Joshua 16
by Pastor David Groendyk

What can we derive from 10 simple verses of land allotment for one tribe of Israel? Quite a bit actually! It’s hard to separate chapter 16 from chapter 17, because together they make up the land allotment of both of Joseph’s sons—Ephraim and Manasseh—but chapter 16 alone offers both a wonderful reminder and a stern warning. The wonderful reminder comes from an observation in verse 5: Ephraim is listed before Manasseh. Recall from Genesis 41:50–52 that Manasseh was actually the firstborn, and Ephraim came second. However, in Genesis 48:13–20 Jacob symbolically reversed their birth order as he was blessing them near the end of his life. The younger son was blessed ahead of the older son. It’s not a very bold and brash reminder here in Joshua 16, but it’s certainly there. Ephraim is mentioned before Manasseh in the land allotment. It reminds us that God often overturns conventional human wisdom to accomplish his goals. In Genesis alone, there is a slew of younger sons being chosen by God against the conventional human wisdom of choosing the older son—Abel over Cain, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, etc. Even Judah, the man chosen to bring forth the kings of Israel and the Messiah himself, is the fourth-born of Jacob. God is always working in unexpected ways that seem to defy our own ideas for what’s best.

The stern warning, as you might expect, comes in verse 10. The Ephraimites did not drive out the Canaanites fully from their land. This is not the first time Israel has failed to drive out the Canaanites (see Josh. 13:13), and this is definitely not the last time they will fail to do so (see Josh. 17:13). In fact, the whole debacle that is the book of Judges is based on the fact that basically every Israelite tribe did not conquer the Canaanites like they should have (see Judg. 1:27–36). We know from Exodus 23:23–33 and Deuteronomy 7:1–6 that conquering the Canaanites was not merely a suggestion or recommendation. It was quite literally a spiritual life-and-death situation. Leaving the Canaanites in the land means that Baal worship persists and the temptation would always be there. Ephraim not driving out their enemies is both an ominous sign of what will happen in the future and also an ominous sign of what has already started to happen in Israel. How quick and easy it is to drift from God if we are not diligently pursuing him every day! Stay close to him and live fervently for him with every decision that you make every day. Pray for the Spirit’s help in keeping you close to him.