onnarrowpath
-
Posts
12 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by onnarrowpath
-
-
On 11/30/2002 at 10:41 PM, Pastor Ralph said:
4. What place do praise and thanksgiving have in Simeon's and Anna's lives? What does this say about them? How do we nurture these in our lives? Why does our culture see long periods spent in prayer as wasted? How did Anna see it?
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.
-
On 11/30/2002 at 10:40 PM, Pastor Ralph said:
3. What did Simeon's and Anna's righteousness, devotion, and praise have to do with their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice? What are some of the reasons that we can't hear God?
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.
-
On 12/13/2003 at 10:49 AM, cct1106 said:
They showed their dedication to God by being obedient and believing in his words.
The reason why we do not hear God's voice is because we either are too preoccupied with other thoughts and sometimes ignoring the word of God and ignoring the Spirit. We as human beings get to rapped up in worldly situation and things that we just totally ignore God and God is a jealous God, therefore, he is unpleased when we do such things.
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...
-
On 11/30/2002 at 10:39 PM, Pastor Ralph said:
2. If Simeon and Anna had never seen the Messiah, in what ways might their lives have been important? In what might your life be important to God?
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).
-
On 11/10/2008 at 1:51 PM, susan@sonflowergifts.com said:
I realize you have long since moved on from this study but I've just stumbled across this blog by accident and I'm leading a study on Luke right now and it took us one whole night to cover the story of Simeon! This is just such a rich story.
For me, Simeon and Anna represent hope. They were two of Israel's children, the result of many generations of hope and expectation for the nation of Israel. Their parents probably passed on many stories of the sufferings and trials of Israel's children from generations prior. Can you imagine how their entire lives were changed by the infant Jesus? My eyes tear up when I think of the image of an old Jewish man and an old Jewish woman, each holding their salvation in their very own arms, each realizing that God has once again delivered one of His promises. Yeah, I'd be praising Him too! Wow, what an experience that must have been! To me, they are the epitome of hope and devotion. They are well worn by life, just like the nation of Israel. They are seasoned by life's trials, by little everyday challenges we still face, they have crows feet on their faces from smiling and frown lines from the sad times. Christ gave each one of those wrinkles value :>)
"34Then 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, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
The visual image of the Old ways of the Jews who lived by the law is representative by both of their ages. The image of Christ as a child of God, the Messiah, was representative of a new birth for the World. Otherwise they could have met Jesus when he returned to the temple at age 12. The contrast would have not been nearly as significant as it was with two aged people and an infant.
Would they have known and recognized this infant was the Messiah if they had not spent time with God? It's hard to say, I think maybe not but scripture also tells us that God brings the hearts of His people, we don't.
You question, "In what way might their life have been important had they not seen the Messiah?" That's a tricky question. For them, prayers and worship and praise was their job, they were simply being faithful and believing what they could not see. At their age, that's how they contributed to society and their community.
For us, my life is important because I know and love the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Without Him, I'm nothing. And, if I'm not praising, praying, fasting, and loving then I'm not doing my job
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?"
-
On 12/3/2002 at 5:41 AM, Darleen Nelson said:
Mary and Joseph had faith in God and in the traditions of their Jewish beliefs. Even though they didn't see the results of their beliefs they knew God honored them. I, too, must step out in faith and do what God requires of His children. I don't always see the results but I walk in faith and do as He says.
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.
-
On 12/30/2007 at 6:56 PM, emmaus said:
We should abide in God's word as Joseph and Mary did the Law of Moses. We should obey God's commands as they did.
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?
-
On 11/29/2009 at 2:39 PM, Marloes said:
Meaning we all have to raise our children to christians from their very first 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.”
-
On 6/30/2018 at 11:56 PM, Paul Irving said:
They did not fornicate and Joseph when he knew Mary was pregnant he kept the matter private. Jesus Christ was circumcised on the eighth day after His birth according to God’s laws. They were Holy people following God’s laws and Mary found favor from God to be the mother of the Son of God. They set an example for us to follow as Christians, be Holy.
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?
-
On 1/10/2003 at 6:22 PM, Ron Armour said:
Joseph and Mary were doing what was required of them in presenting the young Jesus for circumcision. We sometimes in this day and age tend to forget that there are things written within the law that we should also desire to do. Jesus himself said that we he had not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. I'm not suggesting that we should live under the law, but as we are in Christ, we should live life that does not offend that which the Lord came to establish and fulfill. Amazingly, although my eldest son was born before I was a Chr
istian, I remember in my absolute joy, offering him to God for his service.
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.
-
On 1/19/2003 at 6:15 PM, Mike Dickinson said:
Joseph and Mary, in obedience to God's law took Jesus to the Temple for His consecration. In Judaism today this ceremony is known as 'Barmitzvah'. Generally attended when the boy is twelve years old and when he is acknowledged as being responsible for his own actions. I believe as Christian parents we should take to heart the wisdom of Solomon: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6) However, for anyone who has attended the dedication and acceptance of a new infant into the family of God at their church, you may recall, we are all called upon to accept responsibility for the newest addition to the family of God. Above all, as Christian peers, we must lead by example.
This is in regard to the 8th day dedication/circumcision, not when he was 12 years old. Did I misunderstand or did you?
Question 5
in Meeting Simeon and Anna in the Temple (Luke 2:21-38)
Posted
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.