THE PORTION OF EPHRAIM After Judah, there was a lot for the tribe of Ephraim: 1- The border of the children of Ephraim according to their families 1 -- 9 2- The Canaanites dwelling among the Ephramites 10 1- The border of the children of Ephraim according to their families: The word ‘Ephraim’ means (the increasing fruits); as though that tribe embraces the congregation of believers, who receive the gift of Christ, His Holy Spirit, to dwell in them, and to grant them His increasing fruits. These indeed, are worthy of being connected with their brothers, the children of Judah; For, if Judah refers to the enjoyment of the union with the Lord Christ, who came from this tribe, and the reference to Him; the children of Ephraim, represent the increasing fruits in Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit, Who “takes of what is His, and declares to us” (John 16: 14); who grants us the features of the Lord Christ Himself: the love of Christ, His joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, etc.... (Galatians 5: 22); all that through bringing us into abidance in Christ, or our union with and in Him. Hence, the fruits of the spirit are inseparable from the union with God the Father in Jesus Christ. It is as though Ephraim has to be accompanied by, and attached to Judah. In other words, I wish every believer, referred to Ephraim, and has got the fruits of the Holy Spirit, would set forth, through these fruits, to a deeper union with the Lord Christ. St. Jerome encourages us to attach ourselves to this tribe, as we have, together with it, a portion in the divine inheritance or the crown, saying: [You should also be an Ephraim; be fruitful, in order to produce the good works, and get the crown of the Lord] 1. As far as the division of the land of promise is concerned, it is to be noticed that Ephraim and half of Manasseh, took the middle of Canaan (Samaria); where Shechem had been designated by Jacob to Joseph (Genesis 48: 21, 22;Joshua24:32); and in it his bones were buried; it became a portion for Manasseh, while Shiloh became a portion 1On Ps. Hom 34. 210 for Ephraim; Both Shechem and Shiloh have special spiritual memories for the old people. We shall speak here only of ‘Shiloh’, having been a portion for Ephraim; ‘Shiloh’ most probably meaning (the place of comfort), was about 9 miles north-east of Bethel, and 17 miles north of Jerusalem; might have been where ‘Silon’ is nowadays. Ephraim enjoyed Shiloh, being the city that represents God’s presence amid His people; it has been chosen by Joshua as a location for the Ark and the Tabernacle; and in it Joshua divided the land among the tribes (Joshua 18: 1, 8 - 10); The Tabernacle remained in Shiloh for about 300 years. In the time of Judges, the people used to gather there together every year to hold the feast, and probably to offer the sacrifice, as a sign of their joy in the Lord who dwells among them. While the girls of Shiloh were dancing in celebration of one of these feasts, the Benjamites caught 200 of them and married them (Judges 21: 19 - 23; 1 Samuel 1-3). Shiloh used to be the dwelling place of Eli, the High Priest, and of the prophet Samuel; but has been rejected by the Lord, to become an example before all the people; If God has loved Shiloh all those years, yet by persisting on doing evil, He deserted it and allowed for its destruction. That is why God warned Jerusalem later, against becoming like its sister Shiloh! It was like someone who used to enjoy the abundance of God’s love and His free gifts; his judgment would be greater, if he persists on his rebellion and defiled life. God rejected the Sanctuary of Shiloh; the Ark did not return there, but was taken by David to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6); and the Tabernacle was moved to Nob in the south (1 Samuel 21: 1 -- 9); and from there to Gibeon, then to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 1: 3, 4); there the prophet Abijah dwelt (1 Kings 14: 1 - 16). It seems that Shiloh was in ruin in the days of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7: 12 - 14 ; 26: 6, 9); as well as in the days of St. Jerome. The Danish excavations (1030 -- 1032) revealed that Shiloh had been destroyed about the year 1050 B. C., and stayed that way for several centuries; most probably by the hands of the Philistines after the conquest of Afik1. If we have in us the fruits of God’s Spirit, and are counted as members in the spiritual tribe of Ephraim. “Shiloh’ would be inside us -- of which we should be aware not to have it ruined or destroyed, because of negligent or corrupt life on our part, that would let the Lord take away his blessing, and to seek another Jerusalem in its place! Let us be 1 Mckenzie, p. 807. 211 apprehensive of God’s presence in us, so as not to get deprived of Him within us forever. 2- The dwelling of the Canaanites among them: Just as Judah have let the Jebusites dwell among them; so also the Ephraim left the Canaanites to dwell among them in Gezer; the Book says: “They did not drive out the Canaanites who dwell in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell the Ephramites to this day, and have become forced laborers.” (Joshua 16: 10) The scholar Origen warns us against those Canaanites who dwell among the Ephramites, saying: [If you truly bear the fruits of the Lord (like Ephraim), and see someone who lives negligently and disorderly, be sure that he is one of the Canaanites. So, if you fail to drive him out of the Church, as the Ephramites failed to drive the Canaanites from among them, you should at least follow the principle of the apostle: “We commend you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us “ (2 Thessalonians 3: 6) 1. The scholar Origen believes that ‘Gezer’ means (a narrow union), and that the Canaanites represent the flesh, and Ephraim represent the spirit. If the soul lets the flesh set its evil lusts free, it would be as though united with it in Gezer, namely, through a (narrow union), which makes of us, forced laborers. Therefore, I wish our soul in its union with the flesh, would never enter with it into Gezer, namely, into a narrow union, but receive it sanctified in the Lord, so that man would live wholly free in body and spirit, and would not be embittered by lusts of the body nor sins of the spirit. Anyway, although the portion of Ephraim has been considered the richest and the most beautiful, yet, it harbored a danger, represented by the presence of the Canaanites. Thus, together with the gift, there would always be oppression! 1 In Jos. Hom 21: 2.
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