February 13, 2011
I’d like to read part of the third verse of Hebrews 1: “when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
Hymn 300 - If little children knew the love
Prayer
1 Samuel 18:1 - 4
Our last chapter ended with Saul talking to David. Jonathan was with Saul at that time, and when he saw what David had done, his love for David was as great as the love for his own soul. Although Jonathan was the son of the king and was possibly the heir to the throne, that didn’t block his friendship with David.
Jonathan’s and David’s hearts were knit together in love. “Knit together” means sewn together so that they couldn’t be taken apart. Remember, David is a picture of our Saviour—the Lord Jesus—Who went into the valley of death and defeated the giant (Satan). In Jonathan, we see a picture of ourselves. The Lord has done all this for us and we should have as deep a love for Him as Jonathan did for David.
Read Galatians 2:20; this verse is speaking of the Lord’s love for us, in dying for us. David didn’t die when he fought Goliath, but he surely chanced getting killed. Also, read 1 John 4:19. Jonathan had this love for David because he fought Goliath. The Lord has loved us and in return we should love him.
V.4: Next, Jonathan gave David some of his robes and his armor. Since Jonathan is the king’s son, his armor and clothing would have been quite special. This is how much love Jonathan had for David: he would give David something that was special to him. Similarly, we can use our gifts—our abilities—for the Lord.
We have looked at this special friendship between David and Jonathan. May we each have a love for the Lord like Jonathan did for David.
Last week, our scene changed from Nazareth to Jerusalem; with Mary and Joseph fulfilling the law’s requirements. The Holy Spirit was still moving people and bringing them into the scene; and in our portion today we read of two, both of which were elderly.
Simeon means ‘hear’ or ‘hearken’. He lived in Jerusalem, and was just and devout. The things of the Lord were important to Him. If the Holy Ghost wrote something about us, would He say the same thing? Simeon was waiting, like we are; but he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. Lastly, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Ghost had revealed to him that he wouldn’t see death until he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Why is this fact in the story? Well, Mary and Joseph had been given instruction by angels, but when they found out that others were being moved by the Holy Ghost, too, it would confirm what they had been told. That was important, because Mary and Joseph were going to have the responsibility to bring up Jesus.
Again, Simeon means ‘hear’ or ‘hearken’, and Simeon did hear what God told him, and believed it. God told him, “You will see the Lord’s Christ (or the Anointed One) before you die”; then the Holy Spirit brought him to the temple, at the right moment, and told him, “That’s the One.”
Thinking of this in connection with the book of Malachi, that prophet told us that the Lord would ‘suddenly come to His temple’. It probably refers to when He came as an adult to cleanse the temple; but our Lord also went there when He was twelve, and also in our portion today. His parents were there with the turtle doves when Simeon walked by, took the child in his arms, and blessed God.
“Lord, now thou lettest thy bondman go, according to thy word, in peace” (Darby Translation). You would think that Simeon would want to stay around and see what would happen if he had just found the Lord’s Christ; but Simeon was old, and he was waiting for this moment so that he could go home. This was a man that walked with the Lord, like Enoch did. That’s how we have to go on. The fact that he said “in peace” is of interest because peace was not an Old Testament idea, but rather a New Testament one. The time period here is one that overlaps both Law and Grace.
Even though Simeon didn’t have a Bible, he still had the word of the Lord. According to that word, he saw the Lord’s Christ, while he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. Both were in the same person. The world needed that Saviour, and Simeon recognised him.
Simeon called the Lord, “A light to lighten the Gentiles.” They were in great darkness at that time, without even the law. The angel had told the shepherds that the Lord was for “all the people” (DT), or the Jews. He did bring the light of truth to those who thought that they knew the Law; but Simeon also revealed that the Lord was to be for the Gentiles, too. Mary and Joseph wondered at all of this. God was showing them who exactly this child was.
“This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel”. Some of the Jews fell because of what they did to the Lord, while others rose through His ministry. The “sword” that would pierce Mary was, no doubt, the sufferings that she went through as she watched her son suffer on the cross.
Simeon is an interesting scene in the Lord’s arrival on earth.
Hymn 347 - Jesus when He left the sky
Prayer