Joshua: Gaining Wisdom through Failure
Issue #399, May 28, 2025
Joshua received a spirit of wisdom from Moses—but that didn’t mean his path would be free of failure. In fact, one of his early leadership mistakes with the Gibeonites became a powerful lesson in gaining wisdom through failure. This happened in his interaction with the Gibeonites, a nearby group of people who pretended to be from a distant land and sought peace with the Israelites. Joshua, and the leaders, accepted the offer before realizing it was a deception.
14The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. 15Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live… 20This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” 21They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept (Joshua 9:14–15, 20-21, NIV).
This treaty was a significant failure in Joshua’s leadership. But he gained wisdom through the experience as he responded.
Joshua gained wisdom by accepting his mistake.
Joshua was fully prepared for war, but the ruse was a surprise. He failed to stop and ask God for wisdom. His decision was rational but it was not wise. But when Joshua realized what happened he accepted his mistake. He didn’t blame others or point fingers at the leaders that were with him; he took full responsibility for the mistake. He gained wisdom as he reflected on what happened and learned from his failure.
Some leaders look for others to blame when they make a mistake and try to cover up the impact of their failure. But serving leaders accept responsibility for failures and thoughtfully gain wisdom. They understand that failure is a great teacher...when they reflect, learn and grow as a result.
Joshua gained wisdom by a thoughtful response.
When the failure was evident, the Israelite army set out for the Gibeonite territory. Joshua had three days of marching to ponder his options. He had more than enough military power to demolish the Gibeonites and destroy their towns as they had done to Jericho and Ai. Humanly, he was likely angry at himself and at the Gibeonites for what had happened and a brutal response would have pacified all his people who were now grumbling about his decision. But Joshua’s thoughtful response helped him avoid an emotional reaction.
Some leaders react after a failure and seek to punish others in revenge. But serving leaders take time to reflect so that instead of reacting, they can act with wisdom.
Joshua gained wisdom by honoring his commitment.
Joshua had made a commitment to the Gibeonites and even though they had deceived him, he gained wisdom by choosing to honor his commitment to them. No one would have rebuked him if he would have destroyed them entirely. But Joshua chose to keep his integrity even at a great cost. He found a way to honor his commitment while making the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites.
Some leaders reverse course when they realize they made an unwise promise and justify their actions to save face and look powerful. But serving leaders recognize that one mistake does not justify another. They gain wisdom by finding ways to honor their commitment as well as accomplish their mission.
Joshua’s failure didn’t disqualify him—it refined him. And failure can do the same for any leader willing to learn.
For further reflection and discussion:
· Read the full account of this story in Joshua 9:1-27. What additional insights can I observe about how Joshua gained wisdom through this failure?
· How often do I pause to reflect and pray before making what seems to be an obvious decision? What impact does this have on my leadership?
· What significant leadership failure have I experienced and what did I learn from it? Are there ways I gained wisdom through that experience? What would I do differently if I had a chance to do it again?
· Am I always willing to honor my commitments, even when I later realize I should not have made the commitment? How does this impact my leadership?
· In addition to these reflections from Joshua’s life, consider the following verses that relate to gaining wisdom through failure and God’s discipline: Prov. 3:11-12; 12:1; 15:31-32; 19:20; 26:11-12; Ps. 51:1-6; and James 1:2-5.
Until next time, yours on the journey,
Jon Byler
In the next issue, we’ll examine how Joshua utilized wisdom to uphold standards.
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