Today's Passage - Joshua 2:15-20

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 2:15-20   So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. She 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."Now the men had said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 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. If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them.             Now the two spies told Rahab about a sign for her deliverance, which is to tie a scarlet cord in the window and gather everyone in her household to her house. I believe that this was not a random signs that the spies came up from nowhere. In fact, this is the sign that God set up when the Israelites departed from Egypt. Back then God sent ten plagues to Egypt because the Pharaoh's heart was hardened and refused to let the Israelites go. The last plague was the plague on the firstborn, where God sent a destroyer to destroy every firstborn of Egypt, both human and cattle. The only exception was for the Israelites to gather at home to kill a lamb and put some blood of the lamb at the top and both sides of doorframes. So that the destroyer would pass over the Israelites' homes and entered those homes without the sign to take lives.             The Israelites were saved neither because they are God's chosen people nor they are a better people; it was only because of the sign. In fact, the destroyer acted by the sign and not the people, if the gentiles had blood on their doorframe, the destroyer would have spared their lives. On the flip side, if an Israelites family didn't have blood on their doorframe, they would be killed by the destroyer. The Israelites were delivered by the lamb of the Passover, which symbolized Christ. The Israelites living in Egypt signified us being bound by sins in the world and not being freed. The blood of the lamb allowed the Israelites to escape from judgment temporarily, but the blood of Jesus Christ allows us to escape from judgment permanently.             Today we are saved not because of our cultures, ethnicity, knowledge, or even good deeds; we are saved because we have by faith received the salvation, which means believing in the redemption of the blood of Jesus Christ and accepting Him as our personal Lord and savior. Rahab was a gentile who had no salvation, but she recognized her needs and understood that she cannot save herself. Therefore when she rescued these spies by faith and received the sign of deliverance by faith, she received her salvation. Dear brothers and sisters, the salvation of God is never because we are worthy of it, but because of Christ's work and our faith. When we come to Jesus by faith, we will experience His deliverance.   Pray with Pastor Tong     Dear Lord, I thank you, for You have chosen us so that we may belong to You. We are all unworthy but we are now freed because of Your work. I thank you and I pray all these in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!