New Allegiance: Marked by the Scarlet Sign

 Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 2 -  Tuesday Commentary

Marked by the Scarlet Sign

Scripture: Joshua 2:12–21; Exodus 12:13, 22–23

When the spies agreed with Rahab, they gave her a sign—a scarlet cord to hang from her window. That cord would mark her house as a place of safety, just as the blood on the doorposts marked the homes of the Israelites during the first Passover. In both stories, death and destruction were coming, but deliverance was granted to those covered by the sign of blood.

The Exodus texts remind us that salvation is not based on personal worth, but on God’s promise. The Israelites were not spared because of their righteousness, but because of the blood of the lamb. Likewise, Rahab and her family were not spared because of her past, but because she trusted in God’s word and displayed the scarlet cord. Both the lamb’s blood in Egypt and Rahab’s cord in Jericho point us to the greater blood of Christ, who saves us from eternal destruction.

The gospel message here is powerful: deliverance is found not in our deeds, but in the sign of faith placed in God’s provision. The scarlet thread runs through Scripture, ultimately fulfilled in the cross of Jesus Christ. Just as Rahab’s house and Israel’s households were passed over in judgment, so all who trust in Christ are covered and secure.

Gospel Lessons:

1. God’s salvation is marked by faith and obedience to His word.

2. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace—Rahab the prostitute became part of Christ’s lineage.

3. Our safety lies not in ourselves, but in the blood of the Lamb who was slain.

4. God’s promises are sure: when He says destruction will “pass over,” it surely will.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the scarlet thread of redemption that runs from the Passover in Egypt to Rahab’s window in Jericho, and finally to the cross of Jesus Christ. Help me to trust not in myself, but in the blood of the Lamb who saves me. May my life be marked by faith and obedience, and may I always point others to the safety found in Christ alone. In His name I pray, Amen.

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