Joshua 16:1-10

¹The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan, east of the springs of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. ² It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, ³ descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the Mediterranean Sea.
⁴ So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance. ⁵ This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans:
The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon ⁶ and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. ⁷ Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. ⁹ It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.
¹⁰ They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

Introduction

In Hebrew culture, the right of the firstborn has double portion of inheritance. Among his children, Israel gave the right of firstborn to Joseph. He told Joseph in Genesis 48:5, ⁵ “Your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.

The double portion of the firstborn that Joseph inherited was given to his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim and Manasseh were sons of Joseph but Israel counted them as his sons. So, the tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes—the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.
Reuben was the actual firstborn son of Israel but he dishonored his father’s marriage bed.
In 1 Chronicles 5:1-2, ¹Reuben was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, ² and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.

Israel had two wives, Leah and Rachel. Reuben was his firstborn son with Leah. Joseph was his firstborn son with Rachel, and his favorite son who save his whole household from famine.
Did Joseph receive the right of the firstborn because Israel loved Rachel more than Leah? Was it because Joseph was the favorite son? Was it because Joseph saved them from famine? The Bible did not mention why Joseph received the right of the firstborn but nobody protested.

⁴ So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.

Remarkably, the Israelites honoured the words of Jacob. Nobody complained. The Reubenites did not protest. When the land was distributed, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh received and divided their inheritance according to the number of clans. The borders of the inheritance of the tribe of Ephraim have been pointed out from every side.

1. Border

⁵ This was the territory of Ephraim, according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon ⁶ and continued to the Mediterranean Sea. From Mikmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. 7 Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. ⁸ From Tappuah the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, according to its clans. ⁹ It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.

The identification of borders teaches that the people of God should know the scope of their allotment. Each tribe should know the area of their territory. It’s tempting to move from out when the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, so they say.
They were free to live wherever they wanted. They can marry whoever they wanted but they should consider and not place their inheritance in jeopardy.
The Lord commanded the Israelites in Numbers 36:9, ⁹ No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.

The description of borders defined the boundary and limitation of their land. It made it more certain that the Lord had finally granted them a land of their own. In Egypt, they were slaves, and they did not have a land they can call their own. As years passed by, the Israelites coveted to have a king like the other nations. In 1 Samuel 8:4-7, ⁴ All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”

The Israelites were disoriented by divisiveness when influential elders of Israel prevailed over Samuel the prophet of God. Similarly, when Christ is rejected as king, there is sure divisiveness that may confuse Christian communities.
Did the Canaanites who were allowed to live among the Israelites gradually influence the mindset of the Israelite elders to desire for a king? The Lord commanded the Israelites to destroy all Canaanites but they failed to obey. Instead, the people of Ephraim forced the Canaanites to carry their burden.

2. Burden

¹⁰ They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

Among the towns and villages, the people of Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer. What was so exceptional with the Canaanites in Gezer? Why did they prefer the Canaanites living in Gezer to carry their burdens?
In Joshua 10:33, ³³Horam king of Gezer had come up to help Lachish, but Joshua defeated him and his army—until no survivors were left.

After King Horam and his army were killed, it is easy to interpret that Canaanites living in Gezer had not more courage to resist the tribe of Ephraim. If they’ve got no fighting men in Gezer, then, it makes no sense to resisting the tribe of Ephraim.
They might have surrendered. Perhaps, they pleaded for their life. It was not explained why the Israelites did not destroy all Canaanites except that they might have thought it great to have slaves.
It says in Joshua 21:20-21, ²⁰ The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim: ²¹ In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer.

The tribe of Levites had not inheritance. They were distributed to different towns in Israel. The Levites were given towns to live in and pastureland for their flocks. Gezer was one of the towns given to the Levites.
Since the Canaanites lived in Canaan for many years before they were invaded by the Israelites, they knew where springs of water were located, the weather, or what agricultural products were best suitable in the land. Those were some of the things that the Israelites might have benefited why they did not totally destroy the Canaanite.
Nevertheless, they might have depended much upon the Canaanites, and they gradually lessen their dependence on God. Such tragedy has infected Christianity.
In the Lord’s Model Prayer, Jesus teaches us to trust God daily for everything we need. It says in Mathew 6:11, ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.

That implies daily dependence upon God. Yet, we normally wish that God would provide us a lifetime supply all at once? Why do we wish a lifetime supply? We tend to worry about tomorrow, and we wish to have a visual proof of supply. But the Lord reminded us not to worry in Matthew 6:34, ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Worry exposes the little or shaky trust in the Lord. When we sense a hint of worry, we need to ask the Lord to help us grow stronger in our faith.
Does God ignore a prayer for abundant supply? We normally pray for practical needs (food supply, job, health), why? We want to see a visual proof that God answers our prayers. Our prayer items expose the level of faith we have grown into.
Jabez prayed in 1 Chronicles 4:10, ¹⁰“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

It implies that Jabez asked God not for daily bread but abundant supply. Large territory can mean large tract of land. Large tract of land may produce abundant food. And God granted what Jabez has prayed for. Can we not pray a similar prayer also?

Why should we ask for daily bread if we can ask God for lifetime supply?
If God gives a lifetime supply, vermin or pest may destroy them. The source of food supply could face trouble. Even if one is employed in a prestigious or in a multi-billion company, it is not stable. There will always be a possibility of recession.
So, daily need includes safety, wisdom, health, relationship, employer, peace and order. Why pray for employer? Your boss is not invincible. You don’t know what’s next.
Or one may have abundant and delicious food but cannot enjoy it if that person has allergy reactions to food, right? It’s also no great situation if deplorable and crooked personalities abound. This is why we need to pray for our government always.
In Jeremiah 29:7, ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

We are like the exile brought into this land by God’s grace. When we pray for the government, legislators, law enforcers, and judges of this land, we benefit from. God wants us to pray for them, and He surely would grant it.
God’s commands and warnings always benefit the obedient.

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