Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

Joseph's Inheritance

Bryan Schneider · May 28, 2022

Joshua 16

sharonrpc.org/sermons/joseph-s-inheritance

Summary

The allotments to Ephraim and Manasseh fulfill the ancient promise God made to Abraham concerning land and descendants.
The daughters of Zelophehad cling for decades to God's stated promise and receive their rightful inheritance, showing faith that remembers and asks according to his Word.
God had warned Israel that leaving the Canaanites in the land would turn their hearts toward idolatry, yet Ephraim and Manasseh settle for forced labor instead of complete obedience.
Partial obedience becomes spiritual slippage when people compare themselves favorably with others rather than measuring life by God's command.
The tribes complain that their allotment is too small, but their reference to iron chariots reveals that fear—not lack of land—is the deeper obstacle.
Joshua calls them to act on God's promise despite stronger enemies, just as believers must resist sin and pursue holiness through the Spirit rather than excuse defeat.
Israel's failure creates longing for the faithful Champion: Christ fulfills righteousness, secures the new creation, and gives the inheritance received by faith.

Which promise of God do I need to remember and claim with the persistence shown by Zelophehad's daughters?
Where have I renamed partial obedience as success because I compare myself with someone doing worse?
What tolerated sin could become a snare to my worship and to those who follow after me?
Which iron chariot has become an excuse for believing that growth in holiness is impossible?
Am I trying to conquer sin alone, or depending upon the Holy Spirit while taking concrete steps of obedience?
Do I rest my inheritance on my inconsistent faithfulness or on the completed faithfulness of Jesus Christ?
How should hope in the new heavens and new earth shape the work God has prepared for me today?

Inheritance: God's promised gift to his covenant people, fulfilled finally in the new creation secured by Christ.
Daughters of Zelophehad: Women of Manasseh who remembered God's ruling and faithfully requested their father's share in the promised land.
Partial obedience: Stopping short of God's command while using limited success or comparison with others to excuse remaining compromise.
Spiritual slippage: The gradual accommodation of sin that begins when faith no longer carries obedience through to God's stated standard.
Iron chariots: The military strength the tribes treat as a reason for fear despite God's promise to give the land.
Walk by faith: Trusting Christ's faithfulness and acting upon God's promises through the power he supplies.