When the friend came back, the chess master said, “We must locate the man who painted this picture. We must tell him he must either change the picture or change the title. I have determined there is something wrong with it.” His friend asked, “What’s wrong with the painting?” The man replied, “It is titled ‘Checkmate,’ but the title is wrong. The game is not over. The king still has one more move.”
That is the message of Hope. The King still has one more move. When you think it is over, done, finished, that you can’t go on, that the obstacles are too big, the grief is too intense, the failure too final, the disappointment too deep, the hurt too horrible, the debt too large, when you are ready to throw in the towel, disappear into despair, wallow in self-pity, or live sad, Hope says, “Hang in there; don’t give up; hang on. The King still has one more move.” Remember, the tomb is empty.
The same message of Hope exists for our loved ones. In Joshua chapters 2-6, there is a story about a woman named Rahab.
Built over this gap between the two walls of Jericho was the house of a woman named Rahab
who was a harlot. There was a constant stream of visitors in and out of her house and this
probably influenced the spies to seek refuge there. They presumed that two strangers would not be noticed and the character of the woman was of no particular concern to them. The presence of these men did not go undetected, however:
Rahab took the men to the roof of her house and hid them with stalks of flax that were laid out
for drying and processing.
After the departure of the king's messengers Rahab went up to the roof and addressed the spies:
"...I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."
(Joshua 2:9-13, NKJ)
A few days later, the Jordan River parted and the Israelites walked across on dry ground. The people of Jericho peered across their walls to see a crowd of Israelites walking around the city in a silent procession. For six days, the strange ritual was repeated. On the seventh day, again the people walked silently around the city but this time at the conclusion of their hike seven priests with trumpets blew their horns. The people began to shout, the earth trembled, foundations cracked, and walls which had safeguarded the city for years collapsed.
Remember now--Rahab's house was built on the walls. What tremendous faith she demonstrated to remain in her house while the walls of the city were shaking and crumbling in the dust. But there she stayed--Rahab and her entire family--and from the window of their home fluttered the scarlet cord. Then Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the country:
"..Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her." And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.
(Joshua 6:22-23, NKJ)
This example is a great spiritual parallel of household salvation. Rahab interceded for her entire family, and they were all saved. Biblical records reveal that this woman later became the wife of Salmon, a prince of Judah. She gave birth to Boaz who married Ruth, who bore a son named Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, through whose line came Jesus Christ. Rahab is listed among the ancestors of the Lord in Matthew 1:5. James commends her for the faith demonstrated by her works (James 2:25) and Paul enrolls her in the hall of fame of the faithful, declaring:
By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
(Hebrews 11:31, NKJ)
The scarlet cord from Rahab's window was a symbol of redemption through the blood and the promise of God, "When I see the blood I will pass over you" (Exodus 12:13). Rahab claimed this promise for herself and her entire household. Even when it seemed all hope was gone and the very walls upon which her home was built were crumbling, Rahab’s faith remained intact.
Have you prayed for years for your loved ones, without visible results? Are you interceding for a lost son or daughter, parent, or spouse? Do you feel like you are up against a big CHECKMATE in this area?
Don’t you dare give up on them! When you pray for their salvation, you are spiritually placing the scarlet thread of the blood of Jesus Christ over your household. When Paul and Silas ministered to the Philippian jailer, they told him...
...“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
(Acts 16:31)
Begin to claim this promise every day. Come against the CHECKMATE that Satan has erected in the lives of your lost loved ones by declaring, “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am saved, and my household will be saved!”
Don’t stop praying. Don’t give up. Don’t let Satan write CHECKMATE over their lives. It isn’t over yet because THE KING HAS ONE MORE MOVE!
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