Joshua 16 details the land allotment for the descendants of Joseph, specifically Ephraim and Manasseh. Their inheritance spanned from the Jordan near Jericho to the Mediterranean Sea. Ephraim’s territory included cities like Bethel, Luz, and Gezer. Despite this, the Israelites did not drive out the Canaanites in Gezer, and they remained in the land as forced laborers.
Joseph did not have a tribe named after him because he received a double portion of inheritance, passed down through his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Despite this, the Canaanites were not fully driven out of the land, with some living among the Israelites, as seen in Joshua 16:10.
God addressed this issue in Deuteronomy.
“However, you must not let any living thing survive among the cities of these people the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
Deuteronomy 20:16 CSB
They resorted to making the Canaanites labor for their cause. Logic tells us that if they had enough power/authority to force them into labor, they probably could have completely eliminated them. We see this time and time again with Israel. God gives a firm command and instead of following through completely, they decided to take shortcuts or ignore details.
It’s possible that Israel did this for convenience to which there is still no excuse. Oh, how we do the same today!
This symbolizes that, while we are forgiven in Christ, our sinful nature still remains and requires ongoing struggle. Like the Canaanites, sin can remain among us, but God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. Romans 6:12-14 encourages us to resist sin and present ourselves to God for righteousness, relying on the Holy Spirit every day for strength.