Joshua 16:1-4 – The allotment of the people of Joseph went from the Jordan by Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, into the wilderness, going up from Jericho into the hill country to Bethel. Then going from Bethel to Luz, it passes along to Ataroth, the territory of the Archites. Then it goes down westward to the territory of the Japhletites, as far as the territory of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and it ends at the sea. The people of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance.
Joshua chapter 15 gave us the boundaries for the tribe of Judah. Chapters 16-17 give us the boundaries for the people of 'Joseph'.
As we already mentioned, the twelve sons of Jacob became the tribes of Israel, with one exception – his son Joseph. After being sold as a slave in Egypt, Joseph went on to become second in command under Pharaoh.
Eventually, the people of Israel came to Egypt to buy grain during a famine, and they were reunited with Joseph who now had two sons. Years later, as Jacob was dying, he declared that Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, would be considered his heirs just like his other sons:
Genesis 48:5 – And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I [Jacob] came to you in Egypt are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.
That is why we have the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh inheriting a territory in the Promised Land. Their boundaries are mentioned together in the first four verses of this chapter. Then, the specifics of Ephraim's inheritance will be given in verses 5-10, while the specifics of Manasseh's inheritance will be listed in chapter 16.
Before we get into this chapter, let's pause and ask ourselves a question: Was there any significance to Judah being the first tribe to receive an allotment of land? Is there any significance to the people of Joseph being the next tribe to receive an inheritance?
In order to answer these questions, we need to understand the ancient Hebrew custom of the firstborn or the birthright.
Back in the day, the firstborn son was given certain unique rights, responsibilities and privileges.� For instance, if anything should happen to the father/head of the family, he would take over.�
He was considered preeminent over his siblings, which means he was first in everything – first in honor, first in importance, and first in authority.� He was believed to represent the prime of his father's strength and vitality.
As a result, the firstborn not only received the best of the family inheritance, he also received a double portion or twice the amount that others got.
However, the rights of the firstborn (also called the birthright) were not necessarily guaranteed.� They could be sold, transferred (Genesis 25:29-34) or lost.�
Jacob's firstborn was Reuben and he was entitled to all of the blessings of the birthright. But these were taken away from him because he committed a heinous sin. He had sexual relations with Bilhah, his father's concubine (Genesis 35:22). His actions demonstrated the utmost disrespect for his father and rebellion against his authority. The entire family was disgraced because of this sin.
Genesis 49:3-4 – Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the first-fruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it�
Because of his sin, Reuben forfeited the blessings of his birthright. They were passed on to others, particularly his brother Judah but also the sons of Joseph.
We have clear evidence that the blessings of the firstborn rested upon Judah:
- Judah was the first to receive an inheritance in the Promised Land, which indicates his preeminence among the tribes. As the first to receive a land allotment, Judah was considered to be the personification of the strength and vitality of Israel.
- Jerusalem, the capital of the nation and the seat of national power/authority was located in the territory of Judah. Again, this reflects the rights of the firstborn.
- The temple, and thus the presence of God, was also located in Judah, making them closer to God than any of the other tribes. We would expect Judah to be a leader in the religious life of Israel.
Why is all this so important?
It is important because the significance of the firstborn reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. All the implications of the firstborn's rights and privileges give us a picture of Christ's preeminence in the family of God and over all of creation.
Colossians 1:15-16 – He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers of authorities – all things were created through him and for him.
In that same chapter of Colossians, Paul goes on to say that Christ is 'before all things' and that he 'holds all things together'. He is the 'firstborn among many brothers' and sisters in the body of Christ (Romans 8:29), the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:18) and the firstborn from the dead.
In fact, Jesus is preeminent or first in everything – first in power, authority, dominion and glory (see also Ephesians 1:20-23, Hebrews 2:10-12).
Here is some good news:� The blood of Christ made it possible for us to become 'born again', to be raised from death, and to inherit everlasting life in heaven with the Father.� Jesus allows us to wield his authority on this earth in matters that pertain to his kingdom.� Jesus was first in all things, and in many ways, he empowers us to be his 'second in command'.� Are we taking advantage of that opportunity?
Now, let's circle back to our original questions:
Was there any significance to Judah being the first tribe to receive an allotment of land?
Answer:� Yes.� Judah received the first and best allotment in the southern half of the Promised Land (along with the seat of national power/authority and the temple) because they had the rights of the firstborn.� These rights were a picture of the rights that belonged to Jesus Christ, who was of the tribe of Judah.
Is there any significance to the people of Joseph being the next tribe to receive an inheritance?
Answer: Yes. Although Joseph was the one of the younger sons of Jacob, he was the firstborn of Jacob's beloved wife Rachel. As you know, he was the most loved of the twelve sons and the one who received the coveted 'coat of many colors'.
Genesis 37:3 – Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Joseph himself is an Old Testament picture of the person and work of Christ:
- Joseph was a shepherd (Genesis 37:2), Jesus is the great Shepherd (John 10).
- Joseph was hated by his brothers (Genesis 37:4), Jesus was also hated by his brothers (John 1:11, Luke 19:14).
- Joseph spoke of his future sovereignty (Genesis 37:7-12) and so did Jesus (Matthew 26:64).
- Joseph's father sent him to find his brothers (Genesis 37:17), God sent Jesus into the world to find his brothers, the lost sheep of Israel (John 4:34, 6:38-40, 12:48-50).
- The brothers of Joseph conspired against him (Genesis 37:18) as did the brothers (the Jews) of Jesus (Matthew 12:14).
- Joseph became a servant (Genesis 39:1), Jesus was also a servant (Philippians 2:6-7).
- Joseph was cast into prison even though he was innocent (Genesis 39:20), Jesus was sentenced to death, although Pilate found no fault in him (John 19:4-6).
- Joseph was cast into a pit (Genesis 37:24), Jesus was cast into a grave.
- Joseph was taken out of the pit alive (Genesis 37:28), Jesus left the grave alive.
The comparisons go on and on, but my point is that Joseph was also a firstborn son, and he was a type or example that was eventually fulfilled in the person of Christ.
So the blessings of the firstborn are also found (to a lesser degree) in the tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh). Just as Judah received the first and best portion of land in the south of the Promised Land, Ephraim and Manasseh received the first and best portions of the land in the northern region of the Promised Land.
There is also clear evidence of the blessing of the double portion because the people of Joseph received double the land of any of the other 11 tribes.�
Joshua 16:5-8 – The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. From Tappuah the boundary goes westward to the brook Kanah and ends at the sea. Such is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Ephraim by their clans�
The lots of Ephraim and Manasseh are not described in as much detail as the other tribes. Their boundaries are still very specific, but there are no particular cities listed within their inheritance. This causes some scholars to think that part of the original text has been lost, although there is no way to know this for certain.
In general, we can say that Ephraim's lot was north of the tribes of Benjamin and Dan and south of the half tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 16:9 - �together with the towns that were set apart for the people of Ephraim within the inheritance of the Manassites, all those towns with their villages.
Here we have an interesting statement. It indicates that the people of Ephraim occupied a number of cities and towns which were actually within the allotment of Manasseh.
What's up with that?
The most likely scenario is that the inheritance of Manasseh was too large for them; therefore, some of the cities on the border were given to their neighbor Ephraim who seemed to need more space. Although that was probably true, let's dig a little bit deeper.
In Joshua 17, we find that the people of Manasseh occupied some of the cities in the territories of Issachar and Asher. This would make no sense if the tribe of Manasseh already had too much territory. This indicates that God must be doing something else here. What do you suppose it is?
This overlapping at the borders of the tribes created a situation where the interests of one tribe were also the interests of their neighbor.� In other words, if an enemy attacked the tribe of Asher, the interests of Manasseh were also threatened, because they had cities in that territory.� As a result, both tribes would go to war together to defeat their common foe.
So the occupation of some cities by the neighboring tribe fostered a sense of unity among the people of Israel.
In some ways, we also find an early foreshadowing of the future time (during the era of the kings) when Israel will be split into two separate kingdoms – Israel (10 tribes) and Judah (2 tribes) - but that is a study for another day!
Joshua 16:10 – However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but have been made to do forced labor.
Gezer was a town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and they specialized in trading. Scripture tells us that the men of Ephraim did not annihilate them, but instead made the Gezerites servants of Israel. The question is, what led to this arrangement?
One explanation is that when Ephraim went up to attack the city, the people of Gezer immediately surrendered and promised to abide by the laws of God. For this reason, they were spared, but they were still made servants of the Israelites just as the Gibeonites were (see Joshua chapter 3), and presumably they would serve the Lord from that moment on (which did not happen).
Another explanation is that the men of Ephraim were unable to conquer the city of Gezer. If that is true, then we must lay the blame at the feet of Ephraim, not the Lord who was both willing and able to give his people victory. If this scenario is true, then we know that the men of Ephraim failed to fully follow God, just as the men of Judah did when they could not take the city of Jebus.
However, the noted historian Josephus gives us a different picture. He says this:
"They [the men of Ephraim] grew effeminate as to fighting any more against their enemies, but applied themselves to the cultivation of the land, which producing them great plenty and riches, they indulged in luxury and pleasure."
In other words, the men of Ephraim may have been unwilling to slay the men of Gezer due to laziness, greed or covetousness. They preferred the easier and more profitable task of forcing the Gezerites into servitude. Perhaps they wanted to take advantage of their knowledge and expertise in sailing, ship building and trading in order to enrich themselves.
If so, their wealth came at a great price for eventually, as the Lord warned them, they fell into idol worship, greed and oppression (Hosea 12:7-8).
Deuteronomy 20:16-18 -But of the cities of these people, which the LORD your God does give you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes: But you shall utterly destroy them� as the LORD your God has commanded you: That they teach you not to do according to all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so that you should sin against the LORD your God.
Here is a trivia question for you: Do you know who eventually destroyed the city of Gezer? You can find the answer to that question at the end of today's post.
As we think about the Canaanites and Israelites living together in the land, we are put in mind of the New Testament parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-43).
In this parable, Jesus tells us that the righteous and the wicked will live together in close contact here on earth until he returns. As Christians, we need to be mindful of this fact. We don't want to be extremely close to the world, or sin may draw us away from God just as the Canaanites drew Israel away. On the other hand, we don't want to completely remove ourselves from the world either, because it is our responsibility to share the gospel with the lost. Each Christian must find and maintain that balance in their lives.
The Canaanites and Israelites dwelling together also gives us a picture of what occurs in our own hearts.
Most of the Promised Land was conquered; it was under the control of Israel. In the same way, the heart of a Christian has been conquered by Christ; sin has been removed from the throne of our heart and Christ now occupies that position.
Nevertheless, sin still lurks in the dark corners of the life of a Christian, just as some of the Canaanites still lived in the Promised Land. And just like the Canaanites, any sin or wickedness in our lives must be regarded as dangerous:
Romans 7:21-23 – So I [Paul] find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
The good news is that due to the work of God, the Canaanites were already a defeated foe; it was only a matter of time and effort until they were annihilated. And because of the work of Christ, whatever sin still lies within the heart of a Christian is also a defeated foe and will eventually be exterminated. Praise God!
Let me give you some encouragement:
God had a purpose and a plan for each of the tribes of Israel. He gave each of them a specific inheritance which was designed to both challenge and bless them.
Unfortunately, there were cases where Israel failed to walk in the fullness of that plan. Sometimes they were lazy, sometimes they lacked faith and sometimes they put their focus on the world, instead of God.
This is a picture of our lives. God has a purpose and plan for every one of his children, including you. He wants to give you a spiritual inheritance that will both challenge and bless you.
In order to walk in the fullness of those blessings, you and I must walk by faith and actively pursue the things of God. We must remember to keep our eyes on the eternal realm, because this world is not our home.
Let me give you some relief:
Obviously, the people of Israel made some poor decisions. But God never gave up on them. He continued to work in their lives as much as they would let him.
The same is true for Christians. Perhaps you have messed up or made a poor decision in life. If that is the case, don't lose hope! The Lord is standing by waiting for you to turn toward him. He can take the mess you've made of your life and turn it around! God can give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, if only you will allow him to work in your life (Isaiah 61:3)!
Let me give you some strength:
In today's post we noted that the people of Ephraim occupied several towns within the tribe of Manasseh while Manasseh occupied cities within the territories of Asher and Issachar. This created a bond between the tribes. Because of these relationships, the individual tribes were united against their foes.
This is a picture of Christians within the local church. We all have different backgrounds, but our faith creates a bond between us. As we fellowship within the church body, we develop close bonds with each other. When one of us experiences a trial or an attack from satan, our brothers and sisters are ready to come to our aid.
This is a true blessing from God! When you experience an attack from the enemy the support of your church family can make all the difference; it can ensure your victory. If you aren't attending church on a regular basis you might want to re-think your decision, because at some point, you are going to need the assistance of other Christians.
TRIVIA ANSWER
Eventually, the city of Gezer was destroyed by the king of Egypt, who wanted to give the land to his daughter as a wedding present when she married King Solomon:
1 Kings 9:16 -For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burned it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.