Merritt Song #318 Scripture Isaiah 1:18 Title: Scarlet Cord
Psalm 22 describes Jesus’ crucifixion 1,000 years before it happens. Verse 6, "But I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people." What did it mean, "I am a worm"? Kermes oak tree had a scarlet worm. When Mother worm was ready to give birth, she would find the trunk of a tree and plant her body in that wood so firmly she could never leave again! The young would be born and mother's body protected them. When mother died, scarlet fluid stained her body, her young and the tree. Lord Jesus was like that scarlet worm, making peace through His blood, bringing many sons into glory, Hebrews 2:10.
Isaiah says on the cross "His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men," disfigured by suffering. The female worm is wingless and adheres to a tree by its long, sucking beak. Red dye is made from dried bodies of females. The word 'crimson' comes from kermes oak. Vermilion red means "worm-colored" in Latin. Matthew 27:28, They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Jesus. Scarlet and crimson were firmest dyes, hard to wash out. Jesus became like the crimson worm, and bore our scarlet sins. Are you able to wash in red to make it white? But God can! How can a person purify himself, by keeping rules? No! Only by the blood of Jesus who does the purifying.
SONG: HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE
Joshua 2:18, “Thou shalt tie this line of scarlet thread in the window" is the red thread Rahab hung out her window. Rahab the harlot’s salvation was not based on her character, accomplishments or overcoming: she lived in a doomed city, had a terrible profession, and lied about her actions. Red was her lifestyle, “the red light district.” It took faith to tie red cord in the window and believe promises of enemies like spies. Did Rahab feel foolish as she tied that cord in her window? Of course she was afraid. When Jericho’s walls fell down, an even greater miracle than walls falling down is that part of the wall was still standing, that just happened to be where a scarlet woman lived, a scarlet cord in her window! Everyone in Rahab’s house came under protection of that scarlet thread. Faith worked for Rahab who became mother of Boaz and David’s ancestor in Jesus’ line.
Just as in Rahab’s case, our salvation is in a scarlet thread representing Jesus’ blood. The scarlet thread runs through the bible. Martha believed in resurrection when her brother Lazarus died. It’s easy to comfort mourners, “Oh, you'll see your loved ones again.” That doesn't take much faith. It takes faith to say, “I just lost my loved one, but I know God does all things well.” Although Martha knew there'd be a resurrection, she didn't believe Jesus was THE resurrection. 12 disciples believed Jesus was Messiah but they didn’t believe in His shed blood. All had to change their thinking.
It’s not easy to change OUR thinking. How many evolutionists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one but it will take a billion years.
How many ‘Real Men’ does it take to change a light bulb?
None: ‘Real Men’ aren’t afraid of the dark.
How many ‘Real Women’ does it take to change a light bulb?
None: A ‘Real Woman’ would have plenty of real men around to do it.
How many consultants does it take to change a light bulb?
We don’t know. They never get past the feasibility study.
In Oshawa, Ontario, George and Vera Bajenksi had a call that changed their lives February 16, 1989, "There’s been an accident with your son.” As they got there, Vera went to the largest pool of blood she’d ever seen to somehow collect blood to put it back into her son. "That blood, to me became the most precious thing in the world. It belonged IN my only son, the one I loved so much." Father noticed cars were driving right through the blood. His heart was in agony, wanting to cover the blood with his coat and cry, "You will NOT drive over blood of my son!” Vera understood for the first time in her life; blood is the strongest language God could use, it was the highest price He could pay.
Why did God have to pay? A weary truck driver pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop. The waitress finished serving him when three tough, leather jacket motorcyclists, Hell’s Angels type came in. They verbally abused him, grabbed his burger, took his fries, and drank his coffee. How would you respond? Well, this trucker calmly rose, paid the bill and left. The waitress stood watching as the big truck drove into the night. One biker said, "Well, he’s not much of a man, is he?" She replied, "I don’t know, but he sure ain’t much of a truck driver. He just ran over three motorcycles on his way out of the parking lot!"
You know, God could have made us pay and we’d have deserved it! We mocked Him, abused and spit on Him. The scarlet thread seems strange for many people today. They hear tell of it but it seems too good to be true.
SONG: SCARLET RIBBON
Suppose you are dying and someone sends you a gift that will save your life. But first you must remember every horrible fault and feel very sorry for each flaw, confess each detail, develop strength to come to church to pick up the gift, and sacrifice all to the gift-giver. How can we say such a gift is free? Jesus’ blood is free but it seems too good to be true, so we try to buy it with our works.
Bob heard a rumor his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all walked on water on their 21st birthdays. On his 21st birthday, Bob and best friend Brian rented a boat. At middle of the lake, Bob stepped off the boat…and nearly drowned. He and Brian headed home. Bob said, "Grandma, why can’t I walk on water too?" She looked in his eyes, "That’s because you were born in July, dear. Your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all born in January." No matter how hard we try, we can’t earn Jesus’ blood.
At the last plague of Egypt, did Israelites feel foolish to wipe blood on doorposts? Did some refuse because it seemed so strange? Or some painted their doorposts red, but the firstborn died. When the angel flew over Egypt, He passed over houses only with lamb’s blood. We must trust Jesus’ blood applied on our behalf! We cannot assume there’s any other way. Assumptions can be dangerous.
A news photographer had to get photos of a forest fire. He asked home office to hire a plane. He was told to go at once to the airport where the plane was waiting. A plane was warming by the runway. He jumped in and yelled, "Let’s go!" They soon were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," he yelled, "and make three or four low level passes."
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I’m going to take pictures. I’m the photographer!"
After a pause the pilot said, "You mean you’re NOT my new flying instructor?"
It does NOT take much revelation from the Holy Spirit to see we failed in spite of best intentions. When you know you failed, what you DO need is for the Holy Spirit to convict you of Jesus’ salvation. Even though the law is holy, just and good, it has no power to make YOU holy, just and good. Only Jesus’ blood can do that. Grace preachers have high regard for the law. God gave the law to bring man to end of himself. The law is about you looking at your sin. Grace beholds Jesus. In the end times people will not be anti-God; they will be anti-Christ. That’s why we need more preaching about Jesus, His finished work. In Exodus 39, the word scarlet occurs 7 times, Bible number for perfection. Jesus' blood is perfect. Exodus 39 describes garments worn by the High Priest, a symbol of Jesus, our GREAT High Priest.
This is a true story. Students were house-sitting one summer. Because of carpet, they could not wear shoes, never go barefoot, only wear socks in the house. They were to only have a certain number of steps per room, and carpet being lush, they were to only step where they already stepped. They were to go to the chair, table, or phone, no wandering. House-sitters thought, “Whatever! Night before owners get back, we’ll vacuum; they’ll never know.” Owners made a surprise visit three weeks later. They saw footprints everywhere! Owners cut their vacation short, fired the sitters, and resumed carpet care. Being a family with great carpet!
Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 1Peter 1:18-19. Joe Kerkofsky is America's blood-donor champion. He lost an arm when he was six so he was rejected for military service in World War II. He donated nearly 31 gallons of blood, the one way he felt he could serve. The human body contains 12 pints of blood. He gave more than 20 times the amount. "Giving blood is like giving life itself," Joe said. Jesus only needed to offer Himself as a sacrifice ONCE.
Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Let us not trample the blood of the covenant that sanctifies, or insult the Spirit of grace. Jesus’ shed blood need never be repeated! We will NOT trample over the blood of the Son.
In 1992, an L.A. policeman came upon a brown El Dorado Cadillac illegally parked on street-sweeping day. The officer wrote out a ticket. Ignoring the man at the wheel, the cop reached in the open car window and placed the $30 parking ticket on the dashboard. The driver made no excuses with good reason: he had been shot in the head 12 hours before but was sitting up, stiff as a board with blood on his face. The busy officer was unaware of anything. He just drove away! Many people are dead in our transgressions, so we don’t recognize our need of the scarlet thread. Without Jesus’ blood we are spiritually dead!
SONG: BY HIS WOUNDS
Proverbs 31:21, She is not afraid of the snow for her household: all her household are clothed with scarlet. Red was supposed to absorb and retain heat, usually wool in Bible days. God’s church need not fear chill of this world when her children take refuge in Jesus’ blood. Evangelist John Wesley was returning home from a service one night, and was robbed. The young thief stole his money and was leaving. Wesley called out, “I have something more to give you!” He handed the thief some literature. “My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life. If you do, remember blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL sin!” The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed for him. Years later, Wesley met a new believer, a businessman- who had robbed him years before! "I owe it all to you," said the changed man. “Oh no,” Wesley replied, "NOT me, but the precious blood of Jesus that cleanses all sin!" Redeeming blood Ephesians 1:7, justifying blood Romans 5:9, peacemaking blood Colossians 1:20, sanctifying blood Hebrews 13:12. Jesus sweat drops of blood in the garden, preparing to make a way out from Adam’s sin in the garden. Jesus’ head bled from the crown of thorns so that our eyes, ears and minds might be opened.
A boy was always late coming home from school. His parents warned him, but he arrived later than ever. Supper that night, the boy looked at his plate. There was just a slice of bread! He looked at his father's delicious food and the boy felt crushed. His father waited for the full impact to sink in, then took the boy's plate and placed it in front of himself. He gave him his full plate of food and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, "I know what God is like by what my father did that day." Jesus’ blood paid for our blessings, happiness, our relationships, our healing. Jesus paid it ALL, not just our forgiveness.
Alila went to the river holding her baby boy close to her heart. Tears welled as she suddenly threw her 6 month old baby to his watery death. A missionary saw Alila, sobbing and beating her chest, "The problems in my home are too many; my sins are heavy, so I offered best I have to the goddess Ganges, my firstborn!" Missionary told her of Jesus’ love. She said, "I never heard that before. If you came 30 minutes earlier, my child would not have to die!" Millions bathe in River Ganges, believing this Hindu ritual will wash sins away. ONLY the blood of Jesus can. If WE don’t recognize this, are our rituals any different than Alila?!
Isaiah 53:6, God laid on Him iniquity of us all. Jesus became Peter the betrayer, Paul persecutor, David adulterer, Moses murderer, Rahab the prostitute, Isabelle the sinner, so we became righteous in Jesus. He made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made righteousness of God in Him. The Weekly Standard reports when World Trade Center collapsed, force of the fall fused two steel beams into a 20-foot-high cross on site. Atheists wanted it removed, but urging that, they actually reveal faith. If it didn't have power, why get so upset?
A young woman accepted Jesus from a very rough past, drugs, prostitution, and became a faithful church member teaching children. She caught eye of pastor's son. The church did not think a past like hers was suitable for pastor's son! She cried and pastor's son stood up, "My fiancée’s past is not the issue. You question power of Jesus’ blood to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial! Either the blood of Jesus cleanses sin or we are all lost!” To devalue anyone is to minimize price paid on the cross- Jesus’ blood.
Revelation 1:5, From Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler of kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and washed us from our sins by His blood. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin is preached by Apostle John who witnessed piercing of Jesus’ side. John says Jesus loves us and washes us. He doesn’t say Jesus washes us SO He can love us. He shed His blood BECAUSE He loves us. From blood of Abel's slain lamb in Genesis to saints’ robes washed in Jesus’ blood in Revelation, the scarlet thread weaves its way through my Bible.
SONG: ALABASTER BOX