Joshua 16

v1-4: "Joseph's descendants were very much favoured by what was allotted to them." This is no surprise as Joseph was the eldest son of the wife Jacob loved, Rachel; the beloved son; and he had "kept his family from perishing in a time of famine."

v5-10: "Either through carelessness or cowardice," or "a lack of faith in the promise of God that he would give them success," or "because of a lack of zeal for the command of God," the Ephraimites did not drive out the Canaanites. This failure to do what God instructed them to do, not only put "a mark of disgrace" on them as their disobedience has been recorded in Scripture, it placed them "in danger of being defiled with their idolatry."

Joshua 17

v1-6: The daughters of Zelophehad made their claim, "based on the command God gave to Moses concerning them," and Joshua readily gave them their inheritance. "Those who take care in the wilderness of this world to make sure they have a place in the inheritance of the saints... will certainly receive it."

v7-13: Manasseh "had towns with their surrounding settlements in the tribes of Issachar and Asher." God had arranged it that, "although every tribe had its own special inheritance," they "would still mix with one another, to keep on friendly terms and help one another." Though different tribes, "they were all one Israel, and were committed to love as brothers and sisters." Our primary commitment is to the local church we are members of, but we are still to love as brothers and sisters members of other faithful local churches, as together we make up one universal church.

v14-18: When we think "that the difficulties which lie in the path of our progress are greater than they really are," we may miss out on what the Lord wants us to have or to do.