So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance. – Joshua 16:4

Today's Scripture Reading (April 7, 2025): Joshua 16

I know that I need to be so careful about the things that I say. Part of my problem is that I often find myself saying things I know I should not say. And the things that have been said just cannot be unsaid. These words become a part of our reality, and because they are part of our reality, they begin to shape our future. What hurts is knowing that I shape my world with my words, even when I am wrong.

Joseph had died long before he stopped breathing, and his life came to an end. His brothers sold him into slavery, and then they went to their father and told him that Joseph was dead. His dad mourned the loss of his beloved son and, for years, lived believing that only eleven of his twelve sons had survived into their midlives. It was a reality that shaped him; the loss of Joseph changed Jacob at the core of his being. And he would never be the same again. Even when Joseph would later be revealed as being still alive, the change and the reality of a Dad's pain could not be taken back. The pain Dad had suffered was a reality, and nothing could reverse it.

But neither would Israel. Jacob blesses each of his sons when he dies, although I am not sure he realizes the full extent of his actions. All of his sons' names would be attached to a tribe of Israel, except for one. The missing name among the tribes would be Joseph's, the son Jacob had long believed was dead. Instead of having Joseph's name attached to a tribe, two of Joseph's sons' names, Manasseh and Ephraim, would be remembered. With that move, Joseph, the second youngest of Jacob's sons, would receive the coveted double-portion inheritance from his father, which would typically have been given to the oldest son. 

While Joseph's name may not be found among the tribes, his influence was front and center because Joshua, the man responsible for shaping the young nation, was one of his descendants. Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, and through him, Joseph continued to be still very much alive long after his death.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 17