A prostitute's Pride

The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself
PLATO

Growth geng

Grace means our imperfections- even the things that once marked us as flawed- now serve and signify something greater.

An example….

In the Old Testament we meet a prostitute named Rahab. Before taking over the Promised Land, Joshua sent two spies to scout the land. Apparently, they spent the night in her home. With all the “coming and going,” they’d never be noticed. Plus, even if they were, no one ever tattles about who was in the whore house with them. In doing so, you rat yourself out.

She told those spies that the people in her home city of Jericho had been “melting in fear” of them for the previous 40 years (Joshua 2:11). Yes, even though the Israelites were certain the “giants in the land” would smash them, the giants were the ones who were afraid (Numbers 13:33).

She asked them, “Save me and my family.”

The spies agreed- as long as she throws a red cord in the window of her home- the window that sat in the city wall (Joshua 2:18).

Where did the cord come from?

It came from her door. Red cords were the signposts prostitutes and madams hung to denote they were open for business. She took that sign- the one thing that would have marked her as a woman of shame- and placed it in her window for the world to see. Everyone marching with Israel would see and know that the very thing that shamed her was now the thing that marked her for salvation (2:21).

Here’s where things get even more interesting…

Not only is the woman mentioned in the Hall of Fame of faith (Hebrews 11:31), but she’s also an ancestor of King David… which makes her an ancestor of Jesus. She right here, listed in the genealogical records that we generally skip when we go looking for the Christmas story (Matthew 1:5).

And then there’s this…

That red cord is featured all throughout the sacrificial system. Apparently, when the priest laid an offering on the altar, they also set a red cord atop it for everyone to see (Leviticus 14:49-51, Numbers 19:6).

How’s that for irony?

Perhaps this is what Isaiah meant when he wrote, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (1:18 ESV).

Yes, grace works greatest when we strip the accuser of his accusation, taking it and flipping it into a signifier of salvation.

With Love,
Evangelist Emeka Ezera
Chief Growth Explorer,
Growth Squad 🌱✨

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