Joseph’s descendants had been blessed just as God said they would (Gen. 48: 14 – 20; 49: 22 – 26). The census at the end of the wilderness wanderings reveals that their military ranks alone had swelled from 72,700 to 85,200 (Num. 1: 32 – 35; 26: 34, 37). The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim (14: 4). Consequently, no tribe received a greater allotment than Joseph. Moses had awarded the half tribe of Manasseh territory on the east bank of Jordan (13: 29 – 31). The territory Ephraim received is surveyed in 16: 5 – 10. Ten tracts fell to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which are beyond the Jordan, because Manasseh’s daughters received an inheritance among his sons (17: 5 – 6). Joseph’s descendants were greatly favored by God in the apportionment of the land and yet they registered a complaint with Joshua. “Why did you give us only one tribal allotment as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has greatly blessed us” (17: 14).
The dialog which follows might be phrased like this:
* “We are truly a great people.” (17: 14)
* “Are you truly a great people?” (17: 15)
* “We are truly not a great people.” (17: 16)
* “You truly are a great people.” (17: 17)
True greatness is not measured by name. There was no more storied name in Israel than “Joseph.” It was a high honor to be a member of the tribes of Ephraim or Manasseh and yet the name alone guaranteed nothing. Jesus charged the rigor mortis religion of Sardis with having a name for being alive but actually being quite dead (Rev. 3: 1).
True greatness is not measured by numbers. The descendants of Joseph constituted a mega-church in the Ancient Near East but their size revealed little about who they really were. Someone has said of God’s people today, “They are many but they aren’t much!”
True greatness is not measured by need. Our insistence that we need more because we are more may fall on deaf ears in heaven. So much of what these negotiators demanded (and what we demand) sounds too much like a self congratulation society.
True greatness is measured by nature. The real problem facing these people is that they had failed greatly. Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer (16: 10). The descendants of Manasseh could not possess these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in the land (17: 12). True greatness is found in the nature of a Caleb who confidently says, “Now give me this hill country” (14: 12). True greatness asks for and attempts great things for God.