Joshua Chapter 2.

The following  are brief (and not meant to be comprehensive) notes shared  at Church Bible Study Midweek gathering. Bible Study topic is the Book of Joshua.

What Fragrance - Sin met by Grace.

Jericho means "Fragrance" This first battle engagement in the promised land unfolded fragrant blessing.

Promised Land Progress is only by grace.
What a wonder display of the Grace of God is experienced at the very outset of the children of Israel entering into the blessings of God's fullness for them. We are not only saved by grace but also all expectation will be flawed if our confidence is not in the grace of God operating APART from us! The grace of God is not about self.
Paul said: Ephesians 4:7 (KJV)
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Rahab means "Proud"

How unexpected God's grace can be - The spies taken in and protected by a harlot! and this harlot brought salvation to her whole family - amazing Grace. We don't know the background to her name but possibly given because the parents were so proud of their little baby girl but then she became a shame and her pride and the parents pride was broken and God in his love and overwhelming mercy chose to reveal to her his power and love. Jesus also demonstrated with great relish the same love and grace to forgive and lift up and wrote in the sand the guilty shame of the selfrighteous accusers. How true are the words of the apostle Paul :

"God hath chosen the Weak"

1Corinthians 1:26 (KJV)
26 For ye see your calling,  brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.

Jesus also said: Mark 2:17 (KJV) 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. As believers in the Lord Jesus we need to watch out for the developing of judgmental selfrighteous attitudes.

Glorious Purpose in Christ

This grace blessed woman, Rahab became part of the pathway of Christ coming into the World - ref. Matthew 1:5 (KJV) 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; Cannot resist inserting the beautiful truths from the J/F/B Bible Commentary - Four women are here introduced; two of them Gentiles by birth -- Rachab and Ruth; and three of them with a blot at their names in the Old Testament -- Thamar, Rachab, and Bath-sheba. This feature in the present genealogy -- herein differing from that given by Luke -- comes well from him who styles himself in his list of the Twelve,what none of the other lists do, "Matthew the publican"; as if thereby to hold forth, at the very outset, the unsearchable riches of that grace which could not only fetch in "them that are afar off," but teach down even to "publicans and harlots," and raise them to "sit with the princes of his people." David is here twice emphatically styled "David the king," as not only the first of that royal line from which Messiah was to descend, but the one king of all that line from which the throne that Messiah was to occupy took its name -- "the throne of David." The angel Gabriel, in announcing Him to His virgin-mother, calls it "the throne of David His father," sinking all the intermediate kings of that line, as having no importance save as links to connect the first and the last king of Israel..." (J/F/B. Bible Commentary.)

Grace Promotions
How appropriate are the words about Christ -

John 1:14 (KJV)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. "To raise the reader to the altitude of this climax were the thirteen foregoing verses written". (J.F.B. Bible Commentary)
What grace met these two spies in the actions of Rahab, she said - "we heard how The Lord..." and she believed and received these messengers as from the Lord. [Ch. 2:9-11.]

Rahab spoke about Saving Life

Jesus said whosoever shall lose his life for my sake the same shall save it! David said - Psalms 16:5-6 (KJV)
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. The reason why we need to lose our life is because "our life" is under the sun/death and vanity but the "land" in Christ whose "lines" have fallen unto us in "pleasant" places is for eternal blessing. Christ is Life with a capital "L". this land into which the spies had entered is called by the Lord the "pleasant land" ref. Psalms 106:24 (KJV) 24 Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:

Lose your Life in Christ - A very large Place!

What a "pleasant Land" Christ is! What a large place. - Loose your life in Him! Rahab had no life to live, she had only LIFE in the Lord. If she sought to save her Life in Jericho she would Lose it, and if she was willing to lose her life for alignment with the Lord and the spies she knew she would save it; and what a salvation and Life she had! Rahab became a great grandmother of King David, and a mother in The GENEALOGY OF CHRIST!

All for Jesus is Saving Your Life

What an eternal blessing and an eternal INHERITANCE! Truly "ALL FOR JESUS" IS "SAVING YOUR LIFE"!
"Christ is all" for all eternity because He is the great "I AM". 70 years of self is Nothing now and is Nothing for all Eternity! 70 Years now in the promised land of God's purpose in Christ is an eternity of glorious treasure! Every human being born into this world is born onto a wrecked ship and the only Eternal rescue ship passing by is Christ.

No more "Head hung" Living

Just think about it; Rahab living in the "head hung" dregs of society, life being a total disappointment to her and her Family, is now not facing the ultimate emptiness of death but the Life saving power of God bringing her into such a large place of blessing and eternal greatness. Rahab lived in the temporary remuneration of her flesh but now she is living in the power, goodness and Eternal blessing of God. She also came to enjoy God's promise to Abraham of GREAT REWARD!

Ref. -             Genesis 15:1 (KJV)
1 After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Rahab was as a Gentile "far off" from the covenants and "blessing" of Israel but has become a participant in the glorious purpose of  God in Christ reaching a barren and dying world with unsearchable Riches.

Grant hayman.

Jesus Is Reaching for You.

The Lord Bless you Real Good.