Di Red Rope

Footsteps for di staircase. Soldiers for di door. Up for di flat roof, two men lie down quiet-quiet under heaps of flax wey dem spread make e dry, dem no even dey breathe well. And di woman wey get di house go down go answer.

After forty years for di wilderness, di people of Israel camp for di east side of di Jordan River. For di other side of di water, na di land wey God promise dem, and di city wey dey guard im door na Jericho, city wey get wall, one oasis of palm trees for di hot Jordan valley. Joshua, Israel new leader, secretly send two men make dem go look di land, especially Jericho. Dem enter di city quietly and go di house of one woman wey dem dey call Rahab. Bible call her harlot, prostitute. Dem build her house inside di city wall itself. Na di kind place where strangers fit come and go and nobody go notice. But no be dis time.

Somebody go report give di king of Jericho: men from Israel don come tonight to search di land. Di king send message to Rahab. Bring out di men wey come your house. But Rahab don already hide dem for her roof, under di flax stalks wey she spread make e dry. Yes, she talk, some men come true-true, but I no know where dem come from. When dark reach, as dem wan close di city gate, dem comot. I no know where dem go. Run follow dem quick, una fit catch dem. Di king men rush go di place where people dey cross di Jordan, and dem shut di city gate behind dem.

Then Rahab climb go di roof. I know, she tell di spies, say di Lord don give una dis land. We hear how e dry di Red Sea for una when una comot from Egypt. We hear wetin una do to di kings for di other side of di Jordan. Our heart melt. Then she talk something wey big for woman from Jericho to talk. Di Lord una God, na im be God for heaven up and for earth down. She don decide who she go trust. And she beg for mercy. I don show una kindness. Promise me say una go show my family kindness. Save my papa and my mama, my brothers and my sisters, and everybody wey belong to dem.

Di men swear. Our life for your life, dem talk, if you no tell anybody about our matter. Then Rahab use rope let dem down through her window, comot over di wall. Hide for di hills for three days, she tell dem, until di people wey dey search for una come back. Before dem go, di spies give her one sign. Tie dis red rope for di window wey you take let us down. Bring your whole family enter your house. Everybody wey dey inside go dey safe. Rahab tie di red rope for her window. Later, when Jericho walls fall, Joshua send di same two men go her house. Dem bring out Rahab and all her family. And from dat day she live among Israel.

Why flax dey Rahab roof? For old Israel and Canaan, dem dey pull flax for spring time, then dem spread am for flat roof make e dry before dem make linen from am. Di Gezer Calendar, one small limestone tablet wey dem find for Israel, and one of di oldest Hebrew writing wey anybody know, list di farming year month by month, and one of di months na di month to pull flax. E match di season of dis story, when di Jordan full pass im bank for harvest time.

Rahab story dey Joshua chapter two, and chapter six, verse twenty-two reach twenty-five. Matthew list her as di mama of Boaz, for di family line of King David and of Jesus. One woman wey no be part of God people, wey trust di God of heaven and earth, come become part of im family. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin Rahab hear about God wey make her trust am, and wetin you don hear?