In life, God gives us lessons we must learn. Some of those lessons come from our own failures, but the wisest lessons, the ones that help us the most, are often from watching others fail. Joshua is a perfect picture of this truth.
Before Joshua ever led the nation into the Promised Land, he spent decades watching leaders crumble. He saw what unbelief, weakness, and disobedience cost a nation. He didn’t just hear about these mistakes; he lived through the pain they caused. By the time he stands before the people in Joshua 18, he is a man who has decided he will not repeat the history he grew up around.
Joshua 18:3, “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?”
This verse shows a leader who had seen enough delay. Joshua knew exactly what “being slack” could cost a generation. Here are the hard lessons Joshua gathered during forty years in the wilderness.
1. Joshua Watched Aaron Fail in Leadership
Aaron was a gifted man and the high priest, but he had a fatal flaw: he feared the people more than he feared God. When Moses was up on the mountain, the camp got restless. Instead of leading the people, Aaron let the people lead him. He ended up building a golden calf.
Exodus 32:21-22, “And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.”
Aaron tried to blame the very people he was supposed to lead. Joshua learned a massive lesson here: Leadership must have a backbone.
A leader who just goes along with the crowd will eventually lead that crowd into a ditch. Joshua saw that popularity is no substitute for principle.
2. Joshua Watched the Ten Spies Fail in Faith
Joshua was one of the original twelve spies sent into Canaan. He saw the same giants and the same walled cities the others saw, but he also saw a big God. The other ten spies only saw their own weakness. They came back and poisoned the whole camp with fear.
Numbers 13:31, “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”
Joshua learned that unbelief is contagious. It spreads faster than any disease. One bad report from ten fearful men discouraged an entire nation and cost them forty years of wandering. Joshua realized that how a person sees a problem matters just as much as the problem itself.
3. Joshua Watched Moses Fail in Obeying God’s Word
Even the greatest leaders can stumble. Joshua was Moses’ assistant, so he was likely right there when Moses lost his temper. God told Moses to speak to the rock to get water, but Moses was so frustrated with the people that he struck the rock twice instead.
Numbers 20:12, “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
Joshua saw that disobedience has a high price, even for the top leader. He learned that you cannot let your frustrations cause you to ignore God’s specific instructions. Total obedience is required if you want to finish the race.
4. Joshua Watched the People Fail in Following
The people knew they were supposed to follow Moses, but they were terrible at it. They complained about the food, they moaned about the water, and they even threatened to mutiny and head back to slavery in Egypt. They wanted the blessings of the Promised Land without the discipline of the journey.
Numbers 14:4, “And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”
Joshua learned that complaining kills forward progress for the Lord. He saw a whole generation die in the desert because they kept looking backward instead of forward. He learned that a leader must keep the people focused on the goal, or they will naturally drift back to their old habits.
5. Joshua Watched Achan Fail with Secret Sin
Later on, even after they entered the land, Joshua saw a man named Achan think he could hide a sin from God. Achan stole some forbidden loot from Jericho and buried it under his tent. It caused the whole army to lose their next battle.
Joshua 7:21, “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver… then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent…”
Joshua learned that there is no such thing as a “private” sin. One man’s impacts those around them. The choice’s Achan made hurt himself, his kids, his family and everyone around him. This taught Joshua that he had to be relentless about reminding the people about the cost of sin.
Joshua could not stop the wasted years of the wilderness, but he made sure he learned from them. Some of the hardest lessons in life come from watching what ruined others. A wise man learns early what a fool learns late.
You cannot always choose the people around you, but you can choose what you learn from them. If you are in a season where it feels like you are walking in circles because of someone else’s choices, don’t waste the time. Watch, listen, and learn. God is preparing you to lead with a clarity that only comes from seeing what happens when people refuse to follow.
