Intermediate Level, Block 5—Occupying the Land
Week 42
Journeying by Following the Cloud
Point to Emphasize: We can be those who follow our parents, serving ones, and older ones regarding where to go and what to do.
Reference Reading: Numbers 9:15-23
Memory Verse: But it is Jehovah who is going before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you nor forsake you. Do not fear, neither be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Story Sample
The children of Israel journeyed in the wilderness for many, many years. Do you remember where they were going? God had promised them the good land, a land called Canaan. We saw last week that the children of Israel had now been numbered and formed into an army. Why? Because they were getting close to the land that God had promised to them, and there, they would have to fight the enemies to take over the land.
As they travelled, God was with them and guided their way. Back then, there was no map or GPS. Even if they had it, they didn’t need it. Do you remember when they crossed the Red Sea, God guided them through a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire? Well, now they had the tabernacle where God was dwelling among them, and a cloud was covering the tabernacle.
So, God was there as a cloud to guide them. When the cloud moved, the children of Israel knew it was time to move, and when the cloud stopped, they stopped. When the cloud was lifted off from the tent, they would set out. Wherever the cloud settled, that’s where they would encamp. The cloud was their guide. Because the children of Israel followed it, they didn’t need to be worried about when and where to move. They did not set out whenever they felt like it or when the weather was good. It was God’s word to them that they should follow the cloud. Because they did this, even though there were so many of them, they were in good order. They stayed together in their families, households, and tribes, and moved together according to the word given by God to Moses.
God is still guiding us today. He may no longer do it through a cloud like He did with the children of Israel, but He has given us certain older ones like our parents and serving ones, who have the wisdom to help us and guide us. We don’t need to figure out ourselves where to go and what to do. God will always show us where to go, when to move, and when not to move.
When I was twelve years old, my dad got a job in another state. The whole family began to pack up and prepare to move. But about two weeks before we were to leave, my mom came to me and told me to pack a bag and go with my dad. He needed to start his job right away. I couldn’t understand why I should go when no one else was going except my dad—not my mom or any of my sisters. I was so confused, but I trusted my mom. I have to admit, staying alone in a hotel all day while my dad was at work wasn’t what I wanted to do. But I followed my mom’s leading, knowing that she knew best. It wasn’t until years later that I found out that the reason she had me go was so that dad wouldn’t be alone and that I was the one she could trust to go. [Storyteller, insert your own story about a time when someone led or guided you where to go or what to do.]
Now, the children of Israel were ready to journey forward and to begin the battle in order to possess the land that God had promised to them. The cloud was bringing them forward. This week, let us also practice to follow our “cloud,” that is, our parents, our serving ones, and the older ones who follow God and whom God has given to guide us.