Joshua

• Joshua 16:1 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

The children of Joseph was Ephraim and Manasseh. They became two of the tribes. There were always twelve tribes. Dividing the tribe of Joseph into two tribes which were the names of his sons was fulfilling the words of Jacob.

• Genesis 48:5 “And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”

Jacob counted the two children of Joseph as his own and they would become part of the 12 tribes.  This would make thirteen except that the tribe of Levi was set aside for the service of the Lord.  They were to be the priests and servants of the Lord. The Lord and His work became their inheritance. 

They dwelt in cities throughout all Israel to minister to the spirit needs of the people. All this was set in place until the perfect one, Jesus Christ would come as a high priest for all. So Ephraim and Manasseh replaced Joseph as a tribe so that the number remained 12. Half of the tribe of Manasseh inherited land on the west of the Jordan and the other half on the east. 

• Joshua 16:2  And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,
• 3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti, unto the coast of Bethhoron the nether, and to Gezer: and the goings out thereof are at the sea.
• 4 So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.
• 5 And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the upper;
• 6 And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;
• 7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.
• 8 The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.
• 9 And 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 drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

Instead of driving out the Canaanites in Gezer, they allowed them to stay but to pay tribute. This was not commanded by God. Perhaps they were tired of war and just thought of a way to profit from allowing them to remain. They remained until the days of Solomon. According to Hosea, the tribe of Ephraim seems to be of the character of those that wanted to make a profit or gain. 

Had Israel obeyed God completely, they would have been the greatest nation ever to exist and no enemies could have defeated them. This they will become during the Millennial reign of Christ but until then, they suffer many things because of their disobedience. 

We can read about Gezer in 1 Kings 9 during the reign of Solomon.

• 1Kings 9:16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.

Here is Jacob's prophecy concerning the tribe of Joseph:

• Genesis 49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:

Both of the sons of Jacob became fruitful tribes in Israel.

• Genesis 49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:

One of the most heartwarming stories in the bible is the story of Joseph and how the envy and jealousy of his brothers became so great that they were driven to sell their own brother as a slave to the Midianites. The Midianites took him to Egypt and sold him there. This was the plan of God to later use Joseph to save many from the famine that was to come. 

I sometimes wonder if that is why the children of Israel became slaves to the Egyptians as a result this sin against Joseph. God used this evil deed done to Joseph to save lives but that never excuses those that did the sin. They didn’t get away with it. It caused much grief and anguish to them.

The favoritism of Jacob for Joseph caused many problems. We can learn much from the study of Genesis so we don’t make the same mistakes. Favoritism for one child causes jealousy and hatred from the siblings of the one that is favored.  In the days of Isaac, the favoritism Isaac had for Esau caused him to not understand or receive the prophecy that Jacob was to inherit the birthright and not Esau. Rebecca knew the will of God in this matter and resorted to trickery to get the blessing for her favorite son. 

This was wrong and caused Jacob much trouble later. Jacob’s tricks resulted in him inheriting his father’s blessing but the division it caused between him and Esau caused him to have to leave home for years. He might not have seen his mother alive again. Jacob and Esau later reconciled but look at the wasted years. 

Jacob fooled his father by disguising himself so that the partially blind Isaac would think he was Esau his brother. Laban later substituted the woman Jacob wanted to marry, Rachel, for her sister Leah on the wedding night. He had to work 7 more years for Rachel and it caused rivalry between the two women all their lives. God never intended us to have plural marriages. The jealousy and hurt it causes isn't worth it. The will of God worked out in the end but look at all the heartache and trouble that comes in the meantime. 

More of the prophecy given by Jacob concerning Joseph:

• Genesis 49:24  But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

Joseph went from a persecuted slave to a ruler in Egypt and was able to later care for his brethren like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Joseph seems to symbolize Christ. At first he was hated and rejected by his brethren but later they were reconciled. The first time his brethren went down to Egypt they didn't recognize Joseph but the second time they did. 

At the Second coming of Christ, the Jews will recognize their Messiah and mourn because they discover He was the one their ancestors rejected and caused to be crucified. Although the first believers in Jesus were Jews, the nation as a whole especially the religious leaders rejected Jesus.  As the first believers were Jewish, the last believers also will be the Jews when the Gentile nations return to their heathen roots. This of course does not include all those that come to Christ Jesus by faith.

Gentiles must never be high-minded but realize only through Christ will they inherit the promise of eternal life and deliverance from sin. The Jews rejected Christ; the gospel went to the Gentiles.  The Gentiles accepted Christ but in the latter days the Jews return to the Lord and we can see now clearly the Gentile nations are turning away from the truth rapidly. The time of the Gentiles just may be drawing to a close. 

• Zechariah 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
• 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
• 10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
• 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
• 12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
• 13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
• 14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.

What a beautiful promise in the next few verses:

• Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.
• 2 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.
• 3 And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.
• 4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive:
• 5 But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
• 6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
• 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
• 8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
• 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

We see here prophesy of the rejection of Christ, the smiting of the shepherd, and the scattering of the sheep which was the disciples. Also we see the second coming of Christ and mourning because they had once rejected Him. Zechariah 13:7 is fulfilled when they took arrested Jesus and the disciples were temporarily scattered.

• Matthew 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

In the latter days when the Prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled or completed during the tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ, Israel mourns and looks upon Him whom their ancestors pierced. 

• Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Actually to reject Christ is like piercing Him all over again but we rejoice in the fact that Israel discovers and finds the Messiah they rejected at first. It is so similar to the brothers of Joseph who rejected him at first but later was reconciled to him. True repentance that comes from the Holy Spirit drawing us back to God, will bring forth reconciliation, cleansing, change, and beauty. When a soul is saved or born again by the spirit of God, it is glorious. When we see a whole nation restored and reconciled to God when their eyes are open and they receive their Messiah whom they earlier rejected, it will be glorious.

Continuing with the prophecy of Jacob concerning Joseph:

• Genesis 49:25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:

• 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Joseph was rejected but God was with him to through everything he went through. He was able to save a whole nation and the lives of his brethren during the 7 years of famine. Through the rejection of Christ, His crucifixion, Jesus was able to die for the sins of all who would later believe and receive Him. 

The rejection of Joseph caused him to be sold to Egypt where the Gentiles later received him and he became a ruler. This enabled him to become a savor to his own people later. The rejection of Christ caused Him to be crucified. He was raised from the dead because He was innocent and did not sin. A innocent and just person died undeserving of death. If Christ would have sinned even once, then He couldn't have been raised from the dead. Because of this all will be raised from the dead:  Some to everlasting life, some to everlasting contempt.

• Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
• 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Jesus was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification. Our faith in His death, burial and resurrection will deliver us from sin and give us eternal life reconciled with God our Father.   This is for all who will receive it.  DC

Joshua 17