Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
…26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself. Luke 24: 25-27
Often, in Bible believing church circles, you will hear people talk of the Scarlet thread, which traces the places in the OT relating to Christ, the pictures of the sacrifice, the tabernacle which we recently discussed, and a host of appearances by the Angel of the Lord. My intent was to give a few examples and we started back in Genesis with the promise of the Seed, Who would come from the woman, be wounded by His enemy, but in the end, crush His enemy's head, a fatal blow. So this is what we have been doing with Seeing Red, and though I won't cover all of the instances, this should help our minds be more alert whenever we read through the Old Testament, and you will learn more each time, and the depths of what you learn will never end. So where do they get the terminology for the Scarlet Thread or Cord?
…17The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear 18unless, 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 and brothers and all your family into your house. 19If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads.… Joshua 2: 17-19
Wow! This looks a lot like the Passover, where the Jews painted the blood of the Passover Lamb on their door posts, but this woman is a pagan, and even worse, a prostitute, but oddly enough, these are such that God chooses to save, sinners. We all are, but those that are self righteous have a great difficulty in seeing it, always thinking that God needed them on His team because they are so good. This woman heard of the miracles, saw them cross through the Jordan, and she became a proselyte to the One true God, the God of the Hebrews. She rescued the Jewish spies, hiding them from those who sought their lives.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. 31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient. 32And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,… Hebrews 11: 30-32
…30But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”… Luke 5: 30-32
…24As you can see, a man is justified by his deeds and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by her actions when she welcomed the spies and sent them off on another route? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.… James 2: 24-26
So another interesting thing about Rahab in relation to Jesus, she is an relative of Jesus, a part of His lineage. She and Ruth were both outsiders, gentiles, who were not only brought into Judaism, but into the very line of the Messiah, the Son of David.
…4Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. 5Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,… Matthew 1: 4-6
That got us as far as the book of Joshua, whose name means "God is Deliverance" or "The Lord is my Salvation". From here we go to the Judges, and these were people that God set apart, raised up at times to help Israel against there oppressors, particularly the Philistines. This was the time of which it was said:
…24And at that time, each of the Israelites returned from there to his own tribe and clan, each to his own inheritance. 25In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21: 24-25
Now the people will want a king, someone to go out and fight for them, someone to maintain the rule of law, someone who will be a good judge, but what they don't realize is that among sinners there is none so righteous. Even the best kings could be followed by the worst sons, as with the priests, who we discussed, and none of the Judges were without issue either. These are all living in the shadows, as Samson was, a sort of super hero among men, the kind of thing we imagine in comic books, the stuff of legend. He was strong at least, and somewhat clever, so for most, who think might makes right or can if the right person has it, he was like a Marvel of D.C. type of hero, one with the special powers needed to fight the evil of that day. Interestingly though, Samson was even more effective in his death than in his life.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. Judges 16 KJV
So now we jump to Samuel, and his is a wonderful story in it's own right, a mother who ask God for a son and promises to give the son back to the service of God. He becomes a prophet, and whenever God sends a prophet there is usually problems with the people or the priesthood, the kings, or all of the above. God speaks to Samuel, and later Samuel anoints the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David. God will send a prophet to anoint the King of kings as well.
…12So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.” 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16: 12-13
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3: 13-17
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