Joshua Chapter 16

While Judah was the first-born son of Jacob, Joseph was called the favorite son.  And it is because of Joseph that the family was saved from starvation those many years ago.  God used Joseph in the courts of the pharaoh of Egypt to save the family of Jacob.  In the counting of the 12 tribes of Israel, one could say that there were really 13 tribes because Joseph’s portion was named after and divided amongst the descendants of his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.  We are also reminded in the previous chapter that the tribe of Levi was not counted in the twelve tribes because they were not to inherit an allotment of land, only some cities and the adjoining pastureland.  The Levites would tend to the responsibilities of the tabernacle.  I think it is interesting that God saw to it that the inheritance given to Joseph’s descendants was the largest amount of land of all the tribes. 

In this chapter you will read about the boundaries of the allotment that went to the descendants of Joseph.  Keep in mind that half of the tribe of Manasseh had already received an allotment of land on the other side of the Jordan River.