The Faithfulness of God: Keeping Our Word
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Good morning, beloved congregation. Today, we gather to reflect on the steadfast faithfulness of our God, as beautifully illustrated in Joshua 2:17-24. This passage, set in the story of Rahab and the spies, reveals how God’s promises hold firm, even in the face of uncertainty, danger, and human imperfection. As we explore this text, let us open our hearts to see how God’s faithfulness guides, protects, and delivers those who trust in Him.
17 The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear,
18 unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house.
19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his death will be his own fault, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault.
20 And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22 So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.
23 Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them.
24 They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”
God’s Faithfulness in Keeping Promises
God’s Faithfulness in Keeping Promises
In this passage, the spies make a covenant with Rahab, promising her safety in exchange for her help. This agreement, marked by the scarlet cord, is not just a human contract—it points to God’s greater promise of deliverance. Rahab, a woman outside the covenant people, trusts in the God of Israel, and He proves faithful to her.
Scriptural Insight: The spies’ oath reflects God’s character. Just as they promise to spare Rahab and her family, God consistently keeps His promises to His people. In Genesis 12, He promised Abraham a land and a nation, and now, in Joshua, that promise is unfolding as Israel prepares to enter Canaan.
God’s faithfulness is not limited by our status, past, or doubts. Rahab, a Canaanite and a prostitute, found favor because she trusted God. Today, God’s promises—to forgive, to guide, to provide—are just as sure for us.
20 For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.
You can’t break God’s promises by leaning on them!
Source unknown
Where do you need to trust God’s promises today?
God’s promises were never meant to ferry our laziness. Like a boat, they are to be rowed by our oars; but many men, entering, forget the oar, and drift down more helpless in the boat than if they had staid on shore. There is not an experience in life by whose side God has not fixed a promise. There is not a trouble so deep and swift-running, that we may not cross safely over, if we have courage to steer and strength to pull. Beecher.
God’s Faithfulness in Providing Protection
God’s Faithfulness in Providing Protection
17 The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear,
18 unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house.
19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his death will be his own fault, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault.
20 And if you report our mission, we are free from the oath you made us swear.”
21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.
22 So the two men went into the hill country and stayed there three days until the pursuers had returned. They searched all along the way, but did not find them.
23 Then the men returned, came down from the hill country, and crossed the Jordan. They went to Joshua son of Nun and reported everything that had happened to them.
The scarlet cord in Rahab’s window is a powerful symbol of God’s protection. Just as the blood on the doorposts spared the Israelites during the Passover (Exodus 12), this cord marks Rahab’s household for salvation. God not only orchestrates the spies’ safety but also ensures Rahab’s deliverance when Jericho falls.
The spies’ safe return to Joshua (v. 23) shows God’s hand at work, guiding them through enemy territory. Rahab’s faith in tying the cord demonstrates her trust in God’s protection, even amidst a city doomed to destruction.
God is our refuge and strength
1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.
In life’s uncertainties—whether financial struggles, health challenges, or broken relationships—God remains faithful to shield those who seek Him. What “scarlet cord” of faith are you tying to God’s promises for protection in your life?
In 1947, missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis settled with their four children by the Mule River in the Honan province of China. Nearby, a mission church swelled with nearly a thousand Chinese every Sunday. It would have been a happy time but for the impending war between Chiang kai-Shek and the forces of Mao Tse-tung.
One day, Nationalist Captain Hwang urgently told Mr. Hillis, “The Communists are marching on Mule River Market. You had better take your family and flee.” But it was too late. The Reds had blown up all railroad bridges. That evening the Hillises heard the first shots, and soon the battle raged around them. There was no sleep as they spent the night in prayer. The city soon fell, and the streets filled with Communist troops.
Then a new danger arose. Captain Hwang, outside the city walls, was lobbing shells at the rebels. The bombing reached a crescendo one night as each shell dropped closer to the Hillis’ home. The house next door exploded, killing all the inhabitants, and it appeared the Hillis’ home would be next. The family huddled in the corner as another shell exploded, sending dirt, glass, and bricks through windows and walls. The house quaked. The children screamed, momentarily deafened. The family prepared for death. But the shelling abruptly stopped, and the Hillises cautiously emerged from their corner. The room was filled with debris, but no one was hurt.
By and by, as Dick tucked each child into bed, he knelt beside Margaret Anne and noticed a dirty scrap of paper stuffed under her pillow. On it was printed in big, childlike letters these words: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
During the Chinese nights of terror, little Margaret Anne had been resting on a very big verse from a very faithful God.
God’s Faithfulness in Guiding His People
God’s Faithfulness in Guiding His People
24 They told Joshua, “The Lord has handed over the entire land to us. Everyone who lives in the land is also panicking because of us.”
The spies’ report to Joshua in verse 24—“The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands”—is a testament to God’s guidance. Their confidence stems not from their own strength but from God’s assurance of victory. Through Rahab’s testimony and God’s providence, the spies see His faithfulness at work.
God uses unlikely people, like Rahab, to confirm His plans. Her faith strengthens the spies, and their report emboldens Israel. This mirrors how God guides us through His Word, His Spirit, and even the encouragement of others.
God is faithful to lead us, even when the path seems unclear.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.
this remind us to trust in the Lord with all our heart.
Are you seeking God’s guidance in your decisions? Trust that He will direct your steps, just as He did for the spies.
Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust:
When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?”
Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she asked.
He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray that I have clarity.”
She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.”
When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”
When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”
Conclusion
Joshua 2:17-24 reminds us that God’s faithfulness is unwavering. He keeps His promises, provides protection, and guides His people, just as He did for Rahab and the spies. As we face our own “Jerichos”—challenges that seem insurmountable—let us hold fast to the scarlet cord of God’s faithfulness. Trust Him, seek Him, and rest in His unchanging love.
This week, reflect on one promise of God that speaks to your situation. Write it down, pray over it, and share with someone how God’s faithfulness has sustained you.
This week, reflect on one promise of God that speaks to your situation. Write it down, pray over it, and share with someone how God’s faithfulness has sustained you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your steadfast faithfulness. Like Rahab, help us to trust Your promises, seek Your protection, and follow Your guidance. May we live boldly for You, knowing You are faithful to deliver us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
