An Abundant Inheritance for Joseph’s Sons

Rev. Matt Ulmer, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bishop, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Joshua 16:1-17:18. The two tribes of Joseph receive their allotment next. Because Jacob adopted Joseph’s two sons as his own, Joseph receives a double inheritance in Israel. Ephraim, the younger, receives the inheritance ahead of his older brother, Manasseh, as a reminder that God chooses according to His own will and not according to human wisdom. The fact that both Ephraim and Manasseh fail to drive Canaanites out entirely foreshadows the trouble Israel faces in Judges. Rather than receiving the fullness of God’s gift, they did not trust His complete promises. The daughters of Zelophehad serve as an example of boldness and prayer, and Joshua’s encouragement to the sons of Joseph reminds us to receive the fullness of God’s promises. “The Promised Land Delivered” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Joshua. After the death of Moses, the LORD remains with His people to bring them into the Promised Land under Joshua. Throughout the book, the LORD proves that not one of His Word falls unfulfilled. Today, the Church has the same confidence that all of God’s promises find their “Yes” in Christ.