AM Bible Study Group; December 18, 2013
Joshua 16:1-17:18
Theme: The tribes that came from Joseph complained that their allotment was too small; and were urged to rise up in the power of God and expand their territory.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
This chapter continues the story of the divisions of the land of Canaan to the tribes on the West of the Jordan. And it specifically takes up the story of the division to the two tribes that came from Joseph.
When Joseph was in Egypt, he had two sons—Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 41:50-52). The inheritance from God was divided between them—which is why there was no tribe of ‘Joseph’. After the children of Israel came into the land of God’s promise, and after the land from God had been allotted to them, the sons of Joseph thought that they were too big for the little place God had given them. But Joshua told them to rise up then in God’s power, and make the place bigger. There’s a great spiritual lesson in this for us. In the same way, we sometimes complain that we’re too big for the little place God has us; when God wants us to rise up in the power of His strength and occupy the place we’re in with the largeness of Christ. As our Lord said, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much" (Luke 16:10). When we do so faithfully, God is able to bless us with more to fit our true capacity in Him!
I. A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LOT OF THE SONS OF JOSEPH (16:1-4).
The chapter begins with a general description of the lot that fell to these two tribes. Remember that the other half of the tribe of Manasseh had already chosen land on the East side of the Jordan River as its inheritance (see Chapter 13). Once again, the best way to understand the boundaries that these verses describe is to consult a map.
II. THE LOT OF THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM (16:5-10).
The land is now described specifically that fell to the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim is mentioned first because, though Ephraim was not the first born of Joseph’s sons, he was nevertheless placed first in the blessing of his grandfather Jacob (see Genesis 48). Note that there is a blending, to some degree, of the location of cities within both Ephraim and Manasseh (v. 9; see also 17:9). Sadly, the sons of Ephraim did not drive out all the inhabitants of the land (v. 10)—a sad story that is often repeated in Joshua and that resulted in trouble later.
III. THE LOT OF THE HALF-TRIBE OF MANASSEH (WEST) (17:1-13).
Then, we’re told of the land that was allotted to Manasseh. What stands out in this story is the five daughters of Zelophehad. Zelophehad had no sons; and these daughters rose up way back in Numbers 26 and demanded of Moses that their father’s inheritance not be lost—but that it be given to them. This is now being answered in the passage before us. These remarkable women show something of the strength of this tribe—at least on the West side of the Jordan. Sadly—once again—we’re told that the men of Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of the land entirely; but that the Canaanites dwelt among them and became their servants (vv. 12-13).
IV. THE COMPLAINT OF MANASSEH (17:14-18).
Apparently, this land was not perceived of as being ‘big enough’ for them; and they complained to Joseph about it. But Joseph told them that if they needed larger territory, that they should show their true ‘largeness’ by rising up and taking it. They at first complained that they didn’t think they could do it. The Canaanites of that land were giants; and their peoples had chariots of iron. But Joshua urged them to rise up and expand their territory in the power of God. "You are a great people," he told them, "and you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong" (vv. 17-18).
It does little good to sit and complain about the lot God has given us—or how hard it seems to us. And worse than that; to do so is to forget that our victory is not dependent on the size of our lot but on the faithfulness of our God—and on our own obedience to keep God’s commands and drive out what in opposition to His good purposes for us. As Alan Redpath has written,
As God speaks to you today, do you not see that the real trouble in your life may be, not that you have not enough scope for your gifts, but that you are not living to capacity where you are? Satan is still sharing the land with you. You may want to leave him behind and move on to greater things, but that is never God’s way. You can strain at the leash just as long as you like, but God’s Spirit will hold you back and focus the searchlight of the Word on your life. He will keep you where you are until you have occupied and lived to capacity just there, and until—in the place in which you are serving, in the lot that He has given you, up to the capacity of your heart for Christ—the enemy has been vanquished (Alan Redpath, Victorious Christian Living, p. 208).
The apparent smallness of our lot may be God’s test—to see whether we will rise up and live victoriously in the power that He supplies. If you have not done what you should do in the place God has put you, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that He has not yet entrusted more to you. In fact, be glad that He is giving you time to repent and learn what you need to learn. Dr. Redpath went on to write,
Stop crying for greater opportunities until you have done the work in the place that God has allotted to you. Is your home sweeter and lovelier and more radiant because you are a Christian? If it is not, then lay the ax to the root of the tree and cut out the thing that hinders. Drive out the enemy! For if we fail in the small portion allotted to us God can never trust us with greater (v. 210).
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What a great lesson this is for us today! Our capacity for the blessings of God is never limited to the place where He has placed us. Because of the fact that Christ is in us, our capacity for blessing is truly unlimited—wherever He may place us. And if our blessedness—right in the place where we are today—seems limited, it is only because of our failure to rise to Jesus’ unlimited capacity in us. May God help us to rise up in the power of Christ, drive out that which hinders our full acquisition of the blessings of God, and fully occupy in His name! Let’s quit falling victim to the ‘constraint’ complaint!’