years deferred 05:27 because of unbelief and Joshua purposed 05:31 in his heart that there would be no blind entry 05:34 into the promised land so he calls two spies, 05:41 two men with endurance, resourcefulness, 05:46 adaptability, wit, quickness of perception, 05:51 coolness and with a purpose to search the 05:54 land and to checkout Canaan and bring a report, 05:59 they are dispatched. After their reconnaissance 06:02 mission, there is not a single report from 06:07 these two men indicating any demographic study. 06:11 When they came back from the search in Jericho, 06:14 they did not say how high the walls were, 06:17 what the size was, what the population was, 06:20 where the location of the exits and 06:23 the entrances are, what the activities 06:25 and the daily schedules of the people were? 06:28 There was not a single word? 06:31 You see my wife and I went down for our wedding 06:33 anniversary to Italy and since we were going 06:37 to be there for over two weeks I decided 06:40 to see all the sites in these various cities 06:43 and Naples and in Florence and Milan over to 06:47 Genoa and over to Venice and in Rome 06:51 and I discovered something after 06:53 a little while, that when 12 O'clock came 06:55 everything seem to shutdown and they do not 06:59 open again until may be about 12 O'clock before 07:01 they opened again 3 O'clock and so what 07:05 we did was we do all our site seeing 07:07 and all our activities until 12 O'clock 07:11 and then we left we would use between one 07:15 and three just to travel to the next point 07:17 and then whatever was available after noon 07:21 hours we would then observe it. 07:24 But in these men, mission in Jericho they did not 07:28 come back with a single statement regarding 07:32 what they had seen. Here is all they brought 07:34 back and I am in the book of Joshua 07:36 I am in chapter 2, and I am looking at verse 24. 07:39 Here is what the men said upon their return 07:43 from the land, they said, and they said to Joshua 07:47 "Truly the Lord has delivered all the 07:50 land into our hands, for indeed all the 07:52 inhabitants of the country are fainthearted 07:55 because of us." My friends, may I clearly say 08:01 as much as I can that in the destruction of our 08:05 "Jericho's" Taking the cities in our conflicts 08:12 in the struggles that we have in life. 08:15 Whether it be employment, economic, 08:18 educational whatever the struggle might be, 08:21 you name it, God does not need out ingenuity. 08:28 The battle is not ours it's the Lord's and faith 08:33 is the victory. In Zechariah, 08:37 the chapter is 4, and the verse is 6, 08:41 lets hear what God says. 08:43 This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. 08:48 "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, 08:54 says the Lord of hosts." It is not the numbers, 09:01 it is not influence, it is not strategy, 09:06 it's by the Spirit of the Lord. God is responsible 09:10 and He says that He will save us. 09:13 I am in the book of Deuteronomy, 09:14 I am at chapter 20 and I would like to read 09:18 verses 1 through 4. Here is God almighty speaking, 09:23 He says and this was clear I am sure to 09:28 Joshua since it was written by Moses 09:31 "When you go out to battle against 09:33 your enemies, and see horses and chariots 09:36 and people more numerous than you, 09:39 do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God 09:42 is with you, who brought you up from the 09:43 land of Egypt. So it shall be when 09:46 you're on the verge of battle, 09:48 that the priest shall approach the people 09:50 to say to the people and He shall say to them, 09:55 hear O Israel today you are on the verge 09:59 of battle with your enemies. 10:01 Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid 10:07 and do not tremble or be terrified because 10:10 of them for the Lord you God is He who goes 10:15 with you, to fight for you against your enemies 10:18 to save you." They had this marvelous 10:21 opportunity to know that in the conquest 10:24 of Canaan's land that God says not only will 10:29 he fight for them but that God will save them. 10:33 The instruction of Joshua's was simple 10:37 to go and view the land. 10:39 We are not told where else they went but 10:43 we are told that they did obey God. 10:45 They were in Jericho, they went to Rahab's house 10:48 and the Bible also indicates in the book 10:52 of Joshua, I'm reading chapter 2 and verse 2-4, 10:56 verses 2 to 4 and it was told the King of Jericho 10:59 saying "Behold, men have come here tonight 11:03 from the children of Israel to search out 11:05 the country." So the King of Jericho sent to 11:09 Rahab saying bring out the men who have come 11:12 to you and have entered your house, 11:15 for they have come to search out all 11:17 the country. Then the woman took the two men 11:21 and hid them. So she said yes, 11:23 men came to me but I did not know 11:26 where they were from. Interesting, Solomon said, 11:32 there is nothing new under the Sun. 11:36 These men finally came to Rahab's house to find 11:41 these men and between all they know how 11:47 they had whether they were CIA, FBI, KGB, 11:52 Scotland Yard, we do not know but when they came, 11:57 the woman said yes, I know two men came, 11:59 but I do not know where they are gone 12:01 you need to go and check and find for yourself. 12:04 There is a thing called wild goose chase. 12:06 They were sent on a wild goose chase nothing 12:08 new under the Sun and she said she had hid 12:11 them upon the roof amidst the flakes, 12:14 and the oats and the barley that she had, 12:17 that's camouflage. She did not display 12:22 where these men were in fact she lied. 12:26 And my question is to me until you my friends 12:30 is a lie ever justifiable? Can the pressures of 12:35 circumstances palliate it? Whatever happened to 12:40 death before dishonor? Should Rahab have 12:44 turned over the spies to the authorities? 12:47 The two spies were in her house. 12:51 I don't care how much skillful reasoning we do. 12:57 We cannot make Rahab's act of treachery 13:01 to her own people right. 13:05 A lie is always offensive to God, 13:08 whether Rahab told it or Abraham did it by 13:14 lying about his wife Sarah being his sister, 13:19 or David lying to Saul by saying to Jonathan 13:24 he is to tell his daddy he's gone down to 13:27 Jesse's father for some celebration 13:29 or Peter saying to the maid at the 13:33 crucifixion of Jesus, I don't even know 13:35 the men. I don't know where he came from 13:37 I don't know who he is, not once but three times. 13:40 We cannot justify that. A lie is always offensive 13:45 to God but before we walk all over Rahab. 13:50 We ought to remember that light from 13:53 God is progressive. We who are Christ accepted 13:58 him and his truth and gradually God unfolds 14:02 to us all of the sacred will, 14:05 when you are converted. Jesus told Peter 14:09 while he was a disciple then go and work for 14:13 the brethren and also Peter wrote later 14:17 on in his life when all of these facts 14:20 had pulled upon him. He said that we are to 14:24 add to our faith virtue and to virtue tempers 14:30 and to tempers knowledge. 14:33 There has to be a constant walk of faith. 14:36 Rahab had not reached where she ought to 14:40 have been as yet and she could say with certainty 14:47 God is not through with me yet, 14:51 I am still under construction. 14:54 The God we serve is mighty to save, 14:58 how all the people we do not know 15:02 what the population count was, 15:04 but of all the people in Jericho Rahab was 15:07 the only person that articulated God's 15:11 intervention in the fears of the land. 15:15 She welcomed the spies, she perfectly did well 15:20 reason for their visit to Jericho. 15:25 She says I know why you're here, 15:27 she is commended in scripture not for her 15:32 falsehood but for her faith. 15:36 Not for her treachery but for her faith, 15:41 not for lying but for her faith. 15:44 Hebrews 11 chapter and verse 31, 15:48 the Bible says, By faith the harlot Rahab did not 15:54 perish with those who did not believe, 15:58 when she had received the spies with peace. 16:05 Will you please listen to her conversation 16:07 with the two spies after the government officials 16:11 had gone on their wild goose chase. 16:14 Its awesome, may God grant each of us 16:18 the courage, the conviction, the awesome 16:22 power to speak about our heavenly Father 16:25 in the way that Rahab spoke about God. 16:29 It is so least with the grandeur of her concept 16:34 of the high and holy God. 16:36 I am in the book of Joshua, 16:37 I am in chapter 2 and I am looking at 16:40 verses 9 through 11. 16:41 Here is what she said and she said to the men, 16:46 "I know that the Lord has given you the land, 16:51 that the terror of you has fallen on us 16:56 and that all inhabitants of the land are 16:58 fainthearted because of you." 17:01 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the 17:03 water of the Red Sea for you when you came out 17:06 of Egypt, and what you did to the two Kings 17:09 of the Amorites who were on the other side 17:11 of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly 17:15 destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things 17:18 our hearts melted, neither did there remain 17:21 any more courage in anyone of you because 17:25 of the Lord, for he is God in heaven above 17:29 and on earth beneath. She says I know that our 17:34 hearts are melting, there is no more courage 17:37 in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God. 17:41 She says, he is God in heaven above and 17:44 on earth beneath. What an awesome declaration 17:49 of God's position and His character. 17:53 She believed in God's power and his dominion 17:57 over earth, heaven, she believed his promise 18:02 to His people Israel. She had greater faith 18:06 then even the men who came to her. 18:09 She hadn't seen the conquest as yet. 18:12 She had no opportunity to see any of the walls 18:16 of Jericho falling down but she believed, 18:18 she spoke even with greater assurance 18:22 than those who were eyewitnesses of the 18:27 wonders that she enumerated because 18:30 when God took those men and women out of Egypt 18:33 through the Red Sea and God gave them an 18:37 opportunity just to believe that he would 18:40 do more for them. The Bible says that 18:43 there was in them a heart of unbelief. 18:46 This woman heard about it and she believeth, 18:51 please listen to Rahab and be committed. 18:56 She did not say, I think that the Lord is God 19:02 in heaven above and in earth. I suppose so, 19:05 I guess so no she didn't say like that, 19:09 what she said was I know. She was positive, 19:14 it was a for sure statement, 19:17 she said we have heard and she says the Lord 19:22 he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. 19:27 Her declarations were plain, uncut, raw, 19:33 untarnished, simple faith. This woman trusted 19:38 in God. she trusted in his words. 19:42 When Thomas heard that Jesus was resurrected 19:47 Thomas said except I see the nail prints 19:52 in his hands, except I see the wound in his side, 19:56 except I see the nail prints in his feet Thomas 19:59 says I will not believe. Jesus came eight days 20:02 later and he said Thomas, because you've seen my 20:06 hands and my feet and my side Thomas 20:09 you believe but he says blessed are they who have 20:12 not seen yet have believed. 20:15 How great is Rahab's faith, 20:17 the woman hadn't see, all she implied was hearing 20:21 not see. She says we heard what God has done. 20:25 Rahab's faith was a complete declaration 20:29 that we ought to trust in God. God can do salvation 20:33 without our intervention, God does need our hands, 20:38 God can enter hearts which seem 20:40 incapable of him pre, appreciating his 20:43 grace and love. God doesn't need us 20:46 but he gives us some opportunity to have 20:49 fellowship and to work alongside of him. 20:52 Rahab's faith was not the product of some 20:56 teacher, Rahab's faith was not because of some 21:00 literature evangelist, some Bible counselor, 21:05 some evangelist on the walls of Jericho 21:08 or some priest, or some scribe, 21:11 or some Levitt had introduced her to Christ. 21:14 God simply lifted her to his marvelous light 21:19 all from darkened Jericho's lifestyle. 21:23 He saved her, he released her from grossest 21:27 idolatry and from foulest sin, simply by having 21:33 seaweeds testify of his greatness and the fact 21:39 that he is God. Indeed the Bible is right, 21:44 without faith it is impossible to please 21:48 God for when we must come we must simply 21:51 believe that God is and that God is the rewarder 21:55 of them that diligently seek him. 21:57 She knew that judgment was coming and the God 22:01 would soon take the land she says, 22:03 you know our hearts fail, she said with all 22:06 the swagger and destruct and the bravado 22:09 and the issues of Satan, he knows he has a 22:13 short time, this city is going down and 22:16 so she struck a deal if you please with the 22:19 two spies, she entered into a covenant wisdom. 22:23 She says I want you to help me out. 22:26 I want you to save me when you get back 22:29 not only me but I want to save my mummy, 22:32 my daddy, my brothers and sisters 22:34 and their families. And the Bible says in 22:37 Joshua 2 and verse 18, they said after having 22:41 made a covenant, entered into a covenant 22:44 with Rahab they said, unless when we come into 22:48 the land you bind this line of scarlet cord 22:52 in the window through which you let us down, 22:56 and unless you bring your father and 22:58 your mother and your brothers and all your 23:00 fathers household to your home 23:02 we will not be responsible. 23:04 Oh! Marvelous, that is so good, that is so nice, 23:07 all they asked her to do is you're going to 23:09 let us down on the Jericho's wall by this 23:13 scarlet cord and they said when you let us 23:17 down what we want to do is for you to hang 23:20 this in the window and when we comeback 23:23 we will take care of you. My brothers and sisters 23:26 this is too good for us it seems. 23:31 Can you understand Rahab pleading 23:33 with her parents and her siblings 23:35 and all they had to come into the house 23:38 on the wall, house of shame which now 23:42 became house of salvation. 23:45 Her message was simple, 23:46 I wonder what she told them, 23:48 all she was I have this scarlet cord. 23:52 This scarlet thread according to the 23:54 King James version, this scarlet thread 23:56 is in my position and all I need for you to do 23:58 is to come in my house because once you get 24:01 into the house you can't get out but salvation 24:03 will be in the house. It was a symbol of God's 24:07 promise to deliver, to save from the on 24:11 coming judgment and the book of Joshua 24:14 the chapter is 6 verse 25 the Bible says 24:18 "And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot 24:22 and her father's household 24:24 and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel 24:29 to this day." What kind of lecture, 24:32 what kind of Bible study did she give 24:35 to her family? You see God was not looking 24:38 for Rahab on that faithful day no more 24:42 than when he comes again when he be looking 24:45 for our achievements and our accomplishments. 24:49 The question is do you have the scarlet cord 24:53 in the window, is the blood of Jesus Christ 24:56 over your life. Jesus said, when I see the blood 25:01 I will passover you. Rahab and us must leave 25:08 everything that we have to total faith in 25:12 Jesus Christ because we are not redeemed 25:15 with corruptible things such as silver 25:18 and gold but with the precious blood of 25:20 Jesus Christ. Rahab was saved on the wall 25:26 and everyone who came in had to remain 25:29 in the house with Rahab, 25:31 in order to find salvation and so it is with us 25:35 we must have the scarlet thread representative 25:38 or symbolic of the blood of Jesus over us 25:41 and we also must have Christ within the 25:46 life operating. Rahab became an Israelite, 25:52 she became the wife of the head of the 25:55 tribe of Judah, Salmon by name. 25:59 Probably one of two spies because Ephraim 26:02 and Judah were usually sent on important 26:05 assignments, her child was Boaz, brightest 26:10 and most honorable of Israel's saints. 26:14 Ruth, a Moabites was her daughter-in-law. 26:18 Her grandchild's grandchild was David, 26:22 Jesus Christ of Nazareth. If you please, 26:25 his ancestor traces back all the way to Rahab, 26:29 in the book of Matthew. I am in chapter 1, 26:32 and I'm reading verse 5. Matthew 1:5 26:35 the Bible says Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, 26:39 Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse 26:43 and Jesse was the father of David, 26:46 the plan of salvation unfolded in majesty 26:50 and beauty. The plan of salvation, 26:53 the in-gathering of souls of all nations kindred, 26:57 tongue and people as requested by God 26:59 was done, and through the blood we all our saved. 27:04 Saved like the scarlet thread in the window 27:08 and all remaining in the house of God 27:11 by his grace, by his sacrifice and by his love. 27:15 Praise God from whom all blessings flow 27:17 and indeed the Bible says, they overcame him 27:21 by the blood of the lamb at the great feast 27:26 in heaven we all will be there because sin died 27:30 at the cross. Condemnation lifted us 27:34 at the cross, ruining was removed at the cross, 27:37 death sentence was revoked at the cross, 27:40 slave chains were snapped at the cross, 27:44 the shadow of death was dispelled at the cross, 27:48 darkness of eternity was radiated at the cross. 27:51 Hallelujah to the Cross of 27:54 Jesus Christ on which He died. |
Revised 2014-12-17