Joshua Sermons

Artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 18:11-28
The Inheritance of Benjamin

The tribes that have received their inheritance west of the Jordan so far are located either south of Jerusalem, meaning the land of Judah with Jerusalem as its northern border, or land given to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh whose southern border is somewhat farther north.

This leaves an area of land not yet granted to the tribes of Israel between them. It goes from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

It is implied that this land will be granted based on the lots. However, not all of it will go to one tribe. Rather, it will be divided into two separate parcels. The first half of this land will be allotted in the verses today to Benjamin.

There is a lot of history that will come out of this tribe as the pages of Scripture unfold. Their location pretty much ensured that this would be the case. The story of the life Benjamin, Jacob’s twelfth and final son, began in Genesis 35 –

“Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. ¹⁷ Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” ¹⁸ And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. ¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). ²⁰ And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.” Genesis 35:16-20

Those few verses are filled with hints of the coming Christ. As is seen in them, Benjamin’s mother, Jacob’s beloved Rachel, died in childbirth. As she was dying, she named him Ben Oni, Son of Suffering. However, Jacob called him Benjamin, Son of the Right Hand.

Text Verse: “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:25-27

For those who are paying attention, it is obvious that Jesus is revealed in the words of Genesis 35. The story of the birth of Benjamin anticipated the state of Christ’s coming – first to suffer and then to enter His glory. Luke’s gospel records that beginning with Moses, Jesus explained how all of the Old Testament prophesied of Him.

For all we know, He could have started with that very passage. “I just told you that Christ was to suffer and then enter His glory. See, it is written of Me right in the story of the birth of Benjamin.” It’s just speculation, but Jesus could have started with any of an innumerable number of verses and told what was coming.

Maybe along the way as they walked, He could have continued with Benjamin. “Do you know that the very borders of the tribes tell the story of My coming? Just look at the borders of Benjamin.” From there, He could explain what you will review today.

God has woven the story of Jesus Christ so intricately into His word, that without studying the word from that lens, almost everything of value is missing. There are great moral and historical truths that can be pulled out of the word, but even those things would be unnecessary apart from the coming of Jesus.

Ultimately, it makes no difference where Benjamin is situated if Jesus never came. Likewise, any moral lesson in Scripture is actually pointless without Jesus.

We can be as moral or as godless in living our lives as we want, and it makes no ultimate difference without Him. If our final end is to return to the grave and perish, then let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. Without Jesus, we might as well use up our lives in the most hedonistic and self-serving way possible.

But we don’t even need to think that way, do we? Christ came, and He showed us a far more glorious and eternal path to walk. In learning about the borders of Benjamin, we will learn about the Person of Jesus Christ and what He means to us.

Get ready, great things are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Borders of Benjamin (verses 11-20)

With the instructions of Joshua 18:1-10 to survey and divide the remaining land among the final seven tribes complete, those verses ended with, “Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions” (Joshua 18:10).

From that point, the narrative continues with the designation of the first lot…

¹¹ Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families,

Benjamin was the twelfth son of Jacob and the second son born to his beloved Rachel. As for the wording here, it has not been seen before: va’yaal goral mateh bene Binyamin – “And ascended lot tribe sons Benjamin.” In the casting of the lots for land division, this word, alah, or “to ascend,” is only used now and with the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:10).

Elsewhere, it either says the lot “was,” or the word yatsa, to go or come forth, is used –

Judah there was (15:1)
Manasseh east there was (17:1)
Manasseh west there was (17:2)

Benjamin arose (18:11)
Zebulun arose (19:10)

Sons of Joseph came out (16:1)

Simeon came out (19:1)
Issachar came out (19:17)
Asher came out (19:24)
Naphtali came out (19:32)
Dan came out (19:40)

There is no indication why alah, or ascended is used. It would be logical that both names are typologically anticipating Christ. Benjamin means “Son of the Right Hand” and Zebulun means “Glorious Dwelling Place.”

As Jesus is the Son who ascended to the right hand of God (Mark 16:19), which is in His Glorious Dwelling Place (Revelation 21:3), the use of alah anticipates the ascension of Jesus. As for the ascending of Benjamin’s lot…

^{11 (con’t)} and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

The words closely follow the Hebrew with one exception. It is more precise, saying that the lot is “between the children of Judah and between the children of Joseph.” The placement of Benjamin between these already established allotments is both logical and fulfills previous prophecy.

It is logical because it places Benjamin next to his brother Joseph the other son of Rachel (the allotments to Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph) and next to Judah who had offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin before Pharaoh in Genesis 44. The closeness of the bonds is highlighted by the placement.

It also fulfills prophecy as spoken in Moses’ blessing –

“Of Benjamin he said:
‘The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him,
Who shelters him all the day long;
And he shall dwell between His shoulders.’” Deuteronomy 33:12

Though too long to repeat, the explanation of the words in Deuteronomy 33 is exactingly fulfilled by the placement of Joseph here. Take time today to rewatch that sermon J. As for the details, because of his placement here, the main borders on the south and on the north have already been marked out for Judah and Ephraim, and so much of this will be repetition…

¹² Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north,

Benjamin’s northern border is the southern border of Ephraim. More precisely, it begins on the side northward “from” the Jordan [the Descender] and ascends to the “shoulder” of Jericho [Place of Fragrance] from the north…

^{12 (con’t)} and went up through the mountains westward;

v’alah ba’har yamah – “and ascends in the mountain, westward.” The mountain means the hill country. From there…

^{12 (con’t)} it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven.

v’hayah totsotav midbarah beith aven – “And his goings out, Wilderness Beth Aven.” Beth Aven was noted as a city nearby but distinct from Bethel in Joshua 7:2. Beth means “house.” Aven comes from aven meaning wickedness, trouble, vanity (meaning idols which are vain), iniquity, and so on. And so it means something like “House of Wickedness.”

¹³ The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward;

More exactly, it reads, “And passed over from there the border Luz-ward unto shoulder Luz-ward, southward – it is Bethel.” Luz was seen in verse 16:2. It is a city near to, but separate from, Bethel. It means Almond, but it comes from the verb luz, meaning to turn aside, often in a negative way. Hence, it can mean Departure, but also means Twisted or Perverse. Bethel means House of God.

Elsewhere in the Bible, either Luz or Beth Aven is united explicitly, or in thought, with Bethel as being one city, but they are technically three separate cities.

^{13 (con’t)} and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon.

The second clause more precisely reads, “upon the hill which is from the south to Lower Beth Horon.” Ataroth Addar means Crowns of Greatness or Majestic Crowns. Lower Beth Horon means Lower House of the Hollow or Lower House of Freedom.

¹⁴ Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward;

The word yam can mean both sea and west. The KJV and some other versions say sea instead of west here. That is incorrect. The land of Benjamin does not reach to the Mediterranean Sea. The NKJV does a good job in this clause. Next…

^{14 (con’t)} and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

More precisely, “and its goings out unto Kirjath Baal.” Kirjath Baal means City of Baal or City of the Lord. Kirjath Jearim means City of Forests or City of Honeycombs. It is noted as belonging to Judah, thus marking the southwest corner of Benjamin.

¹⁵ The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim,

Rather, it reads, “And the side southward is from Kirjath Jearim.” This explains the southern border which is Judah’s northern border.

^{15 (con’t)} and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.

Rather than “on the west,” it reads “westward.” The border travels in that direction all the way to the fountain called Nephtoah. Nephtoah means Opening. From there…

¹⁶ Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom,

Two words are translated as valley. The first is the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. The word valley is ge, coming from gavah, pride or confidence. That comes from gaah, to rise up, increase, etc.

The original meaning of Hinnom is pretty much lost. Those who attempt to translate it associate it with wailing. Hence, this could be paraphrased as “the exaltation of the Son of Groaning.” The name in the New Testament becomes the well-known Gehenna. It is a valley that runs along the border of Jerusalem.

The second valley is emeq Rephaim, or Depth of Rephaim. Rephaim comes from either raphah, to sink or relax, or from rapha, to heal. Strong’s goes with the latter. Thus, it would be the Depth of Healed Ones. The border then goes…

^{16 (con’t)} to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel.

el keteph hayvusi negvah v’yarad en rogel – “unto shoulder the Jebusite southward, and descended En Rogel.” Jebusite means Treading Down or Trodden Underfoot. Jerusalem can have various meanings, but Foundation of Peace is sufficient.

En Rogel could have a couple meanings. Rogel comes from regel meaning foot or ragal, to go about on foot. As such, it could mean Fountain (Eye) of the Fuller, because the foot is used for washing garments by stamping on them, or Fountain of the Traveler.

¹⁷ And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh,

v’taar mi’tsaphon v’yatsa en Shemesh – “And extended from north and went out En Shemesh.” En Shemesh means Fountain (Eye) of the Sun. It is identified today as the Apostle’s Spring which is about a mile below Bethany, and is the only spring on the road to Jericho.

^{17 (con’t)} and extended toward Geliloth,

Rather: “And went out until Geliloth.” The word g’liloth is the plural of g’lilah. That signifies a circuit, boundary, territory, and so on. That comes from galal, meaning to roll. Hence, if it is an actual name, it means Circles or Rollings. However, it may simply be referring to the same region described in Joshua 22 –

“and they come in unto the districts [g’liloth] of the Jordan, which [are] in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, build there an altar by the Jordan — a great altar for appearance. 11And the sons of Israel hear, saying, ‘Lo, the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the half of the tribe of Manasseh, have built the altar over-against the land of Canaan, on the districts [g’liloth] of the Jordan, at the passage of the sons of Israel.’” Joshua 22:10, 11 (YLT)

^{17 (con’t)} which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.

Adummim is a plural word coming from adom, red, and adam, Adam or man. Thus, it is the Ascent of the Red Ones or Ascent of the Adams (men).

Bohan is identical to bohen, the thumb or big toe. It was probably a thick, prominent stone that was used as a landmark and named after a son of Reuben; maybe he was buried there or did some heroic thing there. Strong’s defines the meaning as Closing.

¹⁸ Then it passed along toward the north side of Arabah, and went down to Arabah.

v’avar el keteph mul ha’aravah tsaphonah v’yarad ha’aravatah – “And passed over unto shoulder against the Aravah northward, and descended the Aravah.” The Aravah is the plain that extends about one hundred miles south from the Dead Sea forming a border between Israel and Jordan. The word comes from the noun arav, to grow dark or become evening. This is because of the darkness of the terrain. However, that is identical to the verb arav, meaning to take or give in pledge.

¹⁹ And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah;

Beith Khaglah means House of the Partridge, but it also means House of Turning in Joy. The word comes from khagal, to wobble or hop. It is the same name as one of the daughters of Zelophehad. This is between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but belonging to Benjamin. It lies between Jericho and the Dead Sea.

^{19 (con’t)} then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

A literal rendering of this is: “And is the border unto tongue Sea the Salt northward, unto extremity the Jordan southward. This – border south.” The meaning is that this southern border goes to the spot where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. From there…

²⁰ The Jordan was its border on the east side.

The word border is a verb: v’ha’yarden yigbol oto liphat qedemah – “And the Jordan bordering him to side eastward.” The Descender is that which borders Benjamin on the east. The word east is qedem, also meaning aforetime. It speaks of that which comes before, earlier, or into the past, even as far as everlasting.

^{20 (con’t)} This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

Literally: “This inheritance sons Benjamin to her borders around, to their families.” The inheritance is set within these borders, and the names have a story to tell.

These are the borders of the Son of My Right Hand
And together they have a story to tell us
It is a story that is glorious, beautiful and grand
It is the story of our Lord Jesus

Every detail gives us hints of what He has done
Or of how it is realized in each of us
The marvelous details concerning God’s own Son
Glorious pictures of our Lord Jesus

God has set forth these things, allowing us to see
The beautiful things that Christ has done for us
The truths are found in the gospel that He offers for free
It is the precious gift of God, the gospel of our Lord Jesus

II. The Cities of Benjamin (verses 21-28)

²¹ Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were

“And were the cities to tribe sons Benjamin to their families.”

^{21 (con’t)} Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz,

y’rikho u-beith khaglah w’emeq qetsits – “Jericho, and Beth Hoglah, and Emek Keziz.”

Y’rikho – Place of Fragrance. Beith Khaglah – House of the Partridge or House of Turning in Joy. Emek Qetsits – Severed Depth, Cut off Valley.

²² Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

u-beith ha’aravah u-ts’marayim u-beith el – “And Beth Arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel.” Beith ha’Aravah – House of the Pledge. Ts’marayim – Two Woolen Things. Beith El – House of God.

²³ Avim, Parah, Ophrah,

v’ha’avim v’ha’parah, v’apherah – “And the Avim, and the Parah, and Ophrah.”

Ha’Avim – The Ruiners, The Ruin Dwellers, or The Mischief Makers. Ha’Parah – The Heifer. But that comes from the verb parar, to break or frustrate. So it could mean The Breaker. Apherah – Female Fawn, but that comes from aphar, dust. And so, maybe Of the Dust.

²⁴ Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages;

v’kh’phar ha’amoni v’ha’aph’ni va’gaba shetem esreh v’khatsrehen – “And Chephar the Ammoni, and the Ophni and Gaba. Ten two and their villages.”

Kh’phar ha’amoni – Village of the People or Village of the Ammonites. Aphni comes from an unused root and its meaning is unknown. Gaba is probably the same as Gibeah or Hill.

²⁵ Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

Giv’on v’ha’ramah u-b’eroth – “Gibeon, and the Ramah, and Beeroth.

Giv’on – Hill Town or Hilly. Ha’Ramah – The Height; The Lofty Place. B’eroth – Wells.

²⁶ Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,

v’ha’mitspah v’ha’kh’phirah v’ha’motsah – “And the Mizpah, and the Chephirah, and the Mozah.”

Ha’Mitspah – The Watchtower. Ha’Kh’phirah – The Village. Ha’Motsah – Depending on the root: The Drained, The Unleavened Bread, The Law, The Place of Going Forth.

²⁷ Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,

v’reqem v’yirp’el v’tar’alah – “And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah.

Reqem – Embroider. Yirp’el – God Will Heal. Tar’alah – Dove of God or Reeling.

²⁸ Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages.

Tsela ha’eleph v’hay’busi, hi y’rushalim giv’ath qir’yath arim arba esreh v’khatsrehen – “Zelah, the Eleph, and the Jebusi (it Jerusalem), Gibeath, Kirjath. Cities four ten and their villages.”

Tsela – Rib or Side. Ha’Eleph – The Cattle or The Multitude. Hay’busi – The Treading Down or The Trodden Underfoot. Y’rushalim – Foundation of Peace. Giv’ath – Hill. Qir’yath – City.

*^28 (fin) This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

Benjamin’s borders have been defined and their cities have been named. They will be rather prominently mentioned in the coming pages of Scripture. The first king of Israel, Saul, will be from this tribe. The great apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, will come from Benjamin as well.

There will be other heroes mentioned from this tribe, and a great self-inflicted calamity will come upon them in the book of Kings. The history of Benjamin will be rich and filled with hints of the workings of God in Christ.

Hints of the majesty of God in Christ
Are hidden in the names and places for us to see
Riches beyond measure that cannot be priced
And yet they must be earned by searching the word diligently

How wonderful it is to search out this word
Looking for hints of what God has done for us
Think on the names of places that you have heard
In them are hints of the coming Christ, our Lord Jesus

Thank You, O God, for the treasures we can see
When searching out this precious word
Wonderful riches and treasure there will be
When we consider each verse we have heard

III. Pictures of Christ

The borders of Benjamin, even if some are unstated at this point in the narrative, are the Jordan on the east, Dan on the west, Judah to the south, and Joseph, meaning Ephraim, is on the north.

Benjamin, or Son of the Right Hand, anticipates Christ as the Resurrected and Ascended Son of God. The Jordan, the Descender, to the east (signifying before in time) looks to Christ having first Descended in order to accomplish His work. Judah to the south, or right hand, signifies Jesus is the Praise of God. Joseph/Ephraim to the left indicates the work accomplished by Christ –

Joseph – He Shall Add/Take Away: He is the One to add people to God’s flock, having taken away their reproach.

Ephraim – Twice Fruitful/Ashes: He is twice fruitful in the land of His affliction, prevailing over the law and thus becoming the Savior of Jew and Gentile. But His work also means that sin was judged in Him, thus the ashes, signifying His afflictions.

Dan (Judge) to the west signifies Christ’s role after His ascension. He is the Judge of mankind.

The descriptions provided here in Chapter 18 follow closely after some of the descriptions seen earlier in the borders of Judah and Joseph (Ephraim). Thus, there is some fun repetition from those chapters.

Verse 11 began the description of the northern border. It speaks of the work of Christ in His incarnation. First, it used the unusual word va’yaal or “and ascended” concerning the lot. That anticipates the resurrection of Christ leading to His ascension. Jesus is the Son of the Right Hand of God after His Ascension –

“But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’” Acts 7:55, 56

Verse 11 continued with the lot having come out between Judah and Joseph. That was just explained in detail. Christ is the Praise of God who accomplished the work of God.

Verse 12 showed that the border of Benjamin began on the north from the Jordan River and on the shoulder of Jericho. Christ’s work began at His incarnation (His descent) from Heaven.

Verse 12 continued with the border ascending in the mountain, westward. The mountain signifies a large but centralized group of people. Jesus was raised in and among Israel and He never failed to continue on His trek toward the Lord.

In verse 13, He went through Israel via Beth Aven or House of Wickedness, and Luz, turning aside from the Lord, even though they were considered the House of God (Bethel), the land and people among whom the Lord resided.

The trek descended to Ataroth Addar, (Majestic Crowns), near the hill on the south side of Lower Beth Horon (Lower House of Freedom). It speaks of the work of Christ, His death, from which His many crowns are derived, and the effect of His work, bringing freedom from death.

Verse 14 began the west side. It speaks of the effects of the work of Christ. First, it mentioned the movement of the border to the hill that lies before Beth Horon (House of Freedom) and ending at Kirjath Baal (City of the Lord) also known as Kirjath Jearim.

From the House of Freedom, victory over death, it speaks of those who are a part of the City of the Lord, which is the City of Forests. In Joshua 15, that was seen to represent the gathering of the church.

Next, verse 15 began the details of the southern border, the state of those redeemed by Christ. It goes from Kirjath Jearim (the gathering of the church) to the waters of Nephtoah. As in Chapter 15, the fountain of Nephtoah anticipates eternal access into glory, symbolized by the gates that are never shut in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:25).

Verse 16 refers to the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (the exaltation of the Son of Groaning). It speaks of the centralized gathering of people who stand before the Lord Jesus and who are exalted from this fallen life because of the affect of His work. They are brought from a state of groaning –

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³ Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:22, 23

But more, that was said to be in emeq Rephaim, or in the Depth of the Healed Ones, an obvious reference to the state of believers in Christ.

Verse 16 next referred to the Jebusite (Treading Down) and the descent to En Rogel (Fountain of the Fuller). Jebus is derived from bus, to tread down, or trample. This is expressed in Psalm 60 –

“Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
¹² Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down [bus] our enemies.” Psalm 60:11, 12

It speaks of the completed work of Christ on behalf of His people, defeating their enemies which leads to the Fountain of the Fuller, a reference to the eternally purified garments such as those mentioned in Revelation 3:5.

After that, verse 17 next mentioned En Shemesh, Fountain of the Sun. That speaks of the eternal light of Christ (Malachi 4:2) upon His people, and thus the eternal flowing of light where there will be no night (Revelation 22:5).

From there, the border extends toward Geliloth. It is a plural word signifying Rollings. It refers to the state of Liberty of Christ’s redeemed. They have the yoke of sin and law rolled off of them forever.

Verse 17 continues by noting the Ascent of Adummim, or Ascent of the Red Ones (men). It is the heavenly promise noted many times in Scripture, such as Ephesians 2:6 where believers are said to be raised up and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

This was followed by the descent to the stone of Bohan (Thumb), son of Reuben (See, a Son). Stone signifies establishment, as in setting up a pillar. It signifies permanence; that which is established is set to stand firm. It signifies resiliency and strength, as in that which is fixed and unyielding.

The thumb represents the hand and thus action. It is that which has the ability to grasp firmly. The whole thought anticipates the eternal security of the believer. Adding in the name Reuben would anticipate the sonship of those who are in Christ. As Paul says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

Verse 18 notes passing toward the shoulder against the Arabah northward and the descending to the Arabah. The Arabah refers to the pledge of the Holy Spirit and the final granting of what the pledge signifies, meaning eternal life in the presence of God –

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, ²² who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee [Greek: arrabón/pledge].” 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (see also 2 Corinthians 5:5 and Ephesians 1:13, 14)

That leads to the next point where the border passed to the north side of Beth Hoglah or House of Turning in Joy. That is an obvious and beautiful description of the eternal state of those redeemed by Christ.

The southern border is said in verse 19 to end at the tongue of the Salt Sea, northward. It is a reminder of what brought about this marvelous state for the believers. The Salt Sea speaks of the incorruptible death of Christ, the incorruptible nature of the New Covenant in Christ, and the resurrection of Christ.

With that, verse 20 states that the Jordan was Benjamin’s border on the east side. It takes the reader full circle back to where it started, with the incarnation of Christ, His descent. Being east, qedem/before, it is both a note of the eternality of Christ as well as the beginning of His earthly to accomplish His work.

With that, the final words are, “This inheritance sons Benjamin (Son of the Right Hand) to her borders around, to their families.” It speaks of the sonship of the Son –

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28

After that, the second section of the passage detailed the listing of the cities of Benjamin. It is certain, and as can almost be deduced by a short glance through them, that each city name attests to something concerning the work of Christ.

As for the inheritance itself, the wisdom of God is attested to, both in the fulfillment of prophecy already stated, and in the historical record that will arise from the placement of Benjamin here.

Benjamin will play an important role in Israel’s future. Some of it will be a bit sordid, some of it will be exalting of them. But the story of Benjamin is ultimately and most prominently that of typological anticipations of the coming Redeemer, Jesus.

After His coming, He will again use Benjamin in a magnificent way when He selects the apostle Paul to pen much of the New Testament. And yet, despite the high and noble position, it will be one that is derived solely from the grace and mercy of God.

Paul was an enemy of Jesus Christ, fighting Him with all of his ability. But in the midst of his breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s people, the Lord personally intervened in his life. Because this is so, Paul had no standing in and of himself to boast.

And this is true with each one of us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. There is no merit in any of us concerning salvation. Rather, we were on the path to destruction and Christ stepped in. This is the story of the inheritance of Benjamin.

God has done the work and we are the benefactors of the life, cross, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord. What can we add to that? The answer is nothing. We come to God through Jesus as poor, condemned prisoners and accept the pardon that Jesus bought for us with His own precious blood.

Let us remember this as we head out today. The same type of people that we once were are on the streets we will walk. They are in the same sad state we were in. Have pity mixed with compassion on them. Open your mouth and speak, pull out the tracts you carry and leave them with those you encounter. Tell about the goodness of God in Christ.

The Son of the Right Hand is the Son who first came to bring us back to Himself so that we too could become sons of God. All hail the name of Jesus. He is our Lord. He is our God. He is the exalted One who now sits with all authority and power. All hail the glorious name of Jesus. Amen.

Closing Verse: “We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
In the midst of Your temple.
¹⁰ According to Your name, O God,
So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
Your right hand is full of righteousness.” Psalm 48:9, 10

Next Week: Joshua 19:1-9 We know you will just love this sermeon… (The Inheritance of Simeon) (38^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Inheritance of Benjamin

Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin
Came up according to their families, sho’nuff
And the territory of their lot came out
Between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph

Their border on the north side began at the Jordan
And the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north
———-as intended
And went up through the mountains westward
At the Wilderness of Beth Aven it ended

The border went over from there toward Luz
To the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward
———–as is now known
And the border descended to Ataroth Addar
Near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon

Then the border extended around the west side to the south
From the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward
———–so the border was applied
And it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim)
A city of the children of Judah; this was the west side

The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim
And the border extended on the west
And went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah
Where swimming is the best

Then the border came down to the end of the mountain
That before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom lies
Which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north
Descended to the Valley of Hinnom as the map did apprise

To the side of the Jebusite city on the south
———-at the record does tell
And descended to En Rogel

And it went around from the north
Went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth
———-as intended
Which is before the Ascent of Adummim
And to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben it descended

Then along toward the north side of Arabah it passed
And went down to Arabah at last

And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah
Then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea
At the south end of the Jordan
This was the southern boundary

The Jordan was its border on the east side
This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin
———-as the records show
According to its boundaries all around
According to their families, as we now know

Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin
According to their families, were as the records tell
Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz
Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, and Bethel

Avim, Parah, Ophrah
Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba also
Twelve cities with their villages
As the records show

Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah
Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, and Eleph as well
Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath
Fourteen cities with their villages as the records tell

This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin
As listed and for us to know
According to their families
So the records show

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹¹ Now the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families, and the territory of their lot came out between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. ¹² Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of Beth Aven. ¹³ The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel) southward; and the border descended to Ataroth Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of Lower Beth Horon.

¹⁴ Then the border extended around the west side to the south, from the hill that lies before Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.

¹⁵ The south side began at the end of Kirjath Jearim, and the border extended on the west and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. ¹⁶ Then the border came down to the end of the mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaim on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and descended to En Rogel. ¹⁷ And it went around from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. ¹⁸ Then it passed along toward the north side of Arabah, and went down to Arabah. ¹⁹ And the border passed along to the north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.

²⁰ The Jordan was its border on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.

²¹ Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, according to their families, were Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, ²² Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, ²³ Avim, Parah, Ophrah, ²⁴ Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages; ²⁵ Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, ²⁶ Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah, ²⁷ Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, ²⁸ Zelah, Eleph, Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

 

 

 

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Joshua 18:1-10
Israel Assembled Together at Shiloh

People can be maddening. There are lots of ways they can be maddening: politically, poor driving, throwing stuff on the ground instead of simply putting it in the trash, and so on. People are often maddening.

Today, there is another way people can drive one another mad: when they are on the internet. Using this tool, people can hide away and eviscerate others without a care. They hide behind keyboards and say things they would never think of saying eye to eye.

This is as true with supposed Christians as anyone else. They can twist Scripture, sermonize, and so much more, all without having a clue about what the Bible actually says.

On the Monday I typed this sermon, I checked my email to see if there was anything pressing before beginning sermon prep. If there is ever an email from someone I haven’t seen before, I will usually at least open it and see what it says, even if I don’t answer it until later. The very first email I opened said –

“Hi, I came across your website, and from there I was taken to your Youtube channel. The LORD told me to contact you. Your ‘Jesus Freak’ head covering is offensive and disrespectful to the LORD; and, it is worldly. We serve a Holy GOD and those who want to work for Him are servants and not “freaks!” GOD expects us to bring our best and be our best, especially when we are ministering to others since we are the LORD’S representatives. You can afford more than a t-shirt. You should have at least a short or long sleeve dress shirt or a casual shirt; and, some dress pants or casual pants. Be the best representative that you can be. May GOD guide you!”

Trust me, this isn’t just going to be me whining about a nasty email. This will be tied in with the content of today’s sermon. Hold on and you will see.

Text Verse: “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:28

It was actually quite propitious that this person emailed me on Monday morning. I at least got a sermon introduction for the passage out of the exchange. Weeee! It all works out sometimes.

As for the email itself, despite the obvious logical fallacies and the unclear thinking that goes along with them, there was nothing sent along from Scripture to support the inane conclusions that were made. Rather, I had to correct this person on several points, the most obvious of which is that the Lord never said a word, as in having spoken to this person. That is what the Bible is for.

But even if He did (which He didn’t) He wouldn’t say something contrary to the word He has given us. I reminded this person about 1 Timothy 2:11, 12, gave a couple of other pointers, and requested her not to email again.

Without addressing the points made, this person is filled with self, legalism, and really doesn’t care about the word. Like most people that want to destroy others, after they have attempted to do so, they then turn around and act as if they have done nothing wrong in the process. In fact, the person closed with a note of supposed encouragement. The attitude is like that of the adulteress in Proverbs 30:20.

Instead of saying things without knowledge or living without knowledge, we need to be fully equipped in all aspects of our lives, especially our spiritual lives. That will actually be seen in today’s passage, a great part of His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Survey the Land (verses 1-7)

Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,

v’yiqahalu kal adath bene Yisrael Shiloh – “And assembled whole congregation sons Israel, Shiloh.” The word translated as “assembled” is qahal. It signifies to gather as an assembly, being derived from the noun qahal, meaning an assembly.

The word translated as “congregation” is edah. It is referring to the main assembly of people. The nouns, edah and qahal were used in the books of Moses in a precise manner, but they are almost synonymous.

The Greek translation of this verse uses the words ecclesia (a called-out assembly) and sunagógé (the place, or people gathered together, normally in a religious manner), saying, “And an assembly (ecclesia) was held, all the congregation (sunagógé) of the sons of Israel in Shiloh.”

This is surely the sense of the Hebrew as well. The idea we should get from this first clause is that the congregation has been assembled around the main part of its religious life, meaning the tabernacle now located at Shiloh.

With the tribal lands having been settled for those tribes east of the Jordan along with Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh west of the Jordan, and with the land relatively subdued in those areas, this is the first noted permanent move of the congregation as a whole.

The congregation has, until this point, been situated in Gilgal. However, that is along the Jordan almost tucked away in a corner of the land. This move is now made to centralize the focus of Israel’s religious and governmental life within the borders of Canaan. And so, the move is made from Gilgal to Shiloh.

Shiloh is about 25 miles north and just a bit east of Jerusalem and about 10 miles directly south of Shechem. It falls within the already delineated borders of the tribe of Ephraim.

The name Shiloh, as used here, is not speaking of the coming Messiah, even if a connection to Genesis 49:10 may be made. The name is derived from shalah, to be quiet or at ease, and thus its meaning is something akin to Tranquility.

It is a fitting name for the situation. Twice, in Joshua 11:23 and in 14:15, it specifically says that the land rested from war. Therefore, the move from Gilgal (Rolling Away/Liberty) to Shiloh (Tranquility) is made. That this is a religious assembly of the congregation is seen in the next words…

^{1 (con’t)} and set up the tabernacle of meeting there.

va’yashkinu sham eth ohel moed – “And caused to dwell there Tent of Meeting.” There is a lack of precision in many translations here. It is not the “tabernacle of the congregation” (KJV) or the “tabernacle of meeting” (NKJV) or any other such variation. It states, “Tent of Meeting.”

To understand the difference, it says in Exodus 39:32, “Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished.” There, two descriptions are given, mishkan ohel moed – “tabernacle, tent of meeting.”

The tabernacle is the dwelling place, and the tent is what covers the dwelling place. The two are noted separately and yet belonging one to the other. Here, the focus is on the tent that covers the tabernacle. It is the part of the edifice that the congregation would see from the outside. This is settled in Shiloh because…

^{1 (con’t)} And the land was subdued before them.

v’ha’arets nikbash liphnehem – “And the land was subdued to their faces.” The word is kabash, meaning to subdue or bring into bondage. It can be used in a positive way signifying victory or subjugation by the subject, or a negative way with the exact same thought but reversed, meaning subjugation upon the subject.

Its first use in Scripture was in Genesis 1:28, and the parallel to that along with the work of Christ shouldn’t be missed –

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it [kabash]; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Genesis 1:28

Man was given dominion over the earth, something that was never realized in its proper sense. Hence the story of Israel’s entry into Canaan is given as a typological example of what was spoken in Genesis. But Joshua is given as a typological anticipation of the more complete work of Christ. With that, the passage next says…

² But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

The Hebrew is more precise: “And remained in Israel which not had divided their inheritance – seven tribes.” This then is the subject of the passage. Despite the land resting from war as well as the Tent of Meeting now dwelling in Tranquility, there is a state of tranquility lacking among the tribes.

As for the word translated as “tribe” here, it is shevet, and refers more to the governmental or political nature of the tribe. This will be used in verses 2, 4, and 7.

However, when the land is actually designated for each tribe, the word mateh, also translated as “tribe,” will be used. That speaks more of the genealogical or family nature of the tribe. For now, these seven political bodies need to be settled. Therefore…

³ Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?

The word “neglect” is raphah. It has a variety of significations, but one of them is to be idle or lazy. This is probably Joshua’s intent. In Exodus 5, when Israel was under the bondage of Egypt, they asked to be allowed to sacrifice to the Lord in the wilderness. In response to that, Pharaoh called them lazy or idle. This is probably the same sense that Joshua now uses.

The Lord brought them out from bondage, through the wilderness, and into the land. He had gone before them to subdue their enemies, even giving them rest, and yet they had not gone on to obtain their inheritances. Instead, they lolled around the Tent of Meeting in a semi-nomadic life. The land was before them and it needed to be subdued, and yet, they just kept on loafing their lives away. Hence, Joshua says…

⁴ Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them;

More precisely it reads, “Give out to you, to tribe, three men to the tribe, and I will send them.” There is a lot of unnecessary speculation on these words. They are simple and direct.

And yet, one valid point of speculation is whether Joshua is speaking to the seven tribes noted in verse 2 or all of the tribes as indicated in the words of “the children of Israel” in verses 1 and 3. The answer is not given and so suggestions are that it is either 21 men (3 from each of the 7 tribes who have not yet received their land grant) or 36 men (3 from each of all 12 tribes).

It could even be that Levi was included because they will dwell in some of the cities, and it is the cities that are to be surveyed as noted in verse 9. If so, then the number would be 39 men. It is impossible to know, but these are several options.

I would go with all of the tribes because the whole congregation was addressed in the opening of the passage. Further, it would provide additional manpower to accomplish the task and it would provide a full sense of fairness and impartiality. From there…

^4 (con’t) they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me.

Precisely, it reads: “and shall rise, and walk in the land and write it to mouth their inheritance and come to me.” With these words, one might argue that it is only speaking of the seven tribes because it refers to “their inheritance.”

But that is just the point. They have not yet received their inheritance. It is what the seven tribes will receive, and so it is still possible that all the tribes participated in the survey. It is not critical, or the word would have told us, but it is also good to think the matter out as to what is being said. They shall survey the land…

⁵ And they shall divide it into seven parts.

There is nothing said here of equality of size or number of cities. However, the cities – as will be seen – are the prime consideration of the divisions. But still, there had to be a consideration concerning the type of land, the quality of the land, the amount of arable land, the number of rivers or brooks or whether it was on the ocean or Sea of Galilee, etc.

This is pretty obvious when looking at the divisions on a map. Whatever they determined would be a suitable basis for division is what would then be brought back to Joshua. However, there is a curious thing about the next words…

^5 (con’t) Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north.

Yehuda yaamod al g’bulo mi’negev u-beith Yoseph yaamdu al g’bulam mi’tsaphon – “Judah shall stand upon his border from south, and House Joseph shall stand upon borders from north.” The meaning here is not referring to the land of Canaan as if Judah is the southernmost border and the House of Joseph comprises the northernmost border.

Rather, this is from the reference point of where the people are now in Shiloh. As that is within Ephraim, and Manasseh is north of Ephraim, Joshua is speaking of the present borders in relation to his current location.

As such, all of the other area that has not yet been designated as land belonging to the remaining tribes is to be divided into seven parts. This includes where Benjamin and Dan will eventually be which is between Ephraim and Judah.

The curious thing, however, is that when the seven divisions are made, one of them will be within the borders of Judah that have already been decided. Nothing is said of this, and yet, the next chapter will clearly indicate that it is so –

“The inheritance of the children of Simeon was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people.” Joshua 19:9

Therefore, it would appear that this determination must have been made prior to what is being said here. If the land is to be divided into seven parts (verses 5 & 6), and if that was what happened (verse 9), then the decision for this to have been done is already made, even if it has not been explicitly stated. Because of this, it is another good indication that all of the tribes were involved in the survey, not just the seven awaiting their lot.

⁶ You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me,

Again, it is specific: “And you shall write the land, seven parts, and bring to me here.” There are to be seven divisions of the land, and yet one of the divisions is within Judah. One way the land could fall within Judah while having not been previously decided is if Judah were to have said during the surveying, “We have too much land, let’s measure out a portion from our inheritance.” Another would be based on the words of a scholar named Ritter –

“The result of this examination, which was unquestionably a more careful one than that made by the spies of Moses, was that the unsubdued territory was found to be too small for the wants of seven tribes, while that apportioned to Judah was seen to be disproportionately large. To remedy this difficulty a place was found for Benjamin between Judah and Ephraim, and the portion of Simeon was taken out of the southern portion of Judah, while both Judah and Ephraim had to give up some cities to Dan.” Ritter

That such a grievous error as Ritter suggests seems highly unlikely. However, the curious thing is that nothing is said either way about this in the survey itself. And yet, it is integral to the entire history of the people, and it will also fulfill a prophecy made by Jacob hundreds of years earlier –

“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
⁶ Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united to their assembly;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
⁷ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 49:5-7

Being the priestly tribe without a land inheritance, Levi is set aside to be scattered in Israel. Simeon’s designation within Judah will result in the same thing. They will essentially be assimilated into Judah and mostly not bear their own identity. The land is to be surveyed, including this odd and unstated addition…

^6 (con’t) that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.

The address is to all (you, pl.) but the word “lot” is singular: v’yariti la’khem goral poh liphne Yehovah elohenu – “And I shall cast to you a lot here before Yehovah your God.”

This is probably not speaking of a single stone, but rather it may be like using the word “blessing” in the singular even while talking to many, as is seen in Exodus 32:29. As such, the Lord’s decision is one, even if it is realized in seven parts just as the Lord’s blessing is one, falling on many.

It is an interesting way of expressing things. But it is not unlike what a preacher might say – “I have a word to speak before God for you.” It is one word, but it is received by each.

⁷ But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.

This is stated as a reason for dividing the remaining land among seven tribes. Obviously, Judah and “the house of Joseph” are already excluded based on verse 5. But to be clear on the remaining tribes, as one necessarily needs to be when dealing with possessions, Levi is again noted as being excluded from an inheritance.

The priesthood entitles them to the tithes and offerings along with the Levitical cities within the borders of the inheritances. As such, they have no need for a tribal inheritance. They will be reaping from the land vicariously through the efforts of the people. Those belong to the Lord, and they are to be distributed among them as outlined in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

This sentiment was already seen in Chapters 13 and 14. Placing the three side by side will more fully help to see the precept –

Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them. (13:14)

But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them. (13:33)

For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. ⁴ For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. (14:3, 4)

But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. (18:7)

^7 (con’t) And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

Like the exclusion of Levi, which included the reason for it, this must be noted to ensure that no later claims could arise by the named tribes. As seen in verse 2, the word used here is shevet. It is the political aspect of the tribe.

The precision of the wording is evident in which words are used to ensure that nothing can later bring the inheritances into question. During the time of Moses, the inheritance of those two and one-half tribes was granted, and their limits were fully determined.

The inheritance is waiting for you
But first, each part must be defined
Then each shall inherit what is due
After the borders have been aligned

According to the Lord’s decision, it shall be divided
All will be handled fairly in this way
Each will receive what He has decided
And the inheritance will be set on that day

Who can argue against His decision?
When the matter is established and done
He will determine it with perfect precision
When it is settled through the work of the Son

II. Joshua Divided the Land (verses 8-10)

⁸ Then the men arose to go away;

va’yaqumu ha’anashim va’yeleku – “and arose the men, and walked.” Joshua spoke and the men did as he directed. This is a preemptory statement to that which follows…

^8 (con’t) and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying,

vay’tsav Yehoshua eth ha’hol’khim likh’tov eth ha’arets lemor – “And commanded, Joshua, the walkers to write the land, saying.” Joshua repeats the command of verse 6 at the time of the men’s departure.

They were selected by the elders and given instructions as to what they were to do. But to ensure that nothing was missing or misrepresented when they were selected, Joshua personally charged them to conduct the survey.

^8 (con’t) “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me,

l’ku v’hithhaleku ba’arets v’kithvu otah v’shuvu elay – “Walk. And walk in the land, and write her, and return unto me.” The meaning is obvious. They are to head out and continue throughout the entire land, meticulously writing out all they see and to then return. The purpose of this is so…

^8 (con’t) that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”

As before, “lot” is singular, but the address is plural: “And here I will cast to you (pl.) lot before Yehovah in Shiloh.” The lot will be cast and the decisions that are rendered will be from the Lord.

⁹ So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities;

Here, the division is explicitly said to be by cities. Unless unstated, this is something that was not previously done. This then may be the reason for putting Simeon within the borders of Judah. The number of cities within Judah was quite large, but this still doesn’t explain why the narrative fails to mention it.

If this is the reason for it, then it would also be the reason for the instances where some cities within the borders of one tribe were given to other tribes.

Regardless of that, the exclusion of Judah and the house of Joseph in verse 5, along with the note concerning dividing the inheritance of these seven tribes into seven parts, just makes the matter more curious. But there is no note of complaint by Judah and so the matter was obviously resolved before the lot was cast.

^9 (con’t) and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.

The Hebrew is more precise: “and they came in, unto Joshua, unto the camp, Shiloh.” Whether the survey was only in the lands not yet settled, or whether it included the cities of all of the tribes west of the Jordan, the task was complete, and the men went directly to Joshua with what they had recorded…

¹⁰ Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord,

As before, the word “lot” is singular. How this was done isn’t given any detail for us to consider, but what seems likely is that representatives of the seven tribes would have been there, and the survey of the land would have been there as well.

One by one they were matched up according to the lot, and that settled the matter from that time on. To speak against the lot would be to speak against the Lord who directs the lot. The matter was handled in a perfectly fair manner and in accord with the wisdom of the Lord.

*^10 (fin) and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

Of this, John Gill incorrectly states –

“…the land that was divided into seven parts, he distributed to the seven tribes, as the lot came up for them, and then divided these several parts according to the families and households in each tribe.” Gill

Here, the term “divisions” is to be considered synonymous with “tribes.” The land divisions were by lot cast before the Lord. Thus, it was divided without regard to size of tribe or number of families within a tribe but according to His sovereign decision.

From there, the land would have been further divided by family, but this was probably a tribal matter. Nothing is said of Joshua being involved in the divisions by family. As the Lord’s representative though, Joshua is given the credit for being the one to divide the land, even if it was the Lord who determined the lot.

What is the mystery that has been hidden?
But which is now revealed in His saints
The knowledge of it was once forbidden
But now it is available to all without restraints

It is Christ in you, the hope of glory!
It is what God has done for each of us
The inclusion of both Jew and Gentile in the gospel story
Because of the work of the Lord Jesus

It is Him we preach for all to hear
Warning and teaching in all wisdom that God bestowed on us
That every man, whether far away or near
May be presented a perfect man in Christ Jesus

III. Spiritual Perfection

The narrative before us focuses on the seven unclaimed inheritances. The clear meaning is that there have been five inheritances already secured: Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah. Two of them make up the house of Joseph, but they are deemed as individual tribes.

Five is the number of grace; it is being given what you don’t deserve and it is Divine favor. But there is a lack. Seven tribes are needing their inheritance. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection. It can be deduced that this passage is referring to those who are saved by grace, but who have not attained spiritual perfection.

This would go along with the move from Gilgal to Shiloh. Gilgal, or Liberty, was where the Israelites camped when they came through the Jordan, the Descender. Since then, numerous pictures of the work of Christ described how that occurred.

No reason was given for the move to Shiloh, or Tranquility, just as no reason was given for selecting Gilgal after crossing through the Jordan. It is simply what occurred. We can, therefore, assume that the Lord wants us to see a new aspect of His workings for Israel in this move.

This seems more likely because verse 1 notes that the whole congregation assembled at Shiloh. It doesn’t only speak of the seven tribes but all of Israel. Thus, it seems to be an indication that though grace has been received, spiritual perfection is still lacking.

Shiloh is where the Tent of Meeting is set up. That is the part of the edifice seen from the outside. And so, it is a picture of Jesus in his humanity. Various interior aspects of the tabernacle reflect His deity. The land being subdued before them (verse 1) indicates that Jesus accomplished everything necessary for their salvation and ability to progress to spiritual perfection.

That was the word kabash, to subdue or bring into subjection. Despite that, there is the note (verse 2) of the lack in the seven tribes that must be corrected. The inheritance is theirs, the land is subdued, but the state of tranquility is lacking, represented by the move to Shiloh.

It is obvious that this is a self-inflicted wound by Joshua’s words of verse 3. They have idled away the time instead of moving forward. Again, this has to be an indictment on all of the tribes because the words are “to the children of Israel.” The seven are not singled out in this regard. It is one thing to receive grace, and it is another to do something with it.

Hence, a survey of the land (verse 4) is to be conducted. Nothing is definitively said concerning which tribes are to put forth three men each. Hence, I have argued that it would be all 13 of them. I would even include Levi in this because they will receive cities, even if they don’t receive an inheritance. They are a part of the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

That is total speculation on my part, but with Levi, there would be 39 men – the number of Old Testament books. Thus it would fit well with becoming spiritually perfect in Christ. You need to not only know the New Testament, but the Old Testament, just as Jesus indicates in John 5 when he says that the Scriptures, meaning the Old Testament Scriptures, testify of Him.

But this would also fit with what they are to do, which is to write out a survey of the land. It would be a full and detailed explanation of what is needed to go from grace to spiritual perfection. As such, Israel is being shown the manner in which that is to come about.

Verse 5 said that the writing should divide the land into seven parts. There are several ways in which the 27 books of the New Testament are divided: five major divisions, two major divisions, and so on. I would go with seven distinct divisions –*Though there are four gospels, one is unique from the other three. There are the synoptic gospels and then John. It is really 3+1. That is 2 divisions.

*Acts is unique. That is 3 divisions.
*Paul’s 13 epistles are all carefully set together. Even if they can be further subdivided, they are all one unit. That is 4.
*Hebrews is certainly written by Paul, but it is both unsigned and unique. That is 5.
*The other epistles are individual to some extent and can be subdivided, but they are close enough to also be in one category. That is 6.
*Revelation is unique. That is 7.

Verse 5 continued with the two major divisions from the perspective of Shiloh – Judah from the negev, or south, and the house of Joseph from the tsaphon, or north. Negev signifies parched. It is a land without water. Tsaphon signifies that which is hidden or treasured away.

It forms an all-encompassing statement of anyone from within the borders concerning salvation where one goes from being parched, first receiving the water of life, to being hidden in Christ. The names reflect the state of Christ. Judah is Christ, the Praise of God. Joseph reflects Christ, the One to Take Away (asaph) man’s reproach and He Who Adds (yasaph) him to the fold of God.

Verse 6 reiterated the need to survey the land in seven parts, thus indicating the need for spiritual perfection.

Verse 7 carefully explained why this was needed. Judah and the house of Joseph are excluded based on verse 5, but so are Levi and the other tribes west of Jordan. Again, it is to show that even though there are already inheritances, no distinction was made in verses 1 & 3. Rather, the need is for the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

Verse 8 twice repeated the thought of writing out the inheritance. In fact, it is mentioned five times in these few verses. Five, being the number of grace, perfectly fits with the contents of the New Testament. There is the law and there is grace. The law is given, and grace is then explained.

Verse 9 noted that this writing was in seven parts. The grace is defined in the spiritual perfection that is obtained from understanding and applying that which is revealed in the New Testament. Verse 9 then repeated the fact that Joshua was in Shiloh. He anticipates Jesus granting Tranquility (Shiloh), just as Jesus is the One who granted Liberty, (Gilgal).

Verse 10 notes the casting of the lots at Shiloh before the Lord and that it was Joshua who divided the land to the children of Israel. It is the Lord’s word, and it is Jesus who defines and expresses it. The state of spiritual perfection, the man “perfect in Christ,” as our text verse today said, is to be attained through this word.

Like the previous chapters of Joshua, this one also highlights the victories of the Lord. But it also brings forth the obvious need for us to apply those victories to our lives. Jesus did the work for man to be saved. We are to accept it and believe.

Jesus fulfilled the law. We are to live by the grace of Christ, not go reinserting what was hung on His cross. Jesus defines the borders of our salvation and the state of our lives within that salvation. We are to live in accord with that.

Jesus has bestowed grace upon us, but without knowing the details of what He has done, how can we become mature in Him? And so, that is defined in Scripture as well. The process of it was detailed in advance for us to see and understand.

Yes, these things really happened in Israel, but we can know 100% that they apply to Christ in typology. How else can it be explained that Simeon wound up in the territory of Judah without a full explanation of why unless God was purposefully withholding that information to provide us typological hints of greater truths?

As this is so, we can see from today’s passage that not only do we need to know who Jesus is, something that could simply be passed down by word of mouth, which is often the case even today, but we need to then become mature in our knowledge of Christ by knowing His word.

Salvation is great, and it is the defining moment in a believer’s life, but it is just the start. Without entering into the means of obtaining spiritual perfection, meaning an understanding of Scripture, our lives are left rudderless and unsure.

Our boat cannot ever be sunk in Christ, but it sure can go in odd directions without having the proper equipment to drive it along. As such, and as this passage is dealing with the New Testament, something that our sermons have never been solely focused on:

• How can you know what is being talked about in these sermons unless you know they are referring to Christ?
• How can you expect to mature if you don’t know what the sermons you are listening to are truly relaying to you, meaning their anticipation of Christ?
• You will stagnate in maturing in the Lord unless you listen to and study the Old and New Testaments.

Consider these things. And yet, even considering that we do not refer to the New Testament a lot in these Sunday sermons, I would challenge you to read your Bible – both Old and New Testaments.

Also, you should take up a daily New Testament commentary. There are a billion out there, the best of which is found at the Superior Word website, but others will help as long as they are theologically sound.

Lastly, I would challenge you to attend at least one New Testament Bible study each week. As they can be seen online, you don’t even need to attend a church. The best weekly Bible study on the planet can be seen streaming live at the Superior Word YouTube channel.

Others are out there as well and will suffice as long as they are based on a proper analysis of the word. But you really can’t know that unless you already have a good understanding of the word. Hence, read your Bible daily.

Don’t be like that person referenced at the beginning of the sermon. Be a wise, prudent, and understanding person who is focused on a right knowledge of the word. Don’t be legalistic and don’t be unduly judgmental. Instead, be ready and willing to be yourself while at the same time being like Jesus.

Do everything to the glory of God and you will do well. Amen.

Closing Verse: “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. ³ Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. ⁴ Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.” James 3:2-4

Next Week: Joshua 18:11-28 What type of land through the lottery did he win…? (The Inheritance of Benjamin) (37^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Israel Assembled Together at Shiloh

Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel
Assembled together at Shiloh, a meeting quite grand
And set up the tabernacle of meeting there
And before them was subdued the land

But there remained among the children of Israel
———-(and this not by chance)
Seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance

Then Joshua said to the children of Israel:
“How long will you neglect, as you are inclined to do
To go and possess the land
Which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?

“Pick out from among you three men for each tribe
And I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land
Survey it according to their inheritance
And come back to me; do just as I have planned

“And they shall divide it into seven parts
Judah shall remain in their territory on the south
And the house of Joseph shall remain
In their territory on the north, according to the words of my mouth

“You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts
And bring the survey here to me
That I may cast lots for you
Here before the LORD our God, so shall it be

“But the Levites have no part among you, such is the word
For their inheritance is the priesthood of the LORD

“And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh
Have received their inheritance, their just reward
Beyond the Jordan on the east
Which gave to them Moses the servant of the LORD

Then the men arose to go away
And Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying
———-so they would know
“Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me
That I may cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh”

So the men went, passed through the land
And wrote the survey in a book, all the places they did go
In seven parts by cities
And they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh

Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD
And there Joshua divided the land
To the children of Israel
According to their divisions, just as the Lord had planned

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them. ² But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.

³ Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? ⁴ Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. ⁵ And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north. ⁶ You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷ But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

⁸ Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” ⁹ So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. ¹⁰ Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

 

 

 

Artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 17:14-18
You Shall Create

On sermon typing day, my friend Sergio will often send me twenty messages in a row, just to be as annoying as possible. But that’s ok, I do the same to him while he is trying to do his video work. Other than him, I have contact with absolutely no one from the time I start till the time I finish. This has been true for years. An exception to this is truly an exception.

While studying the text for this sermon, there were some rather amazing inaccuracies in the translation of the verses. I noted to Sergio how fascinating the passage was and a few minutes later he came back with some comments on the first verse.

I responded with some analysis from verses 15 and 16. He came back with a dubious, “Yes that sounds right.” But after going through it a bit more, he said, “Yes. Wow. Incredible.” To make sure he wasn’t funning me, I asked if he really agreed with my conclusion and his response was, “Can’t believe you paid attention.”

In other words, while translators are spending their time trying to make a translation sound good and understandable, they will often miss the actual meaning of the words. Feeling good about this, I told Sergio that I actually just ran my thoughts through AI and that is what popped out. After that, I spent the morning playing solitaire.

Ok, that didn’t happen, but for fun, Sergio asked his AI resource for a sermon on our verses today. About one minute later, he sent me this –

“In Joshua 17:14-18, we see the story of the tribe of Joseph, specifically the half-tribe of Manasseh, who were given a large portion of land on the west side of the Jordan River. However, instead of being satisfied with the land they had been given, they complained and asked for more. This passage reminds us that it is easy to become discontent and never feel satisfied with what we have been given. It is important to remember to be grateful for the blessings that we have received, rather than constantly striving for more. Let us strive to cultivate an attitude of gratitude and trust in God’s provision for our lives.”

Being a little weak, he strengthened the parameters, asking it to “write a short sermon paragraph in an expository style about Joshua 17:14-18. Focus on the meaning of the Hebrew words and how this passage points to Jesus.”

Thirty seconds later, I got this –

“In Joshua 17:14-18, we see the tribe of Joseph, specifically the half-tribe of Manasseh, requesting more land from Joshua. The Hebrew word used for “more” in this passage is ‘od,’ which can also be translated as ‘still’ or ‘yet.’ This implies that the half-tribe of Manasseh already had a significant amount of land, but they were not satisfied and wanted more. This passage serves as a reminder of our own tendency to always want more, even when we have already been blessed with so much. However, this passage also points us to Jesus, who came to fulfill the desires of our hearts. In Philippians 4:19, Paul writes, ‘And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.’ Just as God provided for the Israelites, He also provides for us, and we can trust that He will give us what we truly need. Let us seek to find contentment in Jesus and trust in His provision for our lives.”—AI

Well, so much for letting AI do the work. Hopefully what is presented today will be a bit better than that.

Text Verse: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
²⁷ For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:26, 27

It’s hard to understand how anyone can read the words of Paul and come to any other conclusion than that they are referring to national Israel of the future. But that is exactly what many think. It is stupefying to even imagine.

Our passage today will deal with this issue in detail. But having heard the verses from the NKJV, or almost any other version, you probably would never guess it. But look at some of the variations in translation you will see today –

*then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants. NKJV
*Go up, to you the forest and create to you, there in land the Perizzite and the Rephaim. CG

*since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you. NKJV
*for hastened to you Mount Ephraim. CG

*The mountain country is not enough for us. NKJV
*Not found (meaning able to attain) to us the mount. CG

Reading the differences in these two translations is almost like reading an entirely different account. One thing is for sure, either one is right, and one is wrong, or they are both wrong, but both cannot be right.

What is the Lord telling us, and why is what is being said so hard to understand? The reason is what we are looking for. Translators will tend to reject things that don’t seem to make sense, even if that is the obvious translation of what is presented.

But in following this strategy for translation, a lot of meaning will be missed. I think you’ll agree by the time we finish. If not, and if you prefer something a little easier to listen to, let me know and I will have the AI put out 25- page sermon for you next week. That will take about 10 minutes and I’ll have the rest of the day to play solitaire.

Be sure to let me know what you decide. 10 minutes or 10 hours, I leave it up to you J. I hope you will go with the 10 hours. Such great treasure is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. For Hastened to You Mount Ephraim (verses 14-18)

¹⁴ Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying,

Here is a united voice of those of Ephraim and Manasseh. Together they form the voice of their father Joseph. The right of the firstborn was granted to him by Jacob, meaning a double portion. As such, this is making a play on the name Joseph.

Joseph or Yoseph, comes from the verb yasaph, to add. Thus, his name means He Shall Add. However, there is another meaning to his name based on his mother’s declaration at his birth –

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. ²³ And she conceived and bore a son, and said, ‘God has taken away [asaph] my reproach.’ ²⁴ So she called his name Joseph, and said, ‘The Lord shall add [yasaph] to me another son.’” Genesis 30:22-24

She not only used the word yasaph, to add, but also the word asaph, to gather or remove. As such, his name means He Shall Take Away as much as it means He Shall Add. This duality of name meanings extends to both of Joseph’s sons as well. Ephraim and Manasseh each have dual meanings.

As for the double portion of the firstborn having been granted to him, that goes back to Jacob’s blessing upon his sons in Genesis –

“And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.” Genesis 48:5

During this blessing, Jacob placed the younger, Ephraim, above the older, Manasseh –

“So he blessed them that day, saying, ‘By you Israel will bless, saying, “May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!”’ And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.” Genesis 48:20

Immediately after that, he then spoke of the surety of the double blessing to Joseph –

“Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.’” Genesis 48:21, 22

Because of this, the events of these verses in Joshua 17 take place. One can see the hidden pun of this opening clause by translating the names in it – vaydaberu bene Yoseph eth Yehoshua – “And spoke sons He Shall Add to the Lord is Salvation.”

The sons of He Shall Add are coming to get a little more added…

^{14 (con’t)} “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit,

Rather, the preposition is singular: madua nathatah li nakhalah goral ekhad v’khevel ekhad – “Why given to me inheritance – lot one and portion one?” The goral, or lot, is the casting of the grant itself. The khevel, or cord, is the measurement of that lot into a granted portion of land.

The two tribes of Joseph speak with one united voice. Because of their words, one might wonder if they had been out drinking all night or something.

A little background will help explain. First, the numbers of the tribes at the first census were 40,500 for Ephraim and 32,200 for Manasseh (Numbers 1:32-25). It is true that together they outnumbered every tribe except Judah, but individually, they were not exceptionally large in number.

At the second census, the numbers of Manasseh were more than Ephraim. Ephraim was 32,500 and Manasseh was 52,700. Together, they could be considered a large tribe, being 8700 larger than the largest tribe of Judah.

However, one-half of Manasseh wanted land east of the Jordan. This was granted. Taking them out of the total, the number left to occupy the grant west of the Jordan would be comparable to one of the middle or even smaller sized tribes.

And more, it may be that the land grant of Judah was significantly larger than that of Joseph’s land west of the Jordan, but Simeon will be incorporated within Judah’s land grant. And even more to the point, Judah’s land contains vast areas that are barren wilderness.

On the other hand, the land given to the sons of Joseph is rather large in proportion to their numbers and it contains some of the most fertile and productive land to be found within the borders of Canaan. Add in the giant swath of land east of the Jordan that was immensely good land for pasturing flocks, and they had more than any other tribe, by far.

What would cause them to claim they had insufficient land, or only one inheritance is hard to guess. Maybe they had been drinking too much the night before. Or it could be, based on what they will say in the coming verses, that they are claiming the only inheritance they have is what has been given to the half-tribe east of the Jordan. Whatever it is, a review of their recorded inheritance is needed.

The lot for both was introduced in Joshua 16:1-4. From there, the land of Ephraim was detailed in verses 16:5-10. After that, verses 17:1-13 detailed that of Manasseh. The land for both was decided and then it was divided between the two.

It is possible that they felt jipped by getting one lot which was then divided, or only Manasseh is speaking out the complaint because it had grown so much during the wilderness wanderings while Ephraim had diminished. As such, they felt they were due more land. But neither of these will seem to fit with the protestations they lay before Joshua.

The entire discourse is unreasonable based on what was just reviewed. And yet, they are presenting it as if there is an obvious deficiency in their allotment. It could be that because Joshua is of the tribe of Ephraim, they thought he would bear with their complaint and give them a note of favoritism. He will, however, remain steadfast in showing impartiality. Their complaint is…

^{14 (con’t)} since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?”

Again, it is singular: va’ani am rav ad asher ad koh ber’khani Yehovah – “And I, people great until which, until now, has blessed me, Yehovah.” This is the only time that Yehovah is mentioned in this passage, and it appears that they are claiming that what they have been apportioned is not a blessing from Him at all.

They have been blessed up until now, but that doesn’t seem to include what they have been handed at this time. Their words are laughable in comparison to their numbers and in relation to what they have been allotted.

What they claim is obviously not correct, but something has motivated them to speak as they have, and Joshua immediately perceives what it is. He addresses it directly and he does it by using their own words…

¹⁵ So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people

There is a strong emphasis as he repeats their claim right back to their ears: va’yomer alehem Yehoshua, im am rav attah – “And said to them, Joshua, ‘If people great, you…’”

They made the claim. If it is so, and if the land they have is supposedly insufficient for them, then there must be a problem within the land that they are unwilling to address. Instead, they want more (or other) land so that they can avoid that issue altogether. Joshua knows this and subtly uses their boasting to highlight their cowardice…

^{15 (con’t)} then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants,

aleh lekha ha’yarah u-beretha lekha sham ba’erets ha’perizi v’ha’rephaim – “Go up, to you the forest and create to you, there in land the Perizzite and the Rephaim.”

The problem isn’t the amount of land at all. The problem is the inhabitants in the land. The tribes have boasted of their size, supposedly necessitating more land and so Joshua hurls their words back at them – “If you are so great, you don’t need more land, you need a backbone.”

In his statement, he uses the word bara’, or create. It is the first use of this word in Scripture not connected to God and it appears intentional. There is another word he could have used, khatav, meaning to cut wood. But he goes beyond that and says, “Go create something out of the forest. Make it usable you great people. God, through the lot, created a portion for you. Now go create something out of it.”

The need for a backbone is twofold. First, they need to get to work with their creating. And second, Joshua seems to poke at them that they need to do it “there, in the land of those settled-in people, including the dreaded giants.”

There is an obvious failure of these people to rely on the Lord. He had promised to go before them, and He had done so, never failing them in the process. With the land allotted by Him, all they needed to do was trust and act.

As for the people groups, Perizzite means A Breach or Irruption. Rephaim comes from a word meaning to sink down or relax or from a word meaning to heal. If the latter, then it indicates that their size came from being invigorated in some way, probably through special inbreeding.

Joshua has identified their failing and he has told them what to do about it. Their complaint about land really comes down to accessibility…

^{15 (con’t)} since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

Rather than “too confined,” as if that is all that is being referred to, it is Joshua speaking about the speed in which they will be able to subdue the mountainous area: ki ats lekha har ephrayim – “for hastened to you Mount Ephraim.” Mount Ephraim is being used as a synecdoche referring to all of the mountainous area apportioned to them.

In this, Joshua uses the word uts, to hasten to labor. It appears to be another poke at them. “Look at how easy Mount Ephraim is. You will have it all cleared out in no time. You just need to get to work and put a little effort into your inheritance.” With that, the moaning of Joseph continues…

¹⁶ But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us;

Not living up to their name, He Shall Add, Joseph moans against Joshua’s words. Further, their answer is not that the mountain country isn’t enough. Rather, they are refuting Joshua’s claim that they can attain it speedily: lo yimatse la’nu ha’har – “Not found to us the mount.”

The meaning is not that the mountainous area is not enough for them, as if they needed more. Rather, the word is matsa, to find or attain. They are saying that they cannot overtake it. The people living there are too strong, they have settled into the area and are fortified, and there will be no way to drive them out.

Joshua said that the sons of Joseph will hasten to attain it and they claim that it is unattainable. They are wallowing in their own incompetence and ineptitude while failing to trust in the unseen hand of the Lord. With that, the moaning goes further…

^{16 (con’t)} and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron,

It is all singular: v’rekhev barzel b’kal ha’k’naani ha’yoshev b’erts ha’emeq – “and chariot iron in each the Canaanite, the dweller in land the valley.” It is a total exaggeration. Though they possessed chariots, these men claim that each and every Canaanite in the area had one, making it sound like they were as common as front doors on houses.

As such, they grumble that not only can they not attain the mountainous country, they also could never defeat those in the valley. The Canaanite was too strong, and they could never drive him out. Unlike the mountainous area where the people were dug in and fortified, these people were in the open areas.

This is where chariots are suitable and effective. Any obstruction at all would render them useless, but in open areas they are quite lethal. However, despite being a fearful weapon of war, it is not something beyond their ability to defeat.

In the battle of Joshua 11 by the waters of Merom, Joshua handily defeated the vast army and burned their chariots with fire. They knew this and yet they peevishly whine about the sizeable and beautiful grant of land they had been provided.

The entire passage demonstrates a complete lack of faith in the Lord and the promises He has made. Of the armies with chariots, they continue their grousing with the words…

^{16 (con’t)} both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

la’asher b’beith sh’an u-b’noteha v’la’asher b’emeq yiz’r’el – “to who in Beth Shean and her daughters and to who in Valley Jezreel.” The term “daughters” means towns. Thus, it speaks of the smaller towns that fall under the protection of the mother city.

The entire clause speaks of utter defeat. Not only are they afraid of the main city, but they are irritable about even attacking the little towns around it. And those in the valley, open and exposed in the wide expansive area, are thought to be too tough for them to handle because of their chariots.

As for the names, Beth Shean means House of Ease or House of Security. Jezreel means God Sows. Being prefixed with emeq, or valley, it would be the Depth of God Sows, the emeq being a deep, broad valley.

Despite their whimpering, Joshua remains unaffected…

¹⁷ And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying,

Rather than “spoke,” it uses the word “said.” Further, the chronicler says his words are directed “to the house of Joseph.” They have come to him with a complaint about their inheritance and so he addresses them as one.

His words confirm what I said earlier. Their initial complaint, which continues here, is that their only inheritance is that already given to the half-tribe east of the Jordan. What they have been granted west of the Jordan is unattainable and so they are left with that single land grant – whiners…

But, remaining undeterred, Joshua pokes them with great and emphatic words, even greater than they claimed themselves…

^{17 (con’t)} “You are a great people and have great power;

am rav atah v’koakh gadol – “People great, you! And power whopping!” They came to Joshua with a claim that they were a great people, meaning numerous. Joshua has used the same word, rav, in the sense of powerful.

They obviously didn’t get it the first time, and so he adds in superlatives to almost mock them at their wincing attitude. The thing is, they cannot refute him. He has never failed in a battle, is of their same stock (meaning of the house of Joseph), and has had the Lord with him.

They are the entire house of Joseph, they are numerous, and they have accompanied Joshua into battle, having learned the skills he possesses. And more, it would be blasphemous for them to claim the Lord is not with them as well. They know this, and they know Joshua knows they know it. Hence…

^{17 (con’t)} you shall not have only one lot,

lo yihyeh l’kha goral ekhad – “No shall be to you lot one.” Their griping has left Joshua entirely unaffected. What is east of Jordan is for the half-tribe of Manasseh. What is west is for Ephraim and half of Manasseh. And that land west of the Jordan is sufficient for both of them.

The matter is decided, the challenge is set before them, and it is their task to secure what has been decided by the lot. The land has been marked out, and now it is time for them to act. And so, Joshua continues…

¹⁸ but the mountain country shall be yours.

ki har yihyeh lakh – “For mountain shall be to you.” As in verse 15, the word har, or “mountain,” is referring to the entire mountainous area of the land grant. It is given to the house of Jacob. And it is attainable…

^{18 (con’t)} Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours;

ki yaar hu u-bereto v’hayah lekha tots’otav – “For forest it, and you shall create, and shall become to you its outgoings.” Joshua implies that the forest will sufficiently provide for them. With the wood, they can fashion weapons, they can build houses, and so on.

In other words, it should not be considered an obstacle, but a benefit. In cutting down the forest, they will also have the benefit of workable fields. The land is good, it is available, and they will be able to subdue it.

There is a formative process that must take place, but when it is accomplished, their goal of possessing a second lot will have been obtained. Joshua’s words are direct, but they are also encouraging. All of this would belong to them.

Many scholars say the “outgoings” refer to fields and plains that border the wooded area, but what seems more likely is that it is referring to the sea which borders the inheritance on the west. The Canaanites dwelt throughout the land, even to the seacoast. That will belong to them as well because, as he says…

^{18 (con’t)} for you shall drive out the Canaanites,

It is again singular: ki torish eth ha’k’naani – “For shall disinherit the Canaanite.” They have been granted their inheritance from the Lord by lot. They are to disinherit those in the land in order to receive it. Joshua has remained fixed and resolute in his words. They are capable despite the force they will face…

^{18 (con’t)} though they have iron chariots

Rather than “though,” Joshua makes a statement of fact: ki rekev barzel lo – “For chariot iron to him.” It seems almost like he is trying to intimidate them, and without his previous words, one would wonder what he was talking about. But Joshua has already told them that they are able, that they will prevail even against iron chariots, and even more…

*^18 (fin) and are strong.”

The passage ends with Joshua making a strong and emphatic statement that seems contradictory to the intent of the matter: ki khazaq hu – “For strong, he.” Not only does the Canaanite possess chariots, but he is a strong foe. Despite this, the house of Joseph will prevail.

The final verse of the passage contains five statements, each beginning with ki, or for –

*For mountain shall be to you.
*For forest it, and you shall create, and shall become to you its outgoings.
*For shall disinherit the Canaanite.
*For chariot iron to him.
*For strong, he.

Each is based on what was previously stated. This because of this:

“No shall be to you lot one. Because mountain shall be to you. Because forest it, and you shall create, and shall become to you its outgoings. Because shall disinherit the Canaanite. Because chariot iron to him. Because strong, he.”

Behold, I create something new
Something glorious lies ahead that you will see
Believe that what I say, I will do
You can put your full confidence in Me

I shall create it and it shall be done
There will be a new order of things on that day
As sure as is the rising of the sun
So there is surety in what I now say

What you cannot imagine is what I will do
Though you disbelieve now, it shall come about
My word is faithful, and it is true
Be confident in this and have no doubt

II. Pictures of Christ

The inheritance of the half-tribe of Manasseh is east of the Jordan. In Joshua 12:1-6 it was noted that this was an inheritance obtained prior to national Israel’s salvation. In this case, a review of the events leading to the inheritance after Israel’s salvation is being detailed.

The passage deals with the house of Joseph, or He Shall Add, with a secondary meaning of Take Away. Joseph was to receive a double inheritance. If the land for the half-tribe of Manasseh is one inheritance, then there needs to be another.

The thing about this section is that it does not have to be chronological to what has already been said. Beginning it with “Then” as some translations do gives a time order sense, but it actually begins with “And.”

Because of this, the lot for their land could have been thrown at the time of their coming forward. The inheritances noted in Chapter 16 and the first half of this chapter could simply be categorical, just as has repeatedly occurred in Joshua. The inheritances are defined, and then background information is filled in.

That seems likely, but it is speculation. The reason it seems likely is that their claim to only one inheritance having been given them seems to presuppose it. Regardless of that, the matter is now addressed.

Joshua anticipates Christ, the Lord is Salvation. But each named tribe does too. The inheritance east of the Jordan is prior to Israel’s national salvation. Whether it pictures the church or just individual Jews within the church isn’t the issue because the Jews are a part of the church. It (with them) is an inheritance.

Putting aside the whining of the house of Joseph, which is certainly historical and accurate, the point of the words is that there is a second inheritance for Joseph due to the birthright. Likewise, there is a second inheritance for Christ due to His right to Israel, something testified to thoroughly in the books of Moses, the prophets, and so on.

The negative attitude of those who come to Joshua implies the difficulty of the task. Despite Jesus not being negative about the events, the difficult nature of providing an inheritance to national Israel is being seen.

In fact, to much of the church, it appears to be an impossibility. So the tenor of the words explains the reality of Israel’s current situation. It seems impossible that it could ever be the case.

In verse 15, the naming of the Perizzites and the Rephaim highlights this. Perizzite signifies a Breach or Irruption. Israel today is nothing but a bunch of lawbreakers, symbolized by the Perizzites.

Likewise, the Rephaim, as seen in Joshua 12, anticipated those who follow false prophets. That is about as accurate a description of Israel today as anyone could imagine – any word from the Lord is ok as long as it isn’t from Jesus.

Joseph, He Shall Add (and Take Away), picturing Jesus, is to add national Israel to His promised inheritance. He is to “create” land (fertile soil which is useable) out of these people groups. A seemingly impossible task.

Joshua (Jesus) lets it be known that the job is a snap – it is hastened labor to obtain “Mount Ephraim.” As has been seen in previous sermons, a mountain (har) is a lot of something gathered. It is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people.

The meaning is that Ephraim (Twice Fruitful) representing this second inheritance will hasten to come about.

Verse 16 noted that the sons of Joseph said they could not attain to this. That is the historical record. It may be doubted that the Lord Jesus will bring about the restoration of national Israel, but it will come about. Despite the staggering amount of apostasy and false prophets, through Christ, it will happen.

From there, another obstacle, the Canaanites, are mentioned along with their iron chariots. Canaanite signifies Humbled, Humiliated, or even Subdued. Iron represents strength, be it in binding together, in government, in hard service, in bondage, etc.

Chariots, like horses, are a source of pride –

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.” Psalm 20:7, 8

Israel is a land of humiliated people, trusting in self and in doctrines which are strongly bound together, such as in the culture and religious aspects of life. Saying these are in the emeq, or deep broad valley, signifies that they are deeply engrained and completely pervasive in them.

The two locations, Beth Shean and the Valley of Jezreel, signify Israel’s confidence and state of ease in their false ways and God sowing into their lives the just due they deserve –

“It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” Hosea 1:5

Like most prophecies, Hosea’s has an immediate fulfillment and a future one. Also, the writings of Hosea prophesy both the casting off of Israel, “You are not my people,” (Hosea 1:8) and the calling again of Israel, “You are my people,” (Hosea 2:23).

Verse 17 mentioned Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh all as one. It is the three two-fold workings of Christ seen previously in Joshua. Joseph anticipates Christ Who takes away man’s reproach and Who then adds him to God’s people. Manasseh pictures Christ who came to pay Adam’s debt and who, in the process, allows that debt to be forgotten before God.

Ephraim looks to Jesus. He is twice fruitful in the land of His affliction, prevailing over the law and thus becoming the Savior of Jew and Gentile as well as the church and national Israel. But His work also meant that sin was judged in Him, thus the ashes, signifying His afflictions.

To them Joshua acknowledges that they are great and whoppingly powerful. Of course, Christ can prevail over the failings of Israel. Therefore, “you shall not only have one lot.” The double inheritance belongs to the Lord.

With that, the fivefold repetition of “For” was proclaimed.

For mountain shall be to you. The centralized people group of Israel shall be His.

“Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁶ “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ ¹⁷ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.” Ezekiel 37:15-17

For forest it. It is a forest, a cluttered and unusable land that needs to be created –

“For behold, I create [bara] new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.
¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create [bara] Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.
¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.” Isaiah 65:17-19

In creating this, it “shall become to you its outgoings.” In other words, the entire extent of Israel, to the very last person, will be holy.

For shall disinherit the Canaanite.

“In that day ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD’ shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. ²¹ Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.” Zechariah 14:20, 21

The reason for disinheriting those who oppose Him is For chariot iron to him. Those who trust in self and in their firm unyielding false doctrines will either have those doctrines removed from them, or they, meaning those who trust in self, will be removed. Either way, nothing that is false will ever afflict Israel. This must be removed, For strong, he.

The meaning is obvious. Falsities are strong, dangerous, invasive, and pernicious. Those who teach them will be removed. Those who hold to them will be corrected or destroyed. This is what the double inheritance of the house of Joseph anticipates.

The inheritance is not merely the church that is saved during the church age. National Israel is the inheritance of Jesus as well. He was promised this, and it is His by inheritance.

The verses today are an explanatory statement of this fact. The thing about the passage that most strikes me is that without a correct translation of the Hebrew words, a completely different meaning is derived, which has nothing to do with what is actually being conveyed.

Hence, to really understand what is being said, one needs to go beyond reading several versions of the word (which is a good start), and go line by line through the text contemplating each word. It is a long, laborious, and tedious task, but what treasure is to be found in the word!

In such a study, we can be assured and reassured of the integrity of Scripture, the soundness of doctrines and the unsound nature of others, and so on. There are innumerable teachers and denominations that reject any future plan for, or significance of, national Israel. But they will be corrected in their thinking someday.

They have failed to understand what God is doing and why, but through a close evaluation of names, places, and obscure words, it all comes more clearly into focus. Above all, let us hold fast to the most fundamental truth of any. All of Scripture is about Jesus.

Without Him nothing in life makes sense and nothing in His word or this world has clarity. But with Him, our lives have purpose and meaning. And the word, it comes alive when we look for Him in its pages. Thank God for this tender and precious word and thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen and amen.

Closing Verse: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9, 10

Next Week: Joshua 18:1-10 It was a whopping gathering. You can bet it was so… (Israel Assembled Together at Shiloh) (36^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

You Shall Create

Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying
“Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit
Since we are a great people
Inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?
———- surely more land we merit

So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people
Then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself
———-this you shall do
There in the land of the Perizzites and the giants
Since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you”

But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country
———-is not enough for us
And all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley
———-have chariots of iron, as you know well
Both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns
And those who are of the Valley of Jezreel”

And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph
To Ephraim and Manasseh, saying
“You are a great people and have great power
You shall not have only one lot. Hear what I am conveying

But the mountain country shall be yours
Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, it’s where you belong
And its farthest extent shall be yours
For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have
———-iron chariots and are strong”

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁴ Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?”

¹⁵ So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

¹⁶ But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.”

¹⁷ And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, ¹⁸ 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.”

 

 

 

Artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 17:1-13
The Inheritance of Joseph – Manasseh (West)

A portion of our verses today deal with the five daughters of Zelophehad. They were introduced in an offhand manner in Numbers 26, and then they were brought to the forefront of the narrative in Numbers 27.

The particular issue concerning them was that of inheritance of land. It was a complicated matter that had to be settled by the Lord. The Lord’s decree was given, and it completely resolved the matter for them at the time.

However, the decree concerning the inheritance brought another issue to the surface that needed a resolution. If not resolved, the daughters’ inheritances could easily cause problems for their entire tribe, and – by extension – the tribal rights of the entire nation.

One thing would lead to another. Without a suitable resolution, there would eventually be breakdown in the structure of the nation. Small things can lead to major problems if not thought through.

It isn’t that the Lord wasn’t aware of these details in advance. Rather, He knew exactly what the consequences of such a matter would be. But to ensure that these things were written directly into the law, He allowed the people to think through the issues and come forward for His judgment.

Text Verse: “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:17, 18

When Paul spoke about his conversion and the purpose of it, the Lord gave him several reasons for the ministry he had been chosen for such as opening the Gentile’s eyes, turning them from darkness to light, and so on. But the main purposes for the individual were forgiveness of sins and the granting of an inheritance.

The idea of an inheritance is having something bestowed at a particular time for an heir. The daughters of Zelophehad were told they would be granted an inheritance in the name of their father. Later, it was resolved that certain conditions had to be met in order for that inheritance to be granted.

Now, because they had met those conditions, the inheritance awaits them. This is such an important issue that these girls’ situation has been given more time in Scripture than many other figures of seemingly greater importance.

The details are methodically recorded in order to show us a part of what God has done in Christ in typology. Because of Him, we have the opportunity to obtain the inheritance set aside for those who meet the conditions set forth.

The ladies came forward to claim their inheritance. They didn’t go forward and say, “We hope we still have this available to us.” They cited the law and that was that. Nothing was said of their individual lives after meeting the stated conditions because those details are irrelevant. They did what was expected of them, and the matter was resolved.

How many people have met the stated conditions for receiving the inheritance, received the guarantee provided, and yet walk about in absolute insecurity in their minds concerning what is granted? They hold the guarantee! It was made by God who does not lie. All they need to do is claim it when the time comes.

If you are somehow troubled as to whether or not your salvation is secure, that is because you misunderstand what God did. It is not because Christ’s work is somehow lacking. Don’t let anyone disqualify you from the joy of knowing, one hundred percent, that you are saved if you have called on Jesus. Trust the word! You are.

Hints of this state in which you stand because of Jesus are found today in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Lot for the Tribe of Manasseh (verses 1-6)

There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh,

v’hi ha’goral l’mateh m’nasheh – “And was the lot to tribe Manasseh.” Manasseh means He Shall Forget, but also From a Debt. He was the first son of Joseph and was born in Egypt. He and his brother Ephraim were adopted as sons of Jacob for inheritance rights.

Half the tribe of Manasseh has already received an inheritance east of the Jordan as was meticulously recorded several times. Of him, it says…

^{1 (con’t)} for he was the firstborn of Joseph:

There is an emphasis in the words: ki hu bekor yoseph – “For HE firstborn to Joseph.” Despite having already received an inheritance east of the Jordan because of the valor of Machir, as recorded in Numbers and as restated by Moses in Deuteronomy 3:15, he was also granted land along with the other tribes west of the Jordan.

The reason for the emphasis is that despite Ephraim receiving the blessing of Jacob over Manasseh as recorded in Genesis 48, he was to receive the double portion based on the rights of the firstborn. That double portion is restated next for clarity…

^{1 (con’t)} namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead,

Machir means Salesman. Gilead means Perpetual Fountain. As a historical point, though this is speaking of Machir, it means the family of Machir. They are being referred to as Machir for the purpose of inheritance. Machir died long ago. Further, one might think this is referring to Machir’s son, Gilead, recorded in Numbers 26 –

“The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.” Numbers 26:29

However, the name in this verse in Joshua is prefixed by an article: l’makhir bekor m’nasheh avi ha’gil’ad – “to Machir firstborn Manasseh father the Gilead.” Therefore, this is not speaking of his son Gilead, but of the land of Gilead – the Gilead.

What appears to have happened is that Machir named his son Gilead before the land of Gilead was taken in battle. 1 Chronicles 7:14 says that Manasseh bore Machir by a concubine from Aram. This would explain why he then named his own son Gilead, which was in the land of Aram.

Gilead is the border area between Syria and Canaan. Machir may have called Gilead this to honor the union between the two people groups from which he came. It also explains why this is said in Numbers 32 –

“And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it.” Numbers 32:39, 40

The same place from which Machir’s son was named – because of the union between his father and mother, Manasseh and Manasseh’s Aramitiss concubine – became their possession. It appears he was determined to obtain this land because of its connection to his genealogy. Thus, it next says…

^{1 (con’t)} because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan.

Gilead means Perpetual Fountain. Bashan means Place of Fertile Soil. There is again an emphasis in the words: ki hu hayah ish milkhamah vayhi lo ha’gil’ad v’ha’bashan – “for HE was man war and was to him the Gilead and the Bashan.” Thus, the term “father of the Gilead” refers to his status as the possessor of this land.

Likewise, the words “father of Gilead,” without the article, means that he is the father of the person named Gilead. He was a man of war, intending to obtain this land. He fought and subdued it, and so Moses gave it to him. But he also named his son after the land. That covers what belonged to this tribe east of Jordan. Next, the second portion will be detailed…

² And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families:

Here, a verb is used in place of a noun: vayhi livne m’nasheh ha’notarim l’mishp’hotam – “And was to sons Manasseh, the remainings, to their families.” As Machir obtained an inheritance east of the Jordan, and as these families intended to enter Canaan proper, giving them an inheritance west of Jordan fulfills the double portion requirement given to the firstborn son.

^2 (con’t) for the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida;

Abiezer means My Father is Help. Khelek means Portion or Smooth. Depending on the root word used, Asriel means God Has Filled with Joy or Vow of God. Shechem means Shoulder. Khepher means either Well (from dig) or Shame. Shemida means Knowing the Name or Fame of Knowledge.

^2 (con’t) these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

The original is more precise: “these sons Manasseh, son Joseph, the males, to their families.” The word “sons” here means “descendants” because it is accepted that Manasseh had only one son, Machir. Therefore, these are probably grandchildren of Manasseh and sons of Gilead.

Despite that, the reason for this specificity is realized in the next verses. It is a problem that arose during the wilderness wanderings and the resolution of it required Moses to go directly to the Lord for a decision to be made…

³ But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters.

Because inheritances are given through the male, this would cause a problem when the women married. If they married outside of the tribe of Manasseh, then the land would transfer to the son of the father and thus away from the tribe of Manasseh.

As Hepher was one of the six main families, the tribe could ostensibly lose one-sixth of their land to other tribes. This could be the case at any point in Israel’s future if a father had only daughters. The inheritances would become so convoluted that tribal lands would no longer truly exist. Tselophekhad means Shadow of Fear.

^3 (con’t) And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Makhlah means Infirmity. Noah signifies Shaky Girl or Wandering. Khaglah means Turning in Joy. It is akin to the word khag which is a festival. Milkhah means Queen. Tirtsah means Well-pleasing or Delight.

Now that the inheritance is ready, the matter previously brought before Moses and settled at the word of the Lord is brought forth again to ensure that what was decided will come to pass…

⁴ And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying,

These five women are coming to ensure the promise of the Lord would be accomplished. They were obedient to marry within their tribe. In so doing, their children would receive a portion in the name of their father within the tribe also…

^4 (con’t) “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.”

This was recorded in Numbers 27 –

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ⁷ ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. ⁸ And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.” Numbers 27:6-11

The only caveat is that these ladies had to marry men within their tribe. That judgment comprises the contents of Numbers 36. After it was rendered, it then said –

“Just as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; ¹¹ for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father’s brothers. ¹² They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.” Numbers 36:10-12

With their obedience noted, it next says…

^4 (con’t) Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.

This was a huge amount of land and so any deviation would have caused an immense upheaval in the tribal land grant to Manasseh. But with the decisions of the Lord rendered, the grant would remain forever unchanged. Therefore…

⁵ Ten shares fell to Manasseh,

va’yiplu khavle m’nasheh asarah– “and fell cords Manasseh ten.” Here the word khevel or “cord” is used. Cords were used for measuring long distances. Hence, it is metaphorically used to speak of a tract of land. Ten individual tracts were measured out according to the families of Manasseh.

At first, the number of parcels seems to make no sense. How could there be six sons named, but ten divisions of the land? It is because Hepher, having no sons, is divided among his five daughters. Thus, there are the parcels of his five brothers and five parcels for his daughters. This was…

^5 (con’t) besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan,

These ten shares, along with those adjoining them on the other side of the Jordan pretty much span the total breadth of the land inhabited by Israel. They almost appear like wings in the midst of the other tribal grants because of the vast amount of land they encompass. The number of parcels being ten is then explicitly explained, which is…

⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons;

ki benoth m’nasheh nakhalu nakhala betok banav – “for daughters Manasseh inherited an inheritance in midst his sons.” The record of the entire process of this event is extremely precise since the matter first arose in Numbers 27.

The meticulous nature of chronicling this land division for the daughters is most remarkable, but it sets the precedent for all time concerning this issue and it shows the importance of both maintaining the name of the dead as well as maintaining the integrity of the tribal inheritances according to their original layout. With this settled, the division of Manasseh on both sides of the Jordan is mentioned one last time…

^6 (con’t) and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

v’erets ha’gil’ad hayethah livne m’nasheh ha’notarim – “And land the Gilead had sons Manasseh, the remainings.” The same verb used in verse 2 when referring to those west of the Jordan is now used of those east of the Jordan. The implication is that the tribe is not a whole without considering both allowances. Together, they form the double portion of the oldest son of Joseph who was then adopted by Jacob as his own.

An inheritance awaits us that is sure and true
It is given to all who come forward and receive
It was secured by Christ Jesus, Faithful and True
It is ours for the taking if we just believe

Calling on Jesus is what is good in God’s sight
The inheritance is ours, though we did nothing it to receive
Eternal life, dazzling and bright
Is ours for the taking if we just believe

Don’t fail to come forward; hear the plea
It is waiting if you will but receive
You and all the saints, around the glassy sea
It is yours for the taking if you just believe

II. The Borders of Manasseh (verses 7-13)

⁷ And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem;

The actual borders of Manasseh’s inheritance in Canaan are the subject of the next verses. Verses 7-10 detail the southern borders, beginning in the east. Verses 10 and 11 define the northern and eastern borders.

The first border begins at Asher or Happy. This is not the tribe of Asher, but a location known as such. It then goes to Michmethath, meaning Concealment or maybe Hiding Place. As it is prefixed by an article, it would be The Hiding Place. This location rests, as the Hebrew reads, “upon the face of Shechem.” Hence, its location stands before Shechem.

^7 (con’t) and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.

More literally, it reads, “and went the border unto the right, unto dwellers En Tappuah.” Tappuakh comes from naphakh, signifying to breathe or blow. It means Love Apple and also breath. Being preceded by En, or Spring, it means Spring of the Love Apple or Eye of the Apple or Spring (Eye) of Breath. The word for eye and spring are identical in Hebrew.

Saying “to the inhabitants of En Tappuah” is a bit odd, but it means that the city itself did not belong to Manasseh. Rather, the border went as far as those residing in the country around Tappuah where there was a spring. That is seen in the next words…

⁸ Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.

The wording is a bit more precise: lim’nasheh hayethah erets tapuakh v’tapuakh el gebul m’nasheh livne ephrayim – “To Manasseh had land Tappuah, and Tappuah unto border Manasseh to sons Ephraim.” There is land in the area of Tappauh that belonged to Manasseh, but the city and maybe any land outside of it, right up to the border of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim.

⁹ And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook.

The name Kanah comes from qaneh, reeds. Hence, it is the brook of reeds. But the reed is used as a measuring stick coming from the verb qanah, to acquire or possess. Hence, I would translate the two words together as Inheritance of the Possessor. Of this border, it next says…

^9 (con’t) These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh.

It is debated if this means the cities already mentioned (Asher, Michmethath, En Tappuah, and Tappuah), or if it is referring to cities on the border that descended to the river from the previous clause. Either way, the point is that there are cities that were filled with those from the tribe of Ephraim within the borders of Manasseh. This was already seen in Joshua 16:9.

^9 (con’t) The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook;

The meaning is that even though the cities of Ephraim are north of the brook, the border of Manasseh goes to the north side of the brook. Thus, the Ephramite cities lie within the border of Manasseh, which is north of the brook. It may be confusing, but it is being stated explicitly so that the details are recorded, and the ownership of the cities is defined.

^9 (con’t) and it ended at the sea.

v’hi tos’otav ha’yamah – “And his outgoings the sea-ward.” It means that the border continues until it reaches the sea.

¹⁰ Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s,

Again, to ensure the border is perfectly understood, it restates the matter in another way, using the brook as a reference: negbah l’ephrayim v’tsaphonah lim’nasheh – “Southward to Ephraim and northward to Manasseh.” This despite the location of cities that are occupied by people of Ephraim.

^{10 (con’t)} and the sea was its border.

It is speaking in the masculine of Manasseh as a person: “And was the sea his border.” The land represents the person, Manasseh, as much as the tribe fills the land. Next…

^{10 (con’t)} Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

There is an emphasis in the words: u-b’asher yip’geun mi’tsaphon u’b’yisakhar mi’mizrakh – “And in Asher impinged (certainly) from north, and in Issachar from east.”

The border of Manasseh followed the sea from Ephraim as far as Asher where they impinged upon one another. It then went eastward until it reached Issachar. From there, it went around Issachar and would have come to the Jordan where it went southward to Ephraim.

¹¹ And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns

Issachar means He is Wages. Beth Shean means House of Ease or House of Security. Ibleam means Devouring the People or The People Flow Forth. Dor means To Dwell, but it is identical to the word translated as generation, as in the time period of one’s dwelling. En Dor would be the Spring of Dor.

The meaning of Taanakh is uncertain. Some think it is derived from an Egyptian word; others from an Arabic word. There is no corresponding root word found in Scripture. Meggido comes from gadad, to penetrate or cut. Hence it signifies Invading or Intruding.

^{11 (con’t)} —three hilly regions.

The words are complicated: sh’loshet ha’naphet – “three the naphet.” naphet is variously translated as counties, regions, coastal districts, heights, villages, etc. Some translations punt and make it a name “The third is Napheth.” It comes from noph, meaning height. So it is probably the three heights or hilly regions.

The point of the verse is to show that just as Ephraim had cities within Manasseh, so Manasseh had cities within Asher and Issachar. The repeated words “the inhabitants” means that contrary to the word of the Lord, those who dwelt in the cities and their villages were not exterminated as stated in the law…

¹² Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities,

v’lo yakh’lu bene m’nasheh l’horish eth he’arim ha’eleh – “And no able sons Manasseh to dispossess the cities, the these.” This is the same thing said of Judah in Joshua 15:63. Saying they were not able almost makes it seem excusable. That continues to be the perception in the next words…

^12 (con’) but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

va’yovel ha’k’naani la’sheveth ba’arets ha’zoth – “And determined the Canaanite to dwell in land the this.” They were determined, so Manasseh had no choice but to live with them. This shows both a lack of trust in the power of the Lord, and an unwillingness to ask the other tribes to simply assist them in destroying the natives. This is perfectly evident from the next words…

*^{13 (fin)} And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

The word Canaanite is singular and there is an emphasis in the Hebrew: “And was when strong, sons Israel, and gave the Canaanite to forced labor, and dispossessing no dispossessed him.” If they were able to make these people submit to forced labor, then they were able to exterminate them. They just didn’t.

Like the tribe of Ephraim, this became a marriage of convenience for Manasseh and of inconvenience, but acceptable tolerance, to the Canaanite.

Giving thanks to God who has qualified us
To be partakers of the inheritance
It is a done deal through our Lord Jesus
Of losing it, there is just no chance

He has delivered us from the power of darkness
And He has conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
Without Christ, there would be no hope; what a mess
But because of Him, assurance of glory rains down from above

In Him we have redemption through His blood
And in Him there is the forgiveness of all of our sins
Come to Christ and be immersed in the cleansing flood
Come to Christ who for you the victory wins

III. An Assured Inheritance

The first verse of the chapter reintroduced Machir and his inheritance east of the Jordan. That was stated again to ensure that there is no doubt that the inheritance west of the Jordan is distinct from that east of it.

Verse 2 begins to detail this inheritance of Manasseh, which means To Forget but it also means From a Debt. Mentioning him anticipates Christ who came to pay Adam’s debt and who, in the process, allows that debt to be forgotten before God.

The verse also mentions that Manasseh is the son of Joseph, or He Shall Add. Christ is the One who adds those to be saved. Joseph also means Take Away. Christ is the One who takes away the reproach of those He saves.

The inheritance west, in Canaan, is given to six sons of Manasseh.  The number six signifies man, especially fallen man. These six sons anticipate Christ who came in the form of sinful man. But the focus is on the fifth son, Khepher, or Shame.

Five is the number of grace. Khepher anticipates Christ who bore our shame in order to redeem us. From there, Zelophehad, or Shadow of Fear, is named. He had no sons, only daughters, and they are named in the text.

He anticipates people who have no inheritance. Thus they live in the shadow of fear. And yet, the Lord guaranteed them an inheritance by His word and according to law.

That same Lord who secured the inheritance through His work also fully rendered the payment for the inheritance. He grants it to those who, seemingly deprived of it, are exalted to the obtaining of it.

The law provided the path for Zelophehad’s name to be continued and to ensure that the inheritance would not fail. This is seen in the names of those in his family. Zelophehad represents those born in sin, in the “shadow of fear.” As Hebrews says –

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hebrews 2:14, 15

This state of fear of death, brings forth Mahlah, or the sickly, infirm person, bound in sin. There is a state of pain because of the fallen condition in which man exists. Such a person, like Cain, is left in a land of wandering, represented by Noah. This lasts until the person finds Christ.

At that time, Hoglah, or Turning of Joy, enters into the picture. And in that turning of joy in obtaining the inheritance, Royalty is bestowed upon that soul, represented by Milcah, or Queen. In Revelation 1, this is recorded –

“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6

In this state, and as inheritors of the divine promises of God found in Christ, His people are found well pleasing to God, represented by Tirzah.

These five came before Eleazar, or Whom God Helps, and Joshua, or The Lord is Salvation, who is the son of Nun, meaning Propagate or Increase. The names tell the story. They reflect the Lord in the various roles He serves in order to increase the family of God, securing the inheritance for them.

The daughters remind these men that the Lord commanded Moses to give them an inheritance among their brothers. This implicitly expresses the doctrine of eternal salvation. They were given the promise, the conditions were met, the law was satisfied according to the word of the Lord, and they have come to collect the inheritance.

It is well reflected in Ephesians 1:14 where the giving of the Holy Spirit upon belief in the completed substitutionary work of Christ brings about the guarantee, the pledge of salvation. It is a pledge granted to the one saved and payable by the One who gave it.

This explains why verse 3 began with a listing of the genealogy of Zelophehad, naming Hepher, Gilead, Machir, and Manasseh. Those of Manasseh on both sides of the Jordan descend from Manasseh’s son Machir. The root of Machir is makhar, to sell.

It is used in Isaiah 52, just before the words about the coming Suffering Servant, saying –

“For thus says the Lord:
‘You have sold yourselves for nothing,
And you shall be redeemed without money.’” Isaiah 52:3

It is man who sold himself and Jesus who redeemed us. That then explains why the chapter began with the inheritance east of the Jordan. Machir inherited the Bashan, the Place of Fertile soil, and the Gilead, the Perpetual Fountain. Being the only son of Manasseh, he actually inherits both land grants which went to Manasseh as the firstborn of Joseph.

The fertile soil is the word of God. The perpetual fountain anticipates the Spirit ceaselessly coming forth. This is how the inheritance comes about: hearing the word and receiving the Spirit. The inheritance west of the Jordan was then noted as being ten shares. Ten “implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete” (Bullinger).

The inheritance is not wanting in any way. It is complete. This is why it specifically recorded that it was “because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons.” Without this, the inheritance would be incomplete. But it is perfect. It is a resounding note of the wholeness of the work of Christ.

With this understood, the verses after that defined the borders of Manasseh, each anticipating the work of the Lord in one way or another, as has been the case with the previous tribal allotments.

They also noted the overlapping cities with the tribes they border. Each of these certainly has typological fulfilments. The meaning of which will surely include the work of Christ and its effects on His people, focusing on the guaranteed inheritance of the saints. This is certain because many of the same names were used as in Chapter 16. Historically, the record is necessary to properly define the land, the borders, and the possessions for the tribal inheritances.

As for the final verses that detail Israel’s failures concerning the inhabitants they did not drive out, those are necessary to explain why things in Israel later continued to fail as they did. Each of these recorded failures is actually a violation of the law. As such, it shows the collective guilt of the people.

Because of their guilt, the Lord would send corrective measures which temporarily returned them to the right path, but time and again, they fell back into their waywardness. As such, each cycle only further emphasized Israel’s need for a Messiah.

The nation could not save itself, nor could any individual within the nation save himself. The law highlighted the fallen nature of man and the guilt he bears for failing to measure up to God’s perfection.

But remember, these people had received their inheritance. Despite that, the failures continued. That is a lesson all by itself for each of us. We have received our inheritance in Christ, and yet we – like Israel – still fail the Lord. We need His salvation until the inheritance is finally realized in its fullness.

It is faith in Jesus that grants the inheritance, and it is Jesus’ sustaining salvation that guarantees it will come. This is the lesson of Israel. God covenanted with them, and He has continued to sustain them all these years because of His faithfulness.

In Christ, God has covenanted with us, and He is faithful to uphold that, even when we fail. Thank God for Jesus who makes this possible. We have a sure and marvelous hope set before us because of what He has done and what He continues to do. Yes, thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord.

Closing Verse: “Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

Next Week: Joshua 17:14-18 Out of nothing, just a clean slate… (You Shall Create) (35^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Inheritance of Joseph – Manasseh (West)

There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh
For he was the firstborn of Joseph, a deal not too bad
Namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh
The father of Gilead

Because he was a man of war, he got his war game on
Therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan

And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh
According to their families, as the record does convey

For the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children
———-of Asriel
The children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children
———-of Shemida also
These were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph
According to their families as the records show

But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead
The son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only
———-daughters, boo hoo
And these are the names of his daughters:
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah too

And they came near before Eleazar the priest
Before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying
“The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance
———-among our brothers”
So they were conveying

Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD
———-such was His druthers
He gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers

Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan
Which were on the other side of the Jordan, a place not so bad
Because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance
———-among his sons
And the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead

And the territory of Manasseh
Was from Asher to Michmethath, ooh rah
That lies east of Shechem
And the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah

Manasseh had the land of Tappuah
But Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children
———-of Ephraim, according to the book
And the border descended to the Brook Kanah
Southward to the brook

These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh
That’s how it turned out to be
The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook
And it ended at the sea

Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s
And the sea was its border
Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north
And Issachar on the east according to the tribal order

And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean
———-and its towns
Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns as well
The inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach
———-and its towns
And the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions
———locations pretty swell

Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants
———-of those cities
But the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land
———-so Manasseh, no doubt
And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong
That they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not
———-utterly drive them out

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan. ² And there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, the children of Helek, the children of Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.

³ But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ⁴ And they came near before Eleazar the priest, before Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore, according to the commandment of the Lord, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers. ⁵ Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan, ⁶ because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.

⁷ And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸ Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. ⁹ And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea.

¹⁰ Southward it was Ephraim’s, northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was its border. Manasseh’s territory was adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. ¹¹ And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns—three hilly regions. ¹² Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. ¹³ And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

 

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Joshua 16:1-10
The Inheritance of Joseph – Ephraim

In the weeks before typing this sermon, a new technology was introduced. It is so important information-wise that it is believed to be as big of a leap forward as it was from flipping through the Yellow Pages to doing an online search.

What’s more, it isn’t limited to simply searching out information, but developing new ways to produce information. In other words, we may have an idea that we would like to express and this program is capable of producing it. For instance, I’d like it to search out acrostics in the Bible.

In the past, that was limited to doing a personal word-by-word check of each letter in an entire text. That is a long, tedious, and laborious task, even for a very short passage. That was shortened immeasurably some years ago by a code that was written to have a computer do the exact same thing in a few hours.

With this new technology, it may be possible to first write a code that could not only do this almost instantaneously, but it may be able to go beyond that to a code that compiles those acrostics into meaningful sentences with little or no human involvement.

Sergio and I thought of this same thing at basically the same time. Maybe it is something that can be put together. If so, it would speed up the process of uncovering the Bible’s mysteries in a way that was once unfathomable.

Text Verse: “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:15-21

The text verse today is like a short explanation of what is being seen in the ten verses set before us. If you come back and read these words again after the sermon, I think you will agree. The thing about it is that I was able to do all of this research in a bit under eleven hours.

I never had to get up from the desk to find a book to help me with the Hebrew. I didn’t need to flip through a book by Abarim explaining the meaning of names in the Bible. No map of Israel needed to be unfolded and poured over. All of these resources were at the tip of my fingers.

But these things were necessary just a few years ago. The same work would have not been possible for me to do in this manner in order to present the same sermon on it. Instead of eleven hours, I doubt it could have been done in eleven days of eleven hours each.

I had a hot pad on my back, a heater by my feet (it was a cold day), and some gummy bears to eat instead of being hunched over a pile of books with a wood fire to tend to. We live in an amazing time, at least from an information perspective. And information is what I have for you today.

There is an analysis of the verses, an explanation of the meaning of the words, and then a presentation of what they are telling us about the coming of the Messiah.

Great things such as these are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Borders of the Tribe of Joseph (verses 1-4)

Chapter 15 dealt with the borders of the land of Judah, the inheritance of Caleb within those borders but separate from them as a personal inheritance, and then the cities contained within those borders.

With that complete, the account now turns to the inheritance of the great house of Joseph, the favored son of Israel. His name means He Shall Add, with a secondary meaning of Take Away.

It is he who received the right of the firstborn, the double portion. This is specifically noted in 1 Chronicles 5:2, where it says, “yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s.”

Joseph’s two eldest sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by Jacob/Israel as described in Genesis 48. Their inheritance in Canaan includes both Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The first task is to decide the borders of Joseph’s inheritance inclusive of both sons. That begins with…

The lot fell to the children of Joseph

va’yetse ha’goral livne yoseph– “And went out the lot sons Joseph.” The word yatsa signifies to go or come out. As such, it is likely that the lots are either in a pot and dropped out, or they are cast out of the hand. From there, the lots were read as to how they wound up.

Another possible meaning is that the words “went out” are speaking of the actual borders to be described. They “went out” to the children of Joseph from one point to another. This, however, is unlikely based on the other uses of the word. Either way, the lot went out to indicate the border.

^{1 (con’t)} from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east,

mi’yarden yerikho l’me yerikho mizrakhah – “from Jordan, Jericho to waters Jericho eastward.” Jordan means Descender. Jericho means Place of Fragrance. As for this southern border itself, it is not the northern border of Judah as one might expect. Rather, it will be the northern border of Benjamin that will be between Judah and Ephraim.

Hence, even though Benjamin’s lot will come out later, it will be in the highly favored position which includes the area of Jerusalem on Judah’s northern border.

As for the words “to waters of Jericho,” that means to the stream which is in the area of Jericho which comes up at the fountain now known as Ain es Sultan. It is the waters that are healed in the account of Elisha in 2 Kings 2. From there, it flows into the Jordan. Next, the description says…

^{1 (con’t)} to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel,

The translation is wrong. The word “to” is not in the Hebrew ha’midbar oleh mirikho ba’har beit el – “the wilderness, ascending from Jericho in the mountain Bethel.” With the clauses taken together, the error in translation becomes evident –

“…from Jordan, Jericho to waters Jericho eastward, the wilderness, ascending from Jericho in the mountain Bethel.” Thus, the words “the wilderness” are given to describe the condition of this portion of the lot, not to define the border. This is evident from the words of Joshua 18:12 when referring to Benjamin’s northern border –

“And the border is to them at the north side from the Jordan, and the border hath gone up unto the side of Jericho on the north, and gone up through the hill-country westward, and its outgoings have been at the wilderness of Beth-Aven.” Joshua 18:12 (YLT)

Bethel means House of God. With this initial border defined, it…

² then went out from Bethel to Luz,

The seemingly simple words are actually very complicated: va’yatsa mi’beith el luzah – “And went out from Bethel unto Luz-ward.” The problem is that elsewhere, Luz and Bethel are noted as the same place, such as –

“And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.” Genesis 28:19

&

“So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.” Genesis 35:6

Without being dogmatic, Adam Clarke may be right, saying –

“It is very likely that the place where Jacob had the vision was not in Luz, but in some place within a small distance of that city or village, … and that sometimes the whole place was called Beth-el, at other times Luz, and sometimes, as in the case above, the two places were distinguished. As we find the term London comprises, not only London, but also the city of Westminster and the borough of Southwark; though at other times all three are distinctly mentioned.” Adam Clarke

Luz means Almond, but it comes from the verb, luz, meaning to turn aside, often in a negative way. Here are examples of both –

“My son, let them not depart [luz] from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
²² So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.” Proverbs 3:21, 22

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity [luz],
And rely on them,
¹³ Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.” Isaiah 30:12, 13

Hence, it can mean Departure, but it also means Twisted or Perverse. From there the border…

^2 (con’t) passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth,

v’avar el gebul ha’arki Ataroth – “and passed over unto border the Archite, Ataroth.” Ataroth means Crowns. Archite comes from arak, to be long or to prolong. Thus, it means Long or Prolonging. This would be the home of Hushai the Archite noted as David’s friend and a wise counselor in 2 Samuel 15. Next…

³ and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites,

v’yarad yamah el gevul ha’yaphleti – “And went down westward unto border the Japhletite.” From a northerly and then a southwesterly movement, the border now heads westward. The name Japhleth comes from palat, to escape or deliver. Hence, it means He (God) Will Deliver. Next…

^{3 (con’t)} as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer; and it ended at the sea.

ad gevul beith horon takhton v’ad gazer v’hayu tos’oto yamah – “unto border Beth Horon, Lower, and unto Gezer, and its outgoings seaward.” Beth Horon means House of the Hollow and also House of Freedom. Gezer means Part or Portion.

⁴ So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

v’yinkhalu bene yoseph menasheh v’ephrayim – “And inherit, sons Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim.” It is a concluding statement concerning the land granted to Joseph which includes both sons, remembering that Manasseh has land on both sides of the Jordan. But this is specifically the land allotted within the borders of Canaan.

Ephraim means both Twice Fruitful and Ashes. Manasseh means both He Shall Forget and From a Debt.

Of this parcel, Cambridge says, “The territory assigned to ‘the house of Joseph’ may be roughly estimated at 55 miles from east to west, by 70 from north to south.”

He shall add to the inheritance granted to Him today
By being productive and working with His hand
The crops will sprout, and the people will say
“Look at the bounty! Isn’t it grand?”

He shall do this when He takes away
The reproach we bore, that clung to us
In Him there is a brand-new day
For those who call out to Jesus

The borders have been drawn out
And they have a story to tell us
In reading that story, we will raise a shout
To the marvelous workings of our Lord Jesus

II. The Borders of Ephraim (verses 5-10)

⁵ The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus:

Now that the borders of the land allotted to Joseph have been determined, it must be divided among his two sons adopted by Jacob/Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh. Of them, the first portion to be delineated will be the younger son, Ephraim. That begins with…

^5 (con’t) The border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon.

There is very little information on the borders of the areas given to Joseph. The words are short, abrupt, and seem incomplete. They are also difficult to pin down. As for these words, they read: vayhi gevul nakhalatam misrakhah Atroth adar ad beith khoron elyon – “And was border their inheritance eastward Ataroth Addar unto Beth Horon, Upper.”

Ataroth Addar means Crowns of Greatness or Majestic Crowns. Here, a distinction is made between Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon in verse 3. It is believed to be a bit eastward of Lower Beth Horon. Next, it says…

⁶ And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of Michmethath;

v’yatsa ha’gevul ha’yamah ha’mikh’m’thath mi’tsaphon – “And went out the border the seaward the Michmethath from north.”  As difficult as the words were to translate in verse 5, Keil says of these words, “the first clause of Joshua 16:6 is perfectly inexplicable, and must be corrupt.”

Almost every translation varies, trying to somehow clear up what is being conveyed. If nothing else, at least the name Michmethath can be defined. Strong’s says it is apparently derived from an unused root meaning to hide. Thus, it means Concealment or maybe Hiding Place. As it is prefixed by an article, it would be The Hiding Place. Next…

^6 (con’t) then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah.

v’nasav ha’gebul mizrakhah taanath Shiloh v’avar oto mi’mizrakh yanokhah – “And went around, the border, eastward Taanath Shiloh, and passed over it from east Janohah.” The word Taanath comes from ta’anah. It signifies an occasion such as was used in Judges 14 –

“But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.” Judges 14:4

The name Shiloh, as used here, is not speaking of the coming Messiah. It is derived from shalah, to be quiet or at ease, and thus something like Tranquility. The two words together can be defined as Discovered Haven.

The name Janohah is derived from yanakh, to put or place. That, in turn, comes from nuakh, to rest. Hence, it means Rest or He Will Give Rest.

⁷ Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.

v’yarad mi’yanokhah Ataroth v’na’aratah, u-paga birikho v’yatsa ha’yarden – “And descended from Janohah, Ataroth and Naarah-ward, and impinged in Jericho and went out the Jordan.” The Ataroth here is believed to be different than the one mentioned in verse 16:2. Again it means Crowns. The name Naarah is identical to naarah, a girl or young woman who is of marriageable age. Hence, it means Girl.

⁸ The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah,

mi’tapuakh yelek ha’gevul yamah nakhal qanah – “From Tappuah goes the border westward brook Kanah.” Tapuakh comes from naphakh, signifying to breathe or blow. Thus, it may be Breath. It also means Love Apple, being identical to tapuakh found in Proverbs 25:11 and several times in the Song of Solomon.

The word translated as “brook,” nakhal, is a torrent, but it is the same as nakhal meaning an inheritance which is used in the next sentence of this verse.

The name Kanah comes from qaneh, reeds. Hence, it is the brook of reeds. But the reed is used as a measuring stick coming from the verb qanah, to acquire or possess. Hence, I would translate the two words together as Inheritance of the Possessor. Of this border, it next says…

^8 (con’t) and it ended at the sea.

v’hayu tots’otav ha’yamah – “And its outgoings the seaward.” The border ends at the Mediterranean Sea. Of the borders described, and as complicated as they actually are to understand and properly delineate, Charles Ellicott gives a brief and concise summary of what has been presented –

“We thus obtain for the territory of Ephraim four boundary-lines—viz.: (a) the plain of Jordan on the east; (b) the line of hills bordering the Shephelah on the west; (c) the brook Kanah, and the line passing through Taanath-shiloh and Janohah to Jordan on the north; and (d) the north border of Benjamin (Joshua 16:1-3, and Joshua 18:12-14) on the south.” Ellicott

^8 (con’t) This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families.

zoth nakhalath mateh bene ephrayim l’misp’hotam – “This inheritance tribe sons Ephraim to their families.”  The borders, as difficult to trace as they may be, are defined by the locations set forth in these past few verses.

With that, a special note concerning cities not within these borders is given to ensure there is no confusion as time passed. Properly rendered, verse 8 should probably end with a semi-colon and verse 9 then provides explanation…

⁹ The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

v’hearim ha’mibdaloth livne ephrayim be’tok nakhalath bene menasheh kal he’arim v’hatsrehen – “And the cities, the separated, sons Ephraim in midst inheritance sons Manasseh all the cities and their villages.”

Here is a word found nowhere else in Scripture, mibdalah. It comes from badal, to divide or separate. Thus, it is “the separated” cities. Taken together with the previous verse, the whole thought should essentially read –

“This is the inheritance of the tribe sons of Ephraim to their families, and the cities, the separated, belonging to the sons of Ephraim in midst of the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh – all the cities and their villages.”

The meaning is that there were certain cities within the borders of Manasseh that will belong to the inheritance of Ephraim. A specific note concerning them is found in the next chapter –

“And the territory of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem; and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. ⁸ Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim. ⁹ And the border descended to the Brook Kanah, southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook; and it ended at the sea.” Joshua 17:7-9

The same is true with Manasseh having cities that were within the borders of Issachar and Asher.

It is speculated by some that because Ephraim was the larger tribe, they needed these cities. Others suppose it is a way of maintaining the brotherly bond between the two by having this arrangement. Charles Ellicott provides a reasonable explanation while using an understandable example –

“This fact would manifestly tend to produce a solidarity among the several tribes, and to prevent disunion by creating common interests. The interest of the stronger tribes would be served by completing the conquest of the territory assigned to the weaker. And the general formation thus produced would resemble that which was known by the name of the testudo, or tortoise, in Roman warfare. When a body of soldiers approached the wall of a town which it was intended to assault, they sometimes held their shields over them, overlapping like scales, each man’s shield partly sheltering his own, and partly his neighbour’s body, so that no missile could penetrate. Thus it may be said not only of Jerusalem, but of all the tribes in the land of their possession, that they were built as a city that is compact together, and at unity in itself: united by joints and bands, so that if one member of the body politic should suffer, all the members must suffer with it.” Ellicott

With the borders now fully expressed for Ephraim, the chapter ends on a failing note, one not unique to the tribes of Israel. The same thought was seen concerning Judah in verse 15:63 and it will be seen again as we progress…

¹⁰ And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer;

v’lo horishu eth ha’k’naani ha’yoshev b’gazer – “And no dispossessed the Canaanite, the dwelling in Gezer.” In these words, there is a difference between what was said in verse 15:63 and what is now presented. Of the Jebusites, it said that Judah could not drive them out. However, here, it simply says they did not drive them out.

Though seemingly the same on the surface, it does not appear that they actually should be considered comparable. This is because of the next words…

^{10 (con’t)} but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day

va’yeshev ha’k’naani b’qerev ephrayim ad ha’yom ha’zeh – “and dwell the Canaanite in midst Ephraim until the day, the this.” Not only could Judah not drive out the Jebusites, but compare the two statements –

Judah – “and dwell the Jebusite with sons Judah in Jerusalem until the day this.”

Ephraim – “and dwell the Canaanite in midst Ephraim until the day, the this.”

It may just be an excuse to make the sermon longer, or it may be that the wording is purposeful. Judah couldn’t drive them out; they were in a fortified location as will be noted in 2 Samuel 5 and that location is on the border of Judah and Benjamin.

On the other hand, nothing is said about any difficulty here. Further, they are in the midst of Ephraim, meaning they could be isolated and eventually starved out. And more, it says…

*^10 (fin) and have become forced laborers.

vayhi l’mas obed – “And become to a burden work.” It appears that this is a marriage of convenience for Ephraim and one of inconvenience, but acceptable tolerance, to the Canaanite. It is exactly what the Lord warned against and commanded not to occur. It is an early foreboding of bad times ahead.

Words that seem obscure or even wrong
Are set before us and we wonder why
But like the beauty of a heavenly song
They contain treasure that money cannot buy

In them there is a story waiting to be drawn out
Wonderful words that reveal amazing things to us
They are waiting to be seen as if ready to shout
About the glorious work of our Lord Jesus

Thank You, O God, for this precious word
Thank You for the delightful treasures waiting for us
When they are read out and we have heard
We will again thank You for our precious Lord Jesus

III. Pictures of Christ

The first three verses of the chapter dealt with the overall lot that fell to Joseph (He Shall Add/Take Away). In verse 1, it was described as from Jordan (Descender) Jericho (Place of Fragrance) to waters Jericho (Place of Fragrance) eastward (to arise or appear). That is then explained as the wilderness (a place of testing, but also of closeness to God) ascending from Jericho (Place of Fragrance) to Bethel (House of God).

Verse 2 says the border then went out from Bethel (House of God) toward Luz (Departure) from there it passed over unto the Archite (Long/Prolonging) at Ataroth (Crowns).

From there verse 3 says the border descended westward unto the Japhletite (He – God – Will Deliver) and continued unto the border of Lower Beth Horon (Lower House of Freedom) and to Gezer (Part/Portion) and ended at the sea.

With that, verse 4 noted that the children of Joseph (He Shall Add), Manasseh (He Shall Forget/From a Debt) and Ephraim (Twice Fruitful/Ashes) took their inheritance.

The verses anticipate the details of Christ’s coming, and the scope of His work as seen in the three named: Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

Joseph anticipates Christ who takes away man’s reproach and who then adds him to God’s people. Manasseh pictures Christ who came to pay Adam’s debt and who, in the process, allows that debt to be forgotten before God.

Ephraim looks to Jesus. He is twice fruitful in the land of His affliction, prevailing over the law and thus becoming the Savior of Jew and Gentile, but His work also meant that sin was judged in Him, thus the ashes, signifying His afflictions.

It is Jesus who descended from heaven bringing the water of life, signified by the waters of Jericho, in His appearing. He went through the wilderness, the testing, and yet He remained in closeness to God through it.

Bethel here anticipates Christ Jesus, the man in whom God dwells as is noted in John 2:19, where He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” His body is the House of God. From there, He went to the cross, symbolized by Luz (Departure).

But the cross could not hold him, symbolized by the Archite (the Prolonging) –

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong [arak] His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.” Isaiah 53:10

In this, the crowns were bestowed, the crown of the cross and the crown of eternal life, among many others (Revelation 19:12).

The trek then went to “He (God) Will Deliver” (the Japhletite), perfectly explained by the 22^nd Psalm –

“He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver [palat] Him, since He delights in Him!” Psalm 22:8

God did deliver Him, and He came out of the tomb, the Lower House of Freedom. From which He was granted His part among the living. From there the border ended at the sea, westward, the place where God resides, ever westward.

It was actually at this time that the note about the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance. That was described already, but it was because of this work of Christ as outlined in the borders that the symbolism of the names is fully understood.

Logically, their explanation fits right here in the order in which were presented, but I explained them prior to provide a basis to understand the subsequent verses in advance.

With that, it then turned to the borders of Ephraim (Twice Fruitful/Ashes).

The border was eastward (arise/appear) Ataroth Addar (Majestic Crowns) unto Upper Beth Horon (Upper House of Freedom). From there it went out westward (toward the sea) on the north (hidden) side of Michmethath (Hiding Place).

From there it went eastward (arise/appear) to Taanah Shiloh, (Discovered Haven) and passed by on the east of Janohah (He Will Give Rest). Then it descended from there to Ataroth (Crowns) and Naarah (Girl) and reached to Jericho (Place of Fragrance) and came out at the Jordan (Descender).

Then it went out from Tappuah (Breath) westward to Brook Kanah (Inheritance of the Possessor) and its outgoings were seaward.

It pictures the effects of Christ’s work for His people. Those who arise to the call of the gospel are given their majestic crowns of life (Revelation 2:10) and righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8) which are imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25).

The border going west is the effect of the gospel, drawing us to God (who is ever west) while we are hidden in the Hiding Place, meaning Christ (Colossians 3:3). Going eastward to Taanah Shiloh is the arising of the Discovered Haven, the place for those who come to Christ. This is offered by Christ, symbolized by Yanokhah (He Will Give Rest).

The border then went down to Atroth (Crowns, signifying the rewards of coming to Christ) and Naarah (Girl, the church – a female entity of marriageable age) reaching to Jericho (heaven), coming out at the Jordan, the descending of Christ for His church (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

From there Tappuah signifies the breath of eternal life that comes at that time as we move toward God (westward) to the Inheritance of the Possessor – eternal life in Christ is realized, accompanied by eternally moving toward God, symbolized by the outgoings of the border being seaward.

The final verses mentioned the cities, though not named, including cities in Manasseh. It also noted that all of the Canaanites were not dispossessed. This is a historical note about the situation in which Ephraim found itself, and it will be a part of the continued lesson of life under the law.

Symbolically, it may (total speculation) signify that there are unconverted in the church who will always be there until the end. They may serve the church, but they are not of the people of God. Regardless of that, the borders of the two tribes form a grand picture of Christ and His work.

The borders of Ephraim form another marvelous picture of the effects of His work in the people of the church. The patterns form up in exactly the manner that would be expected of an evaluation of these things.

And some of the words, and how they are used later in the Bible to refer to the coming Messiah completely surprised me. I would think “I wonder if this word is what is being referred to in the Psalms.” Upon checking, it is exactly what I thought might be the case. This happened again and again, as it does in sermons like these.

Each piece fits and then builds upon something else so that when we enter the New Testament, the foundation has been laid and we can then compare it to what is presented there. It never gets old because it is so beautifully woven together.

Because of this, be assured and reassured that you are following the right path. God has set it all down for us to see, and also to build up our confidence concerning Christ Jesus. How blessed we are to see such things.

And if you are just hearing about the Lord being hidden in the Old Testament, check it out. You will find out it is so. Jesus said it was all about Him. Put your trust in this wonderful Lord who has revealed such marvelous things to us.

Call on Jesus and be a part of what God is doing in the world. And time is short. So do it today!

Closing Verse: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39

Next Week: Joshua 17:1-13 Pretty great stuff, I must say. In fact, it is the best... (The Inheritance of Joseph – Manasseh (West)) (34th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Inheritance of Joseph – Ephraim

The lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan by Jericho
To the waters of Jericho on the east as well
To the wilderness that goes up
From Jericho through the mountains to Bethel

Then went out from Bethel to Luz
Passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, as we know
And went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites
As far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer it did go

And it ended at the sea, and that not by chance
So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim
———-took their inheritance

The border of the children of Ephraim
According to their families was thus as we continue on
The border of their inheritance on the east side
Was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon

And the border went out toward the sea
On the north side of Michmethath
Then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh
And passed by it on the east of Janohah

Then it went down from Janohah
To Ataroth and Naarah it then went
Reached to Jericho
And came out at the Jordan, this was its extent

The border went out from Tappuah
Extending quite nicely
Westward to the Brook Kanah
And it ended at the sea

This was the inheritance
Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim
According to their families
A nice patch of land it would seem

The separate cities for the children of Ephraim
Were among the inheritance
Of the children of Manasseh
All the cities with their villages where they could sing and dance

And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer
But the Canaanites dwell, something rather dumb
Among the Ephraimites to this day
And forced laborers they have become

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel, ² then went out from Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, ³ and went down westward to the boundary of the Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Lower Beth Horon to Gezer; and it ended at the sea.

⁴ So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.

⁵ The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon.

⁶ And the border went out toward the sea on the north side of Michmethath; then the border went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and passed by it on the east of Janohah. ⁷ Then it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and Naarah, reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.

⁸ The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families. ⁹ The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

¹⁰ And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.