The Victorious Christian Life Joshua 16-17
Review
 Joshua Chapter 15
 Those Who Want More...
Caleb wanted more... “Give me this mountain” Othniel wanted more... “Caleb’s daughter” Achsah wanted more... “blessing”... “springs”
One’s Lot in Life Joshua 16:1-17:18
One’s Lot in Life
 The Lot of Judah...Chapter 15 The Blessing
 The Lot of Joseph...Chapter 16-17 The Birthright
One’s Lot in Life
 The Lot of Judah...Chapter 15
The Blessing ...leadership...headship...
 Gen 49:8-10 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.9 Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
One’s Lot in Life
 The Lot of Joseph...Chapter 16-17
The sons of Joseph...Ephraim and Manasseh...Heb 11:21 The Birthright ...inheritance...
Deut 21:17... a double-portion
 1Chron 5:1-2 Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. 2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph’s:)
One’s Lot in Life
 The Lot of the children of Joseph Joshua16:1-3 Described
Joshua 16:4 Summarized
 The Lot of Ephraim Joshua 16:5-9 Described
Joshua 16:10 Summarized
 The Lot of Manasseh Joshua17:1-11 Described
Joshua 17:12-13 Summarized
One’s Lot in Life
 Observations
 Both “took their inheritance”... 16:4
 Neither “drave out the Canaanites”... 16:10, 17:12-13
 For a time Manasseh “could not”...17:12
 When they could “waxed strong”, they “did not”...17:13
 They were blessed...they had a blessed position...the most beautiful, fertile land, double portion...cities, houses, vineyards, lands...but still not happy.
One’s Lot in Life
 Their complaint
 Joshua 17:14 “Why hath thou given me but one lot...portion”
...“seeing I am a great people”...
 They were legends in their own mind.
 Pride...self-perception...self-idolizing...self-aggrandizing.
 Like Christians and churches today.
 Give us more land...but had not occupied what they had already been given.
One’s Lot in Life
 Joshua’s response
 Joshua 17:15a “If thou be a great people, then get thee up”...
 Get to work... v.15b to the wood country...cut down Lazy, idle, self-absorbed, apathetic.
Want wealth without working for it.
 Go to war... the Perizzites and the giants need to go! Want the easily occupied areas.
Want victories, but not willing to fight for them.
One’s Lot in Life
 Their excuses
 Joshua 17:16 “The hill is not enough for us...”
...“and all the Canaanites have chariots of iron”
 Whiners! Complainers...murmurers...pick, pick, pick...
One’s Lot in Life
 Joshua’s rebuttal
 Joshua 17:16 “Thou art a great people, and hast great power”
 Throw it back in their face!
 Challenge them...no preferential treatment.
 Joshua was an Ephraimite.
 Inheritance or heredity means little...
 Privilege means little...It is an issue of character, integrity, duty, sacrifice, and faith. Gideon was of Manasseh...few others notable.
 Isaiah 28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
 Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. Hos 8:5-6, 8-9
 Hosea 7:8 Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
 Hosea 11:8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?
One’s Lot in Life
 Drive out the enemy...every fortress can be taken, every giant slain...every king (sin) slaughtered....none should be tolerated, no compromise...no assimilation.
 They can be driven out, the strongholds can be taken, the giants can be slain, we can have victory over the sins that so easily beset us....by the power of God.
 Get thee up... Get to work...Go to war.
 The real dangers lie in compromise, assimilation and in partial
victories. Otherwise,youwillhavetotakeandretakelostground.
 Coulda, woulda, shoulda...