The Scarlet Thread: Tainted Women

The Scarlet Thread: Tainted Women is a celebration of women who defied conventions and received the gift of God’s grace to become part of Christ’s family tree. The title of the book reinforces the underlying theme of grace. It alludes to the scarlet thread that Rahab the harlot placed in her window to remind the two Hebrew spies of an oath they made to her not to destroy her and family during their siege of Jericho (Josh. 2:12–21). To Rahab, the scarlet thread may have been a token of escape, but to the spies, it may have been a poignant reminder of the Passover blood that caused destruction to pass over their ancestors on the eve of their exodus from Egypt.

Each chapter of the book looks at the life of each woman and how it is woven into the plan of God. The first chapter explores the life of Eve, the second chapter celebrates the Virgin Mary, and the final chapter focuses on Rahab. All other chapters are in chronological order, starting with Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Tamar, and Ruth and ending with Bathsheba.