onnarrowpath

Just a little sticky area. What kind of salvation does Jesus offer? What really are we saved from? Our sin some say, the devil some say. We are saved from the wrath that a Holy God demands the wages of sin which is death. I don't know about you all, but I still sin. I have not been saved from it. I have however been saved from the penalty of them. My debt has been paid.

Here is an interesting thought. Simeon's name means "harkening" or listen. When the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ, He listened. Then he listened when the Spirit told him it was time to go to the temple. Then he gave something for the Child's parents and all to listen to. Anna, her name means grace. And that is exactly what she received and dispensed as she told all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. For how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Our Culture? O Lord have mercy. We are so self sufficient that we have no need to humbly kneel and seek him who is our daily bread.

Maybe their righteousness, devotion and praise had something to do with their sesitivity, however I would like to give credit where credit is due. The Holy Spirit moved them to be in the right place at the right time to present their testimonies to Mary and Joseph. I can't not hear God. He speaks loudly through his Word and even when I am being selfish, He speaks to me through the Holy Spirit he has given me. Now the question should be...Do I obey when I hear him? I plead the 5th.

Okay, so what did their obedience and faith have to do with them being led (sensitivity) by the Spirit to this momentous occasion? Just curious...

It seems a strange question. On the surface everyone agrees their lives were important even before they met the Messiah. We only know of them though because of this Biblical record. Just as we know of Moses and Elijah. These men are the federal heads of the law and the prophets and yet they had never seen the Messiah with their own physical eyes. Would we dare ask in what way Moses or Elijah's lives were important since they never saw Jesus? I see in this Biblical record of Simeon and Anna another important fact of the testimony of two witnesses. They also speak of the judgement that Jesus would bring (being the flip side of salvation of course).

Thank you for your passion and insights. All so beautiful thoughts. My temperment is not so gentile and flowing. I wonder if you will ever get my post, but if you do can you respond to my thought on this question. I find it a silly question because my response would be, " I don't know in what way was Moses' or Elijah's life important because they did not see the Messiah?"

I think Mary saw the fruit of her obedience and belief. She was there at the cross, she must have been there with the disciple after the resurrection too. She had the promises and predictions of Simeon and Anna and the Angel.

Just wondering if by saying we should obey God's commands as they did, do you mean we should take our children to the temple to be circumsized on the 8th day?

You know that Joseph and Mary were going to raise their child, Jesus, as a Jew, right? They went to the temple on the 8th day for the circumcision and dedication which was commanded of the Jewish people in the book of Genesis 17:9-14,"9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Can you elaborate on why you led into the conversation with, "They did not fornicate". Why do you think that has anything to do with the dedication at the temple on the 8th day?

My sister is currently struggling with the tension of following God's law in obedience and living under the law. She knows salvation is through Jesus alone but is drawn to the Hebrew roots movement and says it is for wanting to please God that she wants to obey. Of course, who can argue with that, but they seem to be a bit more restrictive with things like Sabboth practices. It is such a slippery slope.

This is in regard to the 8th day dedication/circumcision, not when he was 12 years old. Did I misunderstand or did you?