Joshua 16-17
“Only one lot?”
I. Intro
II. Vs. 16:1-10 Not according to numbers
III. Vs. 17:1-13 The Lord is in the details
IV. Vs. 14-18 Living to capacity
Intro
We again shall focus on several vignettes for our application this morning found in the 16th and 17th chapters which describe the appropriation of the inheritance for Joseph’s two son’s Ephraim and Manasseh. As mentioned Manasseh was born first and when it came to the time of blessing them Jacob put his right hand on the wrong child or so thought Joseph but Jacob said no Manasseh will become great but Ephraim will become even greater. There are two things that seem to indicate that this foretold the future with regards to Manasseh being as his name suggests “forgettable”.
- The first is something we have already mentioned and it has to do with the fact that half the tribe chose to be outside the land of promised wanting the land that they determined better suited them economically instead of the land that better suited them spiritually.
- The second part of this we will find in the 17th chapter as we examine the fact that they were prideful wanting more than what God gave them while not wanting to already posses what God had given them.
Here is what we can see generally speaking, greatness isn’t a birth right. Instead as David proclaimed in 2 Samuel 22:36 it comes about through being continually acquainted God’s gentleness as David declared, “Your gentleness has made me great.” All this just goes to show that within God’s family our greatness isn’t conditioned upon our numeric standing it’s based upon His greatness.
Vs. 16:1-10 Not according to numbers
Vs. 1-4 The closing section of the book deals with the principals of the possession of the land of promise by God’s people. At the encampment at Gilgal the tribes were positioned around the tabernacle and as such each tribe in order of size would come to Joshua and Eleazar at the tabernacle to find out what lot of the promised land was to be theirs. What a visible example for each tribe this scene was as it was repeated as each tribe stepped forward to claim their inheritance. You see at the center of the tribes was the Lord and it was He who was not only giving them the land it would be He who would enable them to posses what He was giving them. All they needed to do was to keep Him at the center of worship in their lives. Each tribe had its appointed place according to the measure of God and each tribe was given the grace and power to possess the gift. No tribe could claim that the gift was given with out the grace to possess.
These verses set out the boarders of Josephs 1 and ½ sons that choose the land of promise. The only comment I’d offer is that oft time it is difficult to do the right thing when you have family or other close friends going the other direction. Brothers and sisters you can not allow yourself to become people pleasers you must chose for yourself whom you will follow.
Vs. 5-10 Ephraim whose name means “double fruitfulness” was no different then the rest of the tribes with in regard to not succeed in driving out the Canaanites from their allotted land. We in this life will never completely eradicate the flesh from our lives but that doesn’t mean that we should stop trying. Of further interest is according to 10:33 and Joshua 12:12 Gezer was a city that Joshua had already conquered so there couldn’t have been that much work yet to do. The truth is based upon 1 Kings 9:16 Gezer didn’t come under the control of the nation until the time of Solomon. This brings up the possibility that they were unsuccessful because they wanted slave labor which would make things easier. What is certain is that if they had the power to make the folks from Gezer forced laborers they clearly had the power to drive them out. It appears that the tribe Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites from Gezer (that which divides) because they had a divided life and wanted peace and a life of ease at any price.
Folks may this be a lesson for us that we can make no compromise with the areas of our old nature even if we try to enslave it sooner our later we will succumb to the flesh it is why Paul repeatedly admonishes us to reckon the old man to be dead in Christ.
This is a placeholder. Notes will be added