The Hill is Not Enough for Us - Joshua 17:16

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, Why have you given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD has blessed me until now? And Joshua answered them, If you be a great people, then get you up to the wood country, and cut down for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for you”, and in chapter seventeen and verse sixteen of Joshua we learn how, “the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us” where we read,

And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.

The verse reads, “And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us:” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the children of Joseph” or “and the offspring and progeny belonging to Joseph whose name means ‘Jehovah has added’ and was ”the eldest son of Jacob by Rachel” “said” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “the hill is not enough for us” or “the rising above the plain exists as insufficient on behalf of us, the children of Joseph”. Joshua or the writer shared how the offspring of “Joseph” told “Joshua” that the rising of the plain was insufficient territory for them. 

 

The verse continues, “and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Bethshean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and all the Canaanites” which means “and each, every, the whole and every one of the descendants of Cana whose name means ‘zealous’’ “that dwell in the land of the valley” ” or “who stay, abide, remain and live within the district, region and territory pertaining to the vale, lowland and open country” “have chariots of iron” which means “own and possess battle wagons made with harsh and strong iron ore”, “both they who are of Bethshean” or “including the people belonging to Bethshean or Beth-Shan whose name means ‘house of ease’ and was a place in Manasseh which was west of the Jordan”, “and her towns” which means “and her, Bethshean’s, daughter villages”, “and they who are of the valley of Jezreel” or “and the people who exist from the vale, lowland and open country belonging to Jezreel whose name means ‘God sows’ and was a city in the Nekeb of Judah and a city in Issachar on the northwest spur of Mount Gilboa”. Joshua or the writer shared how the pagan people of “Cana” lived within the lowlands and possessed battle wagons made with iron ore, and they were from “Bethshean” and the settled abodes there along with the people who lived within the lowland of “Jezreel”. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn through Joshua or the writer how the offspring of “Joseph” considered the territory they were allotted to be insufficient for them, and in addition the people of “Cana” were living within the lowland of the area including the people in “Bethshean” and its settled abodes with those within the lowland belonging to “Jezreel”. We shall see how this problem is resolved in our next verses, but for now, let us consider that the offspring of “Joseph” knew there was a problem and they addressed it with “Joshua”. We too have a problem - sin, and the only remedy for solving that problem is to receive God’s Son Jesus who came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live with the knowledge that we can always take our problems to Him because He cares for us. (See 1 Peter 5:7)

Next time we see how Joshua says to the people of “Joseph”, “you are a great people, and have great power: you shall not have one lot only”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".