The Overcomers

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

THE OVERCOMERS

Josh 17

17:1 This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh's firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers. 2 So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh — the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans. 3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 4 They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the LORD's command. 5 Manasseh's share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, 6 because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh. 7 The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. 8(Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) 9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the sea. 10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east. 11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth). 12 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely. 14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly." 15 "If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites." 16 The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel." 17 But Joshua said to the house of Joseph — to Ephraim and Manasseh — "You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment 18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

NIV

We are still in the allotment of land by tribe and within the tribe, clan by clan. Two points draw our attention as we observe each section of land and its boundaries. First, we see an example of equal rights for women as the five daughters of Zelophehad who had no sons wanted their fair share. Therefore, Manasseh had an inheritance in the land of Gilead. It is all too often said those days were very patriarchic, with women not having their own identities. It has been told they were either the daughter of wife or mother of, but never have their own possessions. However, we see God does not show favoritism, even to man over woman, as these daughters by name were given their own lands, just as all the other tribes, clan by clan, were. Some limitations still are in force today, such as women not being permitted to exercise authority over men in the church. That does not mean women cannot serve in the church, just not be the senior pastors, at least according to scripture. The second point is the last verse where Joshua tells the house of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, that it does not matter how strong they think the enemy in the hill country is, even those with iron chariots, the house of Joseph, which included the daughters of Zelophehad of the house of Manasseh, can drive them out. In John’s gospel, we are told that everyone who is born of God overcomes the world; then, in the revelation given to John, we are told in the letters to the churches, he who overcomes seven times and the rewards that follow. As followers of Jesus, we are meant to overcome the world, to conquer the world’s way of life. No matter how strong the world is and its attempt to draw us into its darkness, its false ideologies, we can overcome it and drive its darkness out of our lives because we have the Spirit living in us, with all His power and might at our disposal. In fact, because we remain in Christ, He remains in us, and we can do all things through Jesus who strengthens us. We are overcomers, all of us, men and women alike, all having the right to be called children of God. Let us live as who we are, overcomers.