seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 2:22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Anna is one of those characters in the Bible that always come to mind. She was glued to the church. She was there every time the doors were open. You know the type. There are a few old women in every church. They know every sweet spot and every skeleton in the church. They know every verse of the Bible, not because they memorized the scripture, but because they lived it. In those days women weren't allowed in the temple itself. They had to wait in the courtyard with the slaves. Men worshiped in the Temple. It was man's work.
I read through the Bible while I was driving a cab. It's a long day when there is time in between runs. So I read the Bible. I think it was the American Standard Version. I also read a paraphrased Bible titled "The Word". I admit, I put a brown paper bag cover on it. I was in Virginia Beach at the time. I had lots of pickups at the 700 club studios. I took the guests and stars to the airport a lot. If I had a copy of the Bible sitting in my cab... I would not have had a moment's peace. As it was they tried to save my soul. If they had known I was reading the Bible, they would have never gotten out of my cab. ANYWAY...
When I read this story in that version of the Word, Anna said to them, "Now I've seen it all".
I don't give Simeon much thought. After all, he was one of those odd moments in the Bible. Back then babies were women's work. Men were way too busy for babies. Their hands would have been rough from labor. Yet, this guy Simeon took Jesus in his arms. Maybe it was part of the ceremony, like when the preacher takes a baby in his arms during a dedication ceremony. After all, Mary and Joseph were dedicating Jesus to the Lord that day. Maybe Simeon got the privilege.
At any rate, it says the Simeon told Mary and Joseph that Jesus would be the consolation of Israel. Maybe looking at the face of Jesus brought Simeon so much peace, he was sure this baby was, indeed, the Messiah. At any rate, he had been promised that he would see the Messiah, and now he had held the Messiah in his own arms and looked into His beautiful eyes.
I guess both Anna and Simeon could have both uttered the words.
"Now I've seen it all!"
