[A Meditation on One Verse]

(Joshua 16:10) “Yet they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So the Canaanites have lived in the midst of Ephraim to this day and have been made to do forced labor.”

Right after showing what ‘complete obedience’ is through Caleb, a man of faith whom God had led for 45 years, the Bible records the ‘compromise’ of Israel’s most powerful tribe, Ephraim. Although they had the strength to drive out the people of Gezer, they chose the worldly gain of making them ‘servants for forced labor.’ Immediate benefit seemed more significant to them than the fulfillment of God’s promise.

This verse helps us to honestly see how easy it is to follow worldly calculations over God’s promise, and that this is our very nature. Here, we discover the seed of the era of the Judges that would later plunge all of Israel into darkness—the root of unbelief that does not acknowledge God as king. A rational decision made without God’s perspective ultimately became a thorn that pierced them.

Therefore, this passage lets us see our true nature and, at the same time, see the grace of God who still holds onto us. Because we can never be complete in our own strength, it leads us to rely only on the God who places us in a position of faith. That is why we pray like this.

[Prayer]

“Lord, I confess that within me is the ‘heart of Ephraim,’ which forsakes Your word. Please have mercy on this stubborn heart, and help me to walk today relying only on You who leads me.”
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(Daily Reading)

Joshua 16:1-10