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| B | aby Jesus is Circumcised at the Temple |
Luke 2:21-38 Historical
Notes
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what 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 this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel."
33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
- References made to Lev 12:1-3:
Lev 12:1-3 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. 'And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.- Jesus was born under the Jewish law
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,- The parents usually selected the names of their children.
- The purification of the parents and redemptionof the first-born son took place according to the law 41 days after the birth:Lev 12:4-8 'She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. 'But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days. 'When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 'Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. 'And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons-- one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.'"
- The gift of two turtledoves indicated their financial circumstances.-The "redemption of the first-born son" or Pidyon Ha Ben in Hebrew. The first-born son of every Israelite was to be set apart for the service of the priesthood:
Exod 13:1-2 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine."After the establishing of the priestly tribe of Levi (Num 8), the first-born son in all other tribes was redeemed from this duty by the payment of 5 shekels.
- The money given for the two turtledoves or pigeons was placed in the 3rd of the 13 trumpet shaped collection boxes in the court of the women.- The temple vendors supplied the various sacrifices.
- Certain ministers placed these women who presented themselves, after purification, in the special place beside the Nicanor Gate, where they would be closest to the Court of Israel and the Holy Place and could accompany the acts of sacrifice and see the cloud of incense (symbol of their prayers) rise as a cloud of incense before God from the altar.- Mary had to be Levitically clean before she could be participate in the ceremony of Pidyon Ha Ben. The ceremony consisted of:
The presenting of the child to the priest (recognizing God's ownership)
The payment of the 5 shekels
The priest immediately pronounced 2 blessings (one of thanksgiving for the law of redemption and another for the gift of the first-born son)
