Subject: Leadership - Joshua 6-10

Joshua 9:16-18 (ESV Strong's)

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.
And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.

Subject:  Leadership

Joshua is now the leader of Israel.  He is learning how to follow God and lead people.   It is not an easy task.  He has had one great success:  Jericho.    He has had one great failure: Ai.   He now is confronted with a band of deceptive Gibeonites who claim to be from a far away land and seek a peace treated.   Joshua, like with Ai, does not consult God (his need to be a good follower) and instead rushes into the covenant with the Gibeonites.    He then learns the Gibeonites are not from a far away country, but rather the next city on the "hit list."    Joshua has failed at his leadership.  He must honor the covenant he has made with them (although this causes a bigger issue with obeying God and destroying all the people of the land).   When the people discover this mistake they begin to murmur.  The nation of Israel are very, very good at the art of the "murmur."   They had plenty of practice coming out of Egypt and constantly murmured before God over one thing or another.   This time, however, they have a valid reason:  Joshua and the other leaders had made a mistake.    Sometimes in leadership when we hear the "murmur" of the masses, it is not always because they are weak and simply complaining.   It may be they are, like the Orphan, shouting, "danger, danger, danger."    Joshua eventually makes the Gibeonites the slaves of the people and they carry water and cut wood for them (this must have been a nice relief ... To not have to carry water or cut wood anymore).    Make sure when the leader hears the follower murmur we don't always just think something is wrong with the people.   It just may mean a very good leader (Joshua) made a mistake and needs to take corrective action to save the people.