Joshua 1:1-18

In Numbers 20 God gives Moses a command - He tells Him to speak to the rock and when He does…water will come forth from it

However, Moses was frustrated with His people…The people he had been called to lead…But these people…They moaned…and they groaned…And they complained…

Why have you brought us out of Egypt?…There’s no water. We’re thirsty…and in a moment of anger Moses chooses to “strike the rock” instead of speaking to it as He had been commanded.

Now…you may look at this and think to yourself whats the big deal?…Strike the rock…speak to the rock…

But the Lord always has a plan and a purpose for the things that He commands us to do. And Moses did not do it!

If we turned back to Exodus 17 - we would notice that there was a time when God did tell Moses to strike a rock…

One reason was to supply water to His people…but the other reason was that the striking of the rock was to symbolize the striking of the Messiah…the striking of Christ.

The Rock, as Christ, was to only be struck once…as Christ was required to die once…to supply the “living water” [salvation] to a world and a people in desperate need of it.

1 Corinthians 10:1–5 ESV

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

By striking the rock twice [Numbers 20] Moses destroyed the Biblical “Typology” or spiritual symbolism in other words

And in effect painted a picture of Christ having to be struck or crucified over again…potentially confusing droves of people due to the disobedience of Moses.

Jesus paid it all, Once! His Sacrifice was complete. His sacrifice was finished. His sacrifice was final.

Moses and his entire generation never inherited the Promised Land due to their disobedience, except for Caleb and Joshua!!!

As we arrive at our text in Joshua this morning… we read in verse 2:

What Moses is dead! An Era has ended! And Joshua has been raised up by the Lord to assume leadership.

For our graduates this morning…you likewise are about to begin a walk of life transition. Moses is dead! Things are about to change. And the things that you know and enjoy today will soon be the things of the past.

We grow up and sooner or later the carefree days of our youth…the days of sitting around our parents table…yielding to the rules of your parents house come to an end.

You’ll have a little more freedom - more responsibility - more independence but make no mistake about it - there will come a day when you look over your shoulder…back to the past…and yearn for the simplicity and security of your parents.

But the past is the past…and Moses is dead!

These principles apply to every facet of life…And Just as the past being the past and Moses being dead is true in the lives of these students - so it is also true for the church.

We as the people of God [like the Israelites] have a terrible time letting go of the past.

We hold onto buildings and possessions for the sake of nostalgia or remembrance.

We have trouble transitioning to processes and procedures that would make us more effective and efficient, because we latch onto “the way we’ve always done it!”

This past week I had a pastor ask me about our renovation plans and why we are doing that?

When I told him we are concerned about space and talked about continuing to grow - He stated there’s no way we would grow at the same rate and the implication was why bother?

Is that because its not the norm?

And so because of that…it can’t happen!

Church…yesterday is gone…Moses is dead! However Christ calls us to live for today!

Joshua 1:2b (ESV)

Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

During the rainy season the Jordan is turbulent and the banks are swollen!

What are we going to do? Look back…or take the jump and trust God for the rest…

Moses is dead! But our God is faithful to carry us into tomorrow!