The Exceptional Exception
The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. Joshua 9:18 NASB
Grumbled – “Except for Josh 9:18, a reference to Israel’s displeasure with Joshua’s handling of the Gibeonite lie, all occurrences of the verb lûn are to be found in six chapters in the Pentateuch: Ex 15, 16, 17: Num 14, 16, 17, each with the preposition ʿal “against.” In each case the subject of the murmuring is all of the congregation of Israel.”[1]
Whether in the Niphal or Hiphil form, the verb means to express resentment, dissatisfaction, anger, and complaint by grumbling in half-muted tones of hostile opposition to God’s leaders and the authority which he has invested in them. The true nature of this murmuring is seen in the fact that it is an open act of rebellion against the Lord (Num 14:9) and a stubborn refusal to believe God’s word and God’s miraculous works (Num 14:11, 22, 23). Thus the right attitude in real difficulty is unconditional acceptance and obedience. God’s own must never stand in judgment upon him.[2]
What’s particularly interesting about the passage in Joshua is that this is the only case where murmuring against leadership is warranted. The people had a right to complain. Joshua made a treaty with the Gibeonites that violated God’s instructions about people in the land. He was duped, of course, but, as verse 14 makes abundantly clear, he made the decision without consulting God. Now the people must live with the consequences of allowing a pagan culture to survive in their midst, and as history bears out, this decision eventually results in serious social, political, and religious issues for Israel.
Even more amazing is that there seems to be no direct divine confrontation over Joshua’s mistake. Perhaps the result itself is enough, but in similar past situations, God confronts Joshua with his error. Ai is a remarkable example, and should have been at the forefront of Joshua’s mind, especially since the “man of Israel” showed hesitancy about the claims of the Gibeonites. For some reason Joshua ignores the warning. Why he does so is not explained. That he does so is abundantly clear. The failure of the leader spreads across the entire population. This theme is repeated often enough in Scripture for us to take it to heart.
The contemporary godly leader is never “off the hook.” He or she is accountable for even the slightest deviation from divine instruction. More importantly, the “grumbling” of the people can never be ignored. Perhaps most of the time it’s unwarranted, the result of ego-driven desire and an affront to God. But then there’s that one exception, that one occasion when the leader must listen because the people are right. It’s actually pretty easy to know when it matters. It’s just difficult set aside the power of leadership and say, “I was wrong.”
Topical Index: lûn, grumble, listen, leadership, Joshua 9:18
[1] Harris, R. L., Archer, G. L., Jr., & Waltke, B. K., eds. (1999). In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 475). Moody Press.
[2] Ibid.
