12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother [a]was; 14 for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My [b]command [c]to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
Joshua to Succeed Moses
15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who will go out [d]and come in before them, and who will lead them out and [e]bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” 18 So the Lord said to Moses, “[f]Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. 20 You shall put some of your [g]authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. 21 Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his [h]command they shall go out and at his [i]command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.” 22 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord had spoken [j]through Moses.
“so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” This is why we have Pastors, and this is why we need to belong to a church. Without a church and a Pastor to guide us, we tend to be like sheep without a shepherd.
Our church family builds us up, and no one person can do it alone. We need each other for encouragement, for fellowship, and for direction. We help each other to keep moving forward, instead of getting stuck in a rut. Not that a church can’t get stuck in a rut, but it’s harder to get a whole flock stuck than one lone sheep.
Mind the flock, stay close, and stay connected as you seek God.