The Book of Joshua Series
Conquering the Land
“Completing the Conquest”
Joshua 16-17
INTRODUCTION
In our reading of chapters 16 and 17 in the book of Joshua this week we see the tribe
of the sons of Joseph, both Ephraim and Manasseh, “received their inheritance” (16.5). They
also both share a border “The south side belonged to Ephraim and the north side to
Manasseh” (17.10). Yet, the many details about their allotted land, in chapters 16 and 17,
are interrupted to address a common enemy, a common problem, that these tribes faced. In
16.10 we read that Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites, so they lived among the
people of Ephraim as forced laborers. Similarly, in ch. 17.12 we read that “the sons of
Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in
living in that land”. And although Ephraim and Manasseh, commonly called the sons of
Jacob, were strong enough to force the Canaanites into labor, we read that “the sons of
Israel became strong…but they did not drive them out completely” (17.13). This leads us to
the portion of Scripture for this morning, Joshua 17.14-18. Hear now the word of God:
Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me only one lot and one
portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom the Lord has thus far
blessed?” Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a
place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country
of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” The sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for
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us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are
in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.”
Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous
people and have great power; you shall not have one lot only, but the hill country shall be
yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours;
for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they
are strong.”
Completing the Conquest
This concludes the reading of God’s holy and inspired word. I have titled the sermon
for this morning “Completing the Conquest.” Throughout the book of Joshua and even prior
to the conquest, according to Moses’ instruction, the Israelites are commanded to remove
their enemies, for the Lord has given the land into their hands. Yet, we find that the sons of
Jacob are starting to lose sight of God’s purposes and vision, and, as the Scriptures tell us,
they do not drive out the Canaanites.
Fruits of Discontentment and Dissatisfaction
What we find in this account is the sons of Jacobthat complain to Joshua that the
portion of land they have received from the Lord is too small. They feel cramped. They are
discontent and dissatisfied with their portion. But we must understand that their request is
not uncommon. As Pastor Brian told us last week, Joshua 14-17 serves as a block of
scripture where we see Caleb’s request and commitment contrasted with the request of the
sons of Joseph. Yet, the differences in these accounts tell us something more about the
hearts and attitudes of the sons of Joseph. Where Caleb made a request based on the
promises of God telling Joshua, “give me this hill country” (jo.14.12a), the sons of Joseph
claim that the population of their tribe is too large for the land and that Joshua should give
them another portion because they are clearly a blessed people (17.14). Where Caleb says
that he has his strength “for war and for going out and coming in” and that he “will drive
them out as the Lord has spoken.” The sons of Joseph complain that the Canaanites have
iron chariots. (Jo.17.16). When it comes to good excuses, the sons of Joseph leave no stone
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unturned. Imagine a child trying to get there way out of chores on the weekend and all they
can say is “but…but…but”. Caleb is turning to God’s promises, trusting in his word and
provision, and the result is that Joshua blesses him and allots to him the inheritance that he
requested. But to the sons of Joseph, Joshua turns to them and using their own logic
responds, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself
there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too
narrow for you.” In their response, we find that they are not only dissatisfied with their
portion, but they are also discontent.
Fruits of Discontentment and Dissatisfaction
Brothers and sisters, here we find the fruits of DISCONTENTMENT &
DISSATISFACTION. The Sons of Joseph have created their own problem by compromising
with God’s plan and promises for them. Rather than pressing forward and completing the
conquest, they respond to Joshua with discontentment and fear as they confront their
enemies. And yet, when we take this account with Caleb’s response, we find that these
accounts serve as an example for our lives. These are not just unique or isolated
experiences to them, but a range of responses familiar to us all.
We are all, daily, challenged to respond in faith to God’s promises for our lives in
Christ Jesus our Lord. We have the fulfillment of all of God’s promises in His Son Jesus! We
have the cross behind us, the resurrection before, his abiding presence with us, Jesus’
regular call to come to Him and find rest, to turn to Him in all things with prayer and
supplication. We have the gift of the Church, the body of Christ, the gift of the Spirit, that
convicts us, leads us in all truth, gives us wisdom, matures us in Christ, and yet, do we
ourselves not fail? Do we not have seasons where we, like Caleb, are full of faith and hope
that our great God goes before us, yet in other seasons we find that certain enemies, certain
problems, seem overwhelming? Where God’s promises seem distant and irrelevant? During
these times, we ourselves become discontent and dissatisfied, making much of the
problems that surround us, like the sons of Joseph, and little of God’s promises and
provision. We make what is physical and temporary more real to us than God’s eternal,
everlasting Word for our lives.
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The particular responses we find in our text, again, are that of discontentment and
fear. We have to first understand that no amount of land was going to fill their hearts. They
did not need more space, but faith in their faithful God. The same is true of us today.
Nothing in this world will satisfy the space in our hearts that God alone can fill. No amount
of wealth will fill our hearts. No amount of security, no amount of power or position at
work, no amount of obedience in our children or change in our spouses is ever going to fill
us. My wife and I recently went to a string quartet concert and we got tickets in the B
section. Even though we were 15 feet away from the stage, she kept saying “I wish we sat in
the A section”. If it was up to her, she would’ve been sitting next to the musicians reading
their sheet music! The point is, the things we have and receive in this life are never enough.
What the sons of Joseph needed, and what we need today, is to find our contentment in the
God we serve, the God that created us and redeemed us. Jesus is our abundant life. He is our
portion from the Lord. The Apostle Paul says that godliness actually is a means of great
gain, when accompanied by contentment. (Itim.6.6) Brothers and sisters, discontentment is
a thief that steals our joy and enjoyment of God. But the Apostle told the Philippians that to
become content in whatever circumstances they were experiencing. (Phil.4.11b) And often
we need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us to be content.
At home, when Brigitte and I start the bedtime routine, Zoey, my eldest daughter
becomes the best 3-year-old negotiator. When its time for her to go down to sleep, she
always asks to stay up longer to play or draw. She recently started counting to 20 so now
she starts high, asking for 20 minutes, and, as you can imagine, the negotiations begin. As I
counteroffer with 5 minutes she goes down to 19. She barely budges. Yet, once her time is
up, she turns to me and says “Papi, 6 more minutes”. She can drag this on all night if we let
her, but as her parents, we know that she needs to rest. We are helping her understand that
going to sleep is not a punishment, but its what she needs. Similarly, God calls us not to
question his promises and commands for our lives, but calls us to rest in them because he is
our heavenly father. He knows what we need. The Lord tells us that “His grace is sufficient
for us”. And we find in the scriptures that we are called to be “content with what we have”,
that which the Lord allots and allows for us; why? For God has said “I will never leave you
nor forsake you”, so we can confidently say “The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid”
(Heb. 13.5-6).
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Fruits of Fear
The sons of Jacob were not just discontented and dissatisfied but they were also
fearful of the Canaanites who live in the valley, because they have chariots of iron. Turning
to the second response of the Sons of Joseph, after Joshua challenges them to respond in
faith to clear the forest (17.15), we find their fearful response in v. 16
“The sons of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live
in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and
those who are in the valley of Jezreel.”
Fruits of Fear
From the opening chapter of this book, the Lord has been coaching Joshua to not be
fearful, but to be courageous. Similarly, Joshua has been coaching the tribes to not be
fearful and to be very courageous, from the beginning of the book all the way through. In
our text this morning, Joshua is encouraging the tribe of Joseph, as well as God’s people in
all generations, to standing firm in their inheritance.
Another point I want to draw is that in this text, Joshua is not dismissive of their
fears. He is aware of them, yet God’s promises for them are far greater than their fears. His
response to the tribes is “The inheritance is right here for you”. Is it important for us to
remember that while our Lord, Jesus, has overcome our greatest enemies, our death, the
devil, and our bondage to sin, we continue in spiritual warfare. Jesus is not only present
with us in these large battles, as a superhero who drops in when things are out of control.
We mustn’t think of him like that. In all the Marvel movies, the heroes show up when the
world is upside-down and nearing its end. But they are never present in the small
moments; when we need prayer and comfort; when we need encouragement and Godly
direction. Jesus has promised and is present in all of our daily concerns and fears. Whether
fears at work over our job security. Fears at home regarding our finances, the future of our
kids, the future of this country. Jesus is aware of the many fears that can overwhelm us, yet
we have his sure promises that anchor our souls. He is our greater Joshua and He reminds
us that “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world”
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and again “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” and that is the Spirit of
Christ that dwells richly in our hearts.
The sons of Joseph cower before the Canaanites, and outside of God’s hand, they
were right to do so. Yet God had given the Canaanites into their hand. This is Joshua’s call,
to be strong and courageous and take up the inheritance God has given them. We can find
comfort that when we trust in the Lord and press forward and mature in Christ, we are
greatly rewarded. Contrary to the lie of the serpent in the garden of Eden, God does not
withhold anything good from us in Christ Jesus. We also find comfort when we do fail, for
God does not accuse us but encourages us through His Spirit and his people, and extends
his forgiveness towards us in Christ.
Joshua’s Challenge – “Clear the Forest”
Returning to Joshua’s response in verses 15, 17-18 we find that both times he
challenges the sons of Joseph to clear the forest. As I previously mentioned, Joshua is not
dismissing their fears, nor is he telling them to go in their own strength. He is telling them
to go in the strength of the Lord. To confront their enemies. To clear the Forest! He is
telling them that victory is certain, their enemies have been delivered. The God who
delivered them out of Egypt, Jericho, and AI and brought them into the promised land
guarantees their conquest of the land! Similarly, our Lord, who declared “it is finished” calls
us to press on in the many blessings and benefits he has won for us in his death and
resurrection and given to us through his Spirit. He has given us many assurances and gifts
and calls us to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work
in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2.12-13). He is the faithful one
that calls us to clear the forest in our lives. We are to clear all that hinders our walk in
Christ, our growth and maturity in Him. We are to cut down all that prevents us from
making are calling and election certain in our lives. We are to put to death all
discontentment, dissatisfaction, and fears that prevent us from turning to Christ and
growing in Him. To offer some examples of what these trees may look like in our lives, the
Lord calls us to holy lives so we are to cut down all ungodliness that remains in our hearts.
We are to follow his commandments and cut down all that impedes that. We are to pursue
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love and reconciliation with our brothers and sisters in Christ, cutting down the hedges we
have put up. The Lord calls us to redeem our time for his purposes, cutting away all empty
distractions that pull us aside from our walk in the Lord. We must cut down our pursuit of
instant joy and satisfaction in our culture and find deeper joy in our Lord through the hard
work he has prescribed for us. It is easy to make friends on social media, but we must
prioritize cultivating relations and fellowship with those the Lord has placed before us, in
our lives, in this church; we must cut down our comforts and lay aside our excuses to serve
one another and build each other up. One of the new sins our culture has invented is
boredom. Brothers and sisters, we may grow bored at times, in our pursuit of vain things,
but praise the Lord he never grows bored or weary of us. May we cut down our negligence
and laziness in pursuing fellowship with our God and one another. We all carry with us a
forest of concerns, full of trees of discontentment, fears, doubts that the Lord Jesus, our
greater Joshua, calls us to cut down that we may advance in our growth in the Lord.
Closing Thoughts
While the account of Caleb ended with Joshua blessing him in his conquest, we end our
text in silence. The sons of Joseph do not clear out forest and dispose of the Canaanites as
Joshua had instructed. Jerry Bridges, pastor and teacher, has put it this way: “it is our
response to our circumstances rather than the degree of difficulty that determines whether
or not we are discontent”. We can gather from our text that the sons of Joseph considered
the enemy before them greater than the God they served. They considered God’s way
harder than their own. We find our comfort in Christ, that when we obey Him and press
forward in our sanctification, we are promised that we will further grow into the image of
Christ, growing in humility, love and wisdom; and when we do fail, we do not receive God’s
displeasure, but his forgiveness in Christ. We are not exiled from the land, but all the more
comforted by our Lord, Jesus Christ, that calls us as we are. And yet, He does not leave us as
we are. He promises to make us holy as He is holy, and He gives us His spirit to guarantee
these promises to us.
If you find our text this morning strange, and God’s promises foreign, yet you know the
feeling of discontentment, the sting of many disappointments in life, the weight of your
fears, I invite you to turn to Jesus, the God of all comfort, who offers us rest from our
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discontentment and fear. His promises never fail, for he has gone before us, dying in our
place and rising again that we may have fellowship with our heavenly Father through our
elder brother Jesus. For those that are in Christ, may we not grow weary or be given over to
fears and discontentment. May we lay them before our Lord who hears us, sees us, and
with us to the end of the ages. He is our abundant life.
Joshua’s last word to us this morning is found a little beyond our text, in Joshua 18.3.
“How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of
your fathers, has given you?”. Our greater Joshua addresses us today and turns the question
on us, “How long will you put off growing in the Lord, turning to him in repentance, and
finding the daily joy and peace that he offers us? How long will you put off taking your
discontentment, dissatisfaction, and fears to the Lord?” May we not put off growing in the
knowledge of our Lord, in obeying His commands, and resting in His promises. Let us be
the people that complete the conquest.