1. PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA
A Research Paper
Submitted to Professor Brian Richards
of the
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the M. Div. Course
Exploring the Old Testament – OTEN 5300
in the Division of Biblical Studies
Daniel J. Tripp
B.S., Liberty University, 2013
December 12, 2015

2. 1
CONTENTS
Section
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..2
2. How the Lord’s Servant Leads.......…………………………………………………………….2
Examples of Joshua’s Obedience………..….……………………………………………..5
3. Becoming the Leader………..………………………………………………………………….6
4. Learning from Bad Examples...………………………………………………………………...7
Disobeying God’s Word…...……………….……………………………………………..8
Not Taking God’s Council………………….…………………………………………..…9
5. The End of Leadership……......………………………………………………………..……...10
Joshua’s Last Act……...…...……………….…………………………………………....11
The Joshua Problem……..………………….……………………………………………12
6. Conclusion…….……………………………………………………………..………………..13
BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………..15

3. 2
1. Introduction
The book of Joshua is a narrative about the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land. The
book “…forms a bridge between the Pentateuch and the books of Judges to Kings.”1
The book is
broken into two, roughly, equal parts that describe 1) the conquest of the land and 2) the
apportionment of the land. Although that is the basic structure of the book, Joshua was not meant
to merely be a historical narrative. Many different theological themes and principles are
presented in the book of Joshua.2
One of the themes that is prevalent in the book of Joshua is
biblical leadership. Joshua was set aside and commissioned by God through Moses to lead the
Israelites after Moses’ death (Deut. 31:14-23; Num. 27:12-23). The book of Joshua begins by
mentioning the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and God speaking to the new leader of
Israel, Joshua. The Lord tells Joshua exactly what to do as the new leader and how he will be
able to do it. It is out of those words from the Lord that this paper will seek to explore some of
the principles of leadership from the book of Joshua. The book of Joshua shows that leaders must
be strong and courageous as they completely follow God’s word.
2. How the Lord’s Servant Leads
As was stated earlier, the book of Joshua begins with the mentioning of Moses’ death.
This sets the context for the entire book of Joshua. Israel’s servant of the Lord is gone. They
have wandered in the desert for 40 years searching for the Promised Land. Because of Israel’s
sin of not following the Lord’s commands, they had to wait until a new generation of leadership
1
R. S. Hess, “Joshua,” ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of Biblical
Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 165.
2
William Sanford La Sor, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush, Old Testament Survey: The
Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 1996), 139.

4. 3
came to power to enter into this covenantal land. The new leader would be devoted to God’s law
and lead out of His word. Joshua was that new leader.
Joshua, son of Nun, had been Moses’ assistant (Josh. 1:9). Doubtless, he had seen many
things first hand from Moses. He would be following a leader from the Old Testament like no
other (Deut. 34:10). God’s response to this was to remind Joshua that Moses was now dead. He
told Joshua to immediately lead the Israelites over the Jordan into the land God was giving to
them (Josh. 1:2). He was not to wait. God made it clear that the land was theirs because He had
given it to them (Josh. 1:3). After describing the land more specifically in v. 4, a reader can sense
the potential hesitancy and fear that must have been consuming Joshua. God then comforted
Joshua with a wonderful truth that He will be with him. This truth mirrors God’s conversation
with Moses at the start of His leadership in Ex. 3:12 and Jesus’ concluding words to His disciples
of the great commission in Matt. 28:20.3
This truth must not be forgotten for the Christian leader.
God has tasked all believers to take the gospel to the world and make disciples. They can only
accomplish this impossible mission because He will be with them.
The same was true for Joshua’s impossible task. Joshua knew about all of the kings that
he would have to defeat in order to do what the Lord was commanding him to do. It was only
because of God’s presence that Joshua could lead the people into the Promised Land. This leaves
the questions of how Joshua would be able to actually accomplish this mammoth of a task that
would take his entire life. The answer lies in God’s remaining commandments to Joshua in v. 6-
9.
God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. He commanded him to be strong
and courageous three times over the course of four verses (Josh. 1:6-9). The first time, God told
3
D. A. Carson et al., eds., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 4th ed. (Leicester, England;
Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 237.

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Joshua this command, He said Joshua was to do it because he would cause the people to inherit
the land God promised them. He was to do it because he had a huge task in front of him that
required him to not waver. God then reminded Joshua again to only be strong and very
courageous (Josh. 1:7). The additions to the command the second time are significant. They
indicate Joshua’s need to obey this command. God added to the command by saying the he
needed to be careful to do according to all the Law of Moses. He described this further by stating
that he must not shirk the Law in any way by turning to the right hand or to the left. God
concluded the second command with a promise that Joshua would then make his way prosperous
and he would then have good success (Josh. 1:8). God then concludes this commissioning with a
final reminder to be strong and courageous and that He will be with Joshua wherever he goes in
v. 9.
Looking at these repetitive commands is essential to understanding the leadership
principles throughout the book of Joshua. “…the imperative to be strong and very courageous is
connected to a religious mandate that Joshua continue to follow the law. The leadership of
Joshua is much more than that of a military general or brilliant strategist.”4
The key to his
success was completely linked to his ability to obey God’s word.5
Without this obedience,
Joshua would fail. It didn’t matter how well Joshua strategized and executed any of his military
plans, his success as a leader was solely determined by his obedience to God’s word. Looking at
the end of the book of Joshua, a reader will notice that he was indeed successful. He was even
called the servant of the Lord after his death in Josh. 24:29. This success was marked by one
thing: Joshua’s sole devotion to obediently follow God’s word.
4
Nogalski, Melanie. "Joshua 1:1-9--Only Be Strong and Very Courageous." Review & Expositor 95, no. 3
(1998 1998): 430.
5
David M. Howard Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 1998), 85.

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Examples of Joshua’s Obedience
One can see from the end of the book of Joshua that he succeeded as a leader that
followed God’s word. While this is helpful to know, it is more helpful to see specifically how
Joshua was obedient. This would allow a reader to take away more leadership principles for
personal reflection and application. A survey of the entire book of Joshua gives a good narrative
of his obedience. This subsection of the paper will briefly examine a few of the specific instances
that Joshua was obedient to God’s word at the start of his leadership.
In response to God’s commissioning of the new leader, Joshua’s first act was to prepare
the people to cross the Jordan as God instructed. This immediate obedience in the text is
important to note. The text gives no indication that Joshua waited to start leading. He heard
God’s word and acted. This will show to be a common theme of leadership for Joshua. In fact,
this was exactly what Joshua did when he lead the people over the Jordan River. God
commanded the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant to wait at the brink of the waters at the
Jordan until everyone had passed through. Joshua commanded the people to do exactly as God
had said and the people were able to cross through the dry grounds of the Jordan River
miraculously (Josh. 3:8-4:18). Again, Joshua followed God’s word exactly which then resulted
in the Lord taking care of His people. “A consequent characteristic of the godly leader is,
therefore, the desire continually to seek and respond to the revealed will of the God who is
recognized as sovereign over human affairs.”6
Lastly, looking at the first battle that Joshua led the Israelites to, this subsection will look
at Joshua’s obedience in the battle of Jericho. God gave Joshua very specific instructions for the
people of Israel to follow in order to defeat Jericho (Josh. 6:2-5). Any military leader looking at
6
A. D. Clarke, “Leadership,” ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of Biblical
Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 637.

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the strategy to overtake Jericho’s wall would know that the proposal was ludicrous. Marching
around a city for seven days and making loud noises on the last day sounds like pure idiocy. But,
Joshua went to the priests, with no hesitation in the narrative, and ordered that the people of
Israel follow God’s military strategy entirely. The result was astonishing for an outsider. The
wall fell which led to the Israelites taking over the city (Josh. 6:20). Joshua followed God’s word
even when it made no sense. This took strength and courage through radical obedience. He was
risking everything as the leader. This military strategy did not trust in the strength of the
Israelites but entirely in God’s strength. This act of faith in the face of apparent insanity led to
God’s victory for the people. The leadership principle is simple: follow God’s word immediately
at all times. This means trusting in God alone for everything: including one’s own strength to
lead. Church leader Dave Kraft says this about being a healthy leader, “…I start with Jesus
Christ in the center. Jesus Christ is my power. I desire to tap into his infinite energy daily and
consistently and to not rely on my own finite power supply.”7
Although Joshua led before Jesus’
incarnation, He was trusting in God alone for his strength and wisdom. Leaders today must not
forget this important leadership principle.
3. Becoming the Leader
Looking at Joshua as the leader of the Israelites causes one to ask when he truly became
the leader. In one sense, he became the leader when Moses died because he had been
commissioned to do so. In another sense, it was when God addressed Joshua after Moses’ death.
This was discussed at length earlier. But, this author proposes that Joshua became the leader of
the Israelites when he led them to cross the Jordan River.
True leadership is earned. Simply having a title does not make someone a leader. After
proving his or her ability as a leader someone then becomes the official leader. This is exactly
7
Kraft, Dave. Leaders Who Last. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2010, 30.

8. 7
what happened to Joshua. He followed God’s commands exactly on how to cross the Jordan
River. Upon doing this, something happened. The people followed him. All of them followed
him. This included the eastern tribes (Josh. 4:12). These tribes, although commanded to do so by
Moses, did not have to follow Joshua. They already possessed their land. But, they followed their
leader. The sign of a leader is that he has followers. This was the first major act that the people
had to follow. If Joshua had given the commands to go through the Jordan River and no one had
followed, then he wouldn’t have been their leader.
When someone becomes the leader of a group, all eyes are on them. The book of Joshua
teaches that God is the one that exalts his leaders. They do not exalt themselves. This cannot be
reversed or forgotten. Too many leaders today assume they are the leader simply because they
have been given a title. They also try to elevate their status as a leader without earning it. The
book of Joshua tells us that leadership is earned. V. 14 could have been put on a plaque above
Joshua’s mantle. God Himself exalted him on that day. The people stood in awe of him like they
did Moses. He was now their leader. Doubtless, the Israelites made the connection between
Moses and Joshua that day. Moses had led their fathers through the Red Sea in the previous
generation and Joshua had just led them through the Jordan River. Their eyes were now on him
as they stood in awe of him.
Joshua 3-4 shows the reader the importance of becoming a leader. Without earned
leadership a leader will not be followed. Joshua was followed because he unflinchingly followed
God’s word. When someone follows God’s word they will soon be recognized as the leader.
4. Learning from Bad Examples
When learning about leadership principles, it is often healthy to look at the negatives.
Joshua and the people of Israel were not always perfect during Joshua’s leadership. Much like

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leaders today, Joshua made mistakes. While he had become the leader of the people and was
committed to obeying God’s word, there are two blaring mistakes that are described in the book
of Joshua. Examining these mistakes reveals multiple leadership principles that remain true for
leaders today. Joshua showed his true character as a leader in how he reacted to difficult times as
a leader.
Disobeying God’s Word
The first example of a mistake in the book of Joshua can be found in Josh. 7. Joshua
himself did not make this mistake directly. But, as the leader, he was responsible for handling the
serious mistake. Following the destruction of Jericho, the people of Israel were commanded to
apportion certain items as devoted things to the Lord. One individual, Achan, decided to disobey
the Lord and took some of the devoted things in order to satisfy his own personal covetousness.
This caused the anger of the Lord to burn against the people of Israel (Josh. 7:1). Because of
God’s anger, he caused the Israelite’s attack on Ai to fail. About thirty-six Israelites were killed.
The greatest consequence was that this failure caused the Israelites to be afraid. They had been
defeated (Josh. 7:5).
In response to this loss, Joshua became broken before God (Josh. 7:6). Joshua cried out to
the Lord begging to know why this had happened. Joshua responded correctly to this problem.
He could have simply strategized again and sent more men to attack Ai. He didn’t do that.
Joshua went back to the God that He had chosen to follow in everything. Because of this, God
told Joshua exactly what happened. Joshua knew that someone had sinned against God and went
against Joshua’s leadership. God commanded Joshua to have the people consecrate themselves
and then find the man that had sinned against Himself and brought that sin onto the nation of
Israel. Joshua was then to have that man and all that he had burned (Josh. 7:15). God took, and

10. 9
still takes, sin very seriously. “Disobedience, even by one member of the community, could
bring about disaster...”8
Joshua had to take care of the disobedience in order to be obedient to
God.
Joshua woke up early in the morning and began to examine all of the people until he
determined that it was Achan who had stolen the devoted things (Josh 7:16-21). Achan then
admitted to stealing the goods because he coveted and told Joshua exactly what he had taken and
where he put it. Joshua, in obedience to the Lord, then had Achan and everything that he had,
including his family, stoned and burned. Because of this, the Lord turned from His burning anger
(Josh 7:22-26). Joshua had to do something incredibly difficult that day. He had to kill one of his
Israelite brothers and his entire family for their sin against God. This passage teaches an
extremely valuable leadership principle. Leaders must do hard things. No matter what, they must
follow God’s word with strength and courage. The cost of not following God’s word is too high.
Joshua responded well to this problem. He stayed true to God’s word no matter what.
Not Taking God’s Council
Joshua’s mistake as a leader came soon after the destruction of Achan. The Israelites
went on to defeat Ai, which struck fear into the Gibeonites. Instead of gathering with the other
nations, they decided to trick the Israelites and join with them. They came dressed in shabby
clothing with crumbling bread claiming that they were from a far land and had been sent to make
a covenant with them. Joshua did question them but decided to believe their lies. He did this
without asking counsel from the Lord (Josh. 9:14). This was a serious problem. Joshua ended up
finding out about their lies but chose to honor his agreement with them. He made them servants.
The reason this is a serious problem and mistake by Joshua is because he did not ask for counsel
from God. The book of Proverbs is full of truisms about seeking for counsel. Prov. 12:15 says a
8
Hess, Joshua, 167.

11. 10
wise man listens to advice and Prov. 11:14 says that there is safety in an abundance of
counselors. Prov. 19:21 says that a man has many plans but it is the purpose of the Lord that will
stand. Although these truths had not been written yet for Joshua, they are principles that are
based out of the Law. Joshua made the decision without God. This was Joshua’s sole mistake
that is highlighted in the book of Joshua. There is an important lesson to be learned from this
mistake. Although God used his mistake for good, it could have ended in disaster. Leading
without God’s wisdom is never a wise decision. A leader always consults God in everything he
does. This shows a truth of how important prayer is in the life of a leader. He should constantly
be praying to God and running all of his decisions, big or small, through the word of God. Then,
and only then, should he act.
5. The End of Leadership
In order to understand some of the principles of leadership from the book of Joshua, one
would be wise to see how Joshua ended his life and leadership. Josh. 21 states that God gave
Israel all of the land that He had promised to their fathers. It states that all of God’s promises that
He made to Israel came to pass. This was not entirely true at face value. The work was not yet
complete. “Yahweh did indeed fulfill all His good promises up to that time, but Josh 21:45 is just
a historical marker in God’s faithfulness and not the pinnacle or completion of His covenant
faithfulness”.9
Although the covenant was not yet complete, God had done an amazing work and
the twelve tribes all had their land. Joshua’s leadership began where it ended, with Joshua strong
and courageous, obediently following God’s word.
9
Gregory Harris, "Did God Fulfill Every Good Promise?: Toward a Biblical Understanding of Joshua
21:43-45." The Master's Seminary Journal 23, no. 1 (Spring 2012): 83

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Joshua’s Last Act
Joshua’s last recorded act as a leader occurred in Shechem. He had the leaders of all of
the tribes of Israel together and shared a word from the Lord with them. God used Joshua to
remind them of the many works that He had done for them. God redeemed His people in
countless ways. God recounted the days when He saved Abraham, how he brought the people
out of Egypt, how He gave them the land of the many people, and many other things in between.
In short, he reminded the people of His great works. After sharing God’s word for the leaders,
Joshua responded. He told them to fear the Lord and to serve Him. They were then told to choose
whom they would serve: God or false gods. Joshua then led them by telling them what He was
going to do. Joshua said that he and his house were going to serve the Lord (Josh. 24:15). The
people subsequently responded by saying that they too were going to serve the Lord (Josh 24:16-
24). Joshua continued to serve the Lord through his old age. This was a mark of his entire life. A
true leader is strong and courageous and follows God’s word. Joshua was marked as a true
leader.
Joshua concluded that day by making a covenant with the people and writing the words
in the Book of the Law of God (Josh. 24:26). On the surface this could seem surprising. Moses
commanded that no one was to add or take away from the Law in (Deut. 4:2). But, Joshua was
convinced that God wanted him to add this to the Law.10
Once again, Joshua proved to be
devoted to obeying God’s word. After this Joshua died at the age of 110. He was called the
servant of Lord at the end of his life (Josh. 24:29). This title solidified his identity as a true
leader. Joshua showed that a leader lasts. A leader’s identity is not simply for a season. They
remain leaders even after the job is done. Joshua lived a life worth learning from and emulating.
10
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England;
Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 55.

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The Joshua Problem
Joshua was a great leader. God used him in tremendous ways to lead the nation of Israel
and he stayed true to God’s commissioning. But, there is a significant argument from silence
about Joshua’s leadership that must be considered from the end of his life. J. Oswald Sanders
stated that, “The ultimate test of a person’s leadership is the health of the organization when the
organizer is gone.”11
A quick examination of the health of Israel after Joshua’s death reveals an
important leadership principle about the necessity of reproducing leaders.
As was discussed from the onset of this paper, God used Moses to commission Joshua as
Israel’s leader after Moses’ death. Joshua had been Moses’ assistant and had therefore been
exposed to many things from the former leader of Israel. At the end of the book of Joshua, the
reader should notice that Joshua did not follow the example of the leader before him by raising
up a new leader. Before this argument continues, it must be conceded that this argument does
indeed come from silence. Joshua is never commanded to raise up a new leader. He is also never
condemned for not doing so. But, a quick look into Scripture teaches a leadership principal that
Joshua missed. Joshua did not raise up a new leader and reproduce himself. Therefore, the next
generation after Joshua did not know the Lord or the work that He had done for Israel (Judges
2:6-10). This led to the falling away of Israel which led to the period of the judges.
Scripture clearly teaches that reproducing oneself is critical to the life of a believer (Matt.
28:18-20). Asaph the Prophet commanded the Israelites to tell the next generation about God’s
works and God’s word in Psalm 78:1-8. Paul commanded Timothy, his closest disciple, in 2
Timothy 2:2 to make multiplying disciples in order to continue the work of spreading the gospel.
Good leadership passes leadership on. Joshua allowed the leaders of the tribes to choose which
11
J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership,. Chicago: Moody Press, 2007, 143.

14. 13
way they would follow. They chose to follow the Lord. The problem was that they had no leader
to continually remind and lead them to actually carry that out. They obviously failed in their
commitment because their children did not choose to follow the Lord. They didn’t even know
about His amazing works.
Once again, this argument is from silence. But, a theological examination of leadership in
Scripture teaches the principle that good leadership reproduces itself. Joshua did not do this. This
should serve as a lesson for leaders today. Good leader must reproduce themselves in order to
help ensure that the next generation will follow the Lord.
6. Conclusion
The book of Joshua shows that leaders must be strong and courageous as they completely
follow God’s word. God made this clear from the beginning of the book of Joshua. Joshua lived
this out and his life can be examined and studied to learn multiple different leadership principles.
Joshua followed God’s word immediately, which is the mark of a true leader. He earned His
leadership and was exalted to leadership by God Himself. A true leader understands this takes
time. Joshua had to do difficult things as a leader. He stayed strong and courageous and true to
God’s word no matter what: even when it meant destroying Achan. Joshua made some mistakes.
These mistakes must be studied in order to learn even more about leadership from the book of
Joshua. Joshua didn’t consult God with the Gibeonites. A true leader does everything through
God’s word and also reproduces himself.
This book is full of principles of leadership and should be studied in further detail.
Richard Hess stated that, “Future studies of Joshua should…demonstrates Joshua as the divinely
appointed successor to Moses, and the conquest and occupation as Israel’s opportunity to

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respond in obedience to God’s covenant.”12
Overall, a leader should be known as a man who is
strong and courageous as he completely follows God’s word.
12
Richard S. Hess, “Studies in the Book of Joshua,” Themelios: Volume 20, No. 3, May 1995 (1995): 14.

16. 15
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Carson, D.A. et al., eds., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 4th ed. (Leicester,
England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994).
Clarke, A.D. “Leadership,” ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of
Biblical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: an Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Zondervan, 1994.
Hess, R.S. “Joshua,” ed. T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner, New Dictionary of Biblical
Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
Howard, David M. Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman &
Holman Publishers, 1998).
Kraft, Dave. Leaders Who Last. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2010.
La Sor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush, Old Testament
Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand
Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996).
Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership,.Chicago: Moody Press, 2007.
Scholarly Journals
Harris, Gregory. "Did God Fulfill Every Good Promise?: Toward a Biblical Understanding of
Joshua 21:43-45." The Master's Seminary Journal 23, no. 1 (Spring 2012): 55-83
Hess, Richard S. “Studies in the Book of Joshua,” Themelios: Volume 20, No. 3, May 1995
(1995): 12-15.
Nogalski, Melanie. "Joshua 1:1-9--Only Be Strong and Very Courageous." Review & Expositor
95, no. 3 (1998 1998): 427-433.