THE SCARLET ROPE PT3

Rufus had watched as the men stood up to follow Rahab. He was in the inn and had witnessed the whole incident. He got up and slid away. He was going straight to the King’s palace. He knew who these men were. He himself was a wonderer who came in and out of the city often. He had met the likes of such men. They were Israelites. And their appearance in the city only confirmed the rumor going round. These men were after their city.

They were a strange people, following a strange god they claim they worship but cannot see. Anyway their god was powerful and had brought them much conquest. Because of this they were greatly feared by all though they were but a small people.

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At the King’s palace, they news had brought in much fear and insecurity. Servants were seen whispering among themselves. The King was greatly outraged by such news. He ordered some guards along with Rufus to Rahab’s abode. They were to bring the men out to him for strict questioning and later sentenced to death. The King was angry but all knew that this anger was greatly motivated by fear.

He would be the third King in a row of Israel’s conquest and wouldn’t want the spies to get away with that. Who knew how much they have learned from Rahab. That woman knew the secret he spoke even in his chambers. How she did, he had no idea.

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Meanwhile, Rahab was still in the room with her guest. It was evening now. She was enthralled by all she had heard initially but hearing it from her guest’s mouth was enough. She wished she belonged to this group of people who did not fear anything and to be led by such a strange but powerful God. Suddenly her servant girl rushed into her room panting. 

“Madam! Madam! Rufus and some guards are heading our way”. The servant girl spoke. This made Rahab panic but she didn’t show this to the servant girl. “Ok thank you dear”. And she let her go.

Turning to her guest; “quick come with me, there is no time”. She told them. She led them behind a hidden door towards her roof. She was the only one who knew this door. It was mostly overloaded with clothes and draperies. She had some stalk of flax there since it was the time of harvest. 

“Lie down quietly and do not move till I come for you” She told them.

She went back down and began to re-arrange the room. She messed up her hair and removed the upper part of her garment. She ruffled the bedspread to portray that she recently had a guest lover. Then the big bang on the door came.

“The King orders you Rahab to bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” The lead guard shouted.

Rahab came to the door and opened it. “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.  At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” She lied.

“You can come inside and check for yourselves”. Rufus peeped in and noticed that there was no one there. 

Besides the room was too small to hide two men no matter how small they were.

“Quick lets go after them so that we can catch up with them.” Rufus spoke

So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

“Hmmm”, she breathed a relief sign. A thought came to her. Why be part of a city or nation that would eventually be destroyed. She would save herself because surely the God of the Israelites had given the land of Jericho into their hands. She could also escape their destruction with her siblings and her parents and even her servants.

Besides, she wanted to be part of this well known and feared people. She wanted to know their God. The owner and maker of heaven and earth. She wanted to experience being led by ONE who was greatly feared and perhaps serve him too. That is if he allowed prostitutes to be part of his flock. She liked the way God treated his people it was like a father as well as a mother. He watched over them jealously not like those useless gods her people had. All the stories she had heard about Him was true. Then she wanted what they had.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof ⁹ and said to them, 

“I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea^[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.^{[b] 11} When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

¹² “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”

¹⁴ “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------To be continued.................