Biblical Leadership, the Example of JoshuaSample

A Sad Turn of Events

“And Joshua said, ‘Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!’” (Joshua 7:7)

The beginning of Joshua's career as leader of Israel was going well. Several kings were defeated, and the city of Jericho was captured. Joshua 6:27 concludes, “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.” But when Israel attacked another city, they suffered an unexpected defeat. Joshua complained that God had abandoned His people. But this setback was not God's fault; an Israelite man had violated God's clear command to “keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction” (Joshua 6:18). This person had thereby violated the covenant agreements. Therefore, God said, “I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you” (Joshua 7:12).

Joshua's leadership was called for in this grim situation. Continuing the conquest of the land without God's help was not an option. Joshua investigated who was responsible for this tragedy and condemned him to death. That was the only possible solution. The guilty person had to be removed from the people so that the people would no longer be under the curse. “Then the Lord turned from His burning anger,” we read in Joshua 7:26. The crisis had been averted.

Have you ever had to deal with a crisis situation, maybe one that arose through no fault of your own?