Have you ever worked with someone who always seemed to want to do more and was sensitive about being overlooked? When opportunities for service come up, whether it’s teaching, organizing, or helping, there can be times that our immediate reaction can be “why didn’t they ask me? I could have done more. ”

The tribe of Ephraim had this complaint often after battles—“why didn’t you call for us?”

You may recall Ephraim was Joseph’s younger son and was purposely blessed above his older brother Manasseh in Genesis 48.

After Gideon conquered the Midianites, he called in Ephraim as a clean-up crew. They took the princes of Oreb and Zeeb, but just a few verses later they confront Gideon:

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. —Judges 8:1

Gideon soothed their need for importance and said “is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?” You boys took out the princes! What compares to that? That quelled their anger.

But just four chapters later, we have another judge, another battle, and another complaint of being left out.

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire. —Judges 12:1

After the children of Israel fought a successful battle against the Ammonites, the men of Ephraim came to Jephthah and said again, “Why weren’t we included?”

That complaint didn’t end so well as Jephthah fought against them and 42,000 Ephraimites ended up dead.

So when Joshua 17 was brought to my attention recently, I noticed something—those Ephraim boys have been complaining for a long time. They have a habit of thinking they deserve more.

In chapter 13, Joshua begins dividing the land. When he gets to the inheritances of Ephraim and Manasseh, the children of Ephraim are feeling a little cramped. They want more than they were given.

And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?— Joshua 17:14

When I read “I am a great people,” I cringe. Hasn’t Ephraim learned any lessons yet about how the Lord resists the proud? They are acting awfully self-important. “Self-aggrandizing” is a ten-dollar word for that. They believed they were deserving of more.

How often do we see this, even in children! They are very keen to notice if their slice of cake is smaller than their sister’s.

What’s striking to me, however, is that Joshua agrees that they are great, and gave them more!

And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. — Joshua 17:17-18

When I read that, I hear “you are great and you can have more. It will take work to cut down the wood and drive out the enemy, but you can do it.”

So, is ambition a bad thing? Is it wrong to want more of God’s blessing? Is it wrong to want to ‘get in on’ more?

Another family wanted more than they were given, too. Do you recall Caleb’s bold proclamation in Joshua 14? After the divisions are made, the children of Judah came to Joshua and Caleb said “give me this mountain.”

Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.— Joshua 14:12

Caleb doesn’t boast and posture. He isn’t looking around and comparing and pouting like Ephraim. Caleb simply and boldly declared—God promised us this land, and I want the mountain. I know there are enemies to be fought, but if the Lord goes with me, I can defeat them, and I can conquer the mountain because the Lord promised it to us.

Well do you know how this story plays out?

Caleb is from the tribe of Judah. His nephew, Othniel, became the first judge of Israel. He is in the lineage of King David, and of Christ.

The spirit of Caleb is a calm confidence in the promises of God. He trusts the Lord to help him. Caleb also has a patient spirit. Remember, he has waited 45 years to claim that mountain.

Ephraim continues to complain and react. The scuffles with Gideon and Jephthah follow. And then Jeroboam, an Ephraimite, leads in the rebellion of the northern kingdom.

In Hosea, the Lord calls Ephraim a “cake not turned”. (Hosea 7:8) A great explanation I’ve heard of that verse is that Ephraim was “burnt on one side and raw on the other.”

The spirit of Ephraim is self-important, sensitive to status, sensitive to being excluded.

It sounds like:“Why didn’t they ask me? Don’t they know who I am? How talented I am? Don’t they know what I could offer?I am great. I’m capable of more.”

When that attitude persists, it can turn into resentment, bitterness and backsliding. Nothing satisfies that spirit. Joshua couldn’t redirect Ephraim’s attitude. Gideon’s words didn’t calm this spirit.

Both Caleb and Ephraim wanted more land. The difference was where they had placed their confidence. Ephraim was looking at themselves, saying “We are great.” Caleb looked to God and said “He is great.”

Ephraim compared, complained, and demanded to be recognized and included.

Caleb quietly trusted God’s promises, waited for His blessings, and claimed a mountain.

We may want more, but we ought to claim it in God’s strength. We may want to feel recognized and included, but we should desire to be where God places us.

May we not think that we are deserving of more through anything of our selves, but may we lean on God’s grace to give us all that He has promised.

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? —1 Corinthians 4:7

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