Joshua 16:1-10 - God Chooses our Inheritance

Joshua 16:1-10

Ephraim and West Manasseh

1 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.

The Land of Ephraim

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.

Two more families of Israel were given their inheritance selected by God through the casting of lots (a lot was likely cast by tossing a stone or stones to decide questions or appoint persons for different reasons, the idea being it was not in a man’s control but God’s for the outcome of a seemingly random act).  The lots determined which piece of the promised land each familial tribe would inherit as determined by the LORD and not Joshua or Moses before him, and certainly not by a democratic system or through any influence by the recipient to get what they preferred.  It was completely removed from their hands and placed square in the sovereign hand of God so no complaints of unfairness could be made.  Here we read how Joseph’s children Manasseh and Ephraim received their inheritance from the LORD, first Ephraim here, followed by Manasseh in the next chapter of this book where the delineation was explained further between the two brothers.  The problems began when they were not obedient to the command of the LORD to completely drive out or destroy the idolatrous Canaanites living there in Gezer who would later become snares and thorns in their spiritual side as they were (Exodus 23:31, 32-33, 34:12-13, 15) warned.  They did, however, make them into forced laborers, a step above what we call slaves, that they might be under some control (Judges 1:28) and able to be watched and not intermarried with and corrupt their worship of the LORD.  This pattern would unfortunately be repeated by other tribes and caused such grief and conflict among the people of God for allowing idolatry and immorality to pollute them.  We need to likewise deal with false teachers and immoral behavior with the goal of repentance and restoration among the body for purity in worship and personal sanctification as well.  We do not hate or destroy the ungodly, but point them to cleansing and a right relationship with Christ instead.  This does mean that we keep out the ungodly ideas and influences that deny our Lord and His word, however.  Our lots have been cast by the Lord in His sovereign grace of His calling and choice and not our own; how can we then choose otherwise for anyone or even ourselves?  God chooses our inheritance.