Joshua 16–17 – Clearing Ground, Confronting Giants, and Claiming the Inheritance
“Though the Canaanites have chariots of iron… you shall drive them out.”
— Joshua 17:18 ESV
🌲 One Inheritance, Two Challenges
Chapters 16 and 17 of Joshua center on the descendants of Joseph—Ephraim and Manasseh. These tribes were Jacob’s grandsons, but through Joseph’s blessing in Genesis 48, they received full tribal status. Together, they form one house with a double portion.
Yet with that blessing comes a twofold challenge: to conquer what remains and to claim what is difficult.
Joshua 16 outlines Ephraim’s borders. Joshua 17 gives Manasseh’s portion. But the story heats up when Joseph’s descendants express dissatisfaction. They want more land—but they don’t want to deal with the giants or the forested hill country.
This passage teaches us a vital truth: inheritance is not just received—it must be possessed. And possession requires both faith and labor.
📍 Borders and Incomplete Obedience (Joshua 16:1–10)
The chapter begins by mapping the inheritance of Ephraim. It includes cities, rivers, and boundary markers. But verse 10 is a haunting conclusion:
“However, they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer…”
— Joshua 16:10
They settled among the enemy instead of expelling them. This isn’t just a military failure—it’s a spiritual compromise. God had commanded total removal of the Canaanites to protect Israel from idolatry and moral corruption (see Deut. 20:17–18).
But Ephraim allowed convenience to trump conviction.
The result? The Canaanites remained “to this day” and later became thorns in Israel’s side (see Judges 1:29).
Application: What are you allowing to remain that God has told you to remove?
👩👧 The Daughters of Zelophehad and Bold Faith (Joshua 17:3–6)
Manasseh’s inheritance includes an unusual interruption—a record of five daughters who step forward to claim their deceased father’s portion. Their names are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their boldness had already been recorded in Numbers 27 and affirmed by Moses.
Here, Joshua honors their claim. These women didn’t settle for being overlooked—they stood on God’s promise and were rewarded.
Faith is not passive. It steps up and steps in where God has opened a door.
In a male-dominated inheritance system, these women shine as examples of courage, dignity, and trust in God’s justice. Their names are not forgotten—because their faith wasn’t.
💬 The Complaint of Joseph’s House (Joshua 17:14–18)
Then comes the tension. The people of Joseph (Ephraim and part of Manasseh) approach Joshua with a complaint:
“Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people?”
— Joshua 17:14
Joshua’s response is striking—not coddling, but challenging:
“If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves into the forest… and clear ground for yourselves.”
— Joshua 17:15
In other words, “Stop complaining and start clearing.”
Their problem wasn’t the size of the land—it was the size of the effort required. Joshua was reminding them: the fullness of your inheritance won’t come by wishing. It will come by working—clearing trees, confronting giants, and claiming the land by faith.
🧠 Word Study – “Clear” (Hebrew: bārar)
The word Joshua uses for “clear” (v.15) is bārar, which means to purify, cleanse, or sharpen. It’s not just physical removal—it implies making something fit for use. Forests must be cleared, yes—but so must attitudes, fears, and excuses.
God has given you territory—but it must be cleared. That process will refine you as much as it removes the obstacles.
🔥 Iron Chariots and Courageous Faith (Joshua 17:16–18)
The people protest again: “The Canaanites have iron chariots and live in fortified cities.” They’re saying: “It’s too hard. Too scary. Too big.”
Joshua doesn’t back down. His answer is simple and strong:
“You are numerous and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only… though the Canaanites have chariots of iron… you shall drive them out.”
— Joshua 17:17–18
This is courage anchored in promise. Joshua isn’t denying the challenge—he’s declaring God’s sufficiency.
Iron chariots don’t stop God. Giants don’t scare Him. Fortified cities don’t overwhelm Him. And they shouldn’t overwhelm us either.
💡 Life Application – What’s Your Forest?
1. Stop Complaining. Start Clearing.
What are you waiting for God to change that He’s waiting for you to confront? There’s work to do—and victory comes as you move forward by faith.
2. Don’t Fear the Giants or the Chariots.
The obstacles may look iron-clad, but your God is fire-forged. He goes before you. Giants fall. Strongholds crumble.
3. Ask Boldly Like Zelophehad’s Daughters.
Don’t be afraid to ask for your portion in the kingdom. God honors faith that knows the Word and acts on it.
4. Possess the Land Completely.
Don’t settle for partial victory. Drive out what doesn’t belong. Clear what blocks your growth. Finish the job.
5. God Has Given You More Than One Lot.
Sometimes we feel boxed in. But God may be saying, “I’ve already given you more. Look again. Clear again. Trust again.”
💬 Questions for Reflection
- Where have you been asking God for more when He’s already shown you what to do?
- What forested areas—hard, untamed, uncomfortable—might God be calling you to clear?
- Are you believing lies about your limits because of what you see (iron chariots) instead of what God has said?
🕊️ Final Word
Ephraim and Manasseh were greatly blessed—but they didn’t want to fight for the fullness. That’s the danger of spiritual comfort. We want the land—but not the labor. The promise—but not the plowing.
But God doesn’t work like that. He partners with His people. He gives us territory—but calls us to clear it. And in the clearing, we grow. In the confronting, we conquer. In the fullness, we finally see what He always intended.
Don’t stop short. There is more land to possess—and more of you God wants to shape in the process.
Next: The land is assigned tribe by tribe, but God’s heart beats behind every boundary. Post 18: “Casting Lots and Claiming Lands” (Joshua 18:1–10)
