30th.: The Complaint of Joseph’s Children
Jacob’s son Joseph had two sons.
Their names were Manasseh and Ephraim.
Their descendents became two sub-tribes.
When these tribes went to conquer their share of the Promised Land, it was said of them,
“Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities.” (Josh. 17:12).
They then complained to Joshua,
“Why have thou given me but one lot, and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people?” (Josh. 17:14).
Joshua answered, “If thou be a great people, get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites …, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.”(Josh. 17:15).
To the children of Manasseh, the problem was two-fold (Josh. 17:16a):
1) “The hill is not enough for us."
2) "And all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron.”
In reality, the problem was not that God had not allotted enough land to the children of Joseph.
Rather, tThe real problem was that Manasseh and Ephraim did not rely on God to defeat the inhabitants,
as the tribe Judah did. (See Judges 1:1-4).
It was easier to complain about not getting land that did not have issues,
than to solve the issues at hand.
But the children of Joseph were unwilling, or did not know,
to ask the Lord how they could defeat the problems they were given.
In reality, they had asked the wrong question.
Asking God the right question, or request, would have given them the desired solution.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5