EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers can be assured of God’s trustworthy guidance.
36 The Israelites set out whenever the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle
throughout all the stages of their journey.
37 If the cloud was not taken up,
they did not set out until the day it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire inside the cloud by night,
visible to the entire house of Israel throughout all the stages of their journey.
Jesus’s “glory” is the glory of God Himself.
During His time on earth, Jesus revealed God’s glory through His miracles (John 2:11)
and, ultimately, through His death and resurrection (7:39; 11:40; 12:23; 17:1,4).
The place where God displayed His glory and where people could meet with and worship Him became Jesus, who replaced tabernacle and temple (2:19-21; Rev. 21:3).
Like a candle held up against the sun, all God’s glory proclaimed in the Old Testament paled in comparison to the glory seen in Jesus.
Read and reflect on the following passages about the glory of Jesus.
Guidance and Presence
led, guided, revealed.
he would not leave, abandon or fail to guide them. He would protect them. It was his guarantee.
follow, watch and listen. Move when God moves. The key to receive his promise. Be led by the Spirit.
a real, visual manifestation. Not an imaginary or psychological experience.
As amazing as it was, it was meant to point towards Jesus.
We can be assured that Jesus will return and we will experiences glory again.
the significance of God’s leadership and guidance as the nation moved through the wilderness,
as well as the security they found in His presence.
think about what emotions you would have felt in that situation.
God is still guiding and protecting His people today.
Note that He still promises to be present with us in every step of our journey.
Encourage them to take intentional steps to move when God moves and to trust His presence in their lives.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 99 of the Personal Study Guide:
Challenge adults to select an application point and share a brief testimony about when that statement was real to them.
Call for volunteers to respond to the first set of questions on page 99 of the PSG. Make a list of ways your church encourages individuals to minister to others and challenge them to find their own area of service if they haven’t already.
Encourage the group to read and reflect on the second set of questions on page 99 of the PSG. Urge them to identify and remove any obstacles to complete obedience to God.
Distribute copies of Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Exodus and Leviticus). Lead adults to continue reflecting on Exodus 40:34-35 using the prompts on the handout. Close in prayer, asking God to reveal His glory through the lives of each adult this week.
Reinforce the session this week by texting or emailing everyone in the group. Include a reminder of the three summary statements and encourage adults to invite friends, family members, and neighbors to come with them to Bible study next week. Urge them to continue using Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Exodus and Leviticus) to meditate on Exodus 40:34-35.
God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. (See 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 6:1-5.)
Use Bible study tools to learn more about a key biblical concept.
Look up “glory” in a Bible dictionary to learn more about the glory of God. Use a concordance to find other places in Scripture where God’s glory is revealed. (Key passages: Ex. 33:18; Deut. 5:24-25; Ps. 19:1; Isa. 42:8; Luke 9:32; John 1:14; Rev. 21:22-23.) What is the glory of God? Where and when have you had breathtaking personal experiences of God’s presence and glory? Describe it and how you felt. In what way have these had a transforming effect on your life?