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Luke 2:21-39
Jesus at the Temple 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. |
Margin notes:
"When eight days were accomplished for the circumcising." (2:21) - Jewish law called for male babies to be circumcised when eight days old (Leviticus 12:3). "His name was called JESUS." (2:21) - As instructed by the angel Gabriel (1:31). "Purification" (2:22) - After delivering a boy, a woman was considered ceremonially unclean for forty days. She could cleanse herself with a sacrifice (Leviticus 12:1-8). Mary's sacrifice (2:24) was typical of a poor family (Leviticus 5:7; 12:8). "Moses." (2:22) - Moses was a prophet of Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10), the author of the first five books in the Old Testament (the Pentateuch), a great Jewish leader and icon who, with God's help, led an estimated 3,000,000 Israelites out of Egyptian bondage to form the Jewish nation. The son of Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), Moses was born in B.C. 1571 at a time when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1:13-14). Afraid that the growing population of Jewish slaves would one day turn against Egypt (Exodus 1:10), the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses ordered midwives to kill all the male Jewish babies at birth (Exodus 1:15-16). When this didn't work (Exodus 1:17), Pharaoh ordered the male babies to be "cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22). To save the infant Moses' life, his mother hid him in a basket in the reeds on the banks of the Nile River (Exodus 2:3). Pharaoh's daughter found Moses (Exodus 2:5-6) and raised him as her own son. Growing up he received an education (Acts 7:22) and all the advantages given the son of a king. But at the age of forty, Moses killed an Egyptian he found mistreating a Hebrew (Exodus 2:11-12; Acts 7:23-24) and was forced to flee Egypt (Exodus 2:15). Moses fled to Midian near Sinai where he married and lived the simple life of a Shepard for forty years until God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush (Exodus 3:1-22; Acts 7:30-34). Following God's instructions, Moses returned to Egypt to liberate the Israelites. After God brought a series of ten miracles/plagues down on the Egyptians (Exodus 7:1-12:51), Pharaoh allowed the enslaved Israelites to leave Egypt a free people. For the next forty years, the Israelites wandered through the wilderness searching for the Promised Land (Canaan). Moses, "the mediator of the old covenant," received the Mosaic Law (the First Covenant, the Ten Commandments) from God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:1-35), prophesied the coming of the Messiah (John 5:46; Acts 7:37), was likened to Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 7:37), and appeared with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-5; Mark 9:2-4; Luke 9:29-30). Moses lived to be one hundred and twenty years old (forty years in the royal palace, forty years as a fugitive in Midian, and forty years in the wilderness), died on Mount Nebo in Moab (eight miles east of the mouth of the Jordan River) and was buried by God (Deuteronomy 34:5-7). In Jude 1:9, we see Satan arguing with Michael the Archangel over Moses' body. The story of Moses can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. "Present him to the Lord." (2:22) - At thirty days old, a firstborn son was presented to God (Numbers 18:15-16). Firstborn daughters were presented when sixty days old. "As it is written in the law of the LORD." (2:23) - As written in Exodus 13:1-2, 13:12, and Numbers 3:13. "Every male that openeth the womb." (2:23) - "Every firstborn male." "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." (2:24) - Just two of the possible offerings a family could make after a successful childbirth (Leviticus 12:8). Inexpensive turtledoves were a common sacrifice of the poor. "Consolation of Israel." (2:25) - The Jewish belief that the Messiah would someday deliver Israel from bondage. Zacharias' song in 1:68-75 (lesson 104) voiced the same sentiment. "All people." (2:31) - Means, Jews, and Gentiles. "This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel." (2:34) - Simeon is predicting that Jesus will be "a stumblingblock" for those who don't believe (Isaiah 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:7-8) and a Savior for those who do (Malachi 4:2). "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul." (2:35) - Simeon is telling Mary that she will see her son rejected, insulted, beaten, and crucified. "A prophetess." (2:36) - A female prophet, a woman who speaks for God and interprets His divine will. "Had lived with an husband seven years." (2:36) - "Was married seven years (before her husband died)." "She was a widow of about fourscore and four years." (2:37) - "She was a widow for about eighty-four years." or "She was a widow, about eighty-four years old." |