Bible Reading
Revelation 7:9-17 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
[26:38]Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
[32:47]Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
[29:17]Observation questions
- In Joshua 24:14–15, what choices does Joshua place before the people, and what does serving the Lord require them to put away? [29:17]
- What does Revelation 7:9–17 reveal about the multitude’s identity, what they have come through, and their relationship to the Lamb? [31:57]
- What images of care and guidance appear in both Psalm 23 and Revelation 7:16–17? Where does the shepherd lead his people? [32:47]
- How are baptism, confession, communion, and the blessing at departure connected with the promise of belonging to God? [30:23]
Interpretation questions
- Why does Joshua’s call to put away other gods show that serving the Lord involves more than simply preserving a family’s religious traditions? [29:29]
- How can God’s protection be understood when his people still experience suffering and pass through death? What does the Lamb’s own death reveal about that protection? [32:05]
- In Revelation 7:17, the Lamb is also the shepherd. How do these two images together explain why believers can trust Jesus with their lives and their deaths? [33:15]
- What does God’s promise to wipe away tears reveal about his care for people who grieve? How does this promise offer hope without treating their present sorrow as unimportant? [34:04]
Application questions
- What inherited habit, loyalty, or expectation sometimes competes with your trust in the Lord? What might serving him faithfully look like in one decision you face this week? [29:29]
- When you feel uncertain about your standing with God, where do you tend to look for reassurance? How might the promise given in baptism help you rest in Christ rather than in your own strength? [30:23]
- Confession, communion, and the blessing at departure remind us that God’s care continues beyond the church gathering. Which of these promises do you most need to carry into your week, and how could you remind yourself of it? [30:38]
- If you feel comfortable sharing, whose absence is especially painful as you remember those who have died? How does the picture of the Lamb gathering his people speak into that grief? [28:10]
- Where do you currently need the Shepherd’s guidance or comfort? What could it look like to bring that need to Christ in prayer, perhaps with someone in this group? [33:15]
- God promises to wipe away his people’s tears. Is there someone grieving whom you could accompany this week through a visit, a call, or a willingness to listen without trying to fix their sorrow? [34:04]
