Today I read Joshua 16, in which the borders were set for the land lot for Joseph and detailed Ephraim’s inheritance. Today I considered that even though a people may become free from a burden (slavery, addiction, indebtedness, etc) they sometimes are still willing to place that same burden on others.

Ephraim’s Inheritance

Joseph’s children received land and created forced laborers (Joshua 16:1-10). Joseph’s children, Ephraim and Manasseh, received land allotments with the overall boarder including from Jordan to the water east of Jericho to Bethel. Ephraim’s lots were on the east side with cities among the inheritance of Manasseh. The Canaanites still dwelt in Gezer serving under tribute to the Ephraimites.

Questions and Thoughts for Today

Joseph was originally sold into slavery by his brothers but became second only to pharaoh. Joseph’s descendants spent centuries as slaves in Egypt and were finally free. So you would think they would not advocate slavery. When Joseph’s descendants under Ephraim received land, they had the Canaanites serve under tribute. God had told them to drive out all the people from the land, but they enslaved some.

Why do you think the children of Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites from the land but enslaved them instead?